Brianna Howard, a 5'8 wing player from Southwestern High School in
Hanover (IN), joins the Boilermakers as an invited walkon. With several
standing scholarship offers from others schools including Evansville
and Illinois State, Howard wanted to be a part of the Purdue program.
Lacking any available scholarships, Coach Curry was prepared to invite
Howard to walk-on and pay her own way. Then Eli Lilly stepped in and
announced Howard would be the recipient of the 2002 Lilly Scolarship
for Academics. Once the scholarship made Purdue exceptional 5-year
pharmacy program more affordable, Howard announced she would be coming
to Purdue.
Howard completed her high school career with two special honors. She helped
her team win the Class 2A state championship, scoring 19 points and nine
rebounds. Immediately following the game, Howard was awarded the Patricia
L. Roy Mental Attitude Award fpr Class 2A. Farm Bureau Insurance presented
a $1,000 scholarship to Southwestern High School in the name of Howard.
Southwestern finished the season 25-2. Howard averaged 19.9 points, 6.1
rebounds, 5.7 steals and 2.7 assists during her senior season. For her career,
Howard finished as Southwestern's all-time leading scorer (1,918) and stealer.
An excellent student, Howard will also continue the Purdue tradition in
academically, as well as athletically talented player. A consistent honor roll
student, Howard ranks 7th in her class of 88 students, is a three-year member of
the National Honor Society, and currently serves as class secretary.
Howard announced she would attend Purdue University at the Reebok North/South
All Star game on April 14, 2002.
4-15-02...Indiana All-Star selection Brianna Howard will join the Boilers next
season as a walkon. The 5'8 shooting guard was the leading scorer for the Class
2A state champs Southwestern High, averaging 19.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 steals
and 2.6 assists as a senior. Howard will be on scholarship, but not an athletic
scholarship. She has been awarded the Lilly Scholarship for Academics, and will
study pharmacy at Purdue. Howard and fellow Purdue recruit Sharika Webb have been
friends since they were 12 through AAU competition. Howard brings a solid defensive
game, a nose for the basket, and a game head coach Donna Cheatham says is still
developing.
4-14-02...After missing her first three shots and having just four points at halftime,
Howard connected on five of her next seven offerings and finished with 16 points, second
in the game behind only Cathedral’s Sharika Webb, who tallied 20. Howard finished an
even 50-percent from the floor and the line for the game. The Junior All-Stars lost to
the Seniors, 86-72.
Scouting report by high school coach Donna Cheatham...She is as good an
athlete as I have ever coached, and she hasn’t peaked yet as a basketball
player. You can’t go to a school like Purdue if you’ve peaked in high school
and Brianna still has room to grow. I think the important thing about Brianna is
her mind. You almost don’t want the athlete as much as you want their mind. I
told her that when you go to a program like Purdue, you’re not going to play a
lot those first two years. But she has the potential to be a good one."
(3/19/02, Madison Courier)
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