Sharon Versyp returns to her Purdue roots to inherit a team that is the most talented in the Big 10. With one exception, it is veteran talent. She not only inherits a talented group, she takes over a program with a proven history of winning and one that is clearly the best in the Big 10. After the upheavals of last spring, it is a small roster and she has likely lost one key player to an acl tear already.
Point Guard: The one exception to the veterans is at the point guard spot. There may be no player under more pressure than Boiler freshman FahKara Malone. Malone will be expected to step in and run the team from the first practice. She is small (5’5) and athletic. While she has good high school credentials, she did not appear on many lists of top recruits. That certainly isn’t definitive, nor does she need to be a star. The Boilers are loaded with players who can score and rebound. They need a point guard who can bring the ball up the court, run the offense and play some defense. In short, she needs only to be adequate. Whether or not she can be that is one of the key unanswered questions in the Big 10 in 2006.
Backing her up will be soph Lauren Mioton who only played 68 minutes as a freshman in 2005. Katie Gearlds can probably fill in at point. But if she has to play significant minutes there, the Boilers will not reach their potential in 2006-07.
Wings: One of the wing positions is set, the other is not. Senior Katie Gearlds has been one of the league’s top players during her career. She will anchor the Boiler’s this year. Gearlds led the team in scoring last season and will do so again this year. She’s a smart player who makes up for a lack of athleticism with her basketball savvy. Although she’s an excellent player, Gearlds is someone one-dimensional in her offense. She primarily a jump shooter and she doesn’t do well at getting her own shot. She gets her shot off quickly and needs a good passer to get her the ball when she is in her shooting rhythm.
At the other wing, the graduated Aya Traore must be replaced. The most likely candidate is soph Jodi Howell. She had a solid freshman year, although she missed part of the year with an injury. Howell is more athletic than Gearlds but less so than Traore. She should be able to replicate the 13.1 points a game Traore contributed but is unlikely to match her 5.2 rebounds a game. Howell will compete with redshirt freshman Kiki Freeman for the spot. Freeman should be a better rebounder but would likely not score as much.
One other possibility is a player that Versyp signed late. 6’ Laura Garriga of Cambrils, Spain will join Purdue in the fall. At this point there is no way to know if she will be able to contribute, but the very short Boiler roster needs bodies and she brings one. The only other possibility on the roster is Mioten.
Posts: Both starting posts return for the Boilermakers. Both are 6’2 and above average players who have received recognition by the Big 10. Junior Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton is one of the top defensive players in the conference. She is very mobile and effectively clogs the middle for Purdue. Wisdom-Hylton led the team in rebounding last year, although she only grabbed 5.8 a game. She also led the team in shooting percentage, and she should probably take more shots.
Senior Erin Lawless is the other returning starter. Lawless has a more well-rounded game than Wisdom-Hylton and can hit a three point shot. That is both a strength and weakness. Her long-range shooting makes the Purdue offense more flexible and harder to defend. However, she spends too much time away from the basket. Lawless has the body of a power forward but the mentality of a small forward. This likely will result in her never reaching her full potential as a post player.
The depth at the position took a hit when Natasha Bogdanova tore her acl and underwent surgery Aug 18. While she hasn’t been ruled out for the season, it’s doubtful that she could contribute much until the end of the season. It is more likely that she will redshirt this year.
That leaves Danielle Campbell as the only other true post on the roster. She played about 9 minutes a game as a freshman and will have to play much more this year. Freeman and Garriga will likely have to play some at the post, although both are more suited to the perimeter.
Summary: Over the years, the Boilermakers have established that they are the top program in the Big 10. The 2006 team is certainly not without question marks, nor is it the strongest Purdue team the conference has had to contend with. But in a Big 10 that is down, they look to once again be the league’s best.
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