Purdue will unveil a new style during its first exhibition game tonight.
Coach Sharon Versyp's group has athletes, speed, stamina and depth, all elements that can be used to push the tempo on offense and wreck havoc with full-court pressure defense.
The Boilermakers' first chance to showcase those styles is against UW-Parkside tonight.
The players may be most excited to run the floor and push the ball on offense.
"It's exciting," guard Chantel Poston said. "It's fun to watch. It's fun to play. I'm not one for running plays. When we can just play and we can just go and run, that's a fun style of basketball. It's hard to keep up with, especially in the fourth quarter. I'm excited. I can't wait. I think we have the maturity, I think we have the talent, and I think we're ready for it."
Sophomore KK Houser and freshman Courtney Moses may be the point guards, but they won't be the only ones responsible for pushing the ball.
Purdue has several players who can handle the break, and many of its post players have the athleticism to keep up.
"It's so exciting because that's my game 100 percent," forward Drey Mingo said. "If we can get out and run, I love that. Having really, really quick guards to play with that get me the ball is awesome."
Forward Alex Guyton summed it up this way: "Oh yeah, we love layups."
The test for Versyp will be how long can she let the players play up-tempo if they're making mistakes.
Versyp admitted she's a "control freak" when it comes to Xs and Os. So she's had to work on patience while adjusting to a new style.
"This group now have pretty much earned the opportunity to play the way they can with the abilities that they have," Versyp said. "Obviously, there's limitations. I have said that. If all we're going to do is throw the ball away all the time and you're taking bad shots, I'm going to take it away early. Right now in 10 practices, we haven't done that. We're getting up and down the floor at a high speed, most we've probably done since I've been here, probably since I've been a coach I'm able to have the athletes we have.
"So I have to let go a little bit and I have. I hope they don't test me. But right now it's been good, and that's why they're having fun. They've earned that and they're mature enough right now to allow us as a staff to do some things a little differently. They understand if they take care of us, we'll take care of them."
