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Banquet notes

KODK

All-American
Nov 9, 2004
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Purdue hopes to have its wounded back soon, likely by the first of May.

Andreona Keys, Bridget Perry and Torrie Thornton are out of individual workouts as they rehabilitate from injuries left over from the season.

Perry might be the most beat up, even if she's the one who didn't need surgery. The wing missed a month of the season with an ankle injury, but by the end of the year her knee was starting to bother her as well. She got it banged in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, although at the time it was attributed to the multiple ailments already plaguing her.

"It probably happened when her ankle got hit, but there were no signs with the knee," Coach Sharon Versyp said at Purdue's postseason banquet Tuesday night. "Anytime you'd jar it or something, it'd start bothering her. Her not playing at the end, her whole leg was shot. She wasn't healthy at all and we discovered another injury as we continued to do test. But those symptoms didn't show mainly until after spring break."

Keys had her knee scoped - the same knee that previously had an ACL tear - and is out another month. Thornton had foot surgery and is still wheeling around on a scooter; she's also expected to be back around May 1.

Meanwhile, Lamina Cooper, an incoming freshman, had ACL surgery on March 25.

"It went well," Versyp said. "If everything goes well, she'll be ready to go for the season in November."

• The Boilermakers are a week in to their individual workouts, with four more to go.

It starts a critical offseason. Versyp wants each player to shoot at least 48,000 jumpers and 10,000 free throws, in an effort to improve their offensive games before 2015-16.

In the meantime, they'll work with coaches on individual improvements, as well.

"A lot of it is getting back to fundamentals, footwork, shooting, making adjustment to their shots because this is the biggest time you can do that," Versyp said. "And just start weight-lifting, conditioning. Starting to just work their whole bodies."

Versyp said six of Purdue's nine returning players will be on campus in May.

• Versyp has a bit of roster flexibility this offseason, and might use it.

She said Tuesday that Purdue is looking at a couple junior college prospects - likely shooters - and a fifth-year transfer.

Versyp said she could add as many as two to the roster.

• Whitney Bays might have delivered the most emotional moment during senior speeches Tuesday.

In fighting back tears - she was losing that battle - Bays described her decision to leave Maryland and arrive at Purdue three years ago.

"A lot of you don't know this, aside from my family," she said, taking moments to collect herself. "I wasn't going to leave Maryland. I don't like talking about it. It was cause I was scared. (Long pause). Sorry. I was scared of a new situation, new people. I'd never been to Indiana. I didn't know what ya'll were going to be like, because I didn't know anything about you outside of the movie 'Hoosiers' (laughter).

"Yeah. I had a friend at Maryland, and (Maryland) was telling me all these things like that I wasn't going to be able to play, or if I was able to play, I'd definitely be a step slower. I had all these thoughts that I was going to fail.

"But I had a really good friend, she was like 'You've got to get' - excuse my language - 'the hell out of here.' So I decided to transfer and it was truly the best decision of my life. I met sisters, I met great fans, great coaches. I swore I wasn't going to cry.

"But it was funny the other day, my friend messaged me a text and it rung so true, so I had to read it today. It's a poem. It says …

'See God knew that you were broken and almost ready to give up. But he needed to surround you with people who could mend your broken pieces. God can use us even when we are broken. Why? Because we were blessed before we were broken. We were blessed before we lost our jobs, before we experienced any heartache, before we became sick, ill or injured, you were blessed. Before you were broke, you had to get away from any distractions and drama. He had to bless you. He had to bless your life and then not only break you, but give you enough strength to minister through your brokenness.'

I had to read that and thank God for giving me the opportunity when I didn't know what was to come."

• Here are the postseason awards:

All-Big Ten Academic: Perry and Hayden Hamby

Most Improved: Andreona Keys

Perseverance: Erica Moore

Coaches (leadership): Liza Clemons

Ruth Jones (effort, dedication): Perry

Roger Blalock: Hamby

Tom Reiter (love of game): Bays

• Purdue President Mitch Daniels opened the banquet with some words about the Boilermakers, who are coming off an 11-win season, the program's worst in 30 years.

"We have, in my opinion, the finest coach we could have for Purdue women's basketball," Daniels said. "Sharon, you and your outstanding staff that you have assembled, just set a terrific standard. We know more such years are coming. Not every season can be a national championship season but you've given us plenty (and) you're going to give us more. This program has such a proud history and it has a proud future. I can't wait for next year to get here and I know everybody in this room feels the same."

This post was edited on 4/20 1:40 PM by Kyle_GoldandBlack.com
 
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