Jack Owens recruited Caleb Swanigan for years before Purdue ultimately landed the big man last spring.

The Boilermakers' associate head coach knew Swanigan worked hard, had to to have transformed his body the way he did since he was an obese middle-schooler.

"You knew about his work ethic," Owens said before Wednesday's Purdue practice. "But not like this. This is something I've never been around or seen.

"We've had guys here like Robbie (Hummel), E'Twaun (Moore), JaJuan (Johnson), Lewis (Jackson), Ryne (Smith), I could go right down the line of guys who worked hard here, but not to this extent where he's the first one in the weight room or the gym, comes two or three times a day outside of our practices and games and the things we have him doing. He's still coming in at night and doing more. We knew he had a great work ethic, but not to this extent and what (father Roosevelt Barnes) has done with him has been great."

Saturday, as campus' athletic complex was emptying out after the football game, Swanigan and Barnes were the lone people in Mackey Arena, as the freshman forward shooting around, his adopted father there to rebound for him.

This has been a common sight around Mackey and Cardinal Court, on top of the free time Swanigan's dedicated to the training room, sports performance facilities and other resources.

After most every Purdue practice, Swanigan stays to shoot three-pointers and jumpers.

"Biggie takes working hard to another level," said senior Rapheal Davis , Purdue's gold standard for such things in recent years.

Sometimes, Swanigan doesn't leave at all, as he's spent nights in Purdue's locker room, according to multiple people around him.

Such effort and dedication have been the hallmark of Swanigan's physical transformation over the years and might be the single-strongest impression he's left so far on his college coaches and teammates.

"It's the best we've had," Coach Matt Painter said of Swanigan's work ethic. "He puts in more time in the weight room, more time after (practice). He's a gym rat. Those things get contagious. You just hang your hat on it. Rapheal Davis is that way. Vince Edwards is that way. They work at their game. ( Dakota Mathias ) works on his game and ( Kendall Stephens ) does … but he's taken it to a whole other level in terms of the extra time he puts in."

Why?

Swanigan has always been bigger and stronger than most everyone he's played against, not to mention more talented.

"Preparation-wise I don't want to leave anything to be questioned when I step on the court," Swanigan said. "I want to be the best Caleb Swanigan I can be that day."

That work ethic is inextricably linked to Swanigan's up-bringing with Barnes, a contract adviser for Relativity Sports whose job it is to deal with professional athletes. It's given Barnes, and in turn Swanigan, an intimate look at what has made the best of the best what they are.

"raised to be a professional." It's what the team's sports performance coach, Josh Bonhotal, meant this summer when he said Swanigan has been

"I've been doing it so long I just like what I do is just natural now," Swanigan said.

Click Here to view this Link.