How Many Times Has Matt Painter Landed the No. 1 Prospect From Indiana?
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Matt Painter struck again on Friday. Purdue landed a verbal commitment from 7-footer Isaiah Hill, an Indianapolis prospect and the top-ranked player from Indiana in the 2027 recruiting class. It was a huge win on the recruiting front for the Boilermakers so early in the offseason.
Hill became the fifth top-ranked player from Indiana to commit to play for Painter and the Boilermakers since he took over the program in 2005. Purdue is also bringing in Luke Ertel as a member of the 2026 class, who was the state's top-ranked recruit of his class.
Painter has done an excellent job with in-state recruiting, especially recently. Here's a rundown of the top-ranked Indiana players who have committed to play at Purdue since 2005.
Isaiah Hill, Pike (2027)
Hill is the highest-rated recruit Purdue has ever landed in the history of recruiting rankings. The 7-footer is a five-star prospect in the 2027 class and is considered a top-15 overall talent. He's coming off a stellar season at Pike, averaging 12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game.
Without question, Purdue's success developing big men over the last decade played a major role in Hill's decision to spend his college career in West Lafayette. He is an NBA-caliber talent and will have the chance to make an immediate impact when he arrives at Purdue ahead of the 2027-28 season.
Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon (2026)
Ertel was named Indiana Mr. Basketball after leading Mt. Vernon to a 28-3 record and a Class 4A state championship. The 2026 point guard averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in his senior season, raking in several individual accolades.
Per 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Ertel is listed as the No. 45 overall player in the class. He is expected to challenge sophomore Omer Mayer for the starting point guard job at Purdue, with Braden Smith no longer in the picture.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Silver Creek (2021)
The 2021 recruiting class was an interesting one because Purdue landed the state's top two players. Kaufman-Renn was the state's No. 1 prospect, but Caleb Furst won Indiana Mr. Basketball and was the No. 2 in-state player.
Kaufman-Renn was a force as a high school prospect at Silver Creek, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He led his team to a Class 3A state championship in 2021, as well. During his time at Purdue, the forward developed from a redshirt player to a guy who earned an invitation to the 2026 NBA Scouting Combine.
Caleb Swanigan, Homestead (2015)
At the time of his commitment, Swanigan was the highest-rated prospect that Painter had landed since taking over at Purdue in 2005. The five-star forward and Indiana's No. 1 player averaged 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, leading Homestead to its first state championship at the Class 4A level.
Swanigan spent two seasons at Purdue and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2017. When in West Lafayette, he set a Big Ten record for single-season double-doubles, recording 28 in his sophomore campaign. He was selected No. 26 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2017 NBA Draft.
DJ Byrd, North Montgomery (2009)
Although rankings from before 2010 get a little muddled, Byrd was listed as the No. 1 prospect in the state by both 247Sports and On3. He was the all-time leading scorer at North Montgomery.
Byrd became a key piece for Purdue during the early 2010s and was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year following the 2011-12 season. He ended his career in West Lafayette, averaging 6.8 points per game and shooting nearly 37% from three-point range.
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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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