The Boilermakers took Wednesday and Friday off last week, a much-needed recharge after having played four games in the nine previous days.
Now, Purdue (16-6 overall, 7-4 in the Big Ten) can prepare for the final stretch of the season, a seven-game schedule that starts with a 7 p.m. Monday tip at Wisconsin (6-15, 2-9).
“It was perfect timing,” April Wilson said of the break, “and I’m glad it happened like this, now we can get recharged, refocused and get on to our next opponent.”
Defense – and its own turnovers – are Purdue’s priorities. During the last week, Sharon Versyp outlined where she thought the Boilermakers were deficient during the last half dozen games, during which Purdue had a 2-4 record. Opponents in that stretch had shot a combined 50.1 percent.
Compare that to the previous 16 games, when Purdue was 14-2 and was holding opponents to only 36.3 shooting from the floor.
“We can control certain things, and what we can control is our defense, understanding scouting reports and personnel,” Versyp said. “We did play the upper part of the league, so that’s going to be a difference. We’re shooting the ball well and doing some good things, but our defense needs to step up.”
Turnovers are part of that equation. In the last six games, Purdue has averaged 16.2 turnovers, many giveaways that have led straight to opponent baskets; like against Maryland, which scored 26 points off Boilermaker turnovers.
“The turnovers have led to layups,” Versyp said. “We talked about good turnovers and bad turnovers – the good being a ball kicked out of bounds and you can reset your defense – but not stopping the ball, guards not getting back. … Those are the glaring areas.”
But Purdue hopes that the rest last week, plus focus on the defense, will help cure the problems.
“Film doesn’t lie, stats don’t lie,” Wilson said, “so (Coach) showed us the film and the percentages, and how we haven’t been playing our defense.”
Back already? Bree Horrocks could return as soon as Monday night, after missing only a game after a knee injury that initially looked so much worse.
Horrocks was knocked out against Penn State Jan. 30, appearing to suffer a potential season-ending injury. But it was an MCL strain, and one that she’s come back from quickly. The sophomore center practiced over the weekend, after missing the Maryland game Tuesday, and could get in vs. the Badgers.
“That will be a big boost for us,” Versyp said. “Some people are quick healers and some aren’t. She has a great mindset, is a tough kid. Her strength and conditioning, prior to, really helped that injury. She wants to get back, so we’re hoping everything will be fine.”
Purdue will have to wait a bit longer on Hayden Hamby. The senior guard, out since early January with a foot injury, is starting to get back in to practice. But Versyp says translating that to game day is a process.
“It’s going to come down to how she feels and if she’s confident,” Versyp said. “The doctors have said you can play whenever you need to, but the cutting and the pushing and the defensive part, she’s the one who has to feel comfortable that she can do something for her team.”
‘Get in the gym:’ Purdue plays Wisconsin Monday night, a week after Badger coach Bobbie Kelsey lamented the state of shooting in women’s basketball.
After Wisconsin lost to Nebraska, with Cornhusker guard Natalie Romeo hitting eight three-pointers, Kelsey ranted on the subject.
“We need other people on our team to be great shooters,” Kelsey said. “But that comes with practice. I’m sure she didn’t just wake up one morning and say ‘Welp, just want to be a good shooter today.’ You’ve got to get your butt in the gym. Steph Curry shows you that. I saw him in high school. He looked like a two-year-old out there, but boy could shoot, so what did he do? He kept shooting. If people think they’re going to get it on the pillowcase, it’s not going to happen. You can’t nap your way to being a great shooter, and Facebooking and all these things that teenagers do. Put the phones down, quit Facetiming, quit Tweeting, and get your butt into the gym. And it doesn’t have to be an hour or two hours, 20 minutes every day – that’s what (Wisconsin guard) Nicole (Bauman) does – 10 minutes after practice every day. That’s it. There’s no magic formula, no magic potion you rub on your hands. Get your butt in the gym and practice. Period. End of story. And you can shoot like that too.
“… Every team needs to do more of that. Women’s basketball, do you hear me? Get your butt in the gym. You’ve got people throwing the ball over the basket. Nobody wants to watch that. I don’t. I enjoy watching good solid basketball where people are making their shots, whether I’m coaching against them or my team is doing it. Women’s basketball players need to get their butt in the gym, and get shots up, because we can’t dunk. Brittney Griner has graduated. I don’t see anyone else dunking out here. Candace Parker, she gone a long time ago. People need to get in the gym, that’s where our game needs to grow. We need to be shooting the ball and making it, then people will come out and watch us play.
“Sorry to get on my soapbox, but that’s how I feel about it. We need some more Romeos and Baumans out here.”
Sunday morning, the Boilermakers were asked their reactions. Wilson said she’d seen the video.
“I watched it and thought it was pretty funny,” the senior point guard said. “But yeah, she’s right, we go to some games and it’s dead environments – I get that, no one wants to watch people airballing or nobody scoring. Offense sells tickets and people want to see people score. I think what she said was spot on, and it was funny and made headlines.”
Wilson, who hasn’t tweeted since the start of the season, in an effort to focus more on her final year - and that's worked, as she's hitting all-time highs in every offensive category - agrees that players need to get in the gym more often.
“I know it’s hard in the season, but 10 minutes in the gym, you can do that every day,” she said.
Versyp thought it was a good message.
“I respect Bobbie very much,” the 10th-year coach said, “and I think her point was to do the little things you used to do, be creative, don’t be on social media, be in the gym, get in extra shots.
“We need to grow our game, we need more people, and we’re trying to find different ways to do that. If people can shoot the ball well and have more offense – and the Big Ten has, it’s gotten 10 more points per game; people are raving about our conference – but she’s just telling players that everything isn’t going to come to you if you’re not putting in the extra time.”
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