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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED OLUME 26, ISSUE 5 73 of former Boilermaker Kay Tucker — at their elite camp nearly two years ago. It was Lawson's first official offer, and she accepted on the spot. In the years since, Lawson says other schools have ap- proached but haven't been able to pry Lawson away. "I just tell them I appreci- ate the interest all the time, but that I'm comfortable with my decision," she said. "Pur- due has always been my first choice, so that made (re- cruiting) a lot less stressful. It is my dream school, so it's been pretty perfect." It's seemingly a good fit. Last season, the Boilermak- er offense went to more of a 4-out, 1-in offensive set, with its power forwards being stretch 4s. It takes advantage of Bridget Perry and Dominique McBryde, in that they are taller than 6-foot but have guard-like abil- ities. Lawson is similar. "My dad always trained me to play on the outside, and that's definitely helped in the long run because I kind of have handles like a guard, which is pret- ty good for someone my size," she said. "And I can shoot threes … sometimes." Lawson is working on the latter, trying to be a more consistent jump-shooter af- ter hitting at about 40 percent from the field as a junior. Coreno says Lawson can hit from mid-range — he likes to put her on the elbow, where she can effectively shoot or drive — but thinks consistency will come with confidence. "She'll kind of look (like she's deciding whether to shoot) and I'm like, 'Listen, I'm giving you the green light and if you miss it's on me, not on you,'" he said. "And believe me when I tell you, she can knock that shot down. I think it's a matter of confidence, but I have the confidence in her. 'Just pull the shot. If you miss, what's the difference?' If she becomes a player who can hit it from 20 (that'll be difficult for opponents), because once they have to come out and guard her, she can put it on the floor." And Lawson, Purdue's only 2017 commit as of late April, has another year of development before arriving in West Lafayette for the 2017-18 season. It's been a long time coming since verballing in the summer of '14. "I'm a little more than eager," she said. "I'm really excited to play college ball and get the experience and be with the team, spend time with the coaches and learn." j INCOMING BOILERMAKERS 2017 Commitment Dani Lawson F 6-2 Shaker Heights, Ohio/Hathaway Brown 2018 Commitment Kayana Traylor G 5-9 Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville 2019 Commitment Bria Harmon G 5-7 Suwanee, Ga./Collins