Nojel Eastern
 Eastern with Purdue in February 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | May 29, 1999 Chicago, Illinois | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Evanston Township (Evanston, Illinois) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Purdue (2017–2020) | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard / Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Nojel Eastern (born May 29, 1999) is an American college basketball player who last played for the Purdue Boilermakers of the Big Ten Conference.
Early life
Eastern's first name, Nojel, is an ananym of his father's name, Lejon. He was raised by his mother, Tamala Reed, who worked for the Chicago Transit Authority. Eastern had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder since his youth. Even though his mother worked in Chicago, he attended school in Evanston, Illinois due to the district's superior academics. From fourth to eighth grade, Eastern lived with Travis Ransom, a family friend.[1]
High school career
Eastern played four years of varsity basketball for Evanston Township High School in Evanston. As a sophomore, he averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists per game, leading his team to the Central Suburban League South championship and a Class 4A regional title.[2] In April 2015, Eastern dislocated his left ankle and fractured two bones in it during an Amateur Athletic Union game, before undergoing surgery.[3] In his junior season, he averaged 14.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists per game, helping Evanston Township win Central Suburban South and Class 4A regional titles.[4] As a senior, Eastern averaged 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game and was named Pioneer Press All-Area Player of the Year.[5] He was the runner-up to Mark Smith for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award.[6]
Recruiting
On November 16, 2016, Eastern committed to play college basketball for Purdue over offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, DePaul and Seton Hall, among others. He was drawn to Purdue because of its coaching staff and its proximity.[7] Eastern was considered a consensus four-star recruit by major recruiting services.[8]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nojel Eastern SG |
Evanston, IL | Evanston Township (IL) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | Nov 16, 2016 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 77 247Sports: 59 ESPN: 84 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
As a freshman at Purdue, Eastern averaged 2.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in the role of a defensive specialist off the bench.[8][9] After the season, he declared for the 2018 NBA draft without hiring an agent, before withdrawing from the draft.[10] On March 9, 2019, Eastern scored a career-high 15 points in a 70–57 win over Northwestern.[11] In his sophomore season, he became a regular starter and averaged 7.5 points, a team-high 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, earning Big Ten Conference All-Defensive honors. Eastern became the first Purdue point guard to lead the team in rebounding since at least 1954.[12] By the time he was a junior, he became Purdue's top defender, with the ability to guard all five positions.[13] As a junior, Eastern averaged 4.9 points, four rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, earning Big Ten All-Defensive accolades for a second time. He led his team in assists and steals.[8] Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[14] On May 12, 2020, Eastern announced that he would transfer from Purdue.[15] Two days later, he committed to Michigan for his senior season.[16] However, on June 17, Eastern announced that he would not play for Michigan after he was unable to clear the admission to the school.[17]
National team career
Eastern and his Purdue teammates represented the United States at the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei. He averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 14.5 minutes per game, helping his team win the silver medal.[18][19]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Purdue | 37 | 0 | 12.6 | .483 | .333 | .417 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 2.9 |
| 2018–19 | Purdue | 36 | 35 | 28.2 | .495 | .000 | .650 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .3 | 7.5 |
| 2019–20 | Purdue | 31 | 27 | 25.5 | .420 | .000 | .485 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .2 | 4.9 |
| Career | 104 | 62 | 21.8 | .466 | .188 | .558 | 4.0 | 2.0 | .9 | .2 | 5.1 | |
References
- ^ Cardi, Julia (July 13, 2016). "Chasing Nojel". Medill Reports. Northwestern University. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Harness, Matt (March 31, 2015). "Evanston's Nojel Eastern makes All-Area Boys Basketball Second Team". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Harness, Matt (May 5, 2015). "Coaches don't think injury will affect recruitment of Nojel Eastern". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Mahoney, Dennis (March 5, 2016). "Eastern's clutch play lifts Wildkits to regional title". Evanston Now. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Shalin, Dan (March 29, 2017). "All-Area Boys Basketball First Team: Nojel Eastern, Evanston". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Larkin, Will (March 21, 2017). "Edwardsville's Mark Smith named Mr. Basketball; Rock Island's Brea Beal is Ms. Basketball". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Narang, Bob (November 16, 2016). "Nojel Eastern picks Purdue because of coaches, proximity to home". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Nojel Eastern". Purdue University Athletics. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Baird, Nathan (November 17, 2018). "As Nojel Eastern continues to prove himself, Purdue basketball's potential rises". Journal & Courier. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Osipoff, Michael (July 14, 2018). "Evanston grad Nojel Eastern 'living in the moment' at Purdue after NBA draft process". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "Edwards scores 21, No. 11 Purdue beats Northwestern 70–57". ESPN. Associated Press. March 9, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Baird, Nathan (March 7, 2019). "Purdue's unconventional, invaluable Nojel Eastern returns home with championship at stake". Journal & Courier. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Glaspie, Akeem (January 3, 2020). "Nojel Eastern's winning plays are contagious for Purdue basketball". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Carmin, Mike (April 26, 2020). "Purdue basketball's Nojel Eastern submits name in NBA Draft". Journal & Courier. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Douglas, Brett (May 12, 2020). "Breaking News: Nojel Eastern Enters Transfer Portal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (May 14, 2020). "Purdue transfer Nojel Eastern headed to Michigan". ESPN. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Cobb, David (June 17, 2020). "Purdue transfer Nojel Eastern no longer heading to Michigan after being denied admission". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ Jacobson, Jake (October 2, 2017). "Purdue Men's Basketball: International tournament reinforces veteran experience". Purdue Exponent. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ "Getting to Know: Nojel Eastern". Purdue University Athletics. October 9, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2020.