What was shaping up to be a week of Jordyn Poole showcasing herself couldn't culminate in a third dazzling performance against the Kentucky All-Stars on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Purdue freshman guard to be was held out of the Indiana Girls All-Stars finale due to injury.
Poole came into the week ready to prove herself in one of the longest traditions in Indiana sports.
"I feel like I always have something to prove, honestly. Just for myself more than anybody else, just showing how great I am, how good I can be. Doing whatever it takes to win these games is really important to me and I'm blessed to be able to be there," Poole told Boiler Upload on Wednesday.
The Indiana All-Stars struggled for much of the game on Saturday without its top playmaker, but was able to narrowly escape with a 66-64 win after timely buckets by Chloe Spreen and Lauren Walsh down the stretch. It was Indiana's first sweep of Kentucky since 2016.
Poole had arguably been the best player on the floor through two games with the All-Stars. Against the Junior All-Stars, she nearly carded a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. She followed that performance up by dropping 19 points on 7-12 shooting and six assists for a victory in the first matchup of the doubleheader against Kentucky.
The 5-foot-7 point guard showcased her overall game, controlling the offense while finding a balance between facilitating and having an aggressive mentality in creating her own offense. Despite being the shortest player on the floor, Poole is a great rebounder for her size and position, while also defending for 94 feet.
A skillset that shows no glaring weakness simply comes natural for the all-state point guard.
"I feel like I just let the game come to me. I feel like I can do it in all aspects. Whether it comes to defense, scoring, or facilitating, I mean, it just comes natural. I'm gonna make the right play, make the right read 99% of the time," Poole said.
That well-rounded skillset is what Poole expects to bring with her to Purdue, where she will officially be at as of tomorrow morning. The freshman sees herself as a perfect fit, where she expects to step into the point guard role to orchestrate the offense while helping the Boilermakers get back to their winning ways.
"I feel like I could be a facilitator and run the offense and make the right pass, make the right plays. Step up and do whatever they need me to do to win games. So yeah, I feel like I'm a really good fit," Poole said.
Before getting her freshman season officially underway in November, there is a whole summer of workouts and team bonding awaiting for the Boilermakers that Poole is looking forward to. Purdue will welcome seven new players into the program, four from the transfer portal and three 2024 signees.
"Just growing that bond with my teammates. I'm gonna be a freshman, so I'm gonna be coming into a new environment. I just want to feel comfortable with them," Poole said. "Making those bonds is most important to me. Then, that translates to the court, the better bond you have off the court."
Poole joins a budding core in the backcourt alongside Amiyah Reynolds, Rashunda Jones and Sophie Swanson, in addition to a pair of incoming transfers in Ella Collier and Destini Lombard. Katie Gearlds and the Boilermakers will begin summer workouts on Tuesday.
