Hendrick commits to UW-Parkside

Kelley Hendrick talked to only one college about playing basketball.

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside made her decision an easy one.

The Naperville Central senior made a verbal commitment to UW-Parkside this week. There she will join a program that finished 17-11 last year playing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Head coach Jenny Kenesie, an accomplished collegiate player at Louisville, sold Hendrick well on UW-Parkside.

"She played when she was in college," Hendrick said, "so she knows what she's doing. You can tell every practice is going to be hard because she wants the team to be as good as possible."

Hendrick, the fifth-leading scorer at Naperville Central over the past 20 years, averaged 12.2 points last season, her third at the varsity level. She also led the team with 149 assists and 112 steals, as the Redhawks won a regional championship.

"They said they saw a lot of potential in me," Hendrick said, "and they liked how I stood up for my teammates."

Hendrick plans to study pre-health physical therapy.

"Playing in college is something I definitely dreamed about," Hendrick said. "I wasn't sure it would come true."