The rich keep getting richer in college basketball thanks to the Transfer Portal and a prominent program landed one of the top names available once again. After a fantastic effort at South Dakota State last season, Oscar Cluff has found another new home, this time landing at Purdue for his final season of eligibility.
A 6’11 forward from Australia, Cluff’s American collegiate career began at the junior college level, putting up very good figures at Conchise College in Arizona. His efforts there caught the eye of Kyle Smith and his coaching staff, leading Cluff to spend his junior season at Washington State.
I am extremely excited for the next step in my journey…I can’t wait to be a BOILERMAKER! #boilerup pic.twitter.com/xhvidd1egC
— Oscar Cluff (@CluffOscar) April 1, 2025
Cluff would start more than half the games during an outstanding season for the Cougars. He averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds with decent contributions as Washington State finished second in the Pac-12 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in sixteen years, even winning their opening round game.
After that season, he entered the Transfer Portal and eventually landed at South Dakota State, seeking an opportunity to further his own game, especially after a coaching change at Washington State. Suffice to say, he took that opportunity by the horns and became a star in the Summit League.
As a senior he’s averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while making 63% of his field goal attempts. Named First Team All-Summit League, he was second in the nation in rebounding and one of the most complete players in the conference. The Jackrabbits had another solid season, though fell short in the league tournament and missed the postseason.
It wasn’t surprising to see Cluff’s name in the portal, especially when coach Eric Henderson recently left South Dakota State for Drake last week. His departure wasn’t connected to that decision, but a chance to prove himself again at the power conference level. He was a role player on a great Washington State team and has a chance to do more than that in West Lafayette.
Cluff joins a Purdue program that has made a knack of getting the best out of their bigs. The mind immediately goes to Zach Edey, but Matt Painter’s program has cultivated names like Caleb Swanigan, Matt Haarms, and most recently Trey Kaufman-Renn, who really stepped up this past season as a junior.
With one final season of eligibility, Cluff has a chance to leave a lasting legacy. He joins his fourth college, but joins a Purdue squad that has lived in the NCAA Tournament in recent years, making the national title game in 2024 and the Sweet Sixteen this year. Can his game take another step forward under Purdue’s great coaching and will he play a major role on another success Boilermakers season?