Purdue Newcomer: Reagan Bass

Coming to Purdue after three years at Akron, Reagan Bass played center for the Zips and will slide into the center or power forward position. Bass averaged 16 points with 10 rebounds in her junior year and earned all-Mac honors all three of her years. In her first two years Akron sustained a solid 34-25 record before a coaching change led to a noticeable drop to 11-18 last season.

Offensive Profile

One thing that immediately sticks out with Reagan Bass is her mobility and durability, playing 35 minutes a game last season. She pairs her mobility with a physical play style that led her to generate 6 free throws a game where she converted 78% of her free throws. The added athleticism and free throws will be a huge addition for a Purdue front court that struggled in both areas last season.

Though her scoring seems relatively well rounded, her passing raises some questions for me. She did not have a lot of opportunities to create shots for her teammates but the opportunities she did have were mixed in results. Another area that raise questions is her screening. She is so fundamental in her setup but she gives defenders to much time and space to navigate her screens.

At Purdue, I could see Bass filling into the power forward spot that was vacated with Mary Ashley Stevenson going to Stanford. I really like that Purdue is trying to be more athletic throughout their lineup and I think Bass checks that box. If Bass proves herself further as a passer and Purdue can help her improve her screening as well as shooting, Bass could be just what Purdue needed to replace the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Defensive Profile

Akron played in a 2-3 zone in the majority of film that I watched, but I liked her potential fit into a solid Purdue defense. As either the five or the four, she will have the primary responsibilities to protect the paint and rebound. In these areas, I think Bass will be consistently proficient for the Boilermakers - She always finds someone to box out and does not miss help rotations around the rim.

The swing skill for Bass will be her flexibility on the perimeter moving up to the Big Ten. She has good athleticism but Purdue's defense uses a lot of stunts and rotations that require really good connectivity from everyone on the floor. In this aspect, I hope that Bass will bring a level of instinctual intelligence and communication that comes from her experience in playing the middle of the 2-3 zone at Akron.

Takeaways

The offensive end is where Purdue needed the most help from last season and I think Reagan Bass will be an upgrade from last years front court. She is solid play finisher and adds some spacing with a solid jumper. I think Purdue should try using her on the perimeter but her passing and screening will have to be further developed.

On defense, Bass is reliable with her positioning and effort. She will battle on the boards with bigger players while still being effective with her help rotations. I would like for her to create more plays, deflecting passes or taking charges, but I predict Bass to be a average to above average defender for a good Purdue defense.

Overall, I really like this pickup by Purdue! They lacked athleticism and it showed as their Achilles heel last season. Adding Bass was a great first step to becoming faster while not sacrificing skill. I would expect Bass to earn the starting power forward spot and help Purdue improve from last season.