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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 25, Issue 5

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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 5 66 April Wilson 25 G • 5-7 • Sr. Wilson's offen- sive game is developing, but probably not as quickly as she or Purdue would like. It'll be another big offseason, as she tries to get her outside game up to par. Too frequently last season, defenders could let her be from the perimeter. But more importantly, Wilson needs to lead what will be a underclassmen-dominated team, and do so by setting the tone for what's acceptable and what's not. Ashley Morrissette 1 G • 5-9 • Jr. Morrissette showed she could score in her first sea- son as a regu- lar in Purdue's lineup. Now, she needs to show that she can do so efficiently, as her shooting percentages were well below ideal. Morrissette's thought to be a better shooter than what she showed – only 26 percent from three-point range – but probably has to get stronger and in better condi- tion to be able to show so. Andreona Keys 24 G • 5-10 • So. Perhaps one of the brighter spots of last season was the play of Keys, who was an impact player off the bench from Day 1. That was unexpected, considering she was the lesser heralded of Purdue's freshman class, but the one who was most ready from the start. She could further develop her outside game, mixing it with an ability to get into the lane. But her offseason is off to a bit of a slow start, after having her knee scoped just after the season. Bridget Perry 13 F • 6-2 • Jr. After a sea- son in which she missed a month with an ankle injury, then was bat- tling knee and other ailments in the last few weeks, Perry's needed a month-plus to start feeling well again. Next season, provided she's healthy, could be a break- out one for the rising junior. The Boilermakers are much better offensively with her on the floor, as she improves the spacing and gives them a slasher who can create for herself and others. Dominique McBryde F • 6-2 • Fr. Few freshmen have started to open a season for Sharon Versyp, but it seems likely that at least one will be in the starting lineup. It could be McBryde, a versatile forward who can score inside and on the wing, as well. Because they are so limited right now on the inte- rior, with few proven scorers, McBryde will get a chance. But she'll need to show she can play with the aggression need- ed to be a consistent threat. Lamina Cooper G • 5-8 • Fr. Cooper tore her ACL in the regionals of the IHSAA Tournament in February, leaving her out for the next few months. She probably will miss the European trip in August, but should be ready for the Boilermakers' season opener in November. Over the last couple years, Cooper has worked to become a more well-rounded offen- sive player, pushing her range out, rather than only being able to score going toward the basket. She's a good defensive player, as well. Hayden Hamby 10 G • 5-7 • Sr. During her career, Hamby's shown to be more effective when she can be discriminating in her shot selection. It was so a couple years ago, when defenses focused more on Courtney Moses and KK Houser in Purdue's backcourt. Perhaps with better depth this season, Hamby can again find a similar role. Justine Hall 5 G • 5-10 • So. Hall played infre- quently during her first season at Purdue, as the then-rookie was still trying to find her place within the Boilermakers' sys- tem. But when she got opportunities, she usually made something happen, showing an ability to hit shots from the outside. She's long, athletic and potentially a good defender. If she can make strides in learning what Versyp wants, her time could shoot up. Bree Horrocks 22 C • 6-5 • So. With Whitney Bays and Liza Clemons having graduated, Purdue has plenty of minutes to fill in the frontcourt. Could it be Horrocks? For it to be so, the second-year forward will have to improve her footwork, helping her to more quickly get into defensive and rebounding position. She has some offensive skill as a face-up shooter, but again needs to become quicker. G O L D A N D B L A C K ' S W O M E N ' S H O O P S L I N E U P T H E S T A R T E R S Nora Kiesler C • 6-6 • Fr. Kiesler is a center in the Chelsea Jones mold, a back-to-the- basket scorer who could be a good defender because of her height. And, the minutes are there to be had, considering Purdue has few – really none — prov- en players in the post. If Kiesler can show she can defend and rebound, then she'll have every chance to get minutes early. Erica Moore 21 F• 6-2 • So. Moore had a try- ing rookie season, playing little in non-conference then being suspended for a month before return- ing to show some small signs of growth at the end of the year. Purdue's hoping for more of the latter. Undoubtedly, Moore has skill, the abil- ity to create space for herself on the inside and step out to hit 15-footers. But she needs to improve her con- ditioning and know-how in Purdue's system. Tiara Murphy G • 5-6 • Fr. Murphy comes to Purdue as a scoring point guard, one who can get into the lane — although her size might make that difficult to score from there in the Big Ten — but can also hit from the perimeter. She partici- pated in a pre-Final Four three-point shooting contest near Indy in April. Look for her to get big minutes in the backcourt, where Purdue will try to get a majority of its points this com- ing season. Torrie Thornton 4 F • 6-0 • Sr. (5) Thornton has shown instances of being an impact player at Purdue, but those have been too few due to injuries. The latest was a foot problem that required surgery and caused her to miss the last few weeks of the season. If she can be healthy — or at least close — then she could provide energy and rebounding off the bench; anything more would be a bonus. T H E R E S E R V E S — Kyle Charters

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