WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue women's basketball head coach Katie Gearlds landed a trio of talented high school seniors for National Signing Day on Wednesday, adding to the Boilermakers' talented young core for the years ahead. Jordyn Poole, Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear committed to play at Purdue starting with the 2024-25 season.
"We are excited to have Jordyn, Kendall and Lana officially become Boilermakers," Gearlds said. "These three have a relentlessness to win games. They all have incredible potential which will translate to making an impact on our program when they set foot on campus next year."
JORDYN POOLE
5-7 | G | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Fort Wayne Snider
Instagram - _jpoole | Twitter - _JordynPoole3
"To get one of the nation's best players to stay home is exciting for the future of Purdue Women's Basketball. Jordyn is an elite playmaker, possessing the ability to create for others or score it herself. Jordyn has a knack for making other people better. Jordyn has the speed and athleticism to become a lockdown defender to compliment her offensive talents." – Gearlds on Poole
NOTABLE
• No. 54 overall player, four-star prospect with a 93 rating by ESPN HoopGurlz
• No. 38 player in the nation by Prospects Nation
• No. 1 player in Indiana by Prep Girls Hoops
• Named a preseason candidate for Indiana Miss Basketball
• 2023 Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp invitee and participant
• 2023 SAC Player of the Year
• Earned a spot as an Indiana Junior All-Star and Indiana All-Star Core Group member
• Garnered three All-State, first team All-Summit Conference, first team all-area nods
• Indiana Underclass Supreme 15 All-State
• Adidas All-American in AAU
• Invited to the 2022 Adidas All-American Camp and 2021 Wooten Camp
PREP
• Earned three letters for Fort Wayne Snider High School
• Has a 54-17 high school record through three seasons, winning two sectional titles and one regional championship
• Scored 1,000th career point to start her senior season
• Guided the Panthers to a 21-5 record, reaching semi-state as a junior
• Powered the way offensively with 16.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game, while shooting 48% from the field and 41% from behind the arc on 52 triples, dropping 30 points on two occasions
• Named the SAC Player of the Year, an Indiana Junior All-Star Core Group member, First Team All-State and First Team All-Summit Conference as a junior
• Went 20-4 as a sophomore to reach the regional championship game
• Recorded 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game during her sophomore campaign
• Nearly totaled a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a sectional game her sophomore season
• Tabbed Second Team All-State, First Team All-Summit Conference and Second team All-Area as a sophomore
• Garnered Freshman First Team All-State and First Team All-Summit Conference with 12 points and 4.5 assists per game in 2020-21
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Jordyn Nicole Poole
• Birthdate: Aug. 14, 2006
• Birthplace: Huntsville, Ala.
• Intended Major: Sports Management
• Parents: Jason Barnes and Kristin Poole-Barnes
• Brothers: Chase and Christopher Barnes
• Sisters: Jayah Barnes and Jenae Barnes
• Her father Jason earned three letters playing football at Ball State
• Her mother Kristin ran track at Alabama A&M
• Her great uncle Roosevelt Barnes was standout basketball and football player for the Boilermakers in the early 1980, before a four-year career in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, where he was named the Yale Lary Special Teams MVP twice
• Her cousin Caleb Swanigan played for the Purdue men's basketball team and was named the 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year, the Lute Olson Award and Pete Newell Big Man Award winner and a consensus First Team All-American
KENDALL PURYEAR
6-2 | F | Lee's Summit, Mo. | Blue Springs South
Instagram – K.Puryear | Twitter – blkbeltballer22
"Big, Strong and Powerful are the first things you think of when it comes to Kendall. A high school double-double, she can score it on the low block or be just as efficient in the high and mid post. A black belt in karate, Kendall brings that same intensity to the defensive end." – Gearlds on Puryear
NOTABLE
• No. 2 player in Missouri by Prep Girls Hoops
• Named to Class 6A All-State, two-time Suburban Gold First Team All-Conference, The Examiner's All-Area and two-time all-district
• Twice led the state of Missouri in field goal percentage
PREP
• Earned letters in basketball and track at Blue Springs South High School
• Dominated junior season to average 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 57.8% from the field
• Garnered Class 6 All-State, all-conference, all-district, all-area honors after junior year
• Took the Lady Jags to the Missouri State Class 6 Final Four, finishing third, and won the Suburban Gold Class 6 District 7 Conference title as a sophomore
• Nearly averaged a double-double with 9.1 points and 8.1 rebounds to earn all-conference and all-district as a sophomore
• Finished her sophomore campaign with the highest field goal percentage in the state at 61.6%
• Tallied 7.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a freshman and notched the state's best shooting clip at 59.8%
• Won conference her junior year in the shot put, finished third in the district, did not compete at state due to basketball
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Kendall Sarai Puryear
• Birthdate: April 4, 2006
• Birthplace: Kansas City, Mo.
• Intended Major: Mechanical Engineering
• Parents: Kevin and Vicki Puryear
• Brother: Kevin Puryear
• Sister: Aleyse Puryear
• Brother Kevin was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Missouri for Purdue alumnus Cuonzo Martin
• Kevin scored 1,241 points in 119 starts to finish 27th in Mizzou history for scoring, was named SEC All-Freshman in 2016
LANA McCARTHY
6-4 | Bedford, N.H. | Bedford
Instagram – lanajm_15 | Twitter – _lanamccarthy
"Lana is flat out a winner, having played in 8 state championship games by the time she gets to us speaks on that. Lana is a skilled post player, that can finish either hand or knock down midrange shots. Defensively she can make an impact with her ability to defend the rim and guard in space, her best basketball is truly ahead of her." – Gearlds on McCarthy
NOTABLE
• No. 7 player in New England by Prep Girls Hoops
• No. 1 player in New Hampshire by MaxPreps
• Three-time All-State honoree in basketball and volleyball
• Three-time NW Sports Page Underclassman Team honoree
• Won one basketball state championship, reaching three title games, and a trio of volleyball state championships
• Two-time captain and the first ever junior captain in program history
• Tabbed the New Hampshire Player of the Year in volleyball
PREP
• Earned letters in basketball and volleyball at Bedford High School
• Took the Bulldogs to third straight state championship game, averaging a double-double during the regular season with 18 points and 11 rebounds per game, before upping her scoring to 21.7 points per game in the playoffs as a junior
• Earned second straight First Team All-State honor along with a spot on the NH Sports Page Underclassman Team as a junior
• Tallied 14 points per game to take Bedford to state championship game appearance in sophomore campaign
• Tabbed First Team All-State and NH Sports Page Underclassman as a sophomore
• Led Bedford to a New Hampshire State Championship with 16.8 points per game, earning honorable mention all-state and a spot on the NH Sports Page Underclassman Team as a freshman
• Three-time volleyball state champion, earning three straight First Team All-State honors
• Named the New Hampshire Division I Player of the Year and First Team All-State during senior campaign after leading the Bulldogs to third straight state championship in volleyball, setting the state record for blocks in the process
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Lana Jade McCarthy
• Birthdate: Nov. 15, 2005
• Birthplace: Manchester, N.H.
• Intended Major: Nutrition
• Parents: Robert and Sharron McCarthy
• Sisters: Melody Rose