Erika Valek's college basketball career got off to a great start. As a freshman point guard for Purdue, she started 33 games during the 2000-01 season and helped lead the Boilermakers to the NCAA Mideast Regional semifinals. Unfortunately, late in the second half of that game versus Texas Tech, Valek tore her ACL. She missed the remainder of Purdue's tournament drive to the NCAA title game, where the Boilermakers fell to Notre Dame, 68-66.

After a grueling rehab over the summer, Valek returned for her sophomore season, but she had trouble regaining her form. Still, she averaged 7.6 points and 2.7 assists while starting 30 games for Purdue.

This season, however, the fully recovered Valek is more than making up for lost time. She's currently averaging 13.7 points per game, and was recently named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 26 points and 6.5 assists during victories over Iowa and Northwestern.

"Erika has, over the last four games, become that mature leader for us," Purdue Head Coach Kristy Curry told USA Today this week. "She is the reason we are competing for our third straight Big Ten title. She has put this team on her shoulders, and off she's gone."

A native of Bucaramanga, Colombia, Valek loves to play and talk about basketball. In the following interview, she discusses growing up in South America, moving to Texas, Purdue's family atmosphere, and why Jason Kidd is her favorite player.

Gball: How were old were you when you moved from Colombia?
Valek: I moved to the U.S. when I was I eight years old. We settled in Texas, and lived there for 10 years until my parents moved to Indiana when I went to school. I still have a lot of memories of Colombia. We went back to visit two years after we moved here, and I still have lots of relatives there. I miss it a lot, but hopefully I'll be able to visit it again soon.

Did you play basketball before you came to the U.S.?
Actually, my mom played basketball for our country, so I kind of was raised to play the sport. At a young age, she started teaching me and coaching me to play, which I loved--you always want to do what your mother does.

Was it hard to change cultures, coming from South America?
It was interesting. None of us really knew English except for my mom, who knew it a little bit. So we just went to school in Texas, and kind of learned by listening, and we just picked it up.

Did you play basketball right away when you got to Texas?
As soon as we moved here, I started playing Little Dribblers. Then as I got older, my PE teacher in elementary school knew I played and loved the game, so she asked me if I wanted to play basketball in the summer. That's how I got involved with AAU when I was 12.

You're from Lubbock, Texas. What's it like there?
It's in the middle of nowhere, basically. It's flat, and there are a lot of dust storms and a lot of wind. But you learn to love it, and the people are good.

Did Texas Tech try to recruit you? What drew you to Purdue?
Oh, sure. Texas Tech was one of my top choices growing up, but things didn't work out. I came to visit Purdue, liked what I saw, liked the family atmosphere, so I decided to come here instead of staying home.

Because I had to move from Colombia at a young age, and had to leave all my grandparents and relatives behind, it made me appreciate my parents and family a lot more. I wanted to be able to have that type of support wherever I went, and Coach Curry was someone who had kids and was raising a family, and I knew she was someone I could count on outside of basketball. That's why I liked it here.

Also, when I came to visit, I saw how all the sports teams supported each other--it wasn't really just one sport that dominated the school. Everyone helps each other, and comes out to support the others.

When you came in a freshman, what was the biggest adjustment?
Coming in as a freshman, you think you can still do all the things you did in high school. So you learn the hard way that there are a lot more taller players in the college game. So you have to adjust everything--the way you shoot, the way you pass, the way you dribble. It was a learning process, but it was great to go through.

Your freshman year went pretty well, at least until the NCAA tournament. You got a lot of attention when you got hurt since the game was on national television. What do you remember most about that day?
I remember it was a big game, since it was the regionals--it was the first time I had experienced the NCAA tournament. It was just a coincidence that we were playing Texas Tech--there was a lot of motivation for me to play that game. I was very excited, but unfortunately it ended sooner than I expected. But I was excited to see my teammates pull that game out, and that we got as far as we did that year.

That injury helped me grow as a person and a player, because you realize sometimes you take things for granted and when you don't have them, you learn to appreciate them a little more.

Did you rehab the whole summer?
Yes, but unfortunately I was a slow healer, so last season was pretty tough. I really didn't play that well since I couldn't practice; I just played games. It was tough and very frustrating, but it paid off.

How are you doing this year?
Much better! My knees are fine, I feel good, and I'm finally getting my confidence back. I'm helping the team and being more aggressive.

What do you for fun?
With the little time we have off, I just like to relax and sleep and rest, and just try to be a college student. Watch television, movies, try to have fun.

In the Purdue media guide, you list Jason Kidd as your favorite player. Have you tried to pattern your game after his?
Sure, he's one of the best point guards in the NBA. He's someone who sees the floor so well, and is such a great leader and is so unselfish, so he's someone I look up to. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to do the same things as him.

Who's the toughest player you've had to guard?
Penn State's Kelly Mazzante, who is such a scoring threat, is always hard to defend. She moves so well without the ball, it's hard to keep up with her.

Do you ever watch other games on television? For example, did you see the Duke-UConn game last weekend?
No, I didn't, because my sister had a basketball game so I went to see her. Some big games I'll watch, but I'd rather do other things. I really enjoy basketball, but instead of sitting down to watch a whole game, I'd rather spend time with my family or friends.

What's your major?
I'm in Health and Fitness, but I don't know what I'm going to do with that yet.

What do you hope to develop in your game for your senior year?
I want to continue to improve as a point guard in general--being able to see the floor better, and being able to handle pressure. I want to improve my shooting, and everything else that a point guard does.

Interview conducted by Gball Editor Jim Catalano.


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