Purdue's Caleb Swanigan has game to match nickname

MILWAUKEE — A tight space to begin with, the locker room felt positively claustrophobic when camera crews and reporters filed in. The scent of chicken fingers hung heavy in the air as Purdue players scarfed down post-practice snacks.

And there, in the middle of it all, Caleb Swanigan pedaled on.

With his black hoodie pulled tight around his face — think Kenny from South Park — and sweat glistening on his nose, the Boilermakers’ big man rode an exercise bike for 45 minutes, oblivious to the activity around him. Every few minutes he’d straighten up, checking his phone before jamming his hands in his pocket and fixing his gaze on the TV in front of him. Then, with a barely audible “Whoosh,” he’d lean over and grip the handlebars, cycling just a little harder.

At one point he stood up on the pedals, appearing to be done. But after a few seconds he settled back onto the seat, the pedals churning again.

“He’s driven,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said Friday. “He's driven to play in the NBA, but yet he's already a professional. He works at it, comes early, stays late, puts in his time.”

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The workout routine began as a necessity for the 6-9 Swanigan, who weighed 400 pounds when he was in eighth grade and had been tagged with the nickname “Biggie” even before that.

But in addition to altering his physique — he now weighs 250 pounds — becoming a gym rat transformed Swanigan’s game. If he is not the best player in the country, he is certainly the most dangerous.

That Swanigan is Purdue’s leading rebounder is not a surprise. He has a nose for the ball and is relentless in his pursuit of it — even if it means knocking over a teammate.

“More just like laughter,” Spike Albrecht said of the reaction when that happens. “Guys are like, `Hey, that’s what you get for getting in his way.’ Guys know usually to try and stay out of his way if he’s going for a rebound.”

Swanigan averages 12.6 boards a game, and has failed to reach double figures in rebounds just five times this season. His 227 rebounds this year matched the Big Ten’s single-season record – set 47 years ago by Rudy Tomjanovich.

But the more impressive number is 27. That’s the number of double-doubles Swanigan has had this season, a Big Ten record.

Think of that. Of all the good big men there have been in the Big Ten — and there have been a few with Frank Kaminsky, Glenn Robinson, Juwan Howard, Jared Jeffries — none has been more productive, more effective, than Swanigan.

“I’ve never seen anybody like him,” said Albrecht, who is using his final year of eligibility at Purdue after playing at Michigan, where he was part of the 2013 Final Four team. “You see guys who are big and strong like down low, but not guys who can get out and shoot and pass like him.”

Sure, some of Swanigan’s 18.4 points a game come off putbacks or tip-ins, as would be expected. But he’s 43% from three-point range, the kind of finesse rarely seen in someone his size.

He’s also a surprisingly good passer. His 96 assists this year were fourth-best among Purdue’s players, and played a key role as the Boilermakers finally broke their first-round jinx with a victory against Vermont on Thursday night.

It’s the kind of well-rounded game rarely seen in someone Swanigan’s size – and he is well aware of that.

“That’s why I try and get in so much better shape. Being a bigger person, I don’t move as fast but I can move at my top speed nonstop because I’m in good shape,” Swanigan said. “That’s what I try to use to my advantage.”

His regimen can be monotonous. Asked if he ever rides one of those bikes that lets you explore routes around the world, Swanigan gives a rare smile and says no. Sometimes he’ll watch a movie or, like on Friday, a game or film.

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Mostly, though, he simply rides, listening to music as he keeps his eyes fixed firmly in front of him.

The story of Swanigan’s childhood is heartbreaking. His father was a crack addict who abused his mother, and young Caleb was often homeless as they bounced from shelter to shelter. Swanigan was eventually taken in by a family friend who is also a sports agent, and basketball became his singular focus.

“You guys have formed his identity on his production and how he's played and carried himself,” Painter said. “He's a good student and guy. He likes basketball. Keeps his nose clean.

“I think it's a pretty good story, especially where he came from.”

But it’s where Swanigan is going that has his entire focus. So he rides on, oblivious to any distractions around him.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour. 

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