Stella Sakalas was ready to make a decision.
The reigning Southwest Regional Girls Basketball Player of the Year from Nazareth wrapped up her college recruiting on Sept. 9 when she committed to BYU.
The Cougars and new head coach Lee Cummard entered the picture over the summer and Sakalas made two visits to Provo, Utah. She liked what she saw.
“I definitely wanted to play through July and the end of the summer and (see) if any other doors opened from that,” Sakalas told Southwest Regional. “Ultimately, BYU felt right and I felt no need to wait any longer.”
Sakalas liked the full package from the Cougars, who play in the top-tier Big 12.
What impressed her the most?
“The people and the relationships,” Sakalas said. “The coaching staff is amazing and the head coach is a very good coach. It was just kind of everything I was looking for and it made sense and I loved it.”
Sakalas averaged a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds last season for the Roadrunners, who finished 31-3 after falling 72-71 to eventual Class 4A champ Kenwood in the sectional semifinals. The 6-2 guard/forward also contributed two blocks, four steals and three assists a game.
She won a state title as a freshman and was part of a runner-up team as a sophomore.
“Ever since that, we just all have the fire and the motivation to get back there (to state) and prove everybody wrong again,” Sakalas said.
“… I think we’re in a very special position where so many of us play travel ball that literally our entire team is working on our game 365 days a year. So we have very high hopes.”
What is Sakalas, ranked the No. 3 senior in Illinois by Prep Girls Hoops, fine-tuning?
“I’m definitely just (continually) working on my left hand,” she said. “And then I feel like the mid-range (shot) is a bit of a lost art. I take a lot of pride in working on that.”