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VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 85 — had also visited Akron and Delaware. "The first thing that I ob- served was the family atmo- sphere, how people cared about each other," Boudreau said of her commitment-sealing trip. "How they are all into the same things, want the same goals. That was so impressive for me. "It was also a perfect match in academics and athletics. I just want to reach excellence, excellence in every part of your life. That's going to be the perfect match for me." Boudreau and Farquhar have been playing together for the last handful of years, first in high school, then at Daw- son, which is a CEGEP in Montreal. Perhaps it is best com- pared to a United State prep school, except that in Quebec, they are a prerequisite for university admission. They're entering their third year at Dawson. "We have a great relationship together and I think we complement each other very well on and off the court," the 19-year-old Boudreau said. "Of course, it was great that we found our match at the same school, but I knew from the beginning that it was a good match for her, but I didn't want it to influence my decision. I wanted to make my own choice and own aspects and see if it was a good school. Be- cause it could be a good school for her, but not necessarily for someone else. "It is awesome that it turns out that we have found a great school; we've been playing together since five years ago, so it's good that we can continue that relationship to- gether at Purdue and help them reach excellence." Farquhar, 19, projects as a wing at Purdue, according to Williams, but has the versatility to be able to play a number of positions. "Tamara is an extremely gifted, natural athlete," the Dawson coach said. "She's such a good defender, she can cover the other team's point guard, the 2, the 3, the 4. She can cover four positions because of her athleticism. She's improving her outside shot a little bit, but she gets to the rim at will, against anyone guarding her. You should be ex- cited for her at the next level, because she'll be challenged and I can't wait to see it." Boudreau shows versatility as well, Williams says, in that she's a shooter who can also play on the ball, a bit of a big guard. That's not something that the Boilermakers have a wealth of right now, nor have in the recent past. "Leony can bring a lot to the table because she can play the combo position," Williams said. "She can play the point guard because she can handle the ball and make good decisions with it. But also I use her for scoring and to create a lot of mismatches too." The two are likely to sign Nov. 9, the first day of the ear- ly basketball signing period, as will Lawson, the daughter of former Purdue guard Kay Tucker. Lawson, a 6-2 Ohio forward, has been a long-standing commitment, doing so more than two years ago. The Canadians have built chemistry over the years, something they'll now bring south of the border. "They have great chemistry together, having been play- ing together for the last five years," Williams said. "A cou- ple times in crunch time, they will take things upon them- selves, maybe run a pick-and-roll to get two points." MORE NOTES Purdue came down to the end with several top pros- pects, including Gary West point Dana Evans (chose Louis- ville over Purdue and Tennessee); Miami point Channise Lewis (picked Illinois over Purdue, Virginia Tech and Tu- lane); Canada forward Hailey Brown (chose Michigan over Purdue and others); Missouri post Madison Treece (Duke) and North Carolina post Janelle Bailey (North Carolina). Wisconsin prospect Sidney Cooks, a 6-4 forward and the fifth-best recruit in the country, per ESPN, is deciding on Nov. 15 at Kenosha St. Joseph's High School. She's down to Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA and Wiscon- sin, having already visited the first four with the Badgers scheduled to get her final visit in late October. Also, Cassidy Hardin, a guard from Center Grove and one of the state's best players in the 2018 class, could make a fall decision, likely between Michigan State, Purdue and Vanderbilt. j Tamara Farquhar Leony Boudreau