Video: Sabrina Ionescu highlights
MaxPreps National Player of the Year headed to Oregon.At last, the 2015-16 MaxPreps National Girls Basketball Player of the Year decided what college she would attend this fall.
Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte
File photo by Dennis Lee
graduate
Sabrina Ionescu, considered one of the most cerebral girls basketball players in recent history, picked Oregon over Washington as her school of choice on Sunday, the day of the NBA's seventh-and-deciding game.
The 6-foot guard, who averaged 28.5 points, 9.7 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 5.5 steals per game last year for the 32-1 Matadors, told
Jonathan Hawthorne Sunday: "I'm around a good program, good coaches and great teammates around me. I think a great school overall. That helps me feel like I'm at home here."
Rated the top guard in the country and No. 3 overall by ProspectsNation.com, Ionescu surprised Oregon coach Kelly Graves Sunday and signed a grant-in-aid agreement. She began attending classes today in Eugene.
"I literally just walked up, I didn't really say anything," Ionescu told Hawthorne. "I pulled out some papers and signed them. I didn't do it too big. I'm not really that type of person."
Graves told Hawthorne it was a great Father's Day gift. Ionescu was the McDonald's All-American Game MVP after scoring a McDonald's record 25 points while collecting 10 rebounds.
"This is a great day," Graves said. "Her basketball IQ is incredible. She sees the game differently than most players. She's ahead of what's happening on the court."
Her late decision raised some eyebrows. She never committed or de-committed and warned everyone her decision might take a while. Even her parents had no idea until the final days.
"She did what she said she was going to do and she waited," Miramonte coach Kelly Sopak told MaxPreps. "In doing so she discovered the true colors of certain schools, which an early commit would never discover until it's too late."
Sopak, who has coached Ionescu since the third grade and who is also her club coach, was offered an assistant's position at Washington, a Final Four team in April.
"It is always flattering and humbling when these offers are made," Sopak said. "Over the last few years I have been very fortunate to entertain the possibility to coach in college. This opportunity was special in that it was at a national championship caliber team with an incredible athletic tradition and it would have meant going home for me (Sopak is from Seattle).
"It was difficult, but after careful consideration, with support from my family, I decided to stay here in the Bay. I am excited to lead the next generation Matadors through the rebuilding process."
During Ionescu's career, Miramonte went 119-9 and last year finished No. 12 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings.
