Sep 29, 2018; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Portland Trail Blazers forward Caleb Swanigan (50) awaits the start of play against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday morning brought some unfortunate news regarding former Purdue standout Caleb Swanigan.

The Boilermakers’ basketball team’s official Twitter account tweeted Tuesday that Swanigan has suddenly passed away at only the young age of 25 years old. He reportedly passed due to natural causes, according to the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Swanigan was a star during his time with the Boilermakers, averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in his sophomore season at the program in 2016. That was was good enough for him to win the Big Ten Player of the Year award that season and get him drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

His NBA career didn’t exactly go to plan. He bounced around between the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings during his short three years in the league from 2017-2019.

Regardless, this news has clearly shaken many around the NBA and college basketball. Many took to social media on Tuesday morning to express their sadness on the tragic report.

Jusuf Nurkic, Swanigan’s teammate on the Trail Blazers, also offered his condolences regarding Swanigan’s sudden passing.

While Swanigan’s NBA career didn’t pan out, he is very clearly a huge success story considering his situation growing up.

He was once homeless and obese before turning around his life, becoming a five-star college basketball recruit, and making it all the way to the NBA level.

A picture surfaced of Swanigan last year that appeared to show him far larger than he was while at the NBA level, with many seeming to think that the mental and physical effects of the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in his departure from the NBA.

This is incredibly saddening news regarding a true former college basketball star, and by all accounts an overall great person.

[Purdue Men’s Basketball]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.