Purdue looks to White-wash Big Ten competition

Purdue's Stephanie White is used to handling pressure -- from herself.

On the heels of last season's Big Ten title and NCAA Tournament berth, the expectations for the Purdue women's basketball team this year were high. These high hopes came despite the fact the Boilermakers were one of the Big Ten's youngest teams.

White, a returning second-team All-Big Ten guard, was counted on to lead Purdue back to NCAAs. The young team was erratic throughout the season, however, playing well in some spurts and poorly in others. Going into last weekend, the Boilermakers were 15-9 and knocked out of the polls.

"I wasn't having the kind of fun that I used to when I played basketball," White said. "It was hard and so many people put so much pressure on us."

In addition to the pressure others put on her, White pressured herself. She said she is always her harshest critic, never satisfied no matter how well she plays.

However, the junior guard adjusted as the season went on. She said she gained more confidence from herself, which helped her to deal with outside pressure.

As a team leader, White stuck with her style of leading by example and tried to become more emotional.

White's work finally paid off last weekend as the Boilermakers seemed to finally come of age. Purdue routed Northwestern 79-67 last Friday as she recorded a double-double. White then led the Boilermakers with 30 points as they upset then-first-place Illinois to ruin the Illini's conference title bid.

With new wind beneath its wings, Purdue (17-9, 10-6 Big Ten) is once again being acknowledged by other coaches in the conference as a threat in the Big Ten Tournament this weekend. The two wins helped the Boilermakers grab the fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

White said the valleys of the rollercoaster season have given Purdue a stronger backbone. She said the team's freshmen weren't used to losing in high school and had to learn that a loss isn't the end of the world.

"I think it's something that helped us mature," White said. "I think that it helped us grow. More than anything it gave us experience being in this situation in the tournament."

Purdue coach Carolyn Peck said White has been vital in helping her young team mature. She said she might be biased, but White is her first choice for Big Ten Player of the Year.

"She's played hard," Peck said. "She's the backbone of our team. She can do many different things."

White, second in the conference with 20.6 points per game, put in a strong bid for that honor by being named a first-team All-American by the Women's Basketball News Service Tuesday. She was the Big Ten's only representative on the first, second or third teams.

White said she has had a good year, but added she is still not satisfied with her performance.

"I'm never happy with the way I play," White said. "I just want to keep improving."