Purdue basketball signee Kanon Catchings, a top-50 recruit in the 2024 class, has been released from his letter of intent and will reopen his recruitment.
Coach Matt Painter made the announcement in a statement issued Thursday.
"Kanon has asked for his release from his scholarship and we have granted him that request," Painter said. "We wish him luck in his future endeavors."
Catchings was the centerpiece of a top-15 recruiting class for Painter and the Boilermakers. A physical wing who can score in different ways, Catchings is ranked No. 35 in the ESPN 100 for the 2024 class.
Catchings is a 6-foot-9 small forward who played for the Overtime Elite program last season and was expected to compete for minutes on the wing alongside rising sophomores Myles Colvin and Camden Heide. His decision comes just one week before the team's summer workouts are set to begin.
He averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds with the Cold Hearts during the Overtime Elite season, shooting nearly 70% from inside the arc and better than 37% from 3-point range. Last spring and summer with the Indy Heat, Catchings put up 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Catchings was one of six Purdue signees in the Boilermakers' 2024 class. Fellow ESPN 100 prospect Gicarri Harris was the other headliner, while 7-foot-3 center Daniel Jacobsen has generated plenty of buzz over the last few weeks after his performances with the USA Basketball U18 National Team.
Purdue is ranked No. 15 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25, with the returning backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer anchoring the Boilermakers in the post-Zach Edey era.