Purdue commit Caleb Furst named 2021 Indiana Mr. Basketball

Furst scored 2,067 points, came down with 1,254 rebounds and blocked 213 shots during his four years at Blackhawk Christian School in Fort Wayne. He also tallied 105 career wins as a player.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian forward Caleb Furst was named 2021 Indiana Mr. Basketball, the Indianapolis Star announced Friday. Furst committed to play at Purdue this upcoming season.

He is the 12th recipient of Indiana Mr. Basketball to play at Purdue and the 14th Purdue representative named Mr. Basketball in the program’s history.

Furst averaged 21.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and three assists per game with the Braves as a senior, leading Blackhawk Christian to a 28-3 record. The team also won its second Class 2A state title in three years.

He scored 20 points during the championship game in a 55-40 win over Rockville's Parke Heritage High School on April 3, and also added seven rebounds and six blocked shots. After the game, Furst was awarded the Class 2A Trester Mental Attitude Award

The Braves may have won three consecutive titles with Furst on the team, although concerns about the coronavirus pandemic last year cut the high school basketball season short.

Over his career at Blackhawk Christian, Furst scored 2,067 points, came down with 1,254 rebounds and blocked 213 shots. He also tallied 105 career wins as a player.

He is the program’s all-time leader in points scored and rebounds over his four years.

Furst is the program’s first Mr. Basketball recruit since Boilermaker forward Caleb Swanigan in 2015. Purdue will have two players with the title of Mr. Basketball on their roster this upcoming season. He joins guard Ethan Morton, who was named the 2020 Pennsylvania Mr. Basketball.