Caleb Swanigan, forward, Purdue
In an era when it seems like the big man is fading, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan keeps the tough, bruising nature of being a forward in the Big Ten alive.
At 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, he’s more than just a big body. Swanigan leads the Boilermakers in scoring, putting up 18.7 points per game. He scored 26 against then-No. 17 Maryland, 25 against Michigan State, 28 against Minnesota and 32 against Norfolk State so far this season. And those are just some of his more notable outputs.
In all, Swanigan has scored 20 or more points for Purdue 12 times so far this season.
Swanigan is a big, strong forward who can post up and bang down low like a typical big man, but he can also get out on the perimeter and has a smooth shot for a post player. He could even knock down a three or two in March Madness if a defense is unwise enough to leave him open, so all-in-all, he’s easily one of the top scorers in the country.