April Wilson comes off her suspension Wednesday, feeling like she can be a better player - and better leader - than she was previously.
It's been a good lesson for the junior, who used an early summer incident to spur what she felt like was needed change. In April, she was charged with disorderly conduct and illegal consumption, with the incident resulting in a diversionary agreement through the courts and other basketball-related consequences, including the two-game suspension.
But it's been good.
"Without that incident I don't think I would have grown as much as I did this summer, just showing that to play at a university like this is precious and it's rare," Wilson said before the season. "People don't get this opportunity, and I think I valued that a lot more this summer. I've been putting in extra work and going hard every single day and trying not to take anything for granted."
Wilson used the April 26 arrest as a wake-up call, and saw results almost immediately. She stayed in West Lafayette for May, getting a 3.5 GPA in her summer classes, and she kept up a missionary trip to Haiti - the vacation to California was cancelled by her parents - to help on the Ephraim Orphan Project, and found it enlightening. There, she met a young boy eager to show off his home, which was nothing more than a small hut.
"He was so grateful and we take it for granted, having water every day, or being able to shower, or electricity; it's not guaranteed there," he said. "It's human nature just to take everything for granted and not appreciate what you have."
Wilson returned to Purdue, vowing to appreciate the gifts she found here more. She refocused on basketball, knowing that she needed to improve after the graduations of Courtney Moses and KK Houser. Last season was fine, Wilson averaged 10 points and 4.7 assists per game, but it could have been more. Her outside shot, for instance, never completely recovered after a 2-of-18 start. Yet, she never found herself in the gym to put in extra shots to try to get out of the funk.
"I could have been better," she said. "I could have been in the gym more, I could have been talking more; I could have taken more of a leadership role."
But Wilson's doing those things now, and she'll get her first chance to show it on Wednesday, when Purdue hosts Green Bay, likely back in the starting lineup. The Boilermakers won their opener at Ball State Friday without her - Ashley Morrissette started at the point - and their exhibition game.
"I feel like she's matured in so many ways on and off the court," teammate Whitney Bays said. "Just doing the right things now, taking care of business in a sense, and staying out of trouble. She's also been putting in the work, to be honest. She's been working on her game. I've seen her in the gym. She's pushed herself to limits this offseason that she might not have done in previous seasons.
And Wilson is embracing it all. Whereas a year ago, she shunned the leadership role - after Houser's injury, Wilson was thrust into that spot - she's welcoming it now. Her teammates voted her a captain in the offseason, along with seniors Liza Clemons and Bays.
"In practice, I'm talking nonstop," she said. "Oh my God, it's crazy how much I'm talking compared to the years before. I don't think there's a moment where it's silent that I'm not talking. I'm trying to talk as much as the previous point guards here, if not more, and always encouraging people. There's going to be days when Coach (Sharon Versyp) is on our back and it's my job as a point guard to bring our team up. And whenever we're slacking, pick the freshmen up and pushing people to be the best that they can, because I know my previous years I was never giving my all and I don't want that from my underclassmen. I want them to be the best that they can be every single day and never take a day off because obviously it can be taken from you at any moment."
It's been a good lesson for the junior, who used an early summer incident to spur what she felt like was needed change. In April, she was charged with disorderly conduct and illegal consumption, with the incident resulting in a diversionary agreement through the courts and other basketball-related consequences, including the two-game suspension.
But it's been good.
"Without that incident I don't think I would have grown as much as I did this summer, just showing that to play at a university like this is precious and it's rare," Wilson said before the season. "People don't get this opportunity, and I think I valued that a lot more this summer. I've been putting in extra work and going hard every single day and trying not to take anything for granted."
Wilson used the April 26 arrest as a wake-up call, and saw results almost immediately. She stayed in West Lafayette for May, getting a 3.5 GPA in her summer classes, and she kept up a missionary trip to Haiti - the vacation to California was cancelled by her parents - to help on the Ephraim Orphan Project, and found it enlightening. There, she met a young boy eager to show off his home, which was nothing more than a small hut.
"He was so grateful and we take it for granted, having water every day, or being able to shower, or electricity; it's not guaranteed there," he said. "It's human nature just to take everything for granted and not appreciate what you have."
Wilson returned to Purdue, vowing to appreciate the gifts she found here more. She refocused on basketball, knowing that she needed to improve after the graduations of Courtney Moses and KK Houser. Last season was fine, Wilson averaged 10 points and 4.7 assists per game, but it could have been more. Her outside shot, for instance, never completely recovered after a 2-of-18 start. Yet, she never found herself in the gym to put in extra shots to try to get out of the funk.
"I could have been better," she said. "I could have been in the gym more, I could have been talking more; I could have taken more of a leadership role."
But Wilson's doing those things now, and she'll get her first chance to show it on Wednesday, when Purdue hosts Green Bay, likely back in the starting lineup. The Boilermakers won their opener at Ball State Friday without her - Ashley Morrissette started at the point - and their exhibition game.
"I feel like she's matured in so many ways on and off the court," teammate Whitney Bays said. "Just doing the right things now, taking care of business in a sense, and staying out of trouble. She's also been putting in the work, to be honest. She's been working on her game. I've seen her in the gym. She's pushed herself to limits this offseason that she might not have done in previous seasons.
And Wilson is embracing it all. Whereas a year ago, she shunned the leadership role - after Houser's injury, Wilson was thrust into that spot - she's welcoming it now. Her teammates voted her a captain in the offseason, along with seniors Liza Clemons and Bays.
"In practice, I'm talking nonstop," she said. "Oh my God, it's crazy how much I'm talking compared to the years before. I don't think there's a moment where it's silent that I'm not talking. I'm trying to talk as much as the previous point guards here, if not more, and always encouraging people. There's going to be days when Coach (Sharon Versyp) is on our back and it's my job as a point guard to bring our team up. And whenever we're slacking, pick the freshmen up and pushing people to be the best that they can, because I know my previous years I was never giving my all and I don't want that from my underclassmen. I want them to be the best that they can be every single day and never take a day off because obviously it can be taken from you at any moment."
