A Transfer and A Swish

Riley Shepherd (Junior, Agribusiness; Leesburg, IN) started his college career playing basketball on Huntington University’s NAIA Team. With a desire to transfer to Purdue and still play basketball, he learned about the Purdue Basketball Club Team through a social media post.

During his first semester at Purdue, he tried out with 54 other Boilermakers for only 3 spots on the team. Riley stated, “With grit, showing my skill set and determination, I made the team. Basketball has always been a big part of my life, so joining the club team felt like the perfect way to continue competing while also focusing on my academics.”

As a sophomore, Riley found that the team became his Purdue community! His teammates shared the same love of the game. This year, they have competed against several other universities through the NCBBA conference play. The team is 11-1 in the conference and 21-2 for the season; they have traveled for tournaments at the University of Illinois, Indiana University and Bellamarine in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also looking forward to regionals and nationals later this semester!

Riley shared, “One of my favorite memories of being on the club team has been traveling to the first tournament at Illinois with teammates and winning the invitational. Those trips create a lot of great memories and really build strong friendships.”

He concluded, “Being involved with the Purdue Basketball Club has made my college experience much more meaningful. It has allowed me to stay connected to a sport I’ve loved my whole life while also meeting teammates who have become close friends. The team has helped me build leadership, time management and teamwork skills that will benefit me both in college and in my future career.”