Former Kaneland standout Long only getting better at Elmhurst
For those who remember Lyndsie Long blistering the nets during her four-year career at Kaneland, leading the Knights to 20-win seasons after 20-win seasons and some memorable postseason runs, I've got good news.
Her jersey colors have changed, but the results haven't.
Long is still scoring points in bunches, doing it now in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Long scored her 1,000th career point at Elmhurst College two weeks ago, becoming just the eighth player in school history to reach the milestone.
"It means a lot to me to get to 1,000 points for a couple reasons," Long said in an e-mail. "One, I am playing with a great team this year and I am so lucky to have received this honor with this team, because I could not have done it without them. And two, I am only a junior so getting 1,000 this year was a great accomplishment."
Long leads Elmhurst in scoring, averaging 16.6 points a game. She pulls down 6.4 rebounds a game, shoots 84 percent from the free-throw line and 45 percent from the field for the 10-7 Bluejays.
As impressive as Long was at Kaneland, her game has continued to evolve at the next level, to the point where she hopes professional basketball is in her future as well as a college coaching career. Long has become more of an all-around player, improving her skills at getting to the basket and posting up.
"Also, my defense has really improved, I have gotten a little bit quicker," Long said. " I find myself not "watching" as much and going after rebounds."
It comes as no surprise to the Kaneland community to see Long having this kind of success. Long teammed with Jessica Lund and Kelsey Flanagan among others under current Kaneland boys coach Dennis Hansen on some dynamite Kaneland teams before graduating in 2006. The Knights found themselves in a couple classic races with Geneva for Suburban Prairie Conference titles, back in the pre-Western Sun days.
Their best run might have been in 2005, their junior years, when Kaneland reached the East Aurora sectional championship game. The Knights beat West Aurora on the Blackhawks' home court to win a regional, then edged Oswego 52-51 in the sectional semifinals before losing to Naperville Central in the sectional championship.
Maybe those Knights were ahead of their time. Think what they could have done in the current four-class system instead of seeing their dream season end against a school three times their size?
I remember when we wrote stories about the IHSA changing from a two-class to four-class postseason system, the majority of our area coaches didn't like the move. I agreed with them, I was upset about the change. I always loved the two-class basketball tournaments. But the one coach who spoke out in favor of four classes was Hansen, because he had been there and seen first hand how hard it can be for a school Kaneland's size to compete.
Long certainly has fond memories of those Kaneland teams.
"I think back on our Kaneland teams quite a bit," Long said. "I miss the high school atmosphere and how every Friday was so much fun: spending all day with your friends and teammates waiting for a big game, then playing in the game, and then hanging out with my teammates and the parents afterwards. I just remember how fun it was and how good we were."
The Knights weren't able to follow up that impressive run the following season. Their senior year ended with an upset loss to East Aurora in the regional opener. Then it was on to Elmhurst College for Long, who is majoring in physical education.
"My college career has gone above and beyond what I thought it would be," Long said. "I did know I would make an impact going into the Elmhurst program, but I did not think I would be one of the 8 girls ever at Elmhurst College to score 1,000 points or more. Of course that was my goal to strive for however."
Long said she remians close with Flanagan and some of her other former Kaneland teammates. Her goal after graduating from Elmhurst next year is to play professional basketball overseas.
"If that does not work out or after that passes I want to go to grad school and first get a grad assistant job for women's basketball and get a master's degree and hopefully be a basketball coach soon after," Long said.
When that day comes, you can be sure Long will have plenty of her own personal successes to pass on to her players.
jlemon@dailyherald.com