Prep basketball: Senior’s instincts lead her to Davenport University

PALMER — As the leader on the hard wood for his Palmer High School girls’ basketball squad, PHS head coach Paul Reid has confidence in point guard Mattie Cox to trust her instincts when making decisions on the court.

So when it came to making arguably the most important decision of her basketball career, Reid told his senior standout to trust her instincts.

And that’s what Cox did when she signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Davenport University women’s basketball team for the 2008-09 season.

Cox, a member of the Palmer girls’ varsity squad for nearly her entire four-year stay at PHS, initially had decided to postpone choosing where she will play college basketball until after her senior season. But during a visit to the Grand Rapids, Mich., school, the Davenport coaching staff asked her to make her decision by mid-December.

While still in Michigan, Cox sought the advice of her head coach.

“He told me to go with my gut feeling,” Cox said earlier this week. “I had a great feeling and thought, just go for it.”

Cox signed her intent before she left Grand Rapids.

“Now I don’t have to worry about it,” Cox said.

Davenport is an NAIA program that competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Panthers enter the 2007-08 as the defending conference champions, and in October, Davenport was the preseason pick to win the conference crown again this season.

Cox said she had considered a handful of schools at the NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA level. Among the other programs Cox was in contact were Kalamazoo College, a Division III program in Michigan; Diversity College, a Division III program in Ohio; and Columbia Union College, a Division II team in Maryland.

Coincidentally, Cox had the opportunity to see Davenport play Columbia Union. Cox traveled with the team on a road trip to Columbia Union.

“It sounds like they courted her pretty well,” Reid said.

Reid said he feels like Davenport and the NAIA level will be a good fit for the 5-foot-4 point guard.

“I personally feel like it’s a level she can step in and get some playing time,” Reid said. “She has a great passion for the game, and I’m excited she gets to continue that passion at the next level.”

Reid said he had no doubt that Cox could play in college, but the head coach tried to steer Cox toward the right level of college basketball.

“We talked about Division II, that’s a dream she had,” Reid said. “I gave her some examples of Division II players (from Alaska) and what happened to their careers. She really wants to play and be at an impact level. NAIA is a good level for her to do that.”

Reid also said Cox is a good fit for Davenport’s up-tempo style.

“They definitely push the ball up and down the floor,” Reid said. “She has a lot of strength with that style. It should be a pretty nice transition for her.”

Cox said her enthusiasm about her decision goes past just basketball.

“It’s everything I want in a school,” she said.

The Davenport coaching staff awarded her with a scholarship to cover tuition, the school offers the academic program she wishes to pursue and in Grand Rapids she’ll be a short distance away from relatives.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.