Purdue Boilermakers power forward Caleb Swanigan plays his home games at the address 900 John Wooden Drive.
Depending on what Mackey Arena entrance he takes on a given day, he might pass the John Wooden statue. Thus it’s only fitting that he could also take home the Wooden Award this April. The Wooden and the Naismith awards are the two honors going to the nation’s best overall college basketball player. The only major difference between the two “Hoops Heisman Trophies” is who votes on them.
Prior to the season tipping off, Swanigan was named to the Naismith and Wooden award watch lists. Now as B1G season tips off tonight with the Boilers hosting Iowa, we just got to say:
“Biggie Biggie Biggie can’t you see, you’re a prime candidate for a trophy?”
https://twitter.com/ChrisForman12/status/811770221304365056
The tweet above is from Purdue basketball Sports Information Director Chris Forman, and as he points out, Swanigan is off to a rip-roaring start this season.
In wins last week over Western Illinois and Norfolk State, Swanigan averaged 26.5 points, 20.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 58% from the field and 88% from the free throw line. He posted back-to-back 20-20 games with a 21-point, 21-rebound effort vs. Western Illinois and followed it up two days later with a career-high 32 points with 20 rebounds.
For these stellar performances, Caleb Swanigan was named both B1G and National Player of the Week.
In the season opener against McNeese State, he became just the third major-college player (LSU’s Ben Simmons, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin) to have 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a game when he put up 23 points, 20 rebounds and six assists.
Currently, the former McDonald’s All-American is truly displaying not just league, but also national, player of the year chops.
With pre-conference play now concluded, Biggie is averaging 18.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He’s really “a dude,” as Urban Meyer would say, because no one else in the nation is averaging 18, 12 and three this season. His percentages slash line reads 59 FG, 52.4 3PT FG and 75.9 FT
“The number one thing he’s improved upon is his effort,” said Purdue Coach Matt Painter.
“It wasn’t that his effort wasn’t there last year, but you have to understand where he came from, from a physical stand point, and he just keeps getting better, physically.”
“Now his stamina is so high that he can run the court. He can go get a rebound every time, he can be demanding of himself.”
“He’s a good overall player, he’s good playing off of Issac (Haas), Vince Edwards and he’s good at picking his spots. He’s worked hard on his perimeter shots. He’s been great, and he’s been that way in practice. He’s learned to lace ’em up every day.”
Swanigan has lost a lot of weight during his years as a 5-star high school prospect, and in his first year in West Lafayette. Then he went and entered the NBA Draft exploratory process and learned a lot more about what he needs to do to reach the next level.
Much of that is conditioning, and you now see a much more sculpted and finally tuned Caleb Swanigan than you saw during his rookie year. He’s come so far in developing his perimeter game. Let’s see if he can stay consistent with the outside jumper and the three ball. Looking at how far he’s come…
….but seriously, the career arc that we see Biggie currently on…the Wooden is very much a possibility. During his freshman year, Purdue was A.J. Hammons’ team, now it’s Caleb Swanigan who is the big dog.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.
