With one foot in college and the other at Three Rivers High School, the multi-sport Wildcats standout signed her national letter of intent Tuesday to play basketball at Western Michigan University. The senior verbally committed to the Broncos last December.
Though her scholarship is for hoops, she’ll also compete for the WMU volleyball team as a preferred walk-on.
Teagan Reeves
Reeves, rated a four-star player by ESPN, enters her final prep basketball season holding program records in career scoring (1,062 points), blocked shots (238), blocks in a season (97) and blocks in a game (10). She needs just 12 rebounds to surpass the school record of 736.
An Associated Press Class B first-team all-state selection as a junior after averaging 21.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, four blocks, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game, Reeves is likely to be in the Michigan Miss Basketball conversation again this winter. The Wildcats are hoping to defend their Wolverine Conference championship last year.
The academic all-state middle hitter helped Three Rivers’ volleyball team advance to the Class B regional semifinals earlier this month and was named to the All-Wolverine Conference West Division First Team Thursday. Reeves started taking college classes at WMU this fall, which includes driving to Kalamazoo each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and said the plan is to redshirt next season in volleyball.
“That will kind of get my feet wet and get me started,” she said. “I think that will help me learn how to manage my time. Plus I’m taking classes up there right now, so that will also help me in the transition of going from a high school student to a college student. The athletics jump won’t necessarily be as big because I will have already had a taste of what college academics are like. I think that’s going to help me a lot. Redshirting is going to help me a lot because I’ll have a fifth year of just volleyball, so then I can space my credits out a lot.”
Tuesday’s signing was more ceremonial than anything for Reeves, whose commitment was always firm.
“Ever since I verbally committed last basketball season, I’ve always had that feeling that it has been a done deal,” Reeves said of her dedication to the Broncos prior to signing on the dotted line. “I never second-guessed my decision on committing to Western. Once I verbally committed in December, it was a done deal that day.”
Still, with the recruiting process starting earlier and earlier these days, she’s happy that it’s officially over.
“I was excited to technically make it official,” she said. “Now it’s going to be so much easier to have that out of the way and know that everything is a done deal. It just feels good.
“It is crazy to think of how long of a process it is. You don’t think that it starts when you’re that young, but it really does start like your freshman year. I’m just realizing that right now as I’m talking to you. I’ve been doing this stuff since my freshman year.”
Back row: Three Rivers AD Pete Anderson, Brooke Green, Frelen Gowen
Front row: Blake Reeves, Paul Reeves, Teagan Reeves and Janie Reeves
(Photo courtesy of Janie Reeves)
Western head coach Shane Clipfell, who is in his second year guiding the Broncos, said Reeves was on his radar immediately upon his arrival.
“Teagan was the kid we targeted in this class from the moment we took over this job at Western Michigan,” he said in a school press release. “She brings us physical toughness, versatility, leadership and another winning mind set from a high school program that wins championships year after year. She is exactly the type of player both physically and mentally that we need to insert into this program at this time. She is currently dual enrolled here at WMU so she should have a quicker time adjusting than most first-year players and we expect her to have a significant role in the resurgence of our women’s basketball program.”
The 2013-14 women’s basketball class includes Alexis Parks, who hails from Africentric High in Columbus, Ohio, and Kalamazoo Central’s Aneisha Carlisle. Only Reeves and Parks are on scholarship. Carlisle, taking advantage of the Kalamazoo Promise, has her expenses covered and will participate as a walk-on.
For volleyball, the Broncos inked Battle Creek St. Philip’s Sierra Hubbard-Neil, Elgin, Ill. Product Olivia Kofie and Grand Rapids Thornapple Kellogg’s Sydney Lemay. Reeves played club volleyball with both Hubbard-Neil and LeMay. She also spent time on the same AAU basketball team as Carlisle.
Reeves made sure to credit several people that helped her along the way, including AAU coach Dan Thornton and trainer Jesse Ward.
“They’ve been a huge part of all of this,” she said. “I’ve been working with Dan Thornton since my freshman year, and Jesse’s such a good trainer. I really appreciate how much he trains with me.”
The WMU volleyball team is 16-13 overall and wrapped up Mid-American Conference regular season play with a 9-7 mark. The squad takes on Ball State Friday in the first round of the MAC Tournament.
The Broncos women’s basketball team is 4-2 with seven nonconference games remaining before the start of league play.