Seneca Valley Reece McFadden’s basketball bloodlines, IQ already has her on D-I college radars
CRANBERRY TWP — Reece McFadden wasn’t born to be a basketball player.
The Seneca Valley sophomore was, however, born into the game.
Her mother played basketball at Youngstown State University and has been a youth coach in the sport. Her father played at the University of Akron and is an assistant men’s coach at Duquesne University.
“We’re a basketball household, to be sure,” Christie McFadden said. “But we never forced the game onto our girls. We introduced them to it. It was their choice whether they wanted to play.”
No problem there.
“I tried other sports,” Reece said. “I played soccer until eighth grade. I did volleyball, even T-ball, when I was younger. Basketball is simply my passion. I fell in love with the game early.”
Now she’s being recruited early. Youngstown State offered Reece a scholarship over the summer, and she’s been invited to elite camps. Her younger sister, Kellyn, is on the seventh-grade team at Seneca Valley.
Her mother played at YSU from 1998-2001, suffering a pair of torn ACL’s twice in her collegiate career. She started some games for the Penguins while a teammate who earned conference player of the year was out with a torn ACL of her own, she said.
“Recruiting is a process, and we don’t know what’s going to happen down the road,” Christie said. “At the same time, it was nostalgic for me going back to Youngstown, walking down those halls with Reece. I’m so proud of her. I’m thrilled that Youngstown State has interest in her.
“Where Reece goes will be her decision. As parents, we’ll step aside and let her go with it. Of course, we’re there to support and help her along the way. She has a lot of work to do.”
Reece is averaging 14 points, six rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Raiders this season.
“Just in basketball knowledge, she’s so advanced for her age,” Seneca Valley girls basketball coach Dorothea Epps said of Reece. “On the floor, she’s a fierce competitor. Put those two things together and you get a player with a lot of upside.
“Reece reminds me a lot of (former Butler and Duquesne basketball player) Olivia Bresnahan in that I can play her at any position, one through five, and she can adapt to anything we need her to do. This girl is never satisfied. She just wants to get better.”
Gaining knowledge of the game began early in Reece’s life. While in second grade, she sat with her father, Rick, as he broke down Akron game films.
“We’d take her to the Akron games when she was a toddler,” Christie said. “Even then, Reece sat there, watched, studied the game. She was fascinated by it. She learned so much watching those game films. ... In second grade, she could carry on an in-depth basketball conversation with any adult.
“Playing elementary school ball, Reece would put herself in defensive position on the court. She wasn’t a magnet to the ball like most kids that age.”
Working on her game is something Reece does well beyond the Raiders’ practice sessions. She plays AAU ball with the Western Pa. Bruins. There is a hoop in the family driveway that gets plenty of usage.
And there are early and late gym times at Run The Show, a facility in Cranberry Township owned by Pine-Richland boys basketball coach Steve McNees.
Reece and Kellyn get practice time in the gym at 7 a.m. on weekends — before the facility opens — and at 9 p.m., after the gym is closed.
“My husband (Rick) and Steve coached together and are good friends,” Christie said. “He gives us access to the gym. Practice on the driveway is fine, but it’s always good to get on the hardwood.
“Reece and Kellyn go at each other hard on the court. At times, it feels like we’re raising boys. I mean, I say, ‘Hey, don’t put your sister in a headlock.’”
Unfazed by her early college recruitment, the 6-foot tall Reece said she continues working on all three phases of her offense.
“Outside shorts, driving to the hoop, pull-ups ... I’m getting more into the physical aspect of the game now,” Reece said. “I need to work on my rebounding more. My goal is to be a Division I basketball player one day, but I have to continue growing as a player.”
Rick was the recruiting coordinator at Akron for years. He assists in the recruiting process at Duquesne, as well.
“We know the recruiting game from both ends,” Christie said. “Offers can come early. They can go away early, too. It really is a process. I coached Reece’s team that made the state middle school championship in sixth grade. We wouldn’t let her attempt a 3-point shot back then. We wanted her to be a complete player.”
Mission accomplished.
“In terms of technique, how to get open for her shot, posting up ... she’s got it,” Epps said. “Reece’s name is well known now. She’s all about business on the court. She’s not just about making herself better. She wants to make Seneca Valley better.”
Reece is all about business in the classroom, as well. She carries a 3.9 GPA.
“She’s into challenges in every phase of her life,” Reece’s mother said. “When she played soccer, she was the goalie. She relished the overtime shootouts, thrived on the pressure. That’s just who she is.”
Seneca Valley is 5-0 in WPIAL Section 1-6A so far this season. The Raiders play North Allegheny on Thursday night.
“When I’m done playing, I want to coach basketball,” Reece said. “It will always be part of my life. Right now, I’m focused on helping our team win the section. Seneca Valley hasn’t won a playoff game in more than 20 years. It’s time to end that.
“Everything else will come in time.”
