Purdue’s 2025 men’s basketball transfer class may be a two-man operation, but forward Liam Murphy and center Oscar Cluff couldn’t be more ready for their season to begin in West Lafayette.
“It was really a no-brainer,” Cluff said Tuesday in a video posted on Twitter by Purdue men’s basketball.
From day one in the process, he knew this was the place.
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) August 19, 2025
🎤 Go in-depth with @CluffOscar. pic.twitter.com/vw5aFXQC9u
The 6-foot-11 Australian senior joins Purdue following one season at Washington State and one at South Dakota State. This is his final year of eligibility.
“Obviously, it's a little more complex with everything that gets ran here, and the way things run, but they've all been a huge help to me, and really helped me come in and feel like I should be here,” Cluff said of the Boilermakers’ coaching staff.
Last season with the Jackrabbits, Cluff shot 63.4% from the field and 77.8% on free throws while averaging 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. South Dakota State ended the year with a 20-12 (11-5 Summit League) record for a third-place conference finish.
Cluff’s performance last year makes him one of just 10 athletes in league history to shoot at least 60% from the field and average at least 17 points, 12 rebounds and two assists over a single season.
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Also on the list are Zach Edey, Blake Griffin, Andrew Bogut, Tim Duncan, Hank Gathers, Rick Raivio, Larry Smith, Cedric Maxwell and Bill Walton. Among these 10 athletes, Cluff is the only one to shoot at least 77% from the free throw line.
“Kind of old school, kind of traditional,” Cluff said of his playing style “I like getting physical, bumping people around, back to the basket, obviously. But then also passing, and you know, we’re going to expand that 3-point range a little bit.”
Cluff joins a squad facing steep expectations under top Big Ten coach Matt Painter this season. Despite the challenges ahead, the center is already setting goals for himself.
“Every time the ball gets shot, every time the ball goes up, my goal is to be the first one there every time, to be able to tip it out to a teammate, be able to grab it,” Cluff said.