Momence Standout Brings Star Power to Tuscaloosa
12/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? The pieces of the puzzle are coming together for third-year head coach Stephany Smith. With her second full recruiting class under her belt, a picture is starting to form. With the addition of Momence High School standout Candace Sykes, the missing piece may have been put into place.
Sykes is rated as the No. 19 guard in the country and ranks No. 58 overall by hoopgurlz.com. The St. Anne, Ill. native brings the Tide a polished recruit that will be able to step in immediately and help the young Bama squad.
“I feel the pieces are already in place,” Sykes said. “They just need to be polished up. I think the 2008 class will bring that to Alabama.”
Ever since the moment Sykes stepped on the hardwood for head coach Molly Grasha at Momence, a star was born. Sykes has led the Lady Redskins in scoring and rebounding every season, including her freshman campaign.
Thus far in her career, Sykes has amassed 1676 points, 795 rebounds, 347 steals, 399 assists and 183 blocks, this, in just three seasons.
“I feel I bring leadership to the floor,” Sykes said. “I like to be aggressive and push the ball.”
Sykes has done just that as she led her team to their first ever Super Sectional appearance. The Lady Redskins finished 27-2 in 2006-07, which included a 26-game winning streak. Momence was ranked No. 5 in the Class A AP poll.
For her effort, Sykes was named a First-Team All-State selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. The 5-10 Sykes averaged 19.6 points per game and 9.7 rebounds while adding 4.5 steals per game and 3.9 assists per contest as a junior.
This season Sykes has the Lady Redskins poised for another long run into the postseason. Momence is currently 7-1 and ranked No. 8 in the Illinois Class AA. Earlier in the season, the sharpshooter tallied 28 points, her career-best is 39, set last season.
“Candace is a very well rounded guard who can shoot the deep three with great accuracy,” coach Smith said. “She has solid ball handling skills; athleticism and the ability to play at all guard spots as well as small forward. My favorite trait of Candace as a basketball player, however, is her basketball savvy and how cerebral she is in playing the game. Her talent is very pleasantly gift wrapped with an unassuming and selfless character that teammates love. Any of these attributes individually make her gifted; collectively, they make her pretty special.”
With all the accolades, Sykes has proven to be one of coach Smith’s highest touted recruits. Sykes chose Alabama over St. Johns, Illinois State, Ball State and Dayton to name a few. The Capstone immediately captured the attention of the St. Anne, Ill. native.
“I love everything about the school,” Sykes said. “From the fans, gameday atmosphere, coaches and campus, I like the South and the conference, everything was a perfect fit.”
With all the pieces of the puzzle coming together for the Tide, Sykes may just be that last perfect fit that restores the tradition of Alabama women’s basketball.
