When the Boilermakers open the season at Maine Friday night, Ashley Morrissette might find herself with the ball in her hands more than previous years.
And the senior shooting guard is OK with that, even if it means playing a little differently than normal.
“Running the point is a whole different ballgame than being the 2 guard,” Morrissette said. “You’ve got to focus on everybody else and what everybody else is doing and making sure everybody is in the right spots, running the plays and all that. I believe I could get the same shots as the point as I would at the 2, but as the 2 guard, you only have to focus on shooting, pretty much.”
Morrissette’s versatility is beneficial to the Boilermakers. Purdue will be working in a new point guard this season, with sophomore Tiara Murphy likely to get the bulk of the minutes, provided she can efficiently run the offense and play a little defense, both of which could be questions.
And Murphy sat out Purdue’s exhibition last weekend, recovering from an injury, per Coach Sharon Versyp. But she’s available at Maine, Versyp said, for Friday’s opener then presumably the Saturday game vs. either Villanova or Mississippi State.
But Morrissette will be there still to help take the pressure off the inexperienced Murphy. Versyp thinks Morrissette, Purdue’s leading returning scorer and best three-point shooter, is capable of doing both.
“We’ve had scoring point guards,” the 11th-year coach said. “Her having the ball in her hands that many minutes, I think Murph playing the point will relieve some of that, so she’s going to get her normal shots. But it’s part of conditioning and understanding that you can get shots at the point guard spot. You’re coming off screens and that’s where you make your decisions, if you have a shot or need to execute. I think she’ll grow that in that area when she has the ball in her hands more.”
As the primary point in a 28-point win over Ursuline College, though, Morrissette was only 3-of-14 shooting, although she did have four assists and only two turnovers. But she wasn’t overly concerned with her shot.
“I liked that I could push the ball at whatever pace I felt was necessary for the game, keeping the tempo, because sometimes we have to run the ball on teams and sometimes we would like to slow the ball down,” Morrissette said of playing point. “I like to find my teammates for open shots, creating for them and if I can’t find them, then I can create my own shot with the ball in my hands more.”
• Murphy won’t be the only Boilermaker back in uniform for the 5 p.m. Friday tipoff.
Purdue is also likely to have Bree Horrocks back as well, after the junior center missed the exhibition with an injury.
“That was the plan, to have them ready for this weekend,” Versyp said. “We’ll see how they perform but pretty pleased with where we’re at with them.”
• The Boilermakers left on Wednesday for the Northeast to play in the Maine Tip-Off Tournament.
It’ll be a homecoming of sorts for Versyp, who got her start as a collegiate head coach for the Black Bears from 2000 to 2005. She’ll have some former players in attendance.
“I’ve wanted to go back there, the timing just wasn’t right,” Versyp said. “I think it’s important, it’s where I started my career. I thank the people there in Maine.
“Any time you can go back (is great). (Maine coach) Richard (Barron) wants to run a great tournament. He wants to have great teams and we’re just looking forward to the friendships and seeing particular people.”
It could be a good trip for Purdue, as well, not only from a basketball perspective. The Boilermakers are taking a bus trip up to Bar Harbor, likely a taking in the beautiful fall scenery of the Northeast.
Morrissette, a Twinsburg, Ohio native (near Cleveland), was asked what she thought first about Maine.
“Snow,” Morrissette said, “not much else. I heard it was nice around fall season. I guess we’re taking a bus tour up there, so hopefully we’ll see a lot of leaves (laughter). I heard the lobster was good, so that’s a plus.”
