w o m e n ' s
b a s k e t b a l l
Gold and Black's Women's
Hoops Lineup
The Projected Starters
KK Houser
22
G • 5-6 • Sr. (5)
In Year 4 of her
Purdue career,
Houser proved
capable of being
an excellent
play-maker and
facilitator for her teammates,
like she was in the Big Ten
Tournament. Then, she was
poised, kept turnovers to a
minimum and hit shots when
they were available. But she
also continues to have a maddening tendency to revert into a
turnover machine, and did so in
the NCAA loss to Louisville. Her
nine turnovers there brought
her season total to 142, an average of 4.2 a game. In Year 5, is
it reasonable to expect her style
to change?
Courtney Moses
15
G • 5-7 • Sr.
Moses can be
an outstanding
scorer, and was
at times during
the Big Ten
season, but she
often needs others to set her
up. That's particularly the case
against bigger, more physical
opponents. It's in those instances, like against Louisville, that
she needs her teammates to
help get her started offensively.
If Purdue can consistently do
things to assist — like the
occasional off-ball screen —
then Moses can turn into a
more effective scorer.
Dee Dee Williams
20
G • 6-0 • Sr.
Williams' scoring was up in
2012-13, but not
enough to make
her a threat.
She'll need to
be so to better keep defense's
honest next season and allow
Purdue's others scorers more
open opportunities. She'll work
at it, as she did a year ago,
taking tens of thousands of
jumpers in Mackey Arena this
summer. Whether Williams
starts next season is a question;
if Purdue finds a better scoring
option at the 3, then it'll likely
go in that direction.
Liza Clemons
23
F • 6-2 • Jr.
Clemons' season was marred
by injury first,
then illness,
and she never
amounted
to much of a factor. That'll
need — the word can not be
stressed enough — to change
in 2013-14. A shoulder injury
last offseason set her back, then
a mystery stomach ailment kept
her from playing more than a
few minutes a game. But next
year, with Purdue's starting
posts having departed, she'll be
counted on to break out. She's
had productivity in limited
minutes over the years, but the
minutes will be far less limited
next season.
Taylor Manuel
50
PF • 6-2 • So.
Manuel's biggest charge in
the offseason is
to improve her
conditioning
so her minutes
can tick up next
year. If she can play 30 minutes
per game, she very well turn
into one of the Big Ten's best
post players. She's got the tools,
with a deft scoring touch inside
and deceiving quickness in the
paint. Her rebounding wasn't
outstanding as a rookie, and
that'll need to change if she
gets increased minutes.
The Reserves
Torrie Thornton
4
F • 6-0 •
So.
Thornton
was forced
to the sidelines last
season after
having dual offseason
knee surgeries, but is
well on her way toward
a comeback. Where does
she fit? Well, Purdue
wants more scorers at its
3 spot, but she's not one,
as her strength lies in her
defensive abilities on the
perimeter, with long arms
and legs that can frustrate
opponents. She has a
smooth-looking stroke
from up to 15 feet, but
hasn't yet had a chance to
demonstrate a consistent
scoring ability at Purdue.
Hayden Hamby
10
G • 5-7 •
So.
Hamby
had
big-time
growing
pains as
a true freshman, but was
said to have been much
better in practice than
she showed in games.
As she feels more comfortable, that could start
to translate. The Boilers
need it too, because in
high school Hamby was
a dynamic scorer who
could do so either from
long distance or by driving
to the hole. The latter, in
particular, could be greatly
beneficial to the Boilers.
Joslyn Massey
21
F • 6-0 •
So.
Nagging
injuries
kept Massey
from making much
of an impact as a rookie,
but with those in the past
— and having moved
from a wing to a power
forward — she hopes to
have a role soon. Massey's
niche could be on the
boards, where she can
use her physical nature
to get after loose balls.
But her offensive skillset
needs expanding and that
should be her No. 1 goal
this offseason.
April Wilson
25
G • 5-7 •
So.
Wilson
showed
poise
beyond her
years as a
true freshman last season,
controlling tempo when
she took over at the point
and having an innate ability to hit a big shot at a
big moment. If she shows
she can hold on to the
ball next season without
committing turnovers in
bunches, she could have
an expanded role at the
point. She was Purdue's
third-best three-point
shooter last season, so
she could play off the ball
some as well.
Camille Redmon
42
C • 6-4 • Jr.
Redmon is
an intriguing prospect
because
of her
long-arms
and seemingly abundant
potential as a defender
and a rebounder. But now
a junior, she'll have to
turn that potential into
production before time
runs out. In very limited
minutes last season, she
showed some ability,
especially on the glass,
but her limited offensive
skills — particularly her
propensity to commit
turnovers— kept her from
logging major minutes.
Whitney Bays
52
F • 6-2 • Jr.
Here's the
question:
Will Bays
fully recover
from knee
injuries that
have essentially cost her
the last couple seasons? If
so, she'll bring a scoring
mentality to Purdue's
frontcourt, which is desperately needed following
the graduations of Drey
Mingo and Sam Ostarello.
Before the injuries set
in, Bays was known as a
scorer, with an ability to
do so on the interior as
well as on drives to the
basket. We'll have to wait
and see.
— Brian Neubert
Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5com
