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someone to look out for. She "I feel like her being a mystery to plenty over the years and can shoot the outside shot, everybody is probably a good thing, could have decided to play in she can post up. She's realthe smaller league, in front because when she does come out, I of smaller crowds and with ly strong, even if she doesn't look it. She uses her body know she's going to kill. I can just lower expectations. see it in her." very well. But a visit to Purdue Dee Dee Williams on Whitney Bays swayed her to give big-time "She's an all-around player, because she can handle collegiate basketball one the ball as well. She's a really great player and I'm excited more chance. for her to get on the court." "I remember having a conversation with Coach VersThe last time Bays played, it was in the red, black and yp in the office — and was pretty hesitant about making yellow of the Terrapins. It seems so long ago, and was, with a decision because I already made a wrong one — I was more than a year-and-a-half having passed since then. asking her about taking a risk with me instead of getting Things didn't work out there the way she had antici- a new, fresh player," said Bays, who was only a couple pated. When Bays was being recruited out of high school, months removed from her second ACL surgery when she the lights shined awfully bright, as she was being pursued visited Purdue. "She was just like, 'We believe in you and by the likes of Maryland, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, we don't want you to sell yourself short to play in a easier Louisville, Purdue and a host of others. conference.' I was just like, 'She is right.' I almost started Bays got caught up in the attention, and the flash of crying when she said that. Brenda Frese's program at Maryland, which had won the "… It was nice to hear those things, especially with me national championship in 2006, was too much to ignore. being hurt. That was the most inspiring for me." "It was new to our family, so we really didn't know what Brittany Bays, a student at Marshall who tore her ACLs to do," Brittany Bays said of the recruiting process, "and as a high school cheerleader, visited Purdue with her sisthere were these big-named colleges calling us and we ter, providing her a confidant who would look at the whole were going to $2-million houses and seeing all this other picture rather than only from a basketball perspective. stuff. It was kind of a lot, especially for a 17- or 18-year-old. "I liked Purdue as soon as we went there, and she did It was a really big decision to make. too," Brittany said. "She thought the coaches were re"I think she got caught up in wanting to be a star and ally authentic and thought that they were sincere about choosing the best school that would facilitate her abilities." things. They handled it differently than Maryland did. They But it wasn't a good fit. When the injuries started to took time to know her, if that makes sense, instead of it mount, Bays' priorities changed, away from basketball and just being about basketball." more toward academics. And she felt she needed more Now, Brittany is looking forward to seeing her younger support. sister play once again, feeling like Whitney can get back to "When I was in high school, I just wanted to go some- the player she was way back when. where and be the star and my only focus was really bas"She still has all of the makings that she did before. She ketball," said Bays, who is studying sociology, with three has what it takes to get to the big leagues," Brittany Bays minors, at Purdue. "But as you get older, you realize that if said. "She just has to get her confidence back. the opportunity is there, you will play pro basketball, but at "She still has the same work ethic, but it seems like she the end of the day you need a degree. I don't feel like I rec- wants it a lot more now. I don't want to say at Maryland ognized that when I was younger. Especially in the wom- she wasn't as passionate about it, but it's just that with en's game, it's so much different than men's (in term's of all the injuries, it was really discouraging for her. But the financial opportunities in pro basketball) and you can fall passion that she had before, when she was a junior (in into the hype." high school), it's starting to come back for basketball. BasWhen Bays reopened her recruitment, Purdue was one ketball is what she really wants to do again." j of the first to call, as did hometown school Marshall University. She'd been around the Thundering Herd program f IllustrateD volume 24, issue 2 83