When Purdue started its summer workouts in mid-June, the Boilermakers didn’t have their usual gear.
No Purdue practice jerseys or shorts, a result – perhaps punishment – for a 20-loss season that left it at the bottom of the Big Ten.
“We wore gray shorts and black shirts, with a ‘20’ on the back for the 20 wins this season and the 20 loses last season,” junior Bridget Perry said. “We literally had to earn our stuff back. It was an experience because it forced us to bond more: ‘We aren’t going to have a season like we did last year ever.’”
The Boilermakers did earn their apparel back – they’re wearing it now, as they prepare for their trip to Italy this month – by excelling in what they’ve called their hard offseason in recent memory. Good reason for the work, after Purdue struggled mightily down the strength last year, losing 10 straight at home to record its worst record in more than 30 years.
“It’s been rough, honestly,” senior April Wilson said. “From post-season until now, we’ve been going non-stop. Usually, we have an off-day but our off-day has been cardio, so every day we’ve been going hard.”
But it’s been a success, too, according to players and coaches. Perry says expectations for workouts were raised, with players putting pressure on each other to up the intensity “in the weight room, in conditioning and on the floor.”
A missed layup resulted in 10 pushups. Other mistakes led to sprints.
“It’s not jogging down and back,” Perry said. “If we don’t sprint, we run it again. It’s little things, it’s details, that kind of maybe lacked last year. But those little details, even in a possession in a game, it’s one detail, so it carries over.”
After the season, Sharon Versyp said she wanted the Boilermakers to be a better-conditioned team, feeling that they lacked in that area. It’s meant a lot of running and extra weight lifting during the summer. And Purdue’s looked in good shape during its practices over the last couple weeks, as it prepares for its Italian Tour. There, the Boilermakers play three games over 12 days.
“It’s been great, actually been extremely refreshing,” Versyp said Wednesday. “The whole unit, all the players, they’re work ethic going in, knowing what we needed to get better at, they’ve all been above and beyond excited and have done exceptionally well. Now, when you have practices on top of that – this will be our eighth practice – we’re very pleasantly surprised with the things we’re seeing.”
Perry thinks the offseason work can be a good springboard to 2015-16.
“It was really good for us because we were disappointed in how we did last year, but if we learn from that it’s not a failure, it’s not a failed season,” she said. “So I think last year will help us become a new and better team.”
The Boilermakers certainly have a different, younger look this season.
They add five freshmen – center Nora Kiesler, forward Dominique McBryde and guards Lamina Cooper, Tiara Murphy and Abby Abel, a walk-on – giving them nine underclassmen. And Purdue is more guard-oriented than the post dominant team of a year ago.
Perry, one of five upperclassmen, says she wants to use the Italian trip as a bonding experience.
“I really hope we just get closer and learn how to play together with a lot of young players, that’s the thing,” she said. “We need to learn our style, make an identity and learn to play with one another, get that chemistry. That’s an awesome thing about going to Italy, because we’re young we can learn to play together and get more experience before we head to the season.”
Purdue, though, too, has other objectives. It’s installing new offenses to take advantage of its perimeter, a one-in (center), four-out look that it hopes will stretch defenses.
“It’s faster,” Perry said. “In practices, we’re running all the time, which I really like. It’s more guard-oriented and very fast, which is really good for this team.”
Versyp has shuffled her personnel to fit the offense. The 6-foot-2 Perry, who has been a 3 in her first two seasons, will play a Stretch 4, joined at that position by McBryde and Torrie Thornton. The centers are Erica Moore, Bree Horrocks and Kiesler.
Wilson and Murphy man the point, while Ashley Morrissette and Hayden Hamby are 2s; Andreona Keys, Justine Hall and Cooper (eventually) can play the 2/3.
Purdue’s looking forward to showing the new look.
“In Italy, there’s always good basketball there,” Versyp said. “You’re playing professional teams. We’re not talking about wining and losing, we’re talking about winning at what we want to do well. That’s the biggest thing. It’s a huge bonding experience to build that foundation, so when we come back good things can happen.”
Purdue has good injury news and bad.
Perry, who battled ankle and knee injuries at the end of last season, is healthy.
“I’m feeling great,” she said. “It’s really nice to be healthy and be able to go full speed.”
But some others aren’t:
• Thornton, who had a foot injury that caused her to miss the last seven games of last season, is slowing getting back. Versyp says she could play 8-10 minutes per game in Italy.
• Kiesler isn’t practicing fullcourt, but could play some minimal minutes on the tour.
• McBryde’s been plagued by minor injuries – but she’s cleared of the concussion from the All-Star series in June – and could play in the 8-10 range.
• Cooper is out while rehabbing from the ACL injury suffered last season.
Versyp feels good about the sophomore class, after a season in which, sans Keys, it didn’t produce much.
Moore played only 3.8 minutes per game – and was suspended a month midseason – while Horrocks was in for an average of 7.4 minutes. Hall played in only 20 of Purdue’s games.
“Bree has made a big transformation, which we needed,” Versyp said. “Her teammates compliment her left and right. Her lateral movement, her offensive rebounding, then being able to score down low, it’s been a lot better. And being a facilitator.
“Erica Moore has totally transformed everything in her game. I think those two have stepped it up.
“Justine is finally starting to understand the speed of the game, being a lot more aggressive. Being able to defend and do the things that her skill set is supposed to do for us.”
No Purdue practice jerseys or shorts, a result – perhaps punishment – for a 20-loss season that left it at the bottom of the Big Ten.
“We wore gray shorts and black shirts, with a ‘20’ on the back for the 20 wins this season and the 20 loses last season,” junior Bridget Perry said. “We literally had to earn our stuff back. It was an experience because it forced us to bond more: ‘We aren’t going to have a season like we did last year ever.’”
The Boilermakers did earn their apparel back – they’re wearing it now, as they prepare for their trip to Italy this month – by excelling in what they’ve called their hard offseason in recent memory. Good reason for the work, after Purdue struggled mightily down the strength last year, losing 10 straight at home to record its worst record in more than 30 years.
“It’s been rough, honestly,” senior April Wilson said. “From post-season until now, we’ve been going non-stop. Usually, we have an off-day but our off-day has been cardio, so every day we’ve been going hard.”
But it’s been a success, too, according to players and coaches. Perry says expectations for workouts were raised, with players putting pressure on each other to up the intensity “in the weight room, in conditioning and on the floor.”
A missed layup resulted in 10 pushups. Other mistakes led to sprints.
“It’s not jogging down and back,” Perry said. “If we don’t sprint, we run it again. It’s little things, it’s details, that kind of maybe lacked last year. But those little details, even in a possession in a game, it’s one detail, so it carries over.”
After the season, Sharon Versyp said she wanted the Boilermakers to be a better-conditioned team, feeling that they lacked in that area. It’s meant a lot of running and extra weight lifting during the summer. And Purdue’s looked in good shape during its practices over the last couple weeks, as it prepares for its Italian Tour. There, the Boilermakers play three games over 12 days.
“It’s been great, actually been extremely refreshing,” Versyp said Wednesday. “The whole unit, all the players, they’re work ethic going in, knowing what we needed to get better at, they’ve all been above and beyond excited and have done exceptionally well. Now, when you have practices on top of that – this will be our eighth practice – we’re very pleasantly surprised with the things we’re seeing.”
Perry thinks the offseason work can be a good springboard to 2015-16.
“It was really good for us because we were disappointed in how we did last year, but if we learn from that it’s not a failure, it’s not a failed season,” she said. “So I think last year will help us become a new and better team.”
They add five freshmen – center Nora Kiesler, forward Dominique McBryde and guards Lamina Cooper, Tiara Murphy and Abby Abel, a walk-on – giving them nine underclassmen. And Purdue is more guard-oriented than the post dominant team of a year ago.
Perry, one of five upperclassmen, says she wants to use the Italian trip as a bonding experience.
“I really hope we just get closer and learn how to play together with a lot of young players, that’s the thing,” she said. “We need to learn our style, make an identity and learn to play with one another, get that chemistry. That’s an awesome thing about going to Italy, because we’re young we can learn to play together and get more experience before we head to the season.”
Purdue, though, too, has other objectives. It’s installing new offenses to take advantage of its perimeter, a one-in (center), four-out look that it hopes will stretch defenses.
“It’s faster,” Perry said. “In practices, we’re running all the time, which I really like. It’s more guard-oriented and very fast, which is really good for this team.”
Versyp has shuffled her personnel to fit the offense. The 6-foot-2 Perry, who has been a 3 in her first two seasons, will play a Stretch 4, joined at that position by McBryde and Torrie Thornton. The centers are Erica Moore, Bree Horrocks and Kiesler.
Wilson and Murphy man the point, while Ashley Morrissette and Hayden Hamby are 2s; Andreona Keys, Justine Hall and Cooper (eventually) can play the 2/3.
Purdue’s looking forward to showing the new look.
“In Italy, there’s always good basketball there,” Versyp said. “You’re playing professional teams. We’re not talking about wining and losing, we’re talking about winning at what we want to do well. That’s the biggest thing. It’s a huge bonding experience to build that foundation, so when we come back good things can happen.”
Perry, who battled ankle and knee injuries at the end of last season, is healthy.
“I’m feeling great,” she said. “It’s really nice to be healthy and be able to go full speed.”
But some others aren’t:
• Thornton, who had a foot injury that caused her to miss the last seven games of last season, is slowing getting back. Versyp says she could play 8-10 minutes per game in Italy.
• Kiesler isn’t practicing fullcourt, but could play some minimal minutes on the tour.
• McBryde’s been plagued by minor injuries – but she’s cleared of the concussion from the All-Star series in June – and could play in the 8-10 range.
• Cooper is out while rehabbing from the ACL injury suffered last season.
Moore played only 3.8 minutes per game – and was suspended a month midseason – while Horrocks was in for an average of 7.4 minutes. Hall played in only 20 of Purdue’s games.
“Bree has made a big transformation, which we needed,” Versyp said. “Her teammates compliment her left and right. Her lateral movement, her offensive rebounding, then being able to score down low, it’s been a lot better. And being a facilitator.
“Erica Moore has totally transformed everything in her game. I think those two have stepped it up.
“Justine is finally starting to understand the speed of the game, being a lot more aggressive. Being able to defend and do the things that her skill set is supposed to do for us.”
