She Believed She COULD, So She DID!!!

The following was sent by the parents of Steele point guard and Southern Illinois signee, Olivia Patterson. Olivia IS a great story. Her size has been a constant obstacle in her journey of earning a Division 1 scholarship. I have wrote about Olivia numerous times as being one of the best point guards in the city. However, my assessment of her being the 24th best player in the city in an earlier ranking was cause for her father to politely disagree with my opinion. In my response to her father I wrote, "It does not matter what I think, only what college coaches think". Southern Illinois saw a kid that was an 'Overcomer" and thought enough of her to make an investment into her future, all while basically rendering all other opinions of Olivia meaningless. I was one of those that thought Olivia was going to enter her senior basketball year unsigned and with something to prove. I was partly right. Olivia enters her senior campaign SIGNED but still with something to prove. She is aimed at Austin for her third consecutive year and being the point guard for the eventual state champions! And yes, she also out to prove that some of us can not see the forrest for the trees and she is very underated! Keep showing and proving young lady! Her family writes:




"If you were to ask a college basketball recruiter if they had a choice to sign one of two point guards, both with excellent court vision, elite ball handling ability, and lockdown defense , and one of them was 5’7” and the other 5’0”, which would they choose? Ninety nine percent of the time they would choose the taller of the two. It’s nothing wrong with that choice it’s just smart recruiting. Basketball is a game of “inches” and by the way, pun is intended. Over the past seven years we as parents have continuously attempted to put our daughter Olivia in the best situations possible to achieve her dreams of playing DI college basketball. From having our own basketball club, coaching, and fundraising we have done it all!

Olivia has a passion for the game that is undeniable, even though her small stature always appeared evident to others. Her effortless hard-work and talent was something that as parents we seen defy all odds. We recognized that the desire and love that Olivia has for basketball is a gift from God. Through our family’s journey we strongly held on to Romans 11:29 that states “For the gifts and calling of God are without (irrevocable) repentance”. That was the foundation of our faith. Because God said It, It was so! We also know that faith without works is dead (James 2:20)! We took the advice of a wise AAU coach and began to narrow down the schools that would be ideal for Olivia. We sent out video footages and profiles to these colleges, and received very favorable responses.

Olivia began to draw interest from colleges the summer of her 8th grade year. There were several NCAA- DI, II, III, and NAIA suitors, all expressing their desires to eventually have her as a member of their program. As we all know coaches change, philosophy’s change and so do priorities and needs. Over the next three summers of playing competitive basketball it became apparent that 5 foot point guards weren’t on anybody’s short list of “must have recruits”. One DI College in particular had all but offered her a scholarship, but after her junior season that program stopped contacting her. Were we upset, absolutely! But as parents who were educated on the business and politics of college basketball we took it as an opportunity for another program to gain an outstanding player. After sending video footage to several colleges we decided to also purchase an account with www.berecruited.com . It’s a high school sports search engine for college coaches to search and observe footage of perspective student athletes. Olivia managed the account and updated it as needed.

Though we had struggles and let downs, we can say that we have learned to count it all joy (James 1:2)! Going into her senior year rumors flared and speculations that Olivia had a lot to prove this year, considering that she was going in as an unsigned senior. One Saturday afternoon Olivia’s basketball trainer sat down with us and stated that he continued to believe in Olivia’s abilities, but he didn’t see her putting out the effort as before. When asked by her trainer, if she felt like should could play at the Division I level, without a hesitation in her voice she resoundingly said Yes!

About three weeks later Olivia was working on her game when she received a message from an assistant coach expressing great interest in Olivia hoping she was still “available”. After making contact with the coach, she was down the following week to observe Olivia in person. Southern Illinois University was very pleased. So much so they offered her a scholarship the next day. The new head coach, Missy Tiber expressed to Olivia that she ran a up tempo offense where the point guard played a significant role and that Olivia “FIT” what she was trying build. Beyond the game of basketball SIU has a history of holding the top GPA’s among their student athletes within their conference. As parents we truly believe in what it means to be a student-athlete, with Olivia being in the top 10% of her graduating class. SIU’s commitment to academic excellence weighed heavily on our choice. After an official visit two weeks later Olivia gave them a verbal, and signed a national letter of intent this past week.

As parents we see Olivia as a strong, yet silent, humble leader both on and off the court. Though her many sacrifices as being a true point guard often goes unnoticed, she has the heart of a giver as evident by her outstanding playmaking abilities. As we bring to a close the chapter of high school basketball and AAU tournaments, we prepare Olivia to move into a new era of her basketball career at the college level. Making sure she never forgets “Being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”(I Philippians 1:6), as she remains humble God will continue to exalt her in due time ( I Peter 5:6).
So what do you take from the Patterson’s journey? Write the VISION and make it plain! “For the VISION is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will SURELY come, it will not tarry” Habakkuk 2:3"

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to share our story,
The Patterson’s

CeCe signing Pic and scoring projections!

CeCe Harper is signed, sealed and delivered. The Madison guard headed into her the season as the all-time leading scorer at Madison, ending her Junior year with 1,666 points. She should easily surpass the 2,000 point mark this year and finish among the Top 3 scorers in the city's history(Meighan Simmons and Clarissa Davis the others). Not bad for a point guard!

(Side note: Boerne's Tori Talbert ranks 5th in Texas history with a total of 3,231 points)

I predict that Harper will lead San Antonio's 5A in scoring this year. She is surrounded by a young and inexperienced group and MUST score for her team to remain competitive. Two games into the season, she is averaging 21 points a game. At this pace she will end her career around 2400 points. That mark would leave her ranked in the Top 30 girls basketball scorers in the history for the state of Texas.(Britney Griner is ranked #26 with 2,424 points)

Your Help is Needed!

A tragic event has occurred to one of our own. A member of our basketball community has suffered a terrible loss this past weekend. The mother of a young girl who plays for the South Texas Hoyas was shot to death on Saturday in a domestic violence incident. I will not get into the details of the horrible incident but this young child and her sibling need our help. South Texas Hoyas coach, Theresa Nunn is spearheading a fundraising effort to help this young girl. She can be reached at theresa.nunn@southtexashoyas.com.


This tragedy puts the GAME of basketball in perspective. It is a GAME. Life happens and this horrible incident has happened to a beautiful young LIFE. Let us help her in a time when she needs us. We have cheered this young girl as she has grown into a wonderful basketball player. The evolution of her game has been a joy to watch. However, now is the time for our cheers to be truly heard. Now is the time for our encouragement and support to reflect our will.

Hector It Is!

Wagner standout, Len'Nique Brown has chosen to attend the University of Southern California on a full basketball scholarship. Brown made her final decision Sunday night. She is planning on signing today. Brown chose USC over Michigan State and San Diego State.

USC has commits from 3 out of the Hoopgurlz Top 100. Cassie Harberts(#11), Deisree Bradley(#35), and Thaddesia Southall(#99) all will join Brown in a great recruiting class that ushers in the Micheal Cooper era.

Congrats to the Brown Family, Wagner HS coaching staff, and TeamXpress!

Signings! and Commits!! and Offers!!!

The SA area is buzzing with excitement as signing week has ushered in a wave of emotions. Happiness abounds as girls basketball is celebrated throughout the city. Years of hard and deliberate work have culminated in the following kids having a day to remember:

Olivia Patterson (Steele HS)- Patterson signed her LOI to attend Southern Illinois University on Thursday. While ALL signings are special, this one is particularly so. Patterson caught the eye of her future college through the old way. While Patterson has played for two of the most prominent local clubs over the last two years and one of the most successful high schools in the SA area, she did not get her SIU offer through these environments. Her family used alternative means of letting the Salukis coaching know that she was worthy of a scholarship. Her story and her parents perspective will be posted here shorty. Her father is currently stationed in Korea( Thanks to all the service men and women for their sacrifices!!) and viewed the signing via a lap top.

Meighan Simmons (Steele HS)- Simmons accolades have been chronicled here frequently. She will leave the city as the all-time leading scorer but yesterday fulfilled her life long dream by signing with the University of Tennessee. Her mother followed up her signing with a mass email titled," Dreams Do Come True". Indeed!

CeCe Harper (Madison HS)- Harper will sign her letter of intent today in Madison High School's foyer at 2:30pm. Harper will ink her future with Kansas University Jayhawks and reunite with her high school teammate and friend, Monica Engleman. Harper turned down dozens of offers from others to answer the call of the Big 12 school.

Cheyenne Berry(Lytle HS-) Berry committed to Stephen F. Austin last night! Berry chose the Lumberjacks over Southeast Louisiana ,South Alabama, and Incarnate Word . Berry visited the school a couple of weeks ago and felt right at home. Berry will sign before the end of next weeks signing period. SFA is a member of the Southland Conference.

Jessica Kuster (Reagan HS)- Kuster signed with the Rice Owls yesterday. Kuster originally committed to UTA but later decided that Rice was a better fit for her. She can now concentrate on trying to earn her first district championship.

Kiante Ageous ( Sam Houston HS)- KiKi signed with the University of Arizona yesterday. Arizona is making waves in the Pac-10 with a young and aggressive coaching staff led by former Tennessee player Nia Butts. Ageous joins a long line of recent Sam Houston stand outs going on to play at the D1 level including, Tai Dillard(Texas), Sarah Miles(West Virginia) and Chanice Scott(Tulsa).

Chelsea Solis ( Wagner HS)- Solis will sign with Texas A & M Kingsville today at Wagner High School. Solis is an integral part of a team that has its eyes set on Austin.

Stephanie Wittman (Alamo Heights HS)- Wittman signed with Kansas State over SMU, Central Florida and UC Santa Barbara. Wittman's difficult journey was chronicled in a gripping piece by SA Express writer Chad Peters. Wittman's signing is truly a celebration and speaks to everything that is right about the power of girls basketball.

Ciara McLee(Judson HS)- According to her club coach, McLee has received two D1 offers in the past two days. Southeast Louisiana offered her a scholarship on Wednesday night and Texas State followed suit last night. McLee has not determined which school will gain her services but a decision should be eminent. The early signing period ends next week. Both schools are in the Southland Conference.

Len'Nique Brown (Wagner HS)- Brown has officially narrowed her choices down to USC, Michigan State and San Diego State. She is apparently using this weekend to finalize her decision. She is expected to sign on Monday.


Congrats to all the young ladies and their families! You all deserve the success it.

Parting Shot!!- In light of a disturbing trend of coaches advising players to wait to sign, I must say this. If your club coach or high school coach is advising the parents of their players to wait until the late signing period to sign in an effort to get a "bigger school" to recruit your child, here is a thought. How about asking that coach to put up the tens of thousands of dollars that it takes to get a college education as a back up plan? If these coaches are so sure that your child can hold out on valid offers to get a so-called better offer, they should not have a problem putting their money where their mouth is. As we all know, free advice can be extremely expensive!

Victoria Willems Signs!

Victoria Willems can now concentrate on having her most productive year of basketball. Her big day came in a signing ceremony at MacArthur High School yesterday. Willems signed with William and Mary on the first day of the signing period.

Willems will have the opportunity to match up against one of the best players in the nation for the three years. The University of Delaware is in the same conference as William and Mary and features the consensus #1 ranked player in the nation for the year of 2008, Elena DelleDonne. EDD originally committed to UConn but chose to return home and attend Delaware. She reportedly had 50 points in a scrimmage last week while shooting 20 for 25. Willems plays the same position and has a great opportunity in the match up.

Willems is a 6'2 forward that can hit the 17 footer with consistency. MacArthur has a new 5-Out offense that encourages her to shoot the 3-ball and use her polished face up game to score. MacArthur is expected to be a major contender for their district championship. They return the majority of their play-off team from last year.

Congrats to the Willems Family, MacArthur HS Staff, and the SA Comets Elite!

Jay banged up? Other good matchups!

Going into tonight's opening season match up against Madison, John Jay is reportedly a little banged up. Ankles sprains and pulled hamstrings have supposedly bitten the Mustangs. The Mustangs lock up with the Mavericks at 7:30 at Littleton. Some other good match ups follow:

Incarnate Word vs Marshall @ Taylor (5pm)

Judson vs Reagan @ Littleton (6pm)

Roosevelt vs Sam Houston @ ACC (6:30pm)

Boerne Champion @ Stevens (6:30pm)

Alamo Heights @ Wagner (7pm)

Smithson Valley @ NB Canyon (7:30pm)

For a complete list of tonight's games, click here: