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2019-20 Big Ten Women’s Basketball preview and predictions

By Ben Rosof

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 08: Purdue Boilermakers guard Karissa McLaughlin (1) looks to drive around Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Jordan Wallace (44) during the Women’s B1G Tournament game between Purdue Boilermakers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on March 08, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 08: Purdue Boilermakers guard Karissa McLaughlin (1) looks to drive around Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Jordan Wallace (44) during the Women’s B1G Tournament game between Purdue Boilermakers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on March 08, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Purdue Boilermakers

2018-19 Record / Finish:

  • 19-15 (8-10 B1G, 11th in standings)
  • Lost to Rutgers in quarterfinals of Big Ten Tournament

2018-19 Leaders:

  • Karissa McLaughlin (15.0 ppg, 3.8 apg) – Returns as a junior
  • Ae’Rianna Harris (13.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg) –  Returns as a senior

Key Additions:

  • #29 overall prospect, 5-star forward Rickie Woltman from Missouri
  • Freshman guard Bria Harmon from Georgia

The Boilermakers missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth for the third time in the past five years in 2018-19. Fortunately, the core of Purdue’s roster from a season ago will have the advantage of familiarity, as the Boilermakers return their top three scorers from that team. Karissa McLaughlin, Dominique Oden and Ae’Rianna Harris combined to average over 42 points per game last year, while McLaughlin also earned First Team All-Big Ten honors — just the third sophomore in program history to do so.

“[The trio has] more of a sense of urgency,” Head Coach Sharon Versyp told The Lafayette Journal & Courier. “Ae’Rianna has to be better from the outside and she has to be better going left. Dominque has to be great in every area. She can’t be good; she has to be great because she has played since her freshman year and done a variety of things. Karissa has to be more consistent shooting the 3.”

Besides the three, Purdue returns seven other players from last year’s team that played at least 14 games. It also added three freshmen to this year’s roster as well, most notably 6’4” Rickie Woltman. Woltman — the 28th ranked prospect in her class by ESPN — was a four-year letterwinner and led her team to three consecutive state championships. She figures to add length to complement the rebounding of Harris. The lone addition is transfer Jenelle Grant, who arrives in West Lafayette after playing two seasons for University of the Pacific, making 23 starts.

The Boilermakers stumbled to close out the conference schedule last year, losing nine of their last 13 games. They won’t have an effortless path to Big Ten play this season, with a potential matchup with Arizona State in November as well as a road game against South Carolina in December.

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