For the straight year, the Purdue women’s basketball team placed a pair of Boilermakers on Preseason All-Big Ten teams. On Monday, Ae’Rianna Harris and Karissa McLaughlin were tabbed to the 2019-20 preseason squads selected by the conference’s coaches and media members.
Also announced Monday, Purdue was selected to finish fifth by the conference coaches. It was the Boilermakers’ first preseason poll appearance since 2012-13, when they were tabbed third. The Big Ten previously announced the preseason top-three teams, but the league expanded its poll list to five for this season.
“It’s great to see two of our student-athletes make the Big Ten preseason teams,” head coach Sharon Versyp said. “They had remarkable years for us last season. These selections and where we were picked to finish highlights the anticipation that everyone has for our season. We’re ready to get started.”
Purdue joined Maryland as the only other Big Ten program with two players on both preseason teams.
McLaughlin and Harris return after earning First and Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2018-19, respectively. McLaughlin led the Boilermakers with 15 points per game and tied the program record for 3-pointers with 88 behind a 37.6% clip from downtown. The junior also dished out 129 assists, the third-highest total by a sophomore in Purdue history.
Harris was a 2019 Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist as a junior. The Indianapolis native became just the fourth student-athlete in league history to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in back-to-back campaigns. Harris broke the school record for career blocks midway through her junior season. Entering her senior year, she is on the verge of becoming the first Boilermaker to join the 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound and 300-block club.
Purdue’s roster features significant veteran experience with the entire starting lineup back from a year ago and 100% of its points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals totals returning. The Boilermakers open the 2019-20 season with an exhibition at Mackey Arena against Southern Indiana on Nov. 3, before the regular-season tipoff against Milwaukee on Nov. 10 at home.
2019-20 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. MARYLAND
2. Michigan State
3. Indiana
4. Michigan
5. Purdue
2019-20 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM*
Ali Patberg, Jr., G, Indiana
KATHLEEN DOYLE, Sr., G, Iowa
KAILA CHARLES, Sr., G, Maryland
Taylor Mikesell, So., G, Maryland
NAZ HILLMON, So., F, Michigan
Shay Colley, Sr., G, Michigan State
Destiny Pitts, Jr., G/F, Minnesota
LINDSEY PULLIAM, Jr., G, Northwestern
Dorka Juhász, So., F, Ohio State
Ae’Rianna Harris, Sr., F, Purdue
Karissa McLaughlin, Jr., G, Purdue
2019-20 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kaila Charles, Sr., G, Maryland
2019-20 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Michigan
3. Michigan State
4. Indiana
5. Minnesota
2019-20 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Ali Patberg, Jr., G, Indiana
Kathleen Doyle, Sr., G, Iowa
KAILA CHARLES, Sr., G, Maryland
Taylor Mikesell, So., G, Maryland
NAZ HILLMON, So., F, Michigan
Shay Colley, Sr., G, Michigan State
Destiny Pitts, Jr., G/F, Minnesota
Lindsey Pulliam, Jr., G, Northwestern
Ae’Rianna Harris, Sr., F, Purdue
Karissa McLaughlin, Jr., G, Purdue
2019-20 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kaila Charles, Sr., G, Maryland
Unanimous selections listed in ALL CAPS
* – additional honoree due to tie in voting
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