During the course of many years, Northwest Indiana has supplied Purdue with some of its greatest players ever, from Glenn Robinson to Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore.

The Boilermakers' next premier Region target: Gary West Side's Jalen Washington.

The Class of 2022 Rivals.com four-star forward may be one of the most highly recruited players in the country, and has had Purdue's attention since the eighth grade, if not earlier.

"They just let me know they see me as a priority and they see Purdue as the best place for me," Washington said last week, "and they said not only is it the best place for me, but it's really convenient being in my home state. They've done a really good job."

The 6-foot-9 forward does have an extended background with Purdue, having been to games, scrimmages and summer camps the past few years.