"We'll stay process based": Purdue HC Matt Painter rallies up team ahead of first national championship game in 55 years

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter is just one more game away from leading his team to their first national championship title in program history. Following last year's disappointing first-round loss in March Madness, the Boilermakers have secured a national championship berth following a 63-50 victory over the NC State Wolfpack.

After his team secured the Final Four victory, Matt Painter rallied up his team in the locker room to bolster their motivation and boost their morale for the national championship final. Painter congratulated his players for the victory but made sure to keep them focused for their most important game of the season.

"Great job. Way to grind it out. Games like that, it doesn't matter. You win and you advance. Put yourself in a position obviously to play for a national championship. We'll stay process based here. Right? We'll get our rest. We'll keep doing the same things that we have been doing. And get ready for whoever wins this game? All right? Great job"

The Purdue Boilermakers will be making their first national championship appearance since 1969. Matt Painter's team did not face a lot of difficulty on the court against the NC State Wolfpack tonight. They had a firm offensive grasp, eventually leading them to victory by 13 points.

Following the game, Painter opened up about how past experiences and upsets helped him gear up for where they are this year.

"I thought we had to be more skilled. By doing that, not everybody gets to play as much or even play at all, and that's difficult because they've meant a lot to our program, and they've done a lot of really good things."

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Top players in the Purdue vs. NC State Final Four showdown

Despite the loss, NC State guard DJ Horne put up an impressive offensive display, scoring 20 points along with six rebounds and one assist. DJ Burns Jr. did not have a high-scoring game tonight, managing just eight points along with one rebound and four assists. Jayden Taylor had the second-best contribution to the Wolfpack scoreboard, putting up 11 points and two rebounds on the court.

On the other hand, Zach Edey once again was the top performer for the Purdue Boilermakers. Edey scored 20 points along with 12 rebounds and four assists, while Lance Jones put up 14 points and four assists. The Purdue Boilermakers will now face the winner of the Final Four clash between Alabama and UConn.