Recruiting roundup: Clarkston’s Beck picks Hawaii-Hilo, Heritage’s McCartney chooses Ferris
At one point during the summer before her junior year, Maddie Beck came to the conclusion that she was a basketball player, first and foremost, and now, a year and a half later, it’s paid off with a Division II scholarship.
Beck announced Saturday on Twitter that she’d committed to play at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
“It’s official … I’m officially a Vulcan!! Can’t wait to further my academic and athletic career in Hawaii!!” Beck tweeted. “Thanks to everyone who helped me turn my dream in a reality.”
Before that epiphany, she was a multi-sport athlete, who was perhaps better known for her role on Clarkston High School’s perennially powerful softball program, a softball player who also played on the hardwood in the winter.
Once that mindset changed to basketball, Beck’s hoops career took off.
“Maddie Beck committed to getting better. She was in the gym all summer. Shooting machine, working on her ball-handling,” Clarkston coach Christine Rogers said early in the 2016-17 season. “I think just decided that she wanted this, and it shows in everything that she’s doing.”
Primarily a defender — someone who could guard the opponent’s best player, one through five — to start, Beck added a slashing ability to get her wiry 6-foot frame to the hoop, as well as steadily extending her shooting range.
This past season, as one of the Wolves’ “Big Three” six-footers — along with Molly Nicholson and Oakland University-bound Kayla Luchenbach — she helped lead the Wolves to a share of the Oakland Activities Association Red Division title, their first district since 2012 and their first regional crown since 2005, before losing in quarterfinals to eventual Class A champion Saginaw Heritage.
Beck earned first-team all-Oakland County honors as a junior, first team all-OAA Red as a junior and senior, and Associated Press Class A all-state honorable mention her last two seasons in high school, as well.
Other offers/commits/signings:
Heritage’s Mallory McCartney (right) during the Class A finals. (Photo by Matthew B. Mowery)• Saginaw Heritage’s Mallory McCartney (2019) committed to Ferris State.
• McCartney’s Heritage teammate Moira Joiner (2019/Michigan Storm Elite), the AP’s Class A Player of the Year, was offered by University of Buffalo, one of the two Mid-American Conference teams that made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
• Detroit Renaissance’s Dalyn Henderson (2018) committed to North Dakota State College of Science.
• Ypsilanti Arbor Prep’s Mahri Petree (2019) gave a verbal commitment to Bradley, where she’ll join her sister, Lasha Petree (2018).
• Southfield A&T’s Cheyenne McEvans (2020/Michigan Storm Elite) received an offer from Niagara University, as well as one from Marquette.
• East Lansing’s Aaliyah Nye (2020/Michigan Storm Elite) was offered by Western Michigan, Niagara, Miami of Ohio and Marquette.
• Brighton’s Sophie Dziekan (2020/
Michigan Mystics
) added a Western Michigan offer to the Oakland and Central Michigan offers she got last week.
• Macomb Dakota’s Cameron Grant (2020/
Michigan Mystics
) added a Bradley offer to the Indiana State offer she received last week.
• Detroit Edison’s Mya Petticord (2022) has received offers from schools in the Big East and Big Ten, according to the Michigan Storm Elite Twitter account.