Purdue Newcomer: Jordyn Poole

The decorated freshman is bringing high expectations to Purdue next season. Jordyn Poole led Snider high school to a 22-3 record and was the Miss Indiana runner-up in her senior season. Katie Gerald's and company did a great job in securing a commitment from Poole at the perfect time.

In the upcoming season, Purdue has the unenviable job of replacing all five starters from last season, which includes starting point guard Jeanae Terry. I would expect the decorated freshman to replace Terry in the starting lineup, bringing speed and shooting that Purdue needs.

Offensive Profile

In watching Purdue last season, there was a clear need for more speed and shooting from the point guard spot and Poole brings both to West Lafayette. She made nearly 200 threes and shot 36% from three throughout her career. In addition to the shooting, Poole averaged over 4 assists per a game.

Her passing is what intrigues me the most as she adjusts to college basketball. She is ultra aggressive trying to find openings where she can snap passes through. I am very impressed with the amount of angles and speeds that Poole already uses, shifting between a quick shovel pass while driving, a hard baseball pass in transition, or a lob to feed her big rolling behind the defense.

As an aggressive passer and shooter, Poole is going to raise the offensive ceiling for Purdue overall. Although, with the aggression comes the potential for turnovers, something that Poole struggled with in high school where she averaged 3 a game during her senior season.

Her shooting stroke looks great off the catch and pretty good off of the dribble. She gets great elevation on her shots which gives me confidence that she will be able to get off shots in college. Her shooting is further helped with Poole's ability to keep the ball on a string. With both shooting and dribbling, my biggest question is how Poole will handle physicality.

Defensive Profile

With Poole being smaller in stature, her defensive value is a question mark going into the season. I really like her instincts around the ball, jumping passing lanes or picking pockets when she sees an opportunity. She generated significantly more steals than fouls which is a testament to how good she is with her hands.

Despite what I would consider plus instincts, her size is still a big question for Purdue. Holding up against really good competition in one on one situations will be important for Purdue's team defense. Furthermore, how Poole adjusts to a help heavy Purdue defense will be something to watch early in the season.

Takeaways

Jordyn Poole is a really fun basketball player. She is very skilled point guard that balances scoring and passing at a very high level. On defense, I am not expecting her to be an elite defensive guard but she can certainly become a solid defender that plays well within Purdue's defensive style. Overall, I really enjoy watching Poole play at think she will play a significant role for next year's Purdue team.