Purdue women's basketball offseason tracker: Two transfers set to visit
Ronnie Porter (Wisconsin) and Indiana native Tanyuel Welch (Memphis) are scheduled to be on campus following the recruiting dead period, which lasts through the Final Four
After hosting Taylor Feldman, a transfer from Northern Arizona, coach Katie Gearlds and her staff will welcome two more targets from the portal, according to a source.
RONNIE PORTER
Previous school: Wisconsin
Visit dates: April 8-10.
Eligibility: One season
The skinny: Big Ten fans are familiar with the 5-foot-4 Porter, who has appeared in 88 games, including 62 starts at Wisconsin. The Boilermakers need a point guard, and Porter handled those duties for the Badgers during the last three seasons. Porter joined the program as a walk-on and earned a scholarship. Wisconsin underwent a coaching change after the season when Marisa Moseley stepped down after four years. Six players have entered the portal since the end of the season, including forward Carter McCray, a target of the Boilermakers.
Key numbers: The native of St. Paul, Minnesota, is more of a facilitator than a scorer, averaging 4.6 assists in the last two seasons. Talented center Serah Williams was on the receiving end from most of the passes. Porter averaged 9.6 points the last two seasons. She led the Big Ten and ranked 15th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.48) in all games and was seventh in conference action (2.23). She led the team in steals (1.6). Porter was third on the Badgers in rebounding, averaging 3.7, which indicates her willingness to go inside and battle against taller players. She scored a career-high 26 points against Georgetown in November.
Potential fit: The No. 1 priority is finding a point guard, preferably a three-level scorer, who can operate an offense and push the ball in transition. Porter’s experience facing Big Ten teams would be beneficial during the 18-game season. The Boilermakers struggled with turnovers last season, and cleaning up that area is paramount in bringing the program out of the Big Ten’s basement. If Porter landed at Purdue, she would likely need to become a consistent double-digit scorer to give the offense a punch from the perimeter. How much depends on who else Gearlds and her staff secure from the portal.
TANYUEL WELCH
Previous school: Memphis
Visit dates: April 11-13.
Eligibility: Two seasons.
The skinny: The 5-10 combo guard missed the 2022-23 season after suffering a torn ACL, meniscus, fractured bone, and a dislocation of the knee cap in July 2022. However, Welch bounced back after missing 18 months. She appeared in 30 games with 25 starts this season, including a solid performance against Tennessee, but the Tigers finished 7-23. She plays with an aggressive motor. Made an immediate impact as a freshman, appearing in 33 games averaging 13 minutes. Born in Anderson and attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Welch was selected to the Indiana All-Star team after her senior season. She averaged 17.3 points in her final season at North Central. According to On3.com, Welsh received interest from Nebraska, South Florida, Butler, UAB, Tulsa, Rice, East Carolina, Wichita State, Charlotte, Akron, and Ball State when she entered the portal.
Key numbers: Made 24 starts last season, averaging 10.8 points. 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists while playing point guard and shooting guard. One of three American Athletic Conference players to average at least 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Shot 45.3% from 3-point range on 68 attempts after making 10 of 33 as a freshman. Had four steals in her first game in 18 months in November against Mississippi Valley State. One of two players on the team with more than 100 rebounds. Did average nearly three turnovers a game. Totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals during a Feb. 19 win over UAB. Scored in double figures the last six games.
Potential fit: Would give the Boilermakers versatility and quickness on the perimeter and add another ballhandler to the mix. Appeared to come back stronger after the injury and posted good numbers in her second season of playing college basketball. How much would her numbers in the AAC translate to the Big Ten competition?
NAMES TO TRACK
Scratch former Indiana star Yarden Garzon as a possible target. … Tess Heal could be an option after entering the portal on Tuesday. The 5-10 Heal played one season at Stanford after transferring from Santa Clara, where she stayed for two years. The native of Melbourne, Australia, averaged 8.0 points in 30 games, including eight starts.