Raleigh Burgess, 2024 big man, commits to the Boilers

On Monday, 2024 big man Raleigh Burgess committed to the Purdue Boilermakers and Head Coach Matt Painter. The 7’ front court player is a 4 star player according to On3 (103rd) and Rivals (78th) while being a 3 star player on 247 (134th) and became a focal point for the Boilermakers thanks to a wide array of skills he has shown. Burgess also held offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin.

Burgess took multiple visits to Purdue’s campus culminating in a gameday visit this past season. He joins fellow 2024 commits Kanon Catchings (Forward/Wing) and Jack Benter (Guard/Forward) to form a nucleus that should allow the Boilers to be more athletic and close to what many consider a more modern roster. Purdue will likely look to add two more players in that 2024 class, specifically at point guard and center.

Overview & Comparison:

Burgess is a skilled big man who is coming off an injury to his leg that cut his junior season short. He projects as a multi-faceted big in Purdue’s scheme where he can play the power forward position or center, similarly to Caleb Furst. In fact, that would be the best comparison to make for Burgess. Although not a fluid athletically as Furst was coming out of high school, Burgess moves incredibly well for his size, is capable out behind the 3 point line (shooting 31% prior to his injury) and has the body to add needed size to be a front court player in the B1G (played at 225 pounds last season prior to injury).

Burgess plays on the Indiana Elite AAU team that also features Purdue targets Travis Perry (point guard) and Flory Bidunga (center) and he fits well into the scheme that allows him to PnR, PnP, or play off the ball in a similar role to Mason Gillis or Caleb Furst (off ball catch-and-shoot/rebounding power forward). He shows the ability to score from the low post with a variety of moves but favors his left shoulder most of the time. Assistant Coach Brandon Brantley has a lot to work with in Burgess and he can be an immediate contributor at Purdue as a freshman and work his way into being a main piece his final few seasons.