Published: 7/05/2014
Author: Bob_Richards
© Old Gold Free Press Columnists
Redmon graduates and departsA player who made an impressive amount of development throughout the season last year has decided to forego her final season of eligibility. Camille Redmon, Purdue's rising redshirt senior center, graduated in May and has decided to forego her last season to focus on her career. Indications are that she would have stayed at Purdue for her final season, but failed to get accepted to graduate school. She told the Journal and Courier that she does not have aspirations to play basketball beyond college.
Redmon shared the postseason team award for most improved player (co-winner with Hayden Hamby), and became a defensive presence by mid-season last year. Her season averages were not a good measure of her end of season impact. By the end of the 2013-2014 season, she had double-double potential in scoring and rebounding, as well as throwing in a handful of blocked shots. She credited her development to Purdue assistant coach Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton. "She has such a huge arsenal of moves," Redmon told the Journal and Courier last season. Now it appears Wisdom-Hylton will concentrate her teaching on Purdue's two incoming center candidates Bree Horrocks and Haley Bodnar. What is a blow to the experience of the team, may turn out to be a blessing for the earlier development of Horrocks and Bodnar.
READ MORE: Lafayette Journal & Courier
Purdue still in Kiesler's final five
Louisville Assumption rising senior center 6'6 Nora Kiesler recently reduced her list down to a final five, with two named frontrunners of Louisville and Stanford. The rest of her list includes Purdue, Dayton and Michigan State. The article states she plans to make official visits to Louisville and Stanford, and "one of the other three" before making her decision late this summer or early this fall. Anyone who has followed her Twitter feed knows she is a big Louisville fan, and getting her away from her hometown program would be a significant challenge.
READ MORE: Louisville Courier Journal
Staff not done at Hathaway Brown?
With Purdue gaining a commitment from Hathaway Brown's Dani Lawson, the staff may not be done hanging out at the Cleveland school. According to the Toledo Thunder AAU program, Purdue is also showing interest in fellow Hathaway Brown rising 6'0 sophomore Christina Passerell. Passerell is a big guard capable of filling multiple roles on the court. Her summer coaches say she has better ballhandling skill than most players her size, and does well in the mid-range game. Hathaway Brown used her mostly in the frontcourt last season due to her size.
The Hathaway Brown squad last season was led by senior Beth Brzozowski. The University of Pennsylvania signee set a school record for career made three-point field goals, and also finished second for career assists. Early word from the Cleveland media on the 2014-15 season is Hathaway Brown gets a decent talent infusion from freshmen next season, so it will be interesting how the team reorganizes after losing a perimeter threat and assists leader like Brzozowski. Passerell and Lawson, along with sophomore Mackenzie Berk, should expand their games in the absence of that senior leadership.
Hathaway Brown has been invited to play a game in the 2015 Classic in the Country Showcase, January 17-19, 2015. Hathaway Brown is scheduled to play Doylestown Chippewa at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 19. Doylestown finished ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press Ohio Division III poll last season. The Classic in the Country draws many of the top Ohio programs, as well as mixes in a select team or two from outside the state of Ohio. Last season in the same event, Hathaway Brown was defeated by Regis Jesuit, the Colorado high school of incoming Purdue freshman Justine Hall, in a 75-25 rout. In that game, Lawson led Hathaway Brown with 9 points, and Justine Hall scored 8.
Below is a video summary of the tournament game that broke Hathaway Brown's 37-game postseason game winning streak. Lawson is wearing No. 14, and Passerell is wearing No. 23.
READ MORE: Ohio Sports Net
This and That
Purdue's 2017 commit Dani Lawson was named to the All-Ohio Freshman team by Ohio Girls Basketball Report ... 2015 Dominique McBryde was held out of Bedford North Lawrence's four-game summer scrimmages to nurse a sore right knee. BNL trainer Nick Laydon assures fans McBryde's knee is fine, and the rest was to reduce some inflammation ... 2017 Sidney Cooks has added an offer from Marquette to her growing list of offers that includes Purdue (the first to offer), Wisconsin, Michigan State, LSU, DePaul and Kansas State.
Big Ten Recruiting
Nebraska has added three more players to their 2014 class. At the end of the season, the Huskers were hit with two players transferring out, freshman Hannah Tvrdy to Colorado State and sophomore Sadie Murren to Wayne State. Nebraska already had a four-member 2014 class, but would go out and replace Tvrdy and Murren, plus add a juco post player. Nebraska brought in 5'5 guard Emily Woods from Salina (KS), and 6'0 guard Chandler Smith from Okanogan (WA). Then to add some post depth, Yori recruited her first juco since 2009 and added Anya Kalenta, 6'3 post from Vincennes Junior College (IN).
Nebraska has since added two 6'3 commitments from the class of 2015. Lanie Page will be joining her sister Kaylee at Nebraska. Kaylee is already on campus as a member of the class of 2014, but her 2015 sister Lanie Page will join her next season. Lanie Page is a 6'3 small forward from Wamego (KS), ranked No. 36 by ESPN. She averaged 17.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.7 blocked shots as a junior. She chose Nebraska over Kansas State and Texas.
Nebraska got another 6'3 player, this one a post, in Leavenworth (KS) rising senior Rachel Blackburn. Blackburn is ranked No. 70 by Prospects Nation. She chose the Huskers over offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Wake Forest.
Northwestern has landed their first 2015 commitment in 6'3 post Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah of Rabun Gap (GA). She is a native of Nigeria, who moved to the U.S. and settled at the Georgia private school. She averaged 10 points and 12 rebounds as a junior.
Ohio State has also added their first 2015 commitment in 6'6 center Theresa Ekhelar of Woodbridge (NJ). She committed while attending the Ohio State elite camp, which was her first time on campus. She chose Ohio State over interest from Mississippi, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech.
READ MORE: Big Ten Recruiting: Commitments
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