The week on the Opposing Bench we talked to Rusty Barnes. Rusty is the sports editor and women's basketball writer for the Purdue Exponent, the newspaper of Purdue. Rusty, a native of Frankfort, Ind., is a double-major in Sociology and Mass Communication. Here is what he had to say in our Q and A.
Above the Rim: What were the expectations/goals for Purdue going into this season?
Rusty: The expectations this season are as high as I can remember. Last season Purdue had to deal with the injuries of All-American candidate Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and former Indiana Miss Basketball Jodi Howell. Even without them, the Boilers managed to win the Big Ten Tournament on a last second shot by then junior guard Ki-Ki Freeman and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they would lose to the eventual national champions in Tennessee. Now, Wisdom-Hylton and Howell are both back, and coach Sharon Versyp has brought in a very talented freshman class. Add that with the recent success of the men's program, and Purdue basketball in general is as hyped as any university in college basketball.
Above the Rim: Who are the key players on Purdue's roster this year?
Rusty:The obvious answer to this question is Wisdom-Hylton. However, possibly the most overlooked player in the entire nation is Ki-Ki Freeman. She epitomizes consistency. Ki-Ki is rarely ever mentioned when talking about Purdue women's basketball, but what is even more rare is that she has a bad game. She is the team's second leading scorer (behind Wisdom-Hylton) with 11.1 ppg, and is capable of scoring 20+ on any given night. She is shooting over 43% from the field and has only missed six free-throws all season. She is a different player since she made that game winning basket against Illinois to win the Big Ten tourney last year. Oh, and by the way. Even Versyp has been quoted as saying Ki-Ki is "the best player on the team." Other notable players are Jodi Howell, who is currently shooting over 50% from behind the arc, and freshman guard Brittany Rayburn is a hometown favorite who has the most textbook shot anyone will ever see.
Follow the jump to read on and see Rusty's prediction for Monday's game!
Above the Rim: Fahkara Malone, another key player went down on Jan. 1 with an injury. What is her status for the game?
Rusty: I was sitting about 10 feet away from Fahkara when she got hurt. It was New Years Day, and Michigan State was in town. Malone had just hit the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime. Less than three minutes later she was being escorted off of the court due to an open dislocation of her right ring finger. Purdue didn't score a field goal the rest of the game following the injury and lost to MSU. Malone is out 4-6 weeks. Senior Lauren Mioton has since replaced Malone as the starting point guard, and Purdue hasn't lost since.
Above the Rim: How did freshman Alex Guyton, a graduate of Bloomington North come to Purdue?
Rusty: I've asked Alex this question multiple times and the best response I can get out of her is Purdue is "just the right fit."
Above the Rim: It seems Purdue has been a little inconsistent at times (beat #5 Texas, go to OT with Northwestern). What would you attribute this to?
Rusty: When the Boilers are good, they are as good as anybody in the country.But they have more of a tendency to go on scoring droughts than any team I have seen before. Why? It's no secret. At times, they simply just can't make open shots. Go back and watch tape on the Valparaiso game, or ask coach. She'll say the same thing.
Above the Rim: Talk about the attendance Purdue gets at games since it is one of the best in the nation?
Rusty: Purdue averages about the fifth highest attendance in all of women's college basketball. 8,000 fans is a fairly rough but accurate number. I believe there were 10,000+ here for the Maryland game. Mackey Arena has a capacity of 14,123 to give you a number to compare to. I can't speak for why IU gets such a low number in attendance, but I can say that the majority of fans in the stands for Purdue's women's games are not students. That's just how it is in women's college basketball. It's unfortunate, I know.
Above the Rim: What is coach Versyp (a former Hoosier coach) like, her style and what she bring to the program?
Rusty: On the court, coach Versyp is one of the most intense coaches I have been around. Off the court, she is a person, not an ego-driven celebrity. Basketball is second to life with coach Versyp, and the term student-athlete is not flipped around with her. She is from Notre Dame territory, played and graduated from Purdue, coached at Indiana (which I have heard her call a 'brain fart') and is now back in West Lafayette. I have a great deal of respect for coach just from talking with her at media interviews and watching her coach on the floor. She is a good coach, a great leader, and an even nicer person. She is the perfect fit for Purdue, and there is no doubt in my mind that she will be just as successful as a coach as she was as a player.
Above the Rim: What is your prediction for Monday's game?
Rusty: My prediction for the game is Purdue 60, Indiana 52.
