From the very beginning, it just felt right.
Nazareth senior Alexis Sykes stepped onto campus at South Alabama last week and knew she’d found the place for her. The Lady Kingsmen basketball standout made it official May 4, committing to the program and cementing her on-court future for the next four years.
She hasn’t stopped smiling since.
“I just feel like this is the best school I could have possibly chosen,” Sykes said. “The coaching staff is really great and it’s far from New York, which I think I need. It’s going to slow me down, make me more humble and I’m so excited to go.”
Sykes said she’s proud of her college choice — and proud of herself for getting to this point.
The road hasn’t been easy — her father passed away when she was a freshman — but she’s found an outlet through basketball and her dedication to the game hasn’t faltered.
“Basketball saved me. There’s been days I’ve just stayed in the gym from nine in the morning until 12 at night,” Sykes said. “It kept me off the streets, away from things most people would be doing at my age, but for me basketball is my guardian angel. It really helped me get through a lot. Without basketball, this wouldn’t happen.”
Sykes credits Nazareth and her coaches there with keeping her on the right path, and she’s confident she’ll have a similar support system at South Alabama next season.
She met the entire team during her official visit and, as the only player from New York, said she is more than willing to show them her hometown.
“I’m the only one from New York, the only one from up North really, so it’ll be a big adjustment,” she said. “I told everybody else on my team, they can come to New York. Any time they want to come to New York, they’re more than welcome to stay at my house.”
The key for Sykes was finding a program where she knew she could make an impact, and she already knows exactly what her role at South Alabama will be: scoring.
The squad lacked a big-time offensive weapon last season and Sykes is anxious to fill that role. It also helps that Jaguars coach Terry Fowler has already expressed confidence in Sykes and her jump shot.
“When a coach has confidence in me as a freshman, that means a lot to me,” Sykes said. “It says that I can be great at this game, but it’s up to me if I want to be great. So as long as he gives me the blueprint to be successful, I’m going to follow that.”
As far as Sykes is concerned, the sky is the limit. She knows how hard she worked to get here and she’s ready to spend the next four years proving it was all worth it.
“It’s the best feeling in the world right now,” she said. “I’m going to college for free. That’s a dream come true.”
