Turner signs Purdue transfer Learn
Turner signs Purdue transfer Learn
WBB: The 6-1 junior played in all 30 games for the Boilermakers last season
When I sat with Murray State Women’s Head Coach Rechelle Turner on Monday, I asked her what the priority was for her in filling the final two scholarships for the 2023-24 season.
“Size,” Turner answered flatly.
Tuesday, some size signed on the dotted line as Purdue transfer Ava Learn officially joined the Racer program.
The 6-foot-1 Learn spent the last two years with the Boilermakers. She played in 52 games overall, averaging 10.7 minutes, 3.8 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game.
“One of the most eye-opening things for me throughout the year was the jump-ball each night,” Turner said, reflecting on her team’s first year in the Missouri Valley Conference. “I even told my assistants after a while, ‘Pay attention to this. Every position they were bigger. We don’t really look the part.’ Us being able to bring in some size is huge.”
Listed as the #41 guard in America in the class of 2021, Learn signed with Purdue and Head Coach Sharon Versyp in November of 2020. In the news release announcing Learn’s signing, Versyp said, “Her greatest asset is shooting from the perimeter.” Before Learn could play her first collegiate game, Versyp retired and was replaced by Associate Head Coach Katie Gearlds.
“(Learn) said when she got there, she was one of the three biggest kids they had,” Turner said. “She automatically got pushed to the post group, and never got out of it. Never got to do guard workouts or anything. She got put “out of position” from what she was used to playing. She wasn’t recruited as a post.”
Murray State’s recruitment was a quick courtship as Learn only spent about seven hours on campus. Turner’s big selling point was her shifting the Racers toward a more up-tempo style for next season.
“Kate (Young) and Hannah (McKay), they might be considered posts, but we don’t utilize them like that at all times,” Turner said. “(Learn’s) ability to play out on the floor and inside, I think she really saw opportunities for her to be able to grow her game here. She’s been practicing and playing in the Big Ten. She understands the physicality and the demands that it takes to be successful. She has that experience, and we’re looking to draw on that experience, but also the fact she’ll be physically ready for the rigors of the Missouri Valley after going up against those kids in the Big Ten all year.”
Learn only attempted eight three-pointers in her two years at Purdue due to her role on the interior. With that said, she shot 62.3% from inside the arc (81-of-130) the last two seasons, and Turner hopes that shooting success will continue in Murray.
“She is a mid-range dagger,” Turner said. “That’s what they used her for and she is exceptional at the mid-range jumper. Our expectation is when she gets here, she’ll do player development and extend her range. We feel like she can. Her shot looks good and she can. Especially if she gains confidence and she understands that that’s OK in our system. She’s strong. She’s 6-1, which is good size for us. She’ll be one of the biggest kids on our team. In my opinion, she has the ability to play the 3, 4, or 5 which makes her extremely valuable in our system. We could play her, Hannah, and Kate together and finally be big enough,” Turner chuckled, “at times against some of these teams.”
Learn will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Turner still has one scholarship to use for the 2023-24 season. She says she and her staff still don’t know if they’ll use it on a transfer or an incoming freshman.