LAFAYETTE – The 2025 co-Journal & Courier Small Schools Player of the Year Carley Barrett will play college basketball after all just four months after declaring her competitive career over.
Barrett, who confirmed the news to the Journal & Courier, will join Purdue as a walk-on and follow her family’s Boilermaker tradition.
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Her brother Carson is a graduate assistant for Purdue and was on the Final Four championship team in 2023-24.
The younger Barrett was voted the Journal & Courier Reader’s Choice Female Athlete of the Year after she averaged 14.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 6.2 apg and 5.8 spg while leading Central Catholic to an appearance in the IHSAA Class 1A state final.
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North Vermillion Falcons Kayanna Smith (30) defends Central Catholic Knights Carley Barrett (24) Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, during the IHSAA girls basketball sectionals game at Fountain Central High School in Veedersburg, Ind. Central Catholic won 72-32.
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Barrett at 5-foot-9 joins Purdue women’s basketball having rebuilt its roster using the transfer portal and becomes the third player from the graduated 2025 high school class to join the Boilermakers.
Barrett joins 6-foot-7 forward Avery Gordon (Brownsburg), Keona Douwstra (Netherlands) and Hila Karsch (Israel) as part of the freshmen class.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue women’s basketball adds Central Catholic’s Carley Barrett
