Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus North’s Sam King, left, shoots a layup while guarded by Perry Meridian’s Patrick Schott during a basketball game at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.
Sam King had chances to go to a smaller school and play a lot of basketball, but the Columbus North senior was thinking big.
King committed recently to become a preferred walk-on at Purdue beginning next season. The 6-foot-7 1/2 King averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game this season in leading the Bull Dogs to a 16-8 record and earning All-Conference Indiana and The Republic Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors.
“Just the overall feel, Purdue is a big school, and I wanted to go to a little bit bigger school,” King said. “Coach (Matt) Painter treats the guys really well, whether you’re a walk-on or on scholarship. You eat meals together. You fly everywhere as a team. I like that a lot.”
King’s family is friends with the family of Columbus East graduate Matthew Frost, who is a junior walk-on at Purdue.
“I talked to Matthew Frost about it, and he was like, ‘I love it here,’” King said. “He didn’t have anything bad to say. Obviously, some players aren’t going to play as much, but when I visited there, I liked it. It seemed like a place that best fit me for the next four years.”
Sam King
King, who plans to major in business finance at Purdue’s Krannert School of Business, had scholarship offers from Division III Hanover, Wabash, DePauw and preferred walk-on spots at Northwestern and Purdue Fort Wayne. Holy Cross in South Bend and Marian also had showed interest.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make just because all the coaches and players are great guys. Just to dial down the decision and call them back kind of stung. I know that I’m not going to play as much, but just the team overall and the program is going to be good. At the end of the day, I did what my gut told me to do, and I always wanted to be a part of a big program.”
