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66 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 f everybody working out, putting in extra. Conditioning for an hour and practicing for an hour and people still getting extra. This is my third year here and this is the first year I've seen every single person doing that. … I think when you have people putting extra and doing more for their team, it can take you a long way." The centerpiece is senior forward Whitney Bays, the Big Ten's Sixth Player-of-the-Year who was excellent in her debut season for the Boilermakers. After miss- ing three of the previous four years with knee injuries, Bays shook off the rust quickly at Purdue, averaging 12.1 points and 7.9 rebounds in only 22 minutes per game. And Bays, a captain this season, was outstanding in the NCAA Tournament, when she averaged 20.5 points and 13 boards in Purdue's two games. But an injury against Oklahoma State, when she developed a stress fracture in her foot, limited her during the offseason. She was in a boot for about a month, then slowly eased back into to conditioning and basketball work, but by the start of practices in early October, she was back feeling good. And Purdue was glad for that. Bays wasn't on the Pre- season All-Big Ten team, but could turn into that kind of player, provided she stays healthy and out of foul trouble. BURNING QUESTIONS Will Bays Stay Healthy? Versatile forward Whitney Bays made it through most of last season, until a foot injury caught her in the finale against Oklahoma State. It forced offsea- son surgery and kept her in a boot a couple months. But that was only the latest injury, as she's faced multiple knee surgeries — all before she arrived at Purdue — during her career. Bays is the critical piece for the Boilermakers, be- cause she does so much, scoring, rebound and ideally playing defense. If she goes down, the season might go up in flames. Who's The 2 Guard? Ashley Morrissette gets the first crack at filling a crit- ical spot on Purdue's perimeter, where the Boilermak- ers need to at least somewhat replace the production lost from Courtney Moses. The sophomore can shoot, she showed that enough early last season. But can she handle the ball? Can she defend? She'll have to do both of those to play significantly. If she can't, Purdue will turn to Hayden Hamby, who has shown only flashes of the record-setting high school scorer that she once was. The junior needs to play with confidence and she appears to be gaining it. Will Purdue Advance To Round 3? That is the question, ultimately. Purdue's been stuck in Round 2 oblivion for years now, having not made a Sweet 16 since its Elite Eight appearance in 2008-09. It's made the Boilermakers hungry to get back there again, but they were saying the same the last couple seasons, after earlier-than-ex- pected ousters. Offense Or Defense? Purdue's strength last season was in its offense, one that averaged nearly 75 points per game and was heavi- ly reliant on the long-ball. But the Boilermakers were so good there, that they often let the defense relax. What will be the makeup this season? Perhaps a more balanced approach will help the Boilermakers be more successful. — Kyle Charters Tom Campbell Erica Moore's last couple high school seasons were undone by a knee injury, but the forward provides Purdue depth inside. She's one of three incoming rookies who stands at least 6-foot-2.