Oscar Cluff Explains Reason Behind Commitment to Purdue Basketball
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It didn't take long for Oscar Cluff to decide on his next destination after entering the transfer portal following the 2024-25 college basketball season. Shortly after Purdue was defeated in the Sweet 16 by Houston, the 6-foot-11 center out of South Dakota State committed to coach Matt Painter and the Boilermakers for his final year of eligibility.
Cluff got a little taste of the Purdue basketball experience on Saturday, as the program hosted its Alumni Game. It only confirmed to the new Boilermaker center that he made the right choice in committing to Purdue.
The fan support and the family aspect associated with Purdue basketball are why Cluff wanted to spend his final season in West Lafayette.
"The culture, the family — as you guys saw over the weekend, it was insane how many people came back," Cluff said when asked why he picked Purdue. "It's a family-built place. I think once you see that, why would you want to go anywhere else?"
Cluff was a top priority for Painter and the Purdue staff during the offseason. During the 2024-25 season at South Dakota State, the center averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. After struggling to rebound last year, the Boilermakers knew they needed to address that concern.
Cluff is not only a furious rebounder, but he can score in a variety of ways and has found great consistency in the post. He finished last year shooting 63.4% from the floor and dished out 2.8 assists per game.
He provides Purdue with another great post weapon to go along with returning All-American Trey Kaufman-Renn and 7-foot-4 sophomore Daniel Jacobsen.
Yes, Cluff understands that Purdue is a contender for a national championship in the 2025-26 season. That's another reason why he wanted to spend his last year in West Lafayette. But the culture, atmosphere, and connectivity are the reasons why he committed to the program so quickly.
"The family aspect is so big here," he said, "it's great."
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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