Previous Recruit Announcement
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue men's basketball head coach Matt Painter has announced that Nojel Eastern has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Boilermaker program for the 2017-18 season.
Eastern, a 6-foot-6 point guard from Evanston, Illinois, signed on the final day of the early signing period and is Purdue's fourth commit in the class of 2017. Eastern joins forwards Aaron Wheeler (Stamford, Connecticut), Eden Ewing (Richmond, Texas) and center Matt Haarms (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) in Purdue's class.
"We are excited to add Nojel to our 2017 recruiting class. We have recruited him for a long time and feel that he is a Purdue-type player with his competitiveness and unselfish play," Painter said. "He gives us a versatile player that can play and defend multiple positions. We recruited him as a point guard and think he has a tremendous ceiling as a collegiate player and beyond as a big guard."
Eastern's signing elevates Purdue's class to 27th nationally and third in the Big Ten in the 247Sports team rankings.
Nojel Eastern / 6-6 / 210 / Evanston, Illinois / Evanston Township High School
- A 4-star recruit according to ESPN.com, he was ranked as the 78th-best prospect in America and the 21st-best point guard nationally.
- Ranked a 4-star recruit and 75th nationally by Rivals.com.
- Ranked a 4-star recruit and the 19th-best point guard nationally by Scout.com. "By adding Eastern, Purdue has one of the better classes in the Big Ten Conference".
- A 4-star recruit by 247Sports, ranked as the 59th-best player nationally.
- Called one of the "most unique and versatile perimeter players in the country" by ESPN, and a "playmaker with tremendous upside".
- Was 1-of-18 finalists for the USA Basketball U-17 team in the 2016 FIBA World Championships.
- Named to the 2015-16 USA Basketball men's junior national team in April 2015. Attended the 2015 USA Basketball U16 Training Camp, but was unable to participate due to injury.
- Participated in the 2014 USA Men's Junior National Team October minicamp.
- Named to the 2016 Chicago Sun Times All-Area first team.
- Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A/4A All-State first team (2016) and IBCA 3A/4A All-State second team (2015).
- As a junior in 2015-16 at Evanston Township, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.0 BPG and 2.0 SPG in helping his team to a 23-6 record, an Illinois 4A Warren Regional championship and the Illinois Class 4A Glenbrook Sectional semifinals.
- Posted 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to help lead his team to a 53-39 victory over New Trier High School for the 2016 Central Suburban South title.
- In 2014-15, he averaged 15.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.0 APG in leading his team to the Central Suburban League championship and an Illinois High School Association regional title.
- Owns a 6-foot-8 wingspan.
- Turned down offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, DePaul, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Northwestern, Missouri, Michigan and Illinois among others.
- Mother, Tamala Reed, played basketball, softball and volleyball at Chicago State.
- Member of his school's honor roll.
- Head coach at Evanston Township is Mike Ellis.
- He compares his game to Jalen Rose.
- Away from the court, he enjoys writing poetry and studying the game of basketball.
- Has never traveled outside the United States.
