WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WTHR) - Before any Purdue players or head coach Matt Painter is introduced at Mackey Arena before a basketball game, the public address announcer first acknowledges the student cheering section.
"Starting for Purdue, as the original 6th man, the Paint Crew" is heard over the loudspeakers as students stand and yell in appreciation behind both baskets. Purdue's student cheering section is divided by design.
"It was actually Matt Painter's idea to have us on both sides,” said Paint Crew vice president Heston Hybarger, a senior from Sheridan, Ind. “We used to be all together. But Painter wanted to have an advantage on both halves, so we do some chants back and forth."
Before tipoff, one end shouts “Whose house?” The other end replies vociferously, “Our house”.
“Now we've been able to split our student section so they're at both ends to kind of balance our noise,” said Painter. “Hopefully you have an advantage at both ends. Our student section is great."
The Paint Crew fills several sections at both end of Gene Keady Court, separated but united in purpose.
“We're loud,” said Paint Crew president Mike Blaney, a senior from Downers Grove, Illinois. “We're loud the whole game. We don't get too vulgar. We don't say anything we're not supposed to. We're just loud the whole game. We keep that noise going. We make it hard for the coaches to hear the players, players to hear the coaches. That's what we do."
“I think it's the passion for the defensive end,” said Hybarger. “Here at Purdue, we embody what the team embodies. We love defense. I don't think anybody will get crazier for a 30 second shot clock violation or a charge. We love charges here at Purdue. I would say the passion we have for defense here and how we get so loud for that."
Blaney sits (actually stands most of the time) in the front row just above a sign that reads “Defense lives here” with a flip scoreboard that keeps track of turnovers. At the other end Hybarger is in the front row, where the Paint Crew posts a number 3 for every three-point basket for the Boilermakers.
Membership in the Paint Crew is capped at 28 hundred students. The $15 memberships sold out in June. The boarding pass for student athletic tickets costs $99 for the school year. That guarantees a ticket to home football games, and first access to men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball games. A lottery system is used for students who line up for tickets to games with high demand.
“We have people who are showing up hours before tipoff waiting in the cold just to get the best seats they possibly can,” said Blaney. “For me, just being able to represent that body of students, I love it.”
The Paint Crew will camp overnight outside Mackey Arena for big games later this season.
“Anytime you can get your student section to come out like that and wait and spend a lot of time in and around our program, it really helps,” said Painter.
The Paint Crew scouts opponents and distributes pregame notes, looking for a little dirt or embarrassing social media posts they can use to harass players. But Blaney says the Paint Crew doesn’t want to get too personal and polices itself.
“It's actually a rule for Big Ten Conference play,” said Blaney. “You can't say players’ names. You can't say their numbers. When you hear that, that's when you start to say, ‘Hey keep it down.’ You get a warning. You say it again, that's when we start to have a problem.”
“If you're just loud and their bench is right next to the Paint Crew, they're going to hear it,” said Hybarger. “They definitely know you're there. I'd say just don't make it personal. We still affect them.”
The 17th ranked Boilermakers give the Paint Crew plenty to cheer about this season.
“This team's got the juice,” said Blaney. “We've got Caleb Swanigan. We've got shooters that space out the floor. You’ve got to watch us in March. We've got the potential to do some damage in the Big Ten.”
No one excites the Paint Crew more than Swanigan, who has posted 14 double-doubles already this season.
“Everyone loves him,” said Blaney. “We're so privileged to get to watch him play with the Paint Crew. I hope he stays for another year. I don't think he's going to. But we're very lucky to get to watch him play.”
One of the signature moments of every game is the second half media timeout which features the Paint Crew yelling “IU SUCKS” at the end of the pep band performance.
This crew paints a clear picture of Purdue allegiance.
