CHICAGO — As he participates in the NBA draft combine in Chicago, Caleb Swanigan says he's holding to his stance that he'd like to depart for the professional level now if he can get drafted.
"If I can get drafted," Swanigan said weeks ago, "I'm going to go get drafted."
At the combine Thursday, following his first five-on-five game, the Purdue freshman big man said that that is still his attitude about this process, but obviously will need to get in position to get drafted. For whatever they're worth, most media and draft-site projections have Swanigan currently pegged as a borderline second-round pick.
Swanigan has declared for the draft but has not hired an agent and thus can return to Purdue if he so chooses. He must decide by May 25 whether he'll do so or not, as he takes advantage of the new NBA-exploration structure for college underclassmen. It allows them to participate in the combine and individual team workouts and maintain their college playing eligibility as long as they withdraw by the deadline.
Swanigan said he worked out for the San Antonio Spurs last weekend, but bruised his calf there and canceled other workouts leading into the combine.
He played Thursday, talling five points and five rebounds in 15 minutes during his first five-on-five game.
"I'm recovering now and I feel like it's about 85 percent," said Swanigan, who played Thursday with a sleeve over his left leg, from the knee down. "I wasn't able to work out after the couple I did early in the week. I'm monitoring it and if I feel like it's hindering me too much, I won't play tomorrow. If it's good, I'll play tomorrow."
He mentioned the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz among teams he plans to work out for following the combine.
Swanigan was nearly the Big Ten's leading rebounder as a freshman, the phase of his game he hopes to build his NBA-stock case around.
"They said that's the one thing that translates at every level," he said. "I always try to do that because it's something you can always do whether you're making shots or not."
Part of Swanigan's challenge, if that's the right way to put it, is to prove himself as a forward at the next level.
He played center most of his career prior to his season spent as a traditional power forward at Purdue last year, that opportunity largely being the reason he signed with the Boilermakers.
"It was very difficult," Swanigan said of the transition, "but Coach (Matt) Painter was really patient with me and I feel like that helped me a lot.
"It worked out well for me. That's the position I'm going to have to play at the next level whether I want to or don't want to because of my size."
Swanigan measured Thursday at 6-foot-7-and-a-half without shoes - one inch taller with shoes - and 246.6 pounds, with one of the most longest wingspans and vertical reaches among those in attendance.
Athletic testing is on-going Thursday.
That part of it will matter for Swanigan as well, because of that continuing transition to forward.
"As long as I can slide my feet," Swanigan said, "and stay in front of guys that dribble the ball well or play well on the perimeter, I think I'll be fine."
Swanigan is the only Boilermaker in Chicago after A.J. Hammons pulled out in order to train in Texas instead.
Painter was in attendance for Swanigan's Thursday game.
Scott Phillips contributed to this report.
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