Purdue May Not Be The Best Team in The Country, But They’re Playing Like It
By SEAN BOCK The college basketball season has
By SEAN BOCK The college basketball season has
Caleb Swanigan, the 6-foot-9 power forward from Purdue, will remain in the NBA Draft, ending his college career.
Never thought I’d be sad to say that I am going to chase my reality in the NBA. Y’all got my love forever. #boilerup
— Mamba Forever (@calebswanigan50) May 24, 2017
Wednesday was the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the Draft and return to school with eligibility. Purdue previously got good news when both Vince Edwards and Isaac Haas withdrew from the Draft.
Swanigan, the Big Ten Player of the Year, is currently projected to go at No. 40 to the New Orleans Pelicans by DraftExpress.com. He has worked out for numerous teams, including on Wednesday the Knicks, who pick at Nos. 8, 44 and 58.
Swanigan averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season for the Boilermakers.
Caleb Swanigan, the 6-foot-9 power forward from Purdue who is testing the NBA Draft waters without an agent, will work out for the Knicks on Wednesday, a source told ZAGSBLOG.
That is the last day underclassmen can work out for NBA teams before the deadline for returning to school with eligibility.
Swanigan, the Big Ten Player of the Year, is currently projected to go at No. 40 to the New Orleans Pelicans by DraftExpress.com. The Knicks pick at Nos. 8, 44 and 58.
Swanigan, who has also worked out for the Nets among other teams, averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season for the Boilermakers.
The Big Ten Conference unveiled the men’s basketball All-Conference teams and individual award winners on Monday night.
Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors from the conference’s coaches and a media panel, and was a unanimous selection by the coaches. Minnesota’s Richard Pitino claimed Coach of the Year laurels from both the media and his peers. Michigan State’s Miles Bridges picked up Freshman of the Year accolades in both ballots. Minnesota’s Reggie Lynch was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Iowa’s Nicholas Baer was voted the Sixth Man of the Year by the coaches.
Swanigan earns the Big Ten Player of the Year award after pacing the conference with 18.9 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in conference games. He became the first player to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounds in conference games since Ohio State’s Evan Turner in 2009-10. Swanigan becomes the fourth player in Purdue history to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors and the first since JaJaun Johnson in 2010-11.
Pitino led the Gophers to a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament with an 11-7 conference record, and a total of 23 wins, which ties the school record. Minnesota, which won eight of its last nine Big Ten games, is the NCAA’s most improved team from the 2015-16 campaign. Pitino becomes the second Minnesota mentor to earn Big Ten Coach of the Year honors and the first since Jim Dutcher in 1981-82.
In conference games only, Bridges ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.6 ppg), sixth in rebounding (8.1 rpg) and fifth in blocks (1.7 bpg). He has posted seven double-doubles entering the Big Ten Tournament. Bridges, who was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times, becomes the Spartans’ second Freshman of the Year selection and first since Gary Harris in 2012-13.
Congrats to the 2016-17 #B1GMBBall first-team All-Big Ten honorees as selected by conference coaches. pic.twitter.com/d61he9zSdj
— Big Ten Men’s Hoops (@B1GMBBall) March 6, 2017
We at ZAGSBLOG have decided to observe the final
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo joked at Big Ten Media Day that he’s not a big fan of the new rules that allowed players to test the NBA Draft waters and still return to campus.
“Yeah, it made me feel awful,” Izzo cracked. “Mine left and the others stayed.”
While Michigan State lost freshman Deyonta Davis and senior Denzel Valentine to the NBA Draft, three other Big Ten players tested the waters and opted to return to campus.
Indiana’s Thomas Bryant, Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan all chose to come back and are now part of a deep group of NBA prospects in the Big Ten.
According to DraftExpress.com, the Big Ten has seven players projected to go in the 2017 NBA Draft: Indiana’s OG Anunoby at No. 11; Bryant at No. 20; Michigan State freshman Miles Bridges at 20; Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes, the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, at 36; Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop at 46; Illinois’ Malcolm Hill at 48; and Trimble at 56. Swanigan is currently projected to go undrafted.
