Purdue Guard Nojel Eastern Transfers to Michigan
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- It did not take former Purdue guard Nojel Eastern long to find a landing spot after entering his name into the transfer portal earlier this week on Tuesday. The 6-foot, 7-inch guard committed to Michigan on Thursday afternoon, per his Twitter page.
Eastern will have one year of eligibility left to play, but will likely have to sit out a year because he has not graduated yet. He stays within the Big Ten Conference and will inevitably play against his former Purdue team once he is eligible, which will have Purdue fans circling that date on their calendars.
Purdue coach Matt Painter was vocal about Eastern transferring on Wednesday on the Dan Dakich radio show. "We're going to move on. We've got a lot of great things going on at Purdue, and it's his loss," Painter said. "When you walk out the door and you turn your back, you're not thinking clearly about the big picture and what Purdue can do for you."
Painter added, “Jelly is walking out of here without his degree and I’m like, ‘Man, come on. What are we doing here?’" "The other guys got better, but the other guys also stayed and fought through adversity," Painter said candidly. "Now you walk out of the door after you put your name in the (NBA) Draft twice when you averaged 4 points...”
ESPN college basketball analyst and former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg weighed in on Eastern's transfer, as well, saying, “I know Nojel Eastern he put his name in the portal and all that jazz. Let me ask you something. That guy played about 25, 28 minutes a game. Does he think all of a sudden he is going to change schools and he is going to find a jump shot?”
Eastern led the Boilermakers in assists and steals last season and averaged 4.9 points.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- PAINTER ON DAKICH SHOW: Purdue coach Matt Painter chatted with radio host Dan Dakich for 26 minutes Wednesday, and it was internet gold. CLICK HERE
- EASTERN ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL: Purdue guard Nojel Eastern has told Purdue that he is entering the NCAA transfer portal. CLICK HERE
- HAARMS TRANSFERS TO BYU: Purdue center Matt Haarms has decided to continue his college career at BYU. CLICK HERE
- KEADY ENJOYING RETIREMENT: Former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady enjoys golf these days, along with his occasional visits back to West Lafayette. And he's still one of the game's greatest storytellers. CLICK HERE
- DANIELS WANTS STUDENTS BACK: Purdue president Mitch Daniels says he wants students back on campus in the fall. CLICK HERE
