Paint crew camps out for big game

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The Purdue men's basketball team prepared to take on the third-ranked Indiana Hoosiers Wednesday.

Boiler fans camped out Wednesday morning at Mackey Arena for the best seats.

The Paint Crew started Tuesday night waiting to claim a spot for the state rivalry.

Students signed up as groups and took shifts waiting. 

Some even passed the time watching movies on their laptops while others took advantage of the extra study time. 

They said it's a long wait for good seats but said it's worth it.

"You got to have a little 'fan-dimonium' in you," Paint Crew Vice President Billy Plant said. "You really have to be a loyal fan to wait it out. These people are willing to wait overnight outside. It's just part of the Paint Crew tradition."

"I've been a Purdue fan since I can remember," Paint Crew member Nick Konkel said. "It's always been a dream of mine to watch games from as close as I possibly can. If a coach over-reacts or a player does something stupid, we'll mock them or try to annoy them and just try to get under their skin."

Tip-off for Wednesday's big game is at 8:30 p.m. 

News 18 will have a live report from Keady Court at 6 p.m.