December 16, 2020
BIG EAST Weekly: Maddy Siegrist, Nova on pause
UConn primed to be the talk of the town
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Hey hoops fans!
We know this season especially is ever-changing and as your resident BIG EAST specialist, I thought I’d bring you a weekly digest so you can keep up with all-basketball all the time BIG EAST Conference. I’ll bring you the top news, upcoming matchups, and the talk around the BE Eleven.
But first…
Congratulations to Tara VanDerveer for achieving 1,099 career wins. She has now passed the late Pat Summitt in most career wins as a head coach.
Undefeated Wildcats forced to shut down
Today’s Villanova at Providence game has been postponed because of a “COVID related issue with a recent Wildcat opponent.” It comes as the Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 and 1-0 in #BEleven play.
A huge part of that record falls on the shoulders of sophomore forward Maddie Siegrist. The back-to-back BIG EAST Player of the Week is averaging 22.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in six games.
The Poughkeepsie, NY native started her NCAA career with a season-ending injury, but that time on the sideline prepared her for BIG EAST play, she told The Next in a recent interview.
“I think like standing on the sideline, my dad, coach, and brother would always come over to me and talk me through different scenarios with the game, and that really helped me grow into it. X’s and O’s, to see different things, to see how certain players will get open … I think that it really did help me. And then you just get so much more – you’re so grateful for every opportunity that you do have and every time you step on the court.”
While she’s successfully navigated the comeback from injury, she and all of us continued to be faced with the ever-changing reality of sports (and life) during COVID.
“We’re making day trips that are usually a night trip, driving three hours a day, you know … we’re dealing with the constant changing of the schedule. So day-by-day you have to just be very flexible. You can’t look that far ahead because you really don’t know. Like at any moment any team could be shut down, your team could be shut down. And, you know, (you learn to) just make the most of every opportunity.”
Siegrist and her team are now in COVID protocol as a precaution, which means we’re missing them on the hardwood. But don’t fret, we’ll have much more from Maddie in an upcoming profile.
#BIGEASTWeekly Awards
And the winners are …
Player of the Week
Selena Lott, Marquette, Sr., G
Freshman of the Week
Paige Bueckers, Connecticut, Fr., G
Weekly Honor Roll
Sonya Morris, DePaul, Jr., G
Leilani Correa, St. John’s, So., G
Mya Jackson, Seton Hall, So., G
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, So., F
Kae Satterfield, Xavier, So., G
Upcoming Schedule through December 19
