When you know, you know.
That’s the feeling West Geauga junior Athena Hocevar had prior to announcing her commitment to continuing her education and basketball career at Youngstown State University.
“I knew from Day 1 that YSU was where I felt most comfortable,” Hocevar said. “Their staff is just amazing and so involved in making sure every player reaches their full potential. I loved the campus and I loved the girls and they are close to home, which was amazing for my family and me.”
Hocevar, the reigning Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division MVP, announced her commitment on Monday via Twitter.
“It was super exciting to know that I would be continuing my basketball career in college because all the time that you put in is really starting to show the true outcome,” she said. “I know my parents are especially thrilled because they see my dreams becoming reality and that is very special.”
She picked Youngstown State over interest from Air Force, Austin Peay, Ball State, Cleveland State, Columbia, Detroit Mercy, Furman, High Point, Lehigh, Miami and Oakland.
Youngstown State began tracking Hocevar during the AAU season prior to her sophomore year.
The Penguins began with a few phone calls and then invited her to visit the campus and the pieces just fell into place.
“I feel that I have developed a great relationship with the coaches and players there,” she said. “The coaches have always been so supportive and always there for anything I needed and I really felt like I was going to be taken care of. The players are the sweetest. Mady Aulbach is a freshman there this year and she has made me feel so welcome along with every player.”
A 6-foot shooting guard/wing, Hocevar averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game in leading the Wolverines to the CVC title. In addition to her MVP award, she was named first-team all-conference and all-district and third-team All-Ohio.
She’ll play on the wing in college.
“This is the role I play now so I am very comfortable in it,” she said. “They also recruited me because of my versatility and I can play anywhere they put me.”
Hocevar hasn’t determined what she’ll major in at Youngstown State but she’s leaning toward Chemical Engineering or Actuarial Sciences.
She has plenty of time to make that decision and she also has another year with the West Geauga Wolverines, who hope to appear in the first state tournament since the OHSAA moved the final four to Dayton.
“I am so excited to have this next year with my team,” she said. “I know we are all working hard and we will push it even harder when we can all get in the gym together. We have some unfinished business and I feel that our goal is to make a state-run and another CVC title.”
