Purdue Reserve Guard Reportedly Entering Transfer Portal
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A Purdue guard is the first player from the 2025-26 roster to enter the transfer portal. Aaron Fine, a redshirt freshman from Noblesville, Ind., is reportedly exploring his options outside of West Lafayette.
Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star reported the news regarding Fine on Tuesday morning. The NCAA transfer portal officially opened on Tuesday, April 7.
Fine redshirted during the 2024-25 season at Purdue and appeared in nine games for the Boilermakers this year. He scored 11 points and dished out three assists during his time on the floor.
Perhaps Fine didn't see a lot of time on the floor, but he played a critical role on Purdue's scout team throughout the season. He was charged with defending All-American point guard Braden Smith during practice, making life difficult for the NCAA's all-time assist leader.
Fine is listed as a 6-foot-2 guard and will have three years of eligibility remaining. Though he entered the transfer portal, he still has the opportunity to return to Purdue if he believes that is in his best interest.
At the time of this post, Fine is the only player from Purdue's 2025-26 roster to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. On Monday, multiple reports confirmed that freshman guard Omer Mayer will return to West Lafayette for his sophomore season.
With Purdue having both Mayer returning and incoming four-star guard Luke Ertel on the roster, minutes would be limited for Fine next season. Still, if he returns, he would be a valuable asset on the program's scout team, providing great defensive pressure and a player with great ball-handling skills.
The Boilermakers finished the season with a 30-9 record, winning the Big Ten Tournament and reaching the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
Fine came to Purdue from Noblesville
Fine came to Purdue as a member of the 2024 recruiting class, along with Jack Benter, Daniel Jacobsen, C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris and Raleigh Burgess. He joined the Boilers after a prolific senior season at Noblesville High School.
As a senior, Fine averaged 17.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. He also shot better than 52% from the floor. He was selected to the Indiana All-Star team following his senior campaign with the Millers.
Fine was also a 1,000-point scorer at the high school level.
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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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