Maya Whiteside commits to Long Island University
Nearing the end of a sparkling tenure at George Washington High School, small forward Maya Whiteside Maya Whiteside 6'0" | SF George Washington | 2021 State CO had plenty of collegiate interest and appeared destined to continue her basketball career at the Division-I level.
Once it finally came time to make a decision, Whiteside made her choice on Wednesday and officially committed to play basketball at Long Island University. In doing so, she decided to follow in the footsteps of her father, who played hoops at New York University, and play college basketball in the Empire State.
“I just really like the coaching staff and the players,” Whiteside said. “It’s a big family environment and they really want you to grow on the court and also off the court. It’s a good fit for me, academically. Also with it being in New York, there are a lot of opportunities there.”
Whiteside said she had received interest from a list of schools like Nevada, Air Force, Prairie View A&M and New Mexico State before eventually settling on LIU.
Prior to Wednesday, Whiteside was the highest-ranked unsigned player in Prep Girls Hoops Colorado’s player rankings for the Class of 2021. The dynamic six-foot small forward has thus far averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.8 assists and 2.1 blocks per game over 68 career high school games while also shooting 24 percent (40 for 165) from 3-point range. Likely less than a game or two away from joining the 1,000-point club, White has scored 973 points already in her high school career while shooting 38 percent from the field.
Having made her decision, Whiteside said she can now focus on the upcoming high school basketball season and George Washington’s bid for a Class 4A state championship.
“I definitely feel a lot better,” Whiteside said. “I’m excited for next season because I feel like we can go for state. We have a lot of good returning players who are super young and a bunch of good incoming players. My sister Gianna will be a freshman and I’m extra excited to play with her so hopefully we have a season.”
Whiteside plays club basketball for the Colorado Hawks.
110% Commited 💛💙 @LIUwbb pic.twitter.com/LyhPxnb8XA
— Maya Whiteside (@MayaWhiteside7) July 16, 2020