GBI Magazine

w o m e n ' s b a s k e t b a l l : l o o k a h e a d Looking For More Versyp needs go-to scorer to emerge BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com T hough Purdue's had conference success recently, with back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles, its NCAA fortunes have not been as pleasant. The last four seasons, the Boilermakers haven't advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, being bounced from the second round in three seasons and failing to make the Dance in another. The Sweet 16 — or beyond — drought is the longest since Purdue started regularly appearing in the tournament in 1989. During that span, Purdue had not gone longer than two consecutive seasons without advancing at least to the Round of 16. The last two seasons have been particularly frustrating for the Boilers, who have twice been eliminated as the fourth seed by lower-seeded opponents. In 2011-12, it was fifth-seeded South Carolina in Mackey Arena; last year, the opponent was No. 5-seed Louisville, the NCAA runner-up, on the Cardinals' home court. So what needs to change for Purdue? "You have to have a player who can be the one," said Coach Sharon Versyp, whose 25-win team finished 21st in the final AP rankings. "You look at Louisville, they had Shonie Schimmel. … Everybody has someone who can take over a game. You've got to be able to get that play- er. In the four of the last five years, we've gotten a Miss Basketball, so we want to continue to recruit the best players we can, but we need a player that can be a Katie Gearlds. We're continuing to work the pavement." While recruiting might bring that player to Purdue — Versyp has as many as five scholarships to give for the current 2014 recruiting class — it'd like to have a marquee performer as soon as next season. That might be difficult. Although the Boilermakers will return their starting backcourt, plus Tom Campbell backup point April WilCourtney Moses returns next season on a Boilermakson, they'll have to re- er team with plenty of experience in the backcourt. place the production "Taylor has become a go-to post lost by graduating seniors Drey Mingo and Sam Ostarel- player," Versyp said. "She's going to get even better, and she's going lo up front. That duo combined to average to be able to play 30 to 34 minutes about 22 points and 16 rebounds next year. I think that will help, first and foremost." per game. But the power forward position, Center Taylor Manuel returns after a rookie season in which she av- filled previously by Ostarello's 9.9 eraged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds points and 10 rebounds per game, per game and was named to the is a question. Forward Liza ClemBig Ten's All-Freshman team. But ons didn't play much as a sophoher conditioning needs to improve more, after first coming back from if she wants to be able to see the a shoulder injury that required surfloor for more extended minutes; gery the previous spring and then she played 16.4 minutes per game a stomach ailment that sapped her of strength much of the season. in 2012-13. Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5

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