South Elgin’s Smith bound for Loyola

Updated: August 11, 2011 2:31PM

During her first three varsity seasons Becca Smith built the reputation of being one of the hardest working and most talented girls basketball players in the area.

Now South Elgin’s all-time leading scorer has a little extra incentive to continue elevating her game.

Smith made her college plans official Monday when she committed to Loyola University. With the decision out of the way, the 5-foot-7 point guard can now focus on guiding the Storm during her senior season and preparing herself to be a Division-I athlete.

“Getting this out of the way is kind of a stepping stone,” Smith said. “I’ve made my decision and I know where I’m going to go play college basketball, but now I have to get up to that level so that when I do get to Loyola I’m ready to contribute right away. This is definitely going to make me work harder.”

In Smith, Loyola will get a player who averaged 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a junior. She’s been named to The Courier-News All-Area first team in all three of her varsity seasons and has amassed 1,422 points.

Smith said her decision came down to Loyola and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She also attracted interest from Valparaiso and Indiana, but in the end she felt most comfortable with the Ramblers.

Being closer to home and having her supportive parents roughly an hour away played a big part in Smith’s decision, but Loyola head coach Eric Simpson and assistant coach Clare Bodensteiner sealed the deal.

“Coach Simpson and coach Clare are two of the finest people that I’ve met on this recruiting journey,” Smith said. “I can really tell they want me to get better and they’re really willing to help me get to that next step. They’re definitely very supportive of all their players, and that’s kind of what sold me on going to Loyola.”

The Ramblers finished 12-19 last season under Simpson in his second year at the helm. Loyola competes in the Horizon League.

A left knee injury briefly slowed Smith during her junior season, but she said there have been no ill effects during a busy summer spent attending camps and travelling with her AAU team. Smith is enjoying a short break now before the start of school, and she said having her college decision already made is a “big relief.”

“I was definitely hoping to get this done before school started,” Smith said. “It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders, and now I can just focus on my senior school year and my senior basketball season.”

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