Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan dies at age 25 Officials say Swanigan died of natural causes
Purdue forward Caleb Swanigan (50) shoots a free throw against Rutgers in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. (Michael Conroy, The Associated Press 2017)
Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan died Monday at the age of 25, the university confirmed.
“Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends,” Purdue’s official basketball account tweeted . “The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie.”
The Allen County Coroner’s Office told WANE 15 in Fort Wayne, Indiana , that Swanigan died of natural causes.
Swanigan was a superstar during two seasons at Purdue, averaging 14.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game from 2015-2017.
He spent the following three seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 26 overall pick. He appeared in 75 games, most recently in 2020, with the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
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Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.
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