Big Ten Daily: Purdue Basketball Trio Meets in the FIBA U19 World Cup

Three Purdue basketball players faced off in the FIBA U19 World Cup semifinals on Saturday, Walter Nolen, a five-star defensive lineman, includes Michigan in his top five and George Fitzpatrick, a four-star offensive lineman, committed to Ohio State. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Three Purdue basketball players met in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup semifinals on Saturday in Riga, Latvia. Their teams boasted undefeated records ahead of the matchup, but only one side would move on to the finals.

Despite leading by as many as 20 points, the USA only managed to scrape by with a 92-86 victory. Boilermaker center Zach Edey recorded his fifth double-double of the tournament for Canada, yet it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit.

Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, who has been the USA team's leading scorer during the event, played just under nine minutes against Canada. He finished the game with two points, two rebounds and one block.

Boilermaker teammate Caleb Furst managed four points and three rebounds for the USA in under seven minutes of action.

On the other side of the court, Purdue center Zach Edey had another strong performance to keep the team in position for a potential upset. He tallied 16 points and 16 rebounds in his fifth double-double in five games for the team.

The USA moves on to the finals on Sunday, where it will face the winner of a matchup between France and Serbia. Canada drops down to play the loser for third place.

For more from Sports Illustrated Purdue, CLICK HERE

Five-Star DL Walter Nolen Includes Michigan in Top 5

Walter Nolen, a five-star defensive lineman from the class of 2022, released his top-five on Friday. Alongside four SEC programs, Michigan is among his potential destinations.

He also included Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Alabama in a tweet below.

Nolen, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman from St. Benedict at Auburndale High School in Cordova, Tennessee, is the top player at his position in the country and the No. 3 overall prospect in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He's received 25 total offers and taken official visits to Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida recently. He visited Michigan last month as well.

The Wolverines' 2022 recruiting class ranks No. 10 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference. The program has one five-star prospects committed to the team, cornerback Will Johnson out of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

247Sports Analysis

"Stoutly assembled defensive lineman with college-ready size. Owns the requisite height and possesses verified length to foster more bulk addition if desired. Powerful build manifests in point-of-attack disruption. Flashes consistent suddenness at the snap and closes fast in pursuit. Shows outstanding lateral range relative to size. Punchy and physical. Motor runs hot. Strong enough to make plays through blocks. Can also run plays down from back side.

Has posted outstanding verified testing numbers. Violent hands will become even more dangerous as pass-rush move set expands. Could thrive inside in a four-man front but looks to have position and scheme versatility. Among the nation's top defensive prospects in the 2022 class. Should become impact high-major defensive lineman with high-round NFL Draft ceiling."

Colorado Four-Star OL Commits to Ohio State

George Fitzpatrick, a 2022 four-star offensive lineman from Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., announced his commitment to the Ohio State football program in a Tweet below.

The Buckeyes have continued to bolster their No. 1 ranked recruiting class for the 2022 cycle.

Fitzpatrick is a 6-foot-6, 285-pound prospect and among the top-300 players in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is the nation's 27th-rated offensive tackle.

The 2022 prospect holds 29 total offers, and he chose Ohio State over high-profile programs such as Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Auburn, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas, among others.

He is the Buckeyes' 17th player of the cycle to give his pledge and the 15th prospect with a four or five-star rating to verbally commit.

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for HoosiersNow.com. He is a 2021 Hilltop30 Scholarship Fund recipient.