Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/232716
you're a good defensive player. "(But) just showing her on offense in transition, 'Hey look, if you take another dribble here, this will open the person up more.' (We're) working on trying to see the floor. I think the more you watch games and watch film, the more you understand on the court." Figuring she'd be playing the point again this season, Houser was trying to eliminate — or at least reduce — the risk involved in her game. "I've always been a player willing to take risks," she said, "But I've grown up over the years in college. … It's been difficult. I have struggled with turning over the ball a Tom Campbell little. Everyone would always ask, 'Doesn't it bother you that you have six turnovers a Houser's ability to take care of the basketball has been a challenge for her during her five years in West Lafayette. Yet, it is an area of improvement so game?' And I'm like 'Honestly, it doesn't.' far this season. "It really didn't hit me until this year, like if I want to get drafted or I want to go 3.8 turnovers per game, with a high of 10. The average is down to 3.2 turnovers now, with an as- overseas I'm going to have to cut back on turnovers. I can't have more than three a game. I have really been sist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5-to-1, Houser's all-time high. "Playing the off guard, it doesn't put all the pressure focusing on that and just making sure I know who I can on her defensively and offensively, and that wears you throw the ball to and who I can not. So it is a case of just out," Coach Sharon Versyp said. "Most teams, their point being smarter all around." Of course, about the time Houser thought she had figguards are their best defensive players — most teams, ured out how to balance all of her point guard responsinot all, but that's kind of my philosophy — and then we ask her to do a lot of things, not just be a consummate bilities, she was on the move. During workouts in the summer, Houser began to notice that Wilson was playing point guard but also score the ball. "Now, she's just settled down and let the game come to the point more often. It made some sense: As a freshman last season, Wilher a lot more, and I think she's just understanding the son played about 20 minutes per game as a reserve, avbig picture and having fun." Houser might be having more fun now, but it came only eraging 5.4 points and keeping mistakes at a minimum. after putting in work during the offseason. She's been And she showed a penchant for hitting big shots in big intense in film study over the years, frequently acquiring moments. Still, there are personalities to deal with when making the help of assistant Christy Smith to look for areas of improvement. But this last summer, Houser's focus was such a big adjustment. "At first, I was kind of like shell-shocked," Houser said. better, as she took an in-depth look at the reasons for her "I wasn't used to playing any other position and I had negative plays. "We'll watch and dissect what she is doing during the finally settled in to the point guard. But it was 'This is game," said Smith, a former All-America point guard probably going to help the team the best.' " Even now, Houser struggles to not feel like she was deat Arkansas. "When she makes a mistake, and a lot of moted — "I'm up in the air about it" — but there's little times it's her on defense, she'll get mad at herself because she'll go for steals that she shouldn't, or she lung- doubt the change has been good for the Boilermakers. es or reaches, all things that are very easy to do when With Houser and Moses as legitimate scoring options on 76 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 f