7/24/2020 basketball Edit

2022 SG Adlee Blacklock Talks Oregon State Commitment

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

Publisher

With Scott Rueck and the Oregon State women's basketball team landing its first commitment in the 2022 class in rising SG Adlee Blacklock, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter caught up with the talented guard to get her thoughts on choosing OSU.

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The Oregon State women's basketball program took a big step forward to the future on Tuesday afternoon as the Beavers landed 2022 SG Adlee Blacklock (TX) for its first commitment in the 2022 class.

"I loved what Oregon State had in a culture and coaching staff," Blacklock said. "When my family and I were going through the recruiting process, we thought Oregon State fit what I wanted.

I had three things I was looking for in a program: 1. Culture 2. Coaching 3. The school outside of basketball. I took a visit in September and it was beautiful. I fell in love with everything they have up there."

The 6-foot shooting guard not only fell in love with Corvallis but developed a strong bond with assistant coach Brian Holsinger. Once Holsinger was able to develop the relationship and eventually introduce her Rueck and the rest of the staff, she was hooked.

"It was beautiful. We don't many trees in Lubbock and the ones we do have are pretty ugly. When I came to Corvallis in the fall with the leaves changing, I thought it was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. I just fell in love with everything and everyone in Corvallis."

In terms of what Blacklock is going to bring to the floor, she has a diverse skillset that allows her to run the offense, shoot, lead by example, and play stout defense.

"I love to shoot the ball, that's my favorite thing. I bring versatility to my game too and play the best defense I can while also trying to be the best leader on the floor I can be.

Perhaps the most interesting O. Henry twist of Blacklock's recruitment is the fact that she grew up a diehard Baylor fan by way of her parents both attending the school. She fondly remembers the Beavers defeating her Lady Bears not once, but twice, in the last several years.

"I grew up a big-time Baylor fan, and I remember watching the NCAA Tournaments against Oregon State and wondering, who's this orange and black team that knocked my team out not once, but twice? I remember despising Oregon State, but then they started recruiting me and I was like, I love these guys!"

While Blacklock won't be in Corvallis for another couple of seasons, the rising junior already has a plan for what she's going to be focusing on during the coming campaigns to make her a more complete player by the time she arrives at OSU.

"I'm working on applying my basketball IQ to the floor because I feel I have a really strong knowledge of the game. This past year I learned how to apply that IQ to the game and I'm working more toward the mental side of basketball.

I've also been working on expanding my range and pulling up from anywhere on the floor. I'm going to be playing against girls who are Taylor Jones and Kennedy Brown height, so I want to be able to finish in the paint more effectively too. Lastly, you can't play at the next level without superb defense."