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Clemons ready to Step Up This sounds pleasant. hind at the start of last season, Last season, Liza Clemons even before falling ill. got sick, with an H. pylori infecThis summer was Clemons' tion, brought on when a bactefirst healthy since coming to Purria invaded her stomach. It can due. cause ulcers. A 6-foot-2 forward, "It helps a lot, especially going Clemons lost 10 pounds and into our three-hour practices," struggled to play significant Clemons said. "I feel like I'm in a minutes for the Boilermakers. lot better shape than the last two "Especially during practice for years. I feel like I can get up and like three hours, I'd constantly down the floor a lot more. Condihave to have a trash can next to tioning wasn't killing me. It was me," Clemons said. "Anything I rough, but a lot easier." ate would come right back up. Clemons is a critical piece to It was hard to eat because my the Boilermakers' success in stomach would burn." 2013-14. With Mingo and OsYikes. tarello graduating, and Manuel's But Clemons is feeling transfer, the Boilermakers lost Tom Campbell healthy now, a positive for the Forward Liza Clemons has been limited her 30.2 points and 19.2 rebounds Boilermakers as they look to first two seasons in West Lafayette, not only from their frontcourt. replace their primary post play- by a shoulder injury last offseason but by The minutes at the 5 spot will an illness that sapped her of strength her ers from a season ago. Then, sophomore year. She's looking for a breakout largely fall to Clemons and junior Clemons wasn't counted on season. Camille Redmon. much, averaging only about 5.5 "We have to get out there and minutes per game as she backed up Drey Mingo, Sam work hard, we have to make sure the other post playOstarello and Taylor Manuel; she even missed several ers are working hard," Clemons said. "We have to drill contests altogether due to battling the illness. things into them that Drey and Sam O and other post Now, though, Clemons is feeling good and ready to players who have left drilled into us to make us better contribute. and others around us better. "She has the skill set to be really good," Coach "We can't get into a lot of foul trouble this year, so Sharon Versyp said. "She has great hands, she under- if we do we've got to make sure the next person is stands, she knows how to create space for herself. She ready, the next person knows what they are doing and knows how to use her pivot foot exceptionally (well) they're working hard in practice." down low. She has a good 15-foot shot and she is a Clemons should be leading the way. Although she good rebounder. She has the ability to be really, really couldn't play extended minutes a year ago, Clemons good over the next two years." tried to do as well as she could, and she shot better It's not only been the illness that's kept Clemons than 50 percent from the field while giving a couple from her potential, but an injured shoulder, too. points and a rebound per game. During her freshman season, the Fort Wayne native "I wasn't able to play a lot last year, so when I did played through a torn labrum in her right shoulder, get in I was able to make some plays," she said. "So and even then had limited but impactful minutes hopefully this year, I can make more plays and actually during the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. She had be a go-to post player." surgery after the season, leaving her shelved for much — Kyle Charters of the summer conditioning program. So she was be64 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 2 f