GBI Magazine

Gold and Black Illustrated, Sept.-Oct. 2014

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72 IllustrateD volume 25, issue 1 f variety of ways, when she's aggressive. On a loaded Bedford North Lawrence team last season, coached by Damon Bailey, McBryde averaged about 17 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in leading BNL to the state championship. During the scrimmage against the seniors, McBryde showed a glimpse of her capabilities; on one play, she got the ball at the top of the key, and in only a couple quick steps was at the rim, twisting around to get off a defender and putting the ball in with her off-hand. Afterward, she downplayed the move. "I don't know what happened. It just came to me," McBryde said. "When defenders are on you, you just have to drive it and get by them." McBryde, who was the MVP of Purdue's elite camp in July, committed to the Boilermakers more than a year ago. And since, she's been trying to advance her game. A post at Bedford North Lawrence, she can dominate players smaller than her, because not only is she bigger but she's quicker, too. But she wants to be more than a post player, and if she continues to make aggressive moves like the one in Logansport, she'll be able to do so. "Ball handling is a key," said McBryde, who was named as the 15th-best player in the class by ESPN, "because I know I'll be playing more small forward at Purdue. My shooting game too, just not going to the hoop all the time, but creating my own shot." Tiara Murphy Tiara Murphy's size might be deceiving. The 5-6 point guard is wiry thin. But Murphy, a se- nior at South Bend Washington, likes to try to play more physical than her stature might indicate. "Everybody talks about my weight, but I'm quick," she said. "I like playing against big defenders." Murphy, whom ESPN ranks 20th overall in 2015, had an outstanding junior season for Washington, averag- ing 22.8 points, 3.8 steals, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. She plays the point, but does so as a scorer. Murphy, who hit a couple long three-pointers in the All-Star scrimmage in Logansport, showed quickness offensively, and an ability to get off deep shots in a hurry. She will bring that mentality to West Lafayette. "I'm comfortable with both," she said, referring to the backcourt positions. "I've been running point guard for a long time, but I like shooting a lot, so it's going to be kind of hard. Hopefully, I can run 1 and 2 (at Purdue)." But she also wants to be more well-rounded. She says she could be better defensively, needing to focus more on keeping her feet in front of players rath- er than using her speed to catch up. But physicality would help too; Purdue, she says, would like to see her put on a few pounds before arriving in West Lafayette next fall. "They're trying to put 10 pounds on me," she said, "so I'm going to see what that'll do for me." j Brian Neubert Tiara Murphy might be a bit undersized, but it doesn't damp- er her tenacity. She's a scoring point guard.

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