Brian Cardinal attended Unity High School in Tolono, Illinois, where he played basketball with his brother, Troy. Before graduating in 1995, he led the Rockets to an 86–25 record during his high school career. He averaged 23.5 points during his Junior year, with the team going 27–1, and 24.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in his Senior year, with the team going 27–4. In his senior year, he scored 40 points in two different games, and was ranked as one of the Top 100 high school seniors in the United States. As a senior, he played in the Class A Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game, and was named MVP of the game. He also played in and was named Most High Player in the Coca-Cola high school all star game, after scoring 24 points and collecting 13 rebounds for the West team.\n', '

After graduating from high school, Cardinal attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to play under head coach Gene Keady and assistant coaches Frank Kendrick and Bruce Weber. Cardinal was redshirted during his first year at Purdue but practiced daily with the team. During his Freshman season of 1996–97, Brian was one of only three Boilermakers to start all 30 games, and averaged 10.6 points a game (third on the team) and grabbed 182 rebounds on the season, ranking second on the team. He recorded his first collegiate double-double in only his second game against Western Michigan with 13 points and 12 rebounds. He finished ninth in the Big Ten in steals. Along with Juniors Brad Miller and Chad Austin, he helped lead the Boilermakers to an NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance. Purdue beat Rhode Island in the first round of the tournament after Brian hit a three-point shot to send the game into overtime, a shot Brian later called his "biggest athletic thrill." Purdue would lose in the next round to #1 seed Kansas.\n', '

In Brian\'s sophomore campaign, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists, and led the team in steals with 65, which tied for the third-best single season total in Purdue history. While leading Purdue to a 28–8 record (12–4 in the Big Ten), Brian was the Boilermakers\' top scorer in four games. Brian was named third-team All-Big Ten by coaches and media. He helped lead the Boilers to a Sweet Sixteen appearance, with the Boilermakers beating Delaware and Detroit Mercy in the first two rounds, before losing to eventual Final Four semifinalist Stanford, by the score of 67–59.\n', '

Return to Brian Cardinal Autograph Profile