Caleb Swanigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Caleb Swanigan

Swanigan with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2017
Personal information
Born	(1997-04-18)April 18, 1997 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Died	June 20, 2022(2022-06-20) (aged 25) Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.
High school	Homestead (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
College	Purdue (2015–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26th overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Pro career	2017–2020
Career history
2017–2019	Portland Trail Blazers
2017–2018	→Canton Charge
2018–2019	→Texas Legends
2019–2020	Sacramento Kings
2019	→Stockton Kings
2020	Portland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
Consensus first-team All-American (2017) Pete Newell Big Man Award (2017) Lute Olson Award (2017) Big Ten Player of the Year (2017) First-team All-Big Ten (2017) Big Ten All-Freshman team (2016) McDonald's All American (2015) First-team Parade All-American (2015) Indiana Mr. Basketball (2015)
Career NBA statistics
Points	169 (2.3 ppg)
Rebounds	218 (2.9 rpg)
Assists	56 (0.7 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA U19 World Championship Gold 2015 Greece National team FIBA U17 World Championship Gold 2014 Dubai National team

Caleb Sylvester Swanigan (born April 18, 1997 – died June 20, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Caleb was also a star college player for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was considered one of the best high school players in the country in 2015.

Caleb played his senior year at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He helped his team win their first-ever state championship. Because of his amazing skills, Caleb was named Indiana Mr. Basketball and a McDonald's All-American. He first planned to go to Michigan State University, but later chose Purdue University. At Purdue, he set records and won many awards. He was even named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

In 2017, the Portland Trail Blazers picked Caleb in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft. He played for the Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings during his NBA career.

Caleb Swanigan's Early Life and Challenges

Caleb Swanigan had a tough start to life. He moved a lot between Utah and Indianapolis with his mother and five siblings. Sometimes, they even had to stay in homeless shelters.

Caleb's biological father, who passed away in 2014, was very tall and struggled with his weight. Caleb inherited these traits. By the time he was in eighth grade, Caleb was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 360 pounds. When his mother planned to move the family to Houston, Caleb's older brother, Carl Jr., worried about Caleb's health. He called Roosevelt Barnes, Caleb's former youth basketball coach. Barnes was a successful sports agent and a former Purdue basketball star.

Barnes, who lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, offered to adopt Caleb and raise him. Caleb moved in with Barnes before his 8th-grade year. Barnes helped Caleb change his eating habits and start a special workout plan. By the time Caleb finished high school, he had slimmed down to 260 pounds.

High School Basketball Star

Swanigan playing in the McDonald's All-American Game in 2015

In 2011, Caleb attended a special basketball camp led by former NBA coach John Lucas. When it was time to choose a high school, Caleb wanted to make history. His guardian, Roosevelt Barnes, said Caleb wanted to win a state championship at a school that had never done it before. Caleb chose Homestead High School and wore number 44, just like Barnes.

As a senior, Caleb was named Indiana Mr. Basketball. He led Homestead to their first-ever state title. He was also named a McDonald's All-American, which means he was one of the best high school players in the country. In his senior year, he averaged 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Caleb was also a good student, keeping a 3.1 GPA and finishing high school in just three years.

Caleb set many records at Homestead High School. He holds the records for career points (1,649) and rebounds (1,048). He also set single-season records for points (704) and rebounds (424).

Playing for the National Team

Caleb Swanigan played for the USA National Team twice. In 2014, he was part of the U17 World Championship Team. They won a gold medal in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a perfect 7–0 record. Caleb was a very efficient player on the team, shooting 69.6% from the field.

Before starting college, Caleb was chosen for the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team. This team also won a gold medal in Greece. Caleb said, "I always set goals for myself. One of my goals is to make this team to end my high school career." He played in several important games to prepare, like the Nike Hoop Summit and the McDonald's All-American Game. The team finished 7–0, and Caleb averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

College Success at Purdue

Choosing Purdue University

Caleb Swanigan was a highly sought-after player. Many top colleges, including Arizona, Kentucky, Cal, and Duke, offered him scholarships. He first committed to Michigan State but later changed his mind. Caleb said he felt Purdue was a better fit for his basketball career.

He decided to stay in his home state of Indiana and chose Purdue on May 19, 2015. Caleb was the first Indiana Mr. Basketball to commit to Purdue since Glenn Robinson in 1991. He was also the first McDonald's All-American for Purdue since 1996. Caleb joined Ryan Cline and Grant Weatherford in Purdue's 2015 recruiting class.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Caleb Swanigan C	Fort Wayne, IN	Homestead High School	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	May 19, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 94

Freshman Season (2015–16)

Caleb chose to study general education/educational studies at Purdue. He picked the jersey number 50 to honor his father, who passed away at age 50. Caleb started every game during his freshman year. His best scoring game was against Wisconsin, where he scored 27 points and missed only one shot.

After his freshman year, Caleb considered entering the 2016 NBA Draft. He was even invited to the NBA Draft Combine. However, he decided to return to Purdue for another year. An NBA scout noted that Caleb was a "big-time rebounder" and worked hard.

Caleb set several records as a freshman at Purdue. He was ranked among the top 10 freshmen in the nation. He set new Purdue records for most rebounds by a freshman (282), games started (34), and double-doubles (8). He also had the most rebounds per game (8.3) for a freshman.

Sophomore Season (2016–17)

Just like his freshman year, Caleb started every game as a sophomore. He set a personal record for points against Norfolk State with 32 points. In that game, he also grabbed 20 rebounds. This was one of four games that season where he had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Caleb was second in the nation for rebounds per game (12.6) and led the nation in double-doubles (25) during the 2016–17 season. He was considered one of the best players in college basketball. Caleb broke several Purdue records, including most rebounds in a season and most double-doubles in a season. He also set an NCAA record with four games where he had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in one season.

Purdue won the regular season Big Ten Championship. They made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Kansas. After the season, Caleb decided to enter the NBA draft. He finished his college studies with a strong academic record, maintaining a 3.34 GPA.

Playing in the NBA

On June 22, 2017, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Caleb Swanigan in the first round as the 26th overall pick. He officially signed with the team on July 3, 2017. Caleb said being drafted was "a dream come true." His college coach, Matt Painter, added that Caleb had a "tough road" to get to this point and deserved it. Caleb was the first Purdue basketball player drafted as a sophomore or younger.

During the 2017 NBA Summer League, Caleb played very well. He helped the Trail Blazers reach the Summer League Finals and was named to the All-Summer League First Team.

Caleb also spent time playing in the NBA G League. He played for the Canton Charge and the Texas Legends. On February 7, 2019, Caleb was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He also played for the Stockton Kings, their G League team. On January 20, 2020, Caleb was traded back to the Portland Trail Blazers. He chose not to play in the 2020 NBA Bubble due to personal reasons.

Caleb Swanigan passed away on June 20, 2022, at the age of 25. The coroner's office reported that he died of natural causes.

Career Statistics

Sources:

College

NBA

Regular season

Awards and Honors

High School Awards

Swanigan driving on Chase Jeter at the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game closed practice

Caleb Swanigan earned many awards in high school:

• He was named Indiana Mr. Basketball.
• He was selected as a McDonald's All-American.
• He won the Gatorade Player of the Year award.
• He was chosen for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass All-State first team.
• He was named the All-USA Today Indiana Player of the Year.

College Awards

Caleb continued to win awards in college:

• As a freshman, he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times, a record for Purdue.
• He was selected for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
• He also received a National Freshman of the Week award.
• In his sophomore year, he was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
• He received the Big Ten Player of the Week award six times, which was the second most in conference history.
• He was unanimously chosen as the Big Ten Player of the Year.
• He was named the Basketball Times National Player of the Year.
• He was selected for five All-America teams: USBWA, Sporting News, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and NBC Sports.
• He was a finalist for the Naismith Award, which is given to the best college player.
• Caleb was also an Academic All-American for keeping a high GPA.
• He was a unanimous choice for the First Team All-Big Ten.
• In 2020, the Big Ten Network named Caleb to their "All-Decade Basketball Team" for his achievements between 2010 and 2019.

Images for kids

• 

  Swanigan with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2017

• 

  Swanigan playing in the McDonald's All-American Game in 2015

• 

  Swanigan driving on Chase Jeter at the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game closed practice

See also

In Spanish: Caleb Swanigan para niños