Oscar Cluff’s D1 Journey: Down Under To Mackey

Growing up in Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, Cluff was an avid swimmer and competitive surfer.

“I’ve been a water baby my whole life,” he proclaimed. “I was always in the ocean or in the pool.”

He also played rugby and soccer, but basketball was not initially part of the picture. Cluff only began playing hoops at the age of 15, but he quit after just one game, claiming it wasn’t for him. Only at the behest of a mentor did he pick the game up later to develop his skills.

After graduating high school in 2021, however, a basketball career was not on his agenda; he worked 40 hours a week in the summer at a metal shaping factory, and basketball was just an afterthought. In his free time, he played some semi-pro ball, which ultimately led to the beginning of his circuitous American journey that fall.

Cluff’s Collegiate Career Started Modestly

The first stop in Cluff’s college basketball tour was Cochise College, a junior college located in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in the fall of 2021. He played two years for the Apaches and started all but one game during that span. He made quite an impression in his first year by averaging 12.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and an incredible 2.6 blocks per game. Cluff also led the entire country in field goal percentage, shooting a ridiculous 75%.

During his freshman season, Cluff led Cochise to a 29-4 record and a berth in the National Junior College tournament.

That debut only set the stage for a remarkable encore as a sophomore. Cluff raised his point output to 18.2 per game, and he again led the country in field goal percentage, while earning second-team All-American honors. His team won another 29 games and repeated as national tournament qualifiers.

After using up all of his junior college eligibility, Cluff was deemed ready for the big time: Division I basketball. His next stop was in Pullman, Washington, to suit up for Washington State in the 2023-24 season.

While his numbers were not as gaudy as they were at Cochise, Cluff played in all 35 games for the Cougars during his one year there. His stat line after making the jump from junior college to Power-5 basketball: Cluff averaged 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks

Washington State went 25-10 that year, good enough to earn a coveted NCAA Tournament bid. As a 7-seed, they knocked off Drake before bowing out to 2-seed Iowa State in the second round.

Cluff’s one season in Pullman was good enough for mid-major South Dakota State to lure him to the Badlands. He used his stop in Brookings, SD, during the 2024-25 season to make himself into one of the most attractive transfer recruits in the nation.

His list of accolades amassed in his one season as a Jackrabbit is astounding:

• 2024-25 Summit League Newcomer of the Year
• 2024-25 All-Summit League First Team
• 2024-25 All-Summit League Newcomer Team
• 2024-25 All-Summit League Defensive Team
• Kareem Abdul Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist (1 of Top 10)
• Riley Wallace Player of the Year Award Finalist (Most Impactful Transfer in DI Basketball)
• Lou Henson Award Finalist (Top Player in Mid-Major College Basketball)

His penchant for having big games was unearthed at South Dakota State. He was the Division I leader in 20-point, 15-rebound games with eight, including a 27-point, 17-rebound performance in the Summit League quarterfinals against North Dakota on March 7.

With one year of eligibility remaining, Cluff was getting noticed, even in Brookings, by the bluebloods of college basketball who were desperate for a big-man presence. Purdue was among them, and head coach Matt Painter enticed him to pack his bags and come to West Lafayette.

Up to this point, Boiler Nation is glad he came to set up shop in Mackey Arena.

End Of Cluff Rant: Purdue Found Their Big Man

The focus for Painter during the off-season was to find an inside presence to take some of the load off Trey Kaufman-Renn. Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Purdue struggled in the rebounding department. Losing 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen in the second game of the season certainly hurt the Boilers on both ends of the floor.

He did not waste any time browsing the transfer portal, landing Cluff just days after their 2024-25 season ended in the Sweet 16.

“”We weren’t a great rebounding team (this season),” Painter said in April. “We were able to help ourselves there, able to help our physicality. We’re very fortunate to land somebody of that stature, but to also give us that need.”

With Cluff’s help, Purdue has addressed its past rebounding deficiencies. Through the opening six games this season, the Boilermakers are averaging 10.3 more boards (42.3 to 32.0) per game than their opponents. It is not a stretch to say that landing Cluff to complement the returning veterans may be the final piece to Painter’s championship puzzle.