Boilermaker Nation, get ready for one more ride with Sam King. The redshirt senior is officially returning to Purdue for the 2026-2027 season after taking an uncommon but strategic redshirt year during 2025-2026. That means King still has one year of eligibility left, and head coach Matt Painter and his staff clearly see something special in this walk-on.

Let's be real: redshirting as a walk-on isn't your typical college basketball move. But it speaks volumes about King's value to the program. He's the kind of player every championship-caliber team needs—a hard worker in practice, a positive locker room presence, and someone who brings energy every single day. And while his deep Purdue roots are well-known, King has earned this opportunity on his own merits.

King's stat line won't jump off the page—he's appeared in just 16 games over his three non-redshirt seasons. But for a player like him, it's never been about the box score. Coming out of Columbus North High School, where he averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds as a senior, King had options. Multiple Division III schools came calling, and he even had preferred walk-on spots at Northwestern and Purdue Fort Wayne. But he chose Purdue, fully aware of the challenge ahead.

Think about that for a second. We just saw Aaron Fine transfer to Ball State for more playing time. If King wanted to do the same, he almost certainly could have found a program where he'd see the floor more. Instead, he stuck it out, redshirted, and is now locked in for one final season in West Lafayette.

So what can we expect from Sam King's last ride? Probably not a Bobby Buckets or Grady Eifert storybook ending. More likely, it'll be a season of grinding in practice, helping the starters prepare for each opponent, and doing everything possible off the court to set himself up for life after basketball. He's a management major, and don't be surprised if he ends up staying around the program as a graduate assistant or in another role down the line.

Here's my hope for King's final season: Keep grinding in practice, wear the Old Gold and Black with pride, and walk away with that Purdue degree. That's the kind of legacy that matters most.