Purdue Freshman, 4-Star Forward Kanon Catchings Asks For Release From Scholarship
The top prospect in Purdue's 2024 recruiting class won't be a Boilermaker after all. Kanon Catchings, a four-star prospect out of Brownsburg, Ind., has asked for his release from his National Letter of Intent. The Purdue basketball program released a statement on Thursday.
"Kanon has asked for his release from his scholarship and we have granted him that request," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "We wish him luck in his future endeavors."
Catchings had not yet arrived on campus. Per 247Sports, the four-star forward ranked as the No. 38 overall prospect in the 2024 class.
The Boilermakers now have a five-man class coming to West Lafayette ahead of the 2024-25 season. It's still a strong incoming group, highlighted by four-star guard Gicarri Harris and four-star center Daniel Jacobsen.
Harris was recently named the WSB-TV (Atlanta) Male Athlete of the Year after leading Grayson High School to a state championship and leaving as the school's all-time leading scorer. Jacobsen started his summer with a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing for USA Basketball's U18 National Team in the AmeriCup.
Other members of Purdue's 2024 recruiting class include three-star forward/center Raleigh Burgess, three-star guard CJ Cox and three-star shooting guard Jack Benter.
Purdue is coming off a 34-5 campaign during the 2023-24 season. The Boilermakers won a Big Ten regular season title for the second consecutive season and reached the National Championship Game for the first time since 1969.
Losing Catchings is a huge blow to Purdue's 2024 recruiting class. But the Boilers are still positioned well to finish strong in the Big Ten next season. In addition to the incoming recruits, Purdue returns starting guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, as well as forwards Trey Kaufman-Renn and Caleb Furst.
Players like Myles Colvin and Camden Heide are also expected to play more integral roles for the Boilermakers this coming season.
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TAKEAWAYS FROM JACOBSEN'S FIRST GAME: Daniel Jacobsen nearly recorded a double-double in Team USA's first game of the U18 AmeriCup on Monday. The incoming Purdue center finished the game with nine points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in an 88-66 victory over Argentina. CLICK HERE
