On Sunday evening, there was some major news on the recruiting trail as 2017 prospect Sterling Manley cut his list to four schools and Purdue was fortune enough to make the cut. The Boilermakers are competing with some of the nation’s biggest basketball programs and hope to come out on top.
Along with Purdue, Bowen listed three other programs. These schools were North Carolina, West Virginia, and Xavier. Currently, West Virginia is the favorite and has received 50 percent of the Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports.
I'm truly blessed from all the schools that have recruited me, but me and my family have decided to cut it down to my Top 4 #Noorder pic.twitter.com/K9egzRXLZp
— Sterling Manley (@bigster1) October 3, 2016
As mentioned, Manley is a pretty big prospect and a significant one in the midwest. He’s rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, the No. 250 player overall in the 2017 class, and the No. 61 power forward. He’s also listed at an impressive 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds and the No. 4 player in the state.
Manley is far from an elite recruit nationally, but he could be a significant pickup that could translate to the next level. He’s a solid playmaker that has proven himself in the highly competitive state of Ohio.
Purdue also could desperately use a commitment in its 2017 recruiting class. The Boilermakers don’t yet have a 2017 prospect committed and have missed out on some major recruits elsewhere. In short, Matt Painter and his staff need someone and soon.
If he did commit, he could have a pretty big impact for Purdue going into the 2017-18 season. Caleb Swanigan is the guy upfront right now, but he will likely depart this spring and Manley could help fill that void.
There’s still a lot to see regarding Manley’s recruitment in the next few months, but if this is a sign, things could be trending up for Purdue on the recruiting trail.