'We all took it as disrespectful': Purdue basketball fueled by FDU coach's comments

Purdue basketball's David Jenkins Jr. didn't hold back when asked about Fairleigh Dickinson's basketball coach Tobin Anderson's comments about the Boilermakers.

"The more I see Purdue, the more I think we can beat them," Anderson told his players in the locker room after Wednesday's win advanced the 16th-seeded Knights to face No. 1 Purdue on Friday night.

When asked about the comments Thursday, Jenkins Jr. smiled slightly and nodded.

"A couple of us first seen it on Twitter," Jenkins Jr. said. "It's just one of those things where it's fueling our fire. We went and watched today and they showed it after film to just fuel us up again. (Purdue coach Matt) Painter said it was disrespectful. We all took it as disrespectful. We're going to go into that game ready to play, trust me."

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Anderson later said he "probably didn't want" the comments about Purdue to get out.

"But I don't think that makes a difference," Anderson said. "I want our guys to believe. Part of having success is like we've got to believe we have a chance to win."

Purdue (29-5), the No. 1 seed, will play No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (20-15) on Friday at 6:50 p.m.

"We're not going to throw no disrespect toward them because we respect them, they're a good team obviously because they're here," Jenkins Jr. said. "We'll definitely be ready to go."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: March Madness: Purdue basketball fueled by Fairleigh Dickinson coach