By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
On National Signing Day, Troy girls' basketball standout Harper Whetstine signed to Division I Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley Conference
Whetstine received several offers from schools, but she says as soon as she got to Cedar Falls, Iowa, the home of the Panthers, she knew it was the place for her
"The community, the people, the atmosphere was just amazing, and I knew it as soon as I got there,” Whetstine tells reporters.
Whetstine says with all the offers she received, the experience was a bit stressful
"Just wanting to pick the right school, make the right decision, and like obviously make sure I enjoy it and have fun enjoy it the whole time,” Whetstine explains. “So it was kind of stressful but I’m so excited now.”
Whetstine becomes the first girls' basketball player ever from Troy to sign and play Division I basketball.
That's something head coach Derek Jasper believes gives the younger generation something to look up to, much like experiencing the Trojans going to state last year
"We saw these older girls do it, we saw how excited the community gets, that’s a goal we want to have too,” Jasper explains. “So, great for her and very exciting for our community.”
Whetstine says she loves knowing that she can be an inspiration for others
"It’s like always been a dream of mine to be a role model for others and especially having a little sister, it’s just so fun,” Whetstine says.
Whetstine holds several records at Troy including points in a season (618), as well as in a single game (43), single season steals (154), and career three pointers made (144), numbers that could change with Whetstine still having one year to play with the Trojans.
Whetstine says she prides herself on just being a versatile player
"Help everyone else, do everything I can, just basically do everything,” Whetstine says.
Jasper says the Panthers are getting a player that he thinks is ready to go right now
"Combo guard, can really handle the ball, can really shoot it,” Jasper says. “One of the things that kind of goes unnoticed here, because she has to score so much for us, is she’s a great passer and as soon as she gets some talent around her that’s on her level she’s going to be like an assist queen.”
With the signing out of the way, Whetstine now will get to focus on the upcoming basketball season, hoping to help the Trojans return to state after a third place finish last season.
Troy opens their season on December 1st at Valley Falls.
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