By: Kendall Majette
After playing for three years at two Power Five schools, Texas Tech and Purdue,
Lyndsey Whilby has found a new home, and it's at Kennesaw State.
After graduating from McEachern High School in 2017, Whilby began her collegiate basketball career at Texas Tech University. During her time with the Red Raiders, Whilby secured numerous achievements, including a Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor.
Texas Tech was one of Whilby's first collegiate offers, and after taking a tour of the campus the coaches and players immediately made her feel at home. Whilby said she knew after high school that she didn't want to attend college in Georgia, so the fact that Texas Tech was located across the country made it even more appealing.
Due to changes to the coaching staff, Whilby decided to transfer to Purdue University after her freshman season to continue her career. Before making the decision, Whilby took three visits to the school and found that Purdue was extremely invested in academic learning. This realization piqued Whilby's interest and became a huge factor in her decision to move schools.
Whilby spent the next two years at Purdue, and during that time she secured a career-high in both steals and assists among other achievements. Whilby also had the opportunity to play in both the first and second rounds of the Big Ten Tournament.
Whilby said that a few of her teammates were residents of the areas that she played in, and during her off days she would hang out at their houses with their families. Whilby told a story of one of the players from the Texas Tech men's basketball team whose family took her in as one of their own. She would go to church and dinner with his family and attend their loved ones' birthday parties. Whilby expressed how grateful she was to him and his family for treating her with such kindness and love.
Although Whilby said she enjoyed her time playing against the best of the best at these Power Five schools, there was still a part of her that missed being in her hometown of Powder Springs. Whilby said it was hard for her at first to get adjusted to the different atmospheres, but over time it got easier with the help of her coaches and teammates.
As a result of opting out of her senior year at Purdue, Whilby made the ultimate decision to spend her last year of eligibility at Kennesaw State. Playing at KSU was something that had always been on Whilby's mind, and the idea of Coach Blue being her head coach helped her decide to finally transfer. Whilby knew Blue from her time at the University of Miami, and she connected with her due to them both having experience at the Power Five level.
Whilby said she has had a great experience at KSU so far. She said that there isn't much difference between KSU and her prior schools because Coach Blue runs the women's basketball program like a Power Five school. The only difference is being closer to home now, which is something she is very appreciative of.
Whilby's favorite part about playing at Kennesaw State is being able to play the game she loves again. Basketball has always been very special to Whilby and being able to step on the court again and play is something she said she took for granted during her time off.
"When I opted out, I really took for granted having my coaches and teammates around to support me," said Whilby. "Being around people I love makes playing the game so worth it."
Whilby said that there is nothing she would change about her collegiate journey. She said that the person she is today is a result of her experiences at all three schools. "I am the person I am because of my journey, and it has made me understand myself better," said Whilby. "Your experiences contribute to who you are as a person, and I am truly grateful for mine."
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