Report: Indiana Transfer Point Guard Rob Phinisee Receiving Interest From Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following Isaiah Thompson's decision to enter the transfer portal and Eric Hunter Jr.'s inevitable departure from the program, Purdue basketball finds itself in desperate need of a point guard entering the 2022-23 season.
The Boilermakers will welcome 3-star recruit Braden Smith from Westfield High School to campus as part of the team's 2022 recruiting class, giving coach Matt Painter at least one ball-handler for the upcoming year.
But the team will likely need to take a dive into the transfer portal in order to circumvent the massive hole at the position, and according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Purdue is showing interest in Indiana transfer Rob Phinisee.
Indiana transfer Rob Phinisee tells me that he's receiving interest from the following programs:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 31, 2022
Cincinnati
Purdue
UNLV
Ohio State
Iowa
Bradley
Cal
Purdue wasn't the only Big Ten team showing interest in Phinisee, as Ohio State and Iowa are reportedly in the mix, too.
Phinisee, who announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Friday, March 25, spent the last four seasons with the Hoosiers. He was a four-star prospect out of Mccutcheon High School in Lafayette, Indiana, as part of the 2018 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-1 point guard garnered offers from a handful of programs, including Purdue. But he chose to enroll at Indiana back in September of 2018 over the likes of Ohio State, Virginia, Butler, Georgia and Xavier.
Phinisee was an instant starter as a freshman for then-Hoosiers head coach Archie Miller. And in four seasons with the program, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.
During the 2021-22 season under first-year coach Mike Woodson, Phinisee was relegated to a role coming off the bench. He logged 18.3 minutes per contest — the lowest of his college career — while posting just 4.5 points per game on the year.
However, Phinisee played a key role in Indiana's 68-65 victory over Purdue on Jan. 20 inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He recorded a career-high 20 points on 8-13 shooting which included a last-second shot from the 3-point line to take the lead and win the game. The Boilermakers were ranked No. 4 in the country at the time.
It was the Hoosiers' first victory over their bitter in-state rival in six years, but Phinisee struggled to repeat the success for the rest of the season. He failed to score in double figures in Indiana's final 10 contests and didn't record a point over his last three games.
Phinisee, who entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, is now looking for a change in scenery for his fifth and final season. He's a player that Painter has openly praised after the Boilermakers' clashes against the Hoosiers.
As of now, Purdue basketball doesn't have any scholarship players returning to the team that will hold senior status for the 2022-23 season. Phinisee would offer the team considerable experience against Big Ten competition, should he choose to join the Boilermakers.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- THOMPSON ENTERS PORTAL: Purdue junior guard Isaiah Thompson announced Monday his decision to enter the transfer portal for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 4.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game this season for the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
- JADEN IVEY NAMED JOHN R. WOODEN ALL-AMERICAN: Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey was one of 10 student-athletes recognized as a John R. Wooden Award All-American. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while also adding 33 steals and 20 blocked shots for the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
- SASHA STEFANOVIC EXCITED FOR 3-POINT COMPETITION: It's not the New Orleans road trip that Purdue's Sasha Stefanovic wanted this week, but competing in a national three-point contest on Thursday night is a great consolation prize, especially shooting against long-time Big Ten foes Brad Davison and Jordan Bohannon. CLICK HERE
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.