Purdue basketball history: Best transfers to leave over past 30 years
The transfer portal has transformed college basketball. Roster turnover today is at an unprecedented level. But player movement is far from new.
Over the past 30 years Purdue basketball has welcomed in 25 incoming transfers, with 33 going the other way.
Among those who left — which includes one who left significant NCAA baggage — none really went on to become a star, though some found some success with NCAA tournament teams.
Here are the top 10 college careers of players who transferred away from Purdue in the past 30 years:
10. Melvin Buckley, South Florida (2002-04)
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 36% 3FG; 59 games/59 starts
Buckley averaged a modest 4.7 points in two seasons at Purdue but had some moments, most notably scoring 22 points in Purdue's 80-56 NCAA tournament win over LSU in 2003.
He told the Times of Northwest Indiana he wanted to transfer to some place "he could fire one up from 22 feet and not have people looking over my back like crazy."
Buckley put up some decent numbers but on some really crummy Bulls teams. South Florida went 7-22 and 12-18 in his two seasons, including a combined 4-28 in Big East play. More importantly to Buckley, he attempted 418 3-pointers for USF.
After his playing career, he went into music and created a fashion magazine.
Per his personal website:
King Buckley is an emerging artist hailing from the south side of Chicago where he was known for being a basketball standout, after health problems made his career uncertain he found solace in the streets of various cities such as Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Tampa, and Miami. King expresses his transitions in life with an interesting mix of melodic harmony and menacing vocals that will leave you coming back for more.
9. Jacquil Taylor, Hofstra (2014-18)
Stats: 8.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 71% FG; 35 games/35 starts
The Pride's leading rebounder, he helped lead Hofstra to a 27-8 record and Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title (15-3). He was an All-CAA Defensive Team pick, finishing second in the conference with 68 blocks. Taylor scored in double digits in 16 of Hofstra's final 24 games and reached double figures in rebounds 13 times in the season, including two 17-rebound and two 15-rebound efforts.
8. Bryson Scott, Purdue Fort Wayne (2013-15)
Stats: 19.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.8 spg; 66 games/65 starts
Scott was named to the 2016-17 Summit League All-Newcomer Team after averaging 16.1 points and 5.0 rebounds as a junior. A year later, he was first-team All-Summit League and set a program record for points in a single season (746).
While a Mastodon, Scott made Boilers fans proud, beating IU twice to give him a 5-0 record over the Hoosiers.
He led IPFW with 18 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime win over IU in Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and a year later, scored 26 points and grabbed five rebounds with four steals in a 20-point upset win at Assembly Hall.
"It's something special. I was a Purdue guy, and we're always against Indiana," he said.
He finished his PFW career with 1,278 points and scored 1,569 total collegiate points.
7. Cam Stephens, Charlotte (1998-99)
Stats: 10.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.1 apg; 61 games/53 starts
Stephens was a top-40 national recruit and Indiana All-Star out of Fort Wayne South Side but was an academic non-qualifier as a freshman. He gained eligibility for the 1998-99 season and but also gained 50 pounds in the process. "I didn't have time to do anything but eat and study," he told IndyStar's Mark Ambrogi.
He appeared in 34 games, averaging 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.4 minutes a game for a Sweet 16 Boilers team, but transferred to Vincennes University.
He reappeared at Charlotte and was the 49ers' leading rebounder in each of his two seasons there, both of which included NCAA tournament appearances. As a senior, he was second-team All-Conference USA after averaging 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
"I had a second chance at playing NCAA Division I basketball again and I took advantage of it," Stephens told IndyStar's Philip B. Wilson.
6. Kendall Stephens, Nevada (2013-16)
Stats: 13.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 43% 3FG; 37 games/36 starts
A Purdue legacy (dad is Everette), Stephens got off to a good start in West Lafayette, earning Big Ten all-freshman honors (8.0 ppg). He only really developed into a part-time starter with Purdue and struggled with some niggling injuries before transferring out west.
His sweet jumpshot traveled. Stephens led the high-flying Wolf Pack with 126 3-pointers made (26 more than Miami Heat playoffs breakout star Caleb Martin). That total was a Mountain West single season record and fifth-best in the nation. He was third-team All-MWC and was a key piece to Eric Musselman's Sweet 16 team, scoring a team-high 22 points in a first-round win over Texas.
5. Matt Haarms, BYU (2017-20)
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 2.0 bpg, 54% FG; 25 games/24 starts
Haarms' Purdue career had its share of highlights, beyond the hair.
In 2019, he had a game-winning tip-in with 3.9 seconds left in a 48-46 win over IU in Assembly Hall. He went for 18 points and nine rebounds in second-round NCAA tournament win over Villanova on Purdue's way to an eventually heartbreaking-Elite Eight. After seeing his role diminish the following season, Haarms decided it was his turn to hop off Purdue's 7-foot assembly line.
“I was just looking for a bigger opportunity somewhere. I really felt like I could be a bigger part of a winning team. That’s why I left,” Haarms told the Deseret News. “That was my No. 1 criteria — a big opportunity to develop my game and showcase myself. It sounds selfish, but with that, I feel like I can be a winning player. I can play efficiently and have a bigger role.”
Haarms left Purdue No. 4 on the school's all-time blocks list (210 in three years) and instantly became a force in the West Coast Conference, winning 2021 WCC Defensive Player of the Year and earning second team All-WCC honors.
4. Jamaal Davis, Cincinnati (1998-99)
Stats: 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 51% FG; 69 games/67 starts
"Jamaal Davis understands why he will never win a popularity contest among Purdue basketball fans," Journali & Courier reporter Jeff Washburn wrote in 2001. "Cincinnati's 6-8 senior forward walked away from Gene Keady's 1998-99 team when it was 12-1 and ranked eighth, saying he was neither comfortable on the court nor in the classroom."
Academically ineligible as a freshman, Davis played 13 games into his sophomore season before going home for Christmas break and never returning. He'd eventually go to Barton Community College to get his grades right before landing at Cincinnati.
A two-year starter for the Bearcats, Davis played on those good Bearcats teams with Steve Logan, Kenny Satterfield and a young Jason Maxiell and won back-to-back Conference USA titles. In the 2001 NCAA tournament, he scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a second-round win over Kent State, advancing to the Sweet 16. Cincy went 31-4 the following season, earning a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.
3. Scott Martin, Notre Dame (2007-08)
Stats: 9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg; 84 games/84 starts
Martin arrived in West Lafayette alongside his Valparaiso High School teammate Robbie Hummel as part of the 2007 recruiting class (one that also included E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson), but surprised many when he decided to transfer after his freshman season.
"Scott wasn't unhappy at Purdue, but this may be a case of where he thinks he could be happier someplace else," said Bob Punter, Martin's coach at Valpo. "I tried to call Scott and it went right to voicemail. He hasn't returned my call. I think Scott may have thrown his cellphone into the Wabash River."
Martin was a two-time team captain at Notre Dame and started all 84 games he appeared with the Fighting Irish He earned team most valuable player honors following the 2011-12 season, but his career was dogged by injuries. Martin missed all of the 2009-10 season with a knee injury and missed the final 17 games of the 2012-13 season with reoccurring knee issues.
Martin scored 1,048 career points (776 with Notre Dame).
He spent four of his five professional seasons playing in England and then worked for Merrill Lynch before returning to South Bend to serve as ND's development and recruiting coordinator in 2019.
2. Travis Trice, Butler (1993-95)
Stats: 9.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 37% 3FG; 54 games/50 starts
Over his first two seasons with Purdue, Trice started nearly half the games he appeared in (28 of 60) but was battling with some guard named Matt Painter for playing time.
"I think coach (Gene) Keady didn't feel my skills were what I thought they were," Trice said. "Things like that happen and when they do, it's time to move on and move forward."
The Indiana All-Star out of Princeton found a home at Hinkle to replace Tim Bowen, a four-year starter at the point.
"His experience allows him to be more of an immediate help at point guard," Butler coach Barry Collier said. "His overall skills are what are so intriguing in the terms of ability to shoot, handle the ball and play defense. He's going to give us a big lift. His experience at Purdue was very much a learning situation.
Trice was a Midwest Collegiate Conference all-newcomer selection in 1993-94, averaging 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and a year later was team MVP as a senior, averaging 10.9 ppg, 5.2 apg and 5,0 rpg.
He went into coaching and won an Ohio high school state championship in 2015 before joining the Wright State staff.
1. Luther Clay, Rhode Island (1997-2000)
Stats: 10.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg; 91 games/85 starts
Clay was at the center of a recruiting scandal, which Gene Keady referred to as a "black eye to the program.'
Clay transferred after his freshman season but later told the NCAA he received an improper $4,000 bank loan from a Lafayette bank under the understanding he wouldn't have to pay it back.
"When (Purdue) asked about the loan, I denied it because they said it was just an internal thing," Clay said. "I hoped it would die out. But once the NCAA got involved and it started jeopardizing my eligibility (at Rhode Island), I had to tell the truth."
The NCAA ruled Clay had played while ineligible 26 times during the 1995-96 season and the Boilermakers were to forfeit any victories Clay played in. Purdue went 26-6 and won the Big Ten title that year. In games Clay played, Purdue was 18-6.
"The young man had nothing to do with our winning the championship," Gene Keady said. "He probably was a detriment."
The Big Ten eventually decided Purdue wouldn't be stripped of its championship.
At Rhode Island, Clay was a three-year starter and the man in the middle of the Tyson Wheeler and Cuttino Mobley-led Rams team that reached the 1998 Elite Eight. He had a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds) in an upset of No. 1-seed Kansas in the second round of that tourney run.
Purdue Boilermakers basketball's outgoing transfer history
Players who have transferred out over the past 30 years:
Brandon Newman, (2019-23)
Eric Hunter, Butler (2018-22)
Stats: 8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg; 31 games/31 starts
Isaiah Thompson, Florida Gulf Coast (2019-22)
Stats: 14.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 37% 3FG; 32 games/32 starts
Aaron Wheeler, St. John’s (2018-21)
Stats: 10.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 39% 3FG; 31 games/16 starts
Matt Haarms, BYU (2017-20)
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 2.0 bpg, 54% FG; 25 games/24 starts
Nojel Eastern, Howard (2017-20)
Stats: N/A
Emmanuel Dowuona, Tennessee State (2019-20)
Stats: 2.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 50% FG; 40 games/15 starts
Jacquil Taylor, Hofstra (2014-18)
Stats: 8.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 71% FG; 35 games/35 starts
Eden Ewing, Texas Southern (2017-18)
Stats: 9.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 55% FG; 55 games/43 starts
Basil Smotherman, Georgia State (2013-17)
Stats: N/A
Kendall Stephens, Nevada (2013-16)
Stats: 13.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 43% 3FG; 37 games/36 starts
Bryson Scott, Purdue Fort Wayne (2013-15)
Stats: 19.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.8 spg; 66 games/65 starts
Ronnie Johnson, Houston (2012-14)
Stats: 9.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg; 31 games/13 starts (at Houston)
Stats: 7.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.3 apg; 32 games/3 starts (at Auburn)
Anthony Johnson, Northern Illinois (2011-13)
Stats: 10.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 37% 3FG; 27 games/25 starts
Donnie Hale, Bellarmine (2012-13)
Stats: N/A
Sandi Marcius, DePaul (2010-13)
Stats: 4.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 60% FG; 33 games/24 starts
Jacob Lawson, Appalachian State (2011-13)
Stats: 5.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 53% FG; 31 games/6 starts
Kelsey Barlow, UIC (2009-12)
Stats: 14.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.0 spg; 31 games/28 starts
John Hart, IUPUI (2009-12)
Stats: 14.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.4 spg, 39% 3FG; 19 games/19 starts
Scott Martin, Notre Dame (2007-08)
Stats: 9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg; 84 games/84 starts
Chris Lutz, Marshall (2005-07)
Stats: 9.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 39% 3FG; 62 games/43 starts
Johnathan Uchendu, Little Rock (2006-07) * died in hit and runhttps://bit.ly/41FkwsZ
Stats: N/A
Dan Vandervieren, Colorado State (2006-07)
Stats: 6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 52% FG; 17 games/7 starts
Nate Minnoy, Central Michigan (2005-06)
Stats: 8.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 apg; 28 games/10 starts
Xavier Price, Western Illinois (2004-05)
Stats: 6.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.5 apg; 20 games/8 starts
Ije Nwankwo, Cleveland State (2003-05)
Stats: 11.0, 5.2 rpg; 20 games/16 starts
Melvin Buckley, South Florida (2002-04)
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 36% 3FG; 59 games/59 starts
Adam Wetzel, Omaha (1999-2001)
Stats: N/A; set Omaha single-season blocks record
Cam Stephens, Charlotte (1998-99)
Stats: 10.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.1 apg; 61 games/53 starts
Jamaal Davis, Cincinnati (1998-99)
Stats: 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 51% FG; 69 games/67 starts
Mosi Barnes, Eastern Michigan (1996-98)
Stats: 3.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.6 apg; 30 games/0 starts
Luther Clay, Rhode Island (1997-2000)
Stats: 10.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg; 91 games/85 starts
Travis Trice, Purdue (1993-95)
Stats: 9.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 37% 3FG; 54 games/50 starts
