SE: K-State WBB Freshmen Close, Different and Pushing Each Other
Nov 05, 2018 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
K-State women's basketball's four freshmen — Christianna Carr, Ayoka Lee, Laura Macke and Savannah Simmons — are close, more so than the average first-year teammates. One major reason why? They're very different.
Another reason? Their history together goes back much further than the day they moved in — more on that later.
The result of both factors is a freshmen group, which was ranked as a top 25 recruiting class by multiple outlets, already comfortable to push each other in ways that often takes a season or two to develop.
"We all kind of just make sure we're on the same path each and every day and we're working hard together," Carr said, as K-State hosts Pittsburg State for its final exhibition on Monday at 7 p.m."We always motivate each other. Like, 'Hey, take your vitamins. Hey, we're going to shoot. Hey, I'm going to go shoot. Do you want to go with me?'"
Lee, a 6-foot-5 center, got to K-State recovering from a knee injury she suffered in high school. From the start, however, she said her new roommates kept her in good spirits. She pointed to one example specifically from the summer. She was having one of those "long days" and wanted to sleep it away, yet the other three turned her day around, with a movie, before she could get to her room.
"Stuff like that, little things. They're very aware and we check up on each other," she said. "They're just there for me and I'm there for them. It works."
This also works when it comes to academics, Simmons said.
"If we're tired after practice and don't feel like going to class or something, we'll push each other and say, 'Let's go. Let's just learn today, come back and then we can get a nap.' Or, 'Let's do homework together,'" she said.
"We're just making sure we're not all forgetting what the main reason why we're here is," Carr added, "and that's definitely to be the best athlete and student that we can be."
The positive products of the four freshmen's tightknit relationship stem back, at least partly, to how well they fit together from the get-go. As previously mentioned, this did not take place because their interests or personalities completely align. It was quite the opposite.
"It's not what we have in common," said Carr, a 6-foot-1 guard rated as a top 25 recruit by Prospects Nation and ESPNW Hoopgurlz. "It's our differences that fit together like a puzzle. That's what makes us closer."
Take their roles living with each other, for example, as broken down by Simmons.
While describing herself as the organized one, Simmons called Carr "the goofy one," Lee "the mom of the house," and Macke "the smart one." Carr, more or less, concurred with this assessment. Lee said their differences "definitely keeps it interesting."
"It would be very boring if we were all the same," Lee said.
"I think we all gel really well together," added Simmons, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Bel Air, Maryland.
Their cohesiveness has also had more time to form than just the few months they have lived together in Manhattan.
For Carr, Lee and Simmons, their relationship started years ago.
As freshmen from different Minnesota high schools, Carr and Lee both met at a USA Basketball U16 National Team tryout. The following summer, Carr, Lee and Simmons all played for different teams at Nike Nationals, a prestigious EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) tournament.
"They came to my games," Carr, who moved to Manhattan before her junior year of high school, said. "I came to Savvy's. We both went to Yokie's."
Those three took an unofficial visit to K-State together as sophomores. Eventually, they all verbally committed to K-State — Carr doing so first in December of 2016, followed by Lee in early January of 2017 and Simmons in February of 2017 — and started a group text message.
"We just talked and started texting every day," Simmons said. "Our relationship just kind of grew through that."
Macke joined the class in September 2017. Once Carr found out, she set out to track down Macke on social media to get her in the group chat. This led to the other three's first lesson about Macke, a Baileyville native.
"Laura's like never on her phone," Carr said, laughing. "You'll probably get one tweet out of her a year."
Carr's slight exaggeration aside, Macke joined the group, its chat and fit right in.
"It was just easy for her to get along with everyone," Lee said.
"They already knew each other a little bit but I joined in just fine," Macke, a 6-foot-2 guard, added. "We had our group message before we got here, and we'd chat about random things, like who's bringing what to the (apartment) and how excited we all were to get here."
The day they finally arrived in Manhattan this summer, Simmons said, was beyond exciting "because we were all close already, very close."
It's only built from there, with the positive effects already easy to see.
"If we weren't as close, we wouldn't hold each other accountable," Simmons said. "We have a goal. We need to do this together. We have to be in this together, come to practice, do well in practice together. There's a lot expected out of our freshmen class, I think, so if we all push each other to play well, then I think we'll have a successful season."
K-State women's basketball's four freshmen — Christianna Carr, Ayoka Lee, Laura Macke and Savannah Simmons — are close, more so than the average first-year teammates. One major reason why? They're very different.
Another reason? Their history together goes back much further than the day they moved in — more on that later.
The result of both factors is a freshmen group, which was ranked as a top 25 recruiting class by multiple outlets, already comfortable to push each other in ways that often takes a season or two to develop.
"We all kind of just make sure we're on the same path each and every day and we're working hard together," Carr said, as K-State hosts Pittsburg State for its final exhibition on Monday at 7 p.m."We always motivate each other. Like, 'Hey, take your vitamins. Hey, we're going to shoot. Hey, I'm going to go shoot. Do you want to go with me?'"
Lee, a 6-foot-5 center, got to K-State recovering from a knee injury she suffered in high school. From the start, however, she said her new roommates kept her in good spirits. She pointed to one example specifically from the summer. She was having one of those "long days" and wanted to sleep it away, yet the other three turned her day around, with a movie, before she could get to her room.
"Stuff like that, little things. They're very aware and we check up on each other," she said. "They're just there for me and I'm there for them. It works."
This also works when it comes to academics, Simmons said.
"If we're tired after practice and don't feel like going to class or something, we'll push each other and say, 'Let's go. Let's just learn today, come back and then we can get a nap.' Or, 'Let's do homework together,'" she said.
"We're just making sure we're not all forgetting what the main reason why we're here is," Carr added, "and that's definitely to be the best athlete and student that we can be."
The positive products of the four freshmen's tightknit relationship stem back, at least partly, to how well they fit together from the get-go. As previously mentioned, this did not take place because their interests or personalities completely align. It was quite the opposite.
"It's not what we have in common," said Carr, a 6-foot-1 guard rated as a top 25 recruit by Prospects Nation and ESPNW Hoopgurlz. "It's our differences that fit together like a puzzle. That's what makes us closer."
Take their roles living with each other, for example, as broken down by Simmons.
While describing herself as the organized one, Simmons called Carr "the goofy one," Lee "the mom of the house," and Macke "the smart one." Carr, more or less, concurred with this assessment. Lee said their differences "definitely keeps it interesting."
"It would be very boring if we were all the same," Lee said.
"I think we all gel really well together," added Simmons, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Bel Air, Maryland.
Their cohesiveness has also had more time to form than just the few months they have lived together in Manhattan.
For Carr, Lee and Simmons, their relationship started years ago.
As freshmen from different Minnesota high schools, Carr and Lee both met at a USA Basketball U16 National Team tryout. The following summer, Carr, Lee and Simmons all played for different teams at Nike Nationals, a prestigious EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) tournament.
"They came to my games," Carr, who moved to Manhattan before her junior year of high school, said. "I came to Savvy's. We both went to Yokie's."
Those three took an unofficial visit to K-State together as sophomores. Eventually, they all verbally committed to K-State — Carr doing so first in December of 2016, followed by Lee in early January of 2017 and Simmons in February of 2017 — and started a group text message.
"We just talked and started texting every day," Simmons said. "Our relationship just kind of grew through that."
Macke joined the class in September 2017. Once Carr found out, she set out to track down Macke on social media to get her in the group chat. This led to the other three's first lesson about Macke, a Baileyville native.
"Laura's like never on her phone," Carr said, laughing. "You'll probably get one tweet out of her a year."
Carr's slight exaggeration aside, Macke joined the group, its chat and fit right in.
"It was just easy for her to get along with everyone," Lee said.
"They already knew each other a little bit but I joined in just fine," Macke, a 6-foot-2 guard, added. "We had our group message before we got here, and we'd chat about random things, like who's bringing what to the (apartment) and how excited we all were to get here."
The day they finally arrived in Manhattan this summer, Simmons said, was beyond exciting "because we were all close already, very close."
It's only built from there, with the positive effects already easy to see.
"If we weren't as close, we wouldn't hold each other accountable," Simmons said. "We have a goal. We need to do this together. We have to be in this together, come to practice, do well in practice together. There's a lot expected out of our freshmen class, I think, so if we all push each other to play well, then I think we'll have a successful season."
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