PROVO — With her collegiate career coming to a close, BYU's Kalani Purcell has met and even exceeded what women's basketball coach Jeff Judkins thought she'd become when first watching her play live for the first time.
The occasion was Purcell's prep team from New Zealand embarking on a playing tour in states such as California, Arizona and Texas. While in Texas, Judkins made his way out to see what the 6-foot-2 Purcell brought to the court.
"There was no doubt. All you had to see was a little bit and you could tell right away that she was something special," Judkins recalls of the occasion.