Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan has sadly passed away at the young age of 25.
Purdue basketball fans are in mourning, as former Boilermakers standout Caleb Swanigan passed away at the age of 25 on Monday night.
TMZ Sports broke the tragic news of Swanigan’s passing on Tuesday morning. According to the Allen County Coroner’s Office in his native Indiana, Swanigan died of natural causes. Swanigan was a former first-round pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2017 NBA Draft after his stellar run while in West Lafayette. He would later go on to play for the Sacremento Kings in his NBA career.
Affectionately known as Biggie, it is understandable how devastated Purdue fans are feeling now.
Former Purdue basketball sensation Caleb Swanigan has passed away at 25
Prior to arriving on campus Purdue, Swanigan was a high school basketball legend in the Hoosier State. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game during his senior year of high school ball. Swanigan would then average 14.4 points and 10.4 boards per game during his two-year run with the Boilermakers before entering the NBA Draft.
In the basketball crazy state known as Indiana, Swanigan cut through on a national level. His unforgettable combination of play, size and demeanor allowed him to become one of the greatest big men ever in the history of Purdue basketball. Swanigan will never be replaced, but what he meant for the Purdue program during his brief time on campus changed everyone’s lives forever.
May Swanigan’s friends, family and the entire Purdue fan base find peace during this trying time.
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