Pike star Isaiah Hill commits to Purdue, Boilers land elite 7-footer

Purdue did not just land a commitment Friday. It landed a 7-foot center from Indianapolis Pike who has been on the Boilermakers’ radar since eighth grade, the kind of in-state big man that can shift how elite Indiana prospects view West Lafayette.

Isaiah Hill chose Purdue over Louisville, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Indiana, giving Matt Painter an early centerpiece for the 2027 class and another blue-chip frontcourt target in a pipeline that already made Purdue’s 2026 group look like one of its strongest in years. 247Sports lists Hill at 7-foot, 205 pounds and ranks him among the nation’s top 15 players in the 2027 class, with one scouting note placing him No. 16 overall. For a program that has built its modern identity around elite interior development, landing an NBA draft prospect from inside the state borders carries real weight.

The fit is as important as the ranking. Hill is not just a traditional rim-runner. Evaluators describe him as fluid with strong hands, good rim protection and real touch on jump hooks, short and midrange shots and even catch-and-shoot threes. He stood out at the USA Basketball minicamp during Final Four weekend in early April and then impressed again on the Nike EYBL circuit, where he led the 16U division in blocked shots at 3.9 per game while averaging 8.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists for Indy Heat as the team opened 8-0.

That kind of profile matches the type of frontcourt success Purdue has sold for years. Zach Edey became the most dominant big in college basketball by staying in Painter’s system, and Hill gives Purdue another chance to develop a towering in-state prospect before he ever reaches campus. Purdue first offered Hill in August 2024, but Hill said the staff had been recruiting him since eighth grade, a long pursuit that paid off against blue-blood competition and reinforced the idea that the Boilermakers can still win the biggest battles at home.

Hill’s rise also tracks back to Pike, where he was named Marion County preseason player of the year and helped push the Red Devils to a 23-4 season and a regional championship game appearance. Pike fell 57-54 to Mt. Vernon, the eventual Class 4A state champion, in a game that also featured Purdue commit Luke Ertel on the other side. Now, with Hill headed to Purdue, the state’s top 7-footer has chosen to stay in the middle of Indiana’s basketball map.