Prospect Update: Zoe Young (2019)
Start on varsity as a freshman…check. Win a state title…check. Score 1000 career points…check. So what could Zoe Young possibly want from her senior year when she has already hit so many goals? McDonald’s All American, invite to the…
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Continue ReadingStart on varsity as a freshman…check. Win a state title…check. Score 1000 career points…check. So what could Zoe Young possibly want from her senior year when she has already hit so many goals? McDonald’s All American, invite to the Jordan Brand Classic, win Miss Iowa Basketball as well as Gatorade Player of the year are all individual goals she has set for herself this senior season.
Of course she is like all basketball players, one state title isn’t enough, she is going for a second one. “I really feel that we (Valley) will be a contender this year. We are very talented and will have more experience than last year. Shea Fuller will be a huge help to the team. She is a versatile guard who is also scrappy and will dive for balls on the ground. Grace Plummer is a lights out shooter. Last year Alex Hannold was injured, and she is back in the lineup. Alex is an all around great athlete. She will be a huge help on the boards and will knock down shots. We will be returning two posts Anna Bernhard and Jasmine Spann. Both of these players have gained more experience that will help the team this year.”
Zoe had her third opportunity to go to the USA Basketball trials this past Summer. Although she didn’t make the team, she said it is always a rewarding experience to be in that atmosphere. “You are playing with and against some of the top competition in the nation. The instruction is the best because elite college coaches are instructing the trials. The core coaches I had were the head coach of Georgia, UCLA and Delaware. So the caliber of instruction I received was the best part of the USA experience.”
This opportunity along with playing with Grassroots Kingdom Hoops, helped her work on her game this off season. “I really wanted to improve my mental toughness this off season. I also wanted to improve consistency on my shot and expanding my court vision. I was playing with younger players that forced me to concentrate on my mental toughness. Kingdom Hoops grew with the Summer. We cut ties with some players, and improved our chemistry, and played our best basketball in July. “
Zoe also wanted to improve her efficiency and court vision. She worked with trainers Cole and Cory Meyer with Pure Sweat Basketball to help with this. “I am no longer looking at how many points I score, or how many 3 pointers I make. Instead I am looking at my percentage, to make sure my shot is being more efficient. I also watched a lot more video and studied the game more. This helped increase my court vision in transition, so that I can setup my teammates for easy buckets.”
Zoe has already committed to playing her college basketball with University of Maryland early in her junior year. What were some of the biggest considerations that influenced Zoe to choose Maryland? “The biggest thing was the connection I had with the head coach, Brenda Frese. She is a player’s coach and I really like the connection she has with her point guards. I really felt that strong connection to her immediately and the fact that she is from Iowa helps. I talked to people who knew her. Everyone had positive things to say about her, so I have no question about her integrity. Being close to DC also was a big consideration for me because I want to study law. Being so close to DC will give me a lot of opportunities. Big 10 was also a big consideration. I will be far away from home. Since Maryland is in Big 10, many of our away games will bring me 4 -5 hours from home. This will allow my parents to still be able to come watch me play.”
With recruitment done, what advice would Zoe like to give to other players who are going through the process? “Mostly don’t get caught up in the hype of recruitment. Coaches will be selling their school to you. You have to find a place where you are going to be comfortable for the next four years. You have to find a home, even if that isn’t a high caliber school. If the right fit is a D2 or D3, go for it because we are ultimately playing basketball in college for our education. Find the right fit instead of trying to find the biggest name is my best advice to players being recruited.”