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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 27, Digital 2

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VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 83 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 83 Abby Abel 2 5-5 • G • So. Breakdown: A walk-on, Abel's an important part of the Purdue operation because she's a try-hard practice player — she played in three games last season — who is also a big contributor to the Boilermakers' off-court charitable endeavors. And she's a great teammate, can't have enough of those around. Stat Watch: Didn't score in her five minutes of playing time, yet that's not her role either. Miracle Gray 5 5-6 • G • Fr. Breakdown: Gray could figure into Purdue's rotation as a backup point guard, if she gets the intricacies of what Sharon Versyp wants to do offensively. That's never easy for a freshman point guard. But she comes from a basketball family — sister Nadine Morgan is Purdue's top assistant — and has good savvy and offensive skillset. Stat Watch: Scored 13 points in the Georgia 5A state championship game in 2015. Andreona Keys 10 5-10 • G • Jr. Breakdown: Keys has worked a ton on her perimeter game this offseason, making it a priority. Pretty obvious that she needed to, after a season in which she couldn't find the range from outside 10 feet. That inability to hit spot-up jumpers closed off the driving lanes and made scoring more of a challenge than it should have been. But Keys is a rugged, physical defender; Purdue's looking for a stopper and Keys might be the top candidate. Stat Watch: Hit 49.5 percent of her two-point attempts but only 15.4 percent (6-of-39) of her three-pointers last season. 11 Dominique Oden 5-8 • G • Fr. Breakdown: The rookie is a scorer, liking to try to do so from everywhere on the court, coaches say. And Purdue could definitely use a dose of that, especially if the Boilermakers want to be able to get up and down the court quickly, as they say they do. There's certainly room, after Murphy and Morrissette, for another guard to find a significant niche in the rotation. Stat Watch: Averaged 22 points as a high school senior. Nora Kiesler 12 6-6 • C • So. Breakdown: A year after being a serviceable backup big, Kiesler has worked to mold herself into a more mobile — and thus more offensively effective — post. That's still a work in progress. But what the Boilermakers need more than anything is a solid defender and occasional shot-blocker who can get after boards, not only those that come straight down to her but those in the vicinity. She'll continue working on the latter. Stat Watch: Had 31 blocks last season, second only to McBryde's team-high 37. Ae'Rianna Harris 32 6-1 • F • Fr. Breakdown: Purdue didn't have a player like Harris last season, a reason why the Boilermakers had to play small-ball much of the year. But now, Harris gives Purdue a physical, shot-blocking power forward who can match up with like opposing players. Purdue had to use Perry last season — and McBryde, although she physically was underdeveloped — and it was costly against strong opponents like Michigan State and Oklahoma. Harris could help the Boilermakers push back. Stat Watch: Averaged at least 2.9 blocks per game in every season in high school, including four as a sophomore. Lamina Cooper 40 5-9 • G • Fr. Breakdown: After deferring her enrollment for a season, Cooper joined the Boilermakers this summer. At the very least, she gives the Boilermakers athleticism in the backcourt and on the wing, another player who can be a top-end defender. Offensively, she's got a bit of a hitch in her jumper, but being left-handed allows her to catch defenders off guard. Stat Watch: Averaged nearly a double-double as a sophomore, plus six steals per game.

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