Columbus East graduate and Purdue senior Matt Frost greets Boilermaker fans following a win this season at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette.
Submitted photo
Matt Frost was expecting Purdue to have a big season this year, and he was looking forward to being a part of the action in his final year on campus.
The Boilermakers did end up having one of the best seasons in program history, but unfortunately for the senior from Columbus East, he was unable to play after tearing an ACL the day before their first exhibition game.
“I was still going to practice every day, even though I was sitting on the sidelines and watching, even during the games, sitting on the sidelines cheering on my teammates,” Frost said. “The other walk-ons, seeing them do well was great instead of being bitter or jealous about not being able to play. We’re all great friends, and just seeing my friends out there succeed was nice.”
Purdue coach Matt Painter and his staff took notice of Frost’s continued commitment to the team. They selected him as the team’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Frost was there every step of the way as the Boilermakers went 29-6 and won Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships. The Boilermakers spent part of the season ranked No. 1 in the country.
“Growing up, you see the No. 1 team in that spot, and you’re like, ‘Man, they’re the best of the best,’” Frost said. “Then, once you’re on a team that’s the No. 1 team in the country, I don’t know if it ever registered. Once you get there, it has a different feeling than seeing it from the outside. Especially seeing our freshmen play as well as they did, and seeing Zach Edey dominate like he did, having a front-row seat for that and being able to travel with the team was great.”
Edey, the 7-foot-4 junior center who swept the six major National Player of the Year Awards and recently entered his name into the NBA Draft, was Frost’s roommate on the road.
“He’s a great guy,” Frost said. “One thing I liked about him is, he liked to rest at road games. He would take two or three naps a day if he could. I like my sleep as well, so it was good to have him as a roommate. He’s just a humble guy. He never let the hype go to his head. He always put in the work and got ready for the next game.”
Columbus East graduate Matt Frost, third from left, and Columbus North graduate, Sam King, third from right, share a laugh during a Purdue basketball game this season at Wisconsin.
Submitted photo
The 2019 Republic Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Frost spent most of his Purdue career as a walk-on. In January, he was awarded a scholarship that was good for his entire senior year.
Because of the COVID year and the injury that kept him out this season, Frost has two years of eligibility remaining, but decided against coming back.
“I definitely loved playing the game and love watching it,” Frost said. “I gave it a little thought, but probably not enough to want me to stay.”
Frost is graduating in May with a with degree in industrial management. He interned with Cummins last summer and has accepted full-time job with the company to begin after graduation.
Although he didn’t see a ton of playing time, Frost looks back on his time at Purdue with fondness.
“Overall, it was just a dream-come-true for me, being a Purdue fan,” Frost said. “Being able to play for them and being a part of the team the past four years is really amazing. Getting in my freshman year and scoring my first basket was amazing. The COVID year was obviously different. I came back my junior year, and then obviously this year, I was injured. I tried to make the best of it and still be a part of the team as much as possible.”
