McLaughlin happy to say 'Boiler up,' join Purdue class
When Karissa McLaughlin watched the Boilermakers battle top-seed Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament a few weeks ago, she couldn't help but like what she saw.
Purdue fought, then nearly pulled the upset, losing only in overtime. But the Boilermakers' end-of-season surge, in which they won seven straight to get into the NCAAs, then went to the wire vs. the Irish, had a resounding impact on the senior Homestead guard.
And after being granted her release from Florida following the Gators' coaching change in early March, a couple weeks before that game in South Bend, McLaughlin felt a strong pull to Purdue. Monday, she committed to the Boilermakers, becoming a late addition to the 2017 class.
“That (streak) played a huge role in my recruitment,” McLaughlin said Monday morning from Ft. Myers, where she's on spring break. “Watching (the Boilermakers) play and seeing the style that they play, the fact that they have so much heart and never give up. They battle to the very end. I think there’s some amazing players on the team. Everyone is willing to give it their all, every single day, every single practice.
"I feel like those are the people I really want to surround myself with. I feel like the future is really bright for Purdue. With the surge that they made at the end of the season, that just shows how great this team could be and how great they will be."
McLaughlin, the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and possible Miss Basketball, chose Purdue over Michigan, Indiana and Florida, as she put a premium on staying close to home in her re-recruitment. The 61st-best player in the country in 2017, per ESPN, the 5-foot-7 combo guard took a visit to Purdue the last weekend of March, which sealed her feelings toward Sharon Versyp and Co.
"I feel like it’d be really awesome to play in your home state," she said. "I think that’s it’s something special, definitely.
"... To be able to say 'Boiler up,' that’s exciting in itself.”
McLaughlin was an outstanding shooter for Homestead, having scored nearly 2,600 points in her career, with a 46-percent mark from three-point range as a senior. She scored 29 points and had six assists in Homestead's Class 4A state title game win over Pike last month.
Her acquisition fills a big need for the Boilermakers, who are without an established point guard going into next season. McLaughlin, who ESPN ranks as the No. 10 PG in the country, played the point last season.
"I think that was really beneficial," she said. "I’m comfortable in both positions, so where ever Coach Versyp needs me at the time, I’ll be willing to go in and do that for her.”
McLaughlin is the fifth member of the '17 class, joining Léony Boudreau, Fatou Diagne, Tamara Farquhar and Dani Lawson.
