When the basketball season got here to finish in early March, Julia Buckley didn’t fairly know what her future had in retailer.
A senior, she had simply helped her Georgetown staff advance to the Division 5 Spherical of 16, choosing up two playoff wins alongside the way in which. It was the primary time the Royals had even made the postseason for the reason that 2015-16 season, and the primary time that they had received multiple playoff sport in not less than a decade.
However when the season ended, so did Buckley’s enjoying profession.
Or, not less than, so she initially thought.
In reality, she had already been accepted and was planning on going to Hawaii Pacific College — sure, the one in Honolulu — within the fall to review Psychology. She had traveled to Hawaii twice on trip along with her household in yr’s previous, and didn’t fairly must be bought too laborious on going to highschool out on the islands.
However because the season drew farther and farther within the rearview mirror, the itch to play basketball solely bought stronger.
“Coach (Tommy McDonald) texted me a couple of weeks in the past asking if I had made my faculty resolution but,” began Buckley. “I instructed I had a plan, however that I used to be actually lacking basketball rather a lot. I had by no means actually regarded into it earlier than and thought I may very well be a school participant. However he kind of took it from there and began calling some coaches across the space.”
What McDonald discovered was that Buckley’s companies have been in excessive demand.
Faculties like Regis, Fitchburg State, UMass Boston and Colby Sawyer all tried laborious, however ultimately Buckley determined to decide to the ladies’s staff at Curry School and coach Joe Reedy. It was robust to say no to going to highschool out in Hawaii, however ultimately Buckley’s want to proceed her basketball profession outweighed all else.
“After I went to Curry I knew that was the proper spot for me,” mentioned Buckley, who dedicated final Friday. “I’m undoubtedly very enthusiastic about it. Enjoying on the subsequent stage was one thing I had all the time wished, however didn’t suppose was potential. After I went for the campus tour, I met with Cocah Reedy and he launched me to among the gamers, who have been all very welcoming and instructed me kind of what to anticipate after I get there.”
Buckley is the primary from the Georgetown women program to play on the subsequent stage since Cayla Durkee (GHS 2016) went on to have a strong four-year profession at Westfield State.
“She actually instructed me April twenty sixth that she’s not going to Hawaii and he or she needs to play,” mentioned McDonald. So I used to be like, ‘Okay, lets make it occur.’ and a bunch of different colleges have been all for her, so we needed to make it occur quick. However the Curry coached noticed her and liked her and supplied her immediately, and it didn’t take lengthy for Julia to simply accept.
“She bought her love of the sport again.”
With women like CeCelia Neilson, Carena Ziolkowski, Audrey Masse and Tyrah Marcelin dealing with the majority of the scoring for the Royals this winter, Buckley averaged 4.0 factors per sport. However standing 6-foot-1, she was the staff’s prime rebounder and was a stellar defensive anchor and rim protector.
And people are the talents Curry fell in love with essentially the most.
“She’s bought nice measurement, and he or she’s a fantastic rebounder and nice shot-blocker,” mentioned McDonald. “And her submit strikes have gotten higher and are nonetheless bettering. I believe she’s completely a diamond within the tough on the faculty stage. She’s going to be superior for them.”