Purdue Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

C Emmanuel Dowuona – Miami, FL

Purdue has had no trouble developing big men in the past. In just the last few years, the program has been home to players like A.J. Hammons, Caleb Swanigan, and Isaac Haas. While rising sophomore Matt Haarms may be roaming the paint as the starting center during this upcoming campaign, there needs to be some depth behind him. Enter Emmanuel Dowuona (No. 169). A 6-foot-10 big man from Florida, Dowuona does a lot of really good things as a big man.

For starters, he is an excellent rebounder. He has great instincts on the glass and also uses his long arms to extend higher than anyone else. A consistent double-double threat in high school, Dowuona will bring even more glass-cleaning abilities to Purdue. In addition, he is one of the best defending big men in the 2018 class. He has incredible timing on the block and uses those previously mentioned long arms to swat shots away. Duwunoa averaged over five blocks per game as a junior in high school.

Dowuona’s major weakness, though, is shooting. He cannot stretch the floor much outside of the paint and therefore he is more confined to being a “traditional big.” Regardless, this lack of floor spacing should be made up for in his rebounding and defensive play. If Dowuona lives up to his potential as a rim protector, Purdue will have dangerous interior defender for years to come.