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They all came across at the same time, so let's put the final three of the excellent women's basketball class in one entry:
Four new Boilermakers! Excited to welcome @Mcbryde20 @norakiesler24, Tiara Murphy & Lamina Cooper #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/hTH4KF38t5
— Sharon Versyp (@CoachVersyp) November 12, 2014
We got to know Dominique McBryde earlier today, but here are the other three outstanding recruits:
Tiara Murphy - Murphy is a 5-star commit from South Bend, Indiana and she is rated as the No. 30 player in the nation for 2015. She is listed as a 5'6" guard and here is what ESPN has to say about her:
Superb lead guard with a scorer's mentality; confident game manager with court awareness, delivers in uptempo; 1-on-1 creator manufactures and finishes to rim, elevates with soft touch to the arc; deceptive size with next-level complete floor game, swagger.
She has averaged over 17 points per game for her career at South Bend Washington, which was the high school of Skylar Diggins. The program has not reached the heights it did under Diggins of four straight state title games, but they were 13-6 last year before losing in the sectional.
Lamina Cooper - Coach Versyp kept the state on lockdown as Cooper, the No. 44 player in the nation, has committed from Lawrence North HS. She averaged 16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds as a 5'8" guard for the Wildcats, who had the unfortunate circumstance to run into McBryde the last few years.
Last year Lawrence North was 25-2 and handed Bedford North Lawrence (and McBryde) their only loss of the past two seasons. They beat the Stars 59-49 in January, but BNL returned the favor in the semi-state 62-54 in overtime in the semi-state. In 2012-13 BNL also beat Lawrence North 56-54 in overtime as Lawrence North went 21-4, but lost in the sectional to Roncalli. Here is what ESPN says about her:
Strong, left handed off-guard elevates in mid range game, exploits mismatches, finishes vs. contact; power-guard, physical off the bounce.
Don't be confused by the similar names and high schools. Lawrence North is on the northeast side of Indianapolis while Bedford North Lawrence is in Lawrence County about 25 miles south of Bloomington. BNL and LN are not scheduled to meet this year, but could easily play again in the semi-state.
Nora Kiesler - The final commit for coach Versyp is a 3-star 6'6" post player from Assumption HS in Louisville. She is rated as the No. 17 center in the 2015 class nationally and averaged 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks last season. She gives the Boilers great depth int he post and is an excellent complimentary player to this loaded class. While not a top 50 player, she is still a top 150 player by most recruiting services.
UPDATE: Here is the full release from Purdue with comments from coach Versyp:
The Purdue women's basketball program and head coach Sharon Versyp signed four individuals to national letters of intent on Wednesday, as Lamina Cooper, Nora Kiesler, Dominique McBryde and Tiara Murphy make up one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. The group is ranked as the seventh-best class in the country by ESPNW HoopGurlz and is the top-rated class in Versyp's nine years as the Boilermaker head coach.
The Boilermakers have the top-ranked class in the Big Ten Conference, edging Nebraska by one spot in the national standings. It marks the ninth straight top-25 class for Versyp and her eighth top-15 group in her tenure. The class also merited top rankings from ProspectsNation.com, earning the No. 13 spot in the nation.
"We couldn't be more excited to announce this class," said Versyp. "These young ladies are some of the finest players in America, and it makes it even more special that most of them are home-grown, Indiana basketball players. They're going to do some great things as Boilermakers."
Cooper is the first of three, five-star additions to the Boilermakers' roster, hailing from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. A 5'9" guard, she is a top-100 player in three of the four major recruiting services with a high mark of No. 44 from ESPN HoopGurlz. Cooper led Lawrence North to the Indiana 4A State Semifinals as a junior and played with two of her future teammates on the Indiana Junior All-Star squad over the summer.
"Cooper is an extremely versatile utility player, who is one of the toughest, hard-nosed players out there," said Versyp. "She will be a defensive stopper for us, but also brings a high level of physicality on the offensive end that allows her to exploit mismatches."
Versyp continued, "She's a strong, left-handed guard that elevates in her mid-range game and uses her impressive jumping ability to crash the boards fearlessly. She finishes well in transition and has great speed and handles."
A 6'2" forward, McBryde hails from Bedford, Ind., where she led Bedford North Lawrence High School to the 4A Indiana State Championship in 2014. Ranked the nation's No. 28 recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz, she led her team to a 62-54 victory over Cooper's Lawrence North squad in the state semifinals and then bested Penn High School in the championship game, 51-41, posting 11 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks.
"McBryde has an incredible skill set, which includes every facet of the game," said Versyp. "She can play almost any position on the floor and can take over a game. She shoots the ball all the way out past the arc, and her attacking ability and huge wingspan allows her to score over bigger players in the paint."
"McBryde's versatility is impressive all over, featuring fantastic footwork down low and the ability to finish in traffic with contact, a solid mid-range game and a smooth and consistent three-point shot," continued Versyp.
The final Indiana native in the class, Murphy comes to Purdue by way of Washington High School in South Bend, Ind. Named the nation's No. 30 overall recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz and the No. 29 player by Jump Off Plus, Murphy has already poured in 1,142 career points for the Panthers, averaging 17.6 points per game for her high school career. She played with Cooper and McBryde on the Indiana Junior All-Star team and is one of the nation's best point guard recruits.
"Murphy will be an excellent addition to our backcourt, bringing floor leadership and an uncanny swagger to the table alongside her exceptional skill level," said Versyp. "She creates an up-tempo game with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor herself, or distribute to teammates with incredible court awareness. Her basketball IQ and confidence are rarely found in a player of her age."
Versyp continued, "Murphy has a fantastic hesitation move off the bounce, can stop on a dime with her mid-range pull-up jumper and extend out way beyond the three-point line, where she's extremely consistent. She can flat-out take over a game."
The final member of the 2015 recruiting class Kiesler will add more size to an already tall Boilermaker roster next fall. Standing at 6'6", the Louisville native hails from Assumption High School and averaged 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks per game last season for the Rockets. She was named a top-20 post player in the country by all four major recruiting services with a top national ranking of 108 by ProspectsNation.com.
"Kiesler has the ability to be a special player for us, featuring great interior moves and footwork in addition to a mobile, up-tempo game and range out to the three-point line," said Versyp. "She is a very cerebral player, which aids her passing ability, while her size gives her an outstanding defensive presence with shot blocking and rebounding."
Versyp continued, "I'm really excited about what Kiesler adds to our inside-out passing game, in addition to her own ability to score around the hoop. She has a strong, solid frame that allows for great positioning down low and can finish with either hand around the basket."