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With a little over four minutes left in the first half, Calloway took a pass fromArmon Bassett and dribbled right towards the Purdue bench, looking to pass low to DJWhite. Calloway, finding White double-teamed, but himself unguarded, dribbledbacked a step behind the three-point line.
According to Calloway, Painter yelled,  Let him shoot! Calloway did and buried thethree-ball. Then, turning towards PurdueÂ's bench, he pumped his fist and gavePainter a long look as he headed up court.
And thatÂ's all Calloway did. He didnÂ't say a word to Painter or anyone else.  IdidnÂ't say anything. I swear it, Calloway, the son of a retired Baptist preacher,said on Friday.  HeÂ's trying to play it like I said something, but I didnÂ't.Â
I believe him. Calloway doesnÂ't talk trash. Ask anyone who has watched him play atAssembly Hall. Ask his coaches and teammates. Heck, ask opposing players. Calloway is as stoic and unflappable on the court as he is polite and friendly offit.
Calloway, though, acknowledges the look he gave Painter was meant to conveysomething.  I just looked at him as if to say  youÂ'd better guard me.Â'Â
That look and nothing more sent the Purdue coach around the bend. Gesturing wildly,Painter shouted at IU Coach Kelvin Sampson and then gave him a hard stare. "I justyelled down at him and said that was wrong,'' he said. "Those probably weren't myexact words. But it wasn't right. None of my players at Purdue will ever talk to anopposing coach.''
Speaking to reporters after the game, Painter was reluctant to talk about theincident. Well, at first anyway. "I haven't even thought about it, he said.  Ifyou guys weren't asking me about it, it wouldn't even register. Things happen inthe heat of the moment. It's not even worth talking about."
Pressed for more, though, Painter went on.  (Calloway) looked at the bench and saidsomething, and I didnÂ't think it was right, he said.  It was nothing major, but IÂ'mnot going to take it from a kid.  I'm sorry, I'm just not. There's a right way togo about it. I'm going to stand up for our team. "You have to have class. Youcan play hard, you can still be ornery, but you have to have class, he said,clearly implying Calloway has a shortage in that area.
At the next timeout, less than a minute later, Sampson conferred with an officialand, before play resumed, Calloway jogged to the Purdue bench to shake PainterÂ'shand.  No disrespect, Calloway said.
Asked if Sampson dealt with situation properly, Painter replied, "The only thing Ican tell you is how I deal with things. None of my players are going to talk to anyother coach in the country or I'm going to yank his ass,'' leaving the impressionthat Sampson, who didnÂ't  yank (CallowayÂ's) ass, didnÂ't do enough.
Painter also claims it was an official, not Sampson, who told Calloway to apologize. He didnÂ't say how he knew that, though. Nor has he even hinted at what Callowaysupposedly said.
Truth is, Calloway didnÂ't say anything and Painter knows it. He just doesnÂ't wantto be in a position of trying to justify his own smack-talk and wild gesticulationsafter merely being looked at. Thanks for the lesson in class, Coach.
 Ed Anderson 1/12/7
