Bartlett’s Videckis opts for Arizona State

Haley Videckis says when she was younger she would dream of playing basketball at Arizona State University.

When she heads to Tempe this summer for Sun Devil workouts, Videckis’ dream will become reality.

Videckis, Bartlett’s senior standout who was the honorary co-captain of the Daily Herald’s Fox Valley all-area team this past season, spent the weekend at ASU and gave her verbal commitment to Sun Devils’ coach Charli Turner Thorne after going through a workout with the team’s returning players. Videckis will sign her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday.

“Everything just felt right,” said Videckis, a 6-footer who averaged 18 points per game this past season in leading Bartlett to third place in the Class 4A state tournament. “I finally felt like I was stepping onto a campus where there was a coaching staff that I deserved and I think the PAC-12 is an extremely competitive conference. I felt some great chemistry playing with those girls and I feel so extremely blessed to have a second opportunity at this.”

Videckis originally signed with Indiana but when IU let coach Felisha Leggette-Jack go after the season, Videckis asked for and was granted her release by new Hoosiers’ coach Curt Miller. She weighed offers from Illinois, Northwestern, Oklahoma and Rutgers before deciding on Arizona State.

“I feel like I’m one in a million to have found a school that was looking for a shooter and a player like me,” Videckis said. “I’m so excited for my future there. I’ll be living in a place you’d call a 10 and I feel like my life is going to be a 10. I just love the atmosphere in Arizona and I felt like I fit in really good. It’s a dream opportunity and I’m very lucky. When I was younger I used to dream about playing at Arizona State and it’s just an awesome feeling.”

At ASU, Videckis will join one of the top programs in the PAC-12. The Sun Devils were 20-11 this past season and have been to the NCAA Tournament eight times in Turner Thorne’s 16 years at the helm. She took a voluntary leave of absence for the 2011-12 season but is back full time at her coaching duties now. She is the third winningest coach in PAC-12 history.

Videckis said she called Miller to inform him of her decision and that she was appreciative of his role in allowing her to find a new college home.

“Indiana and coach Miller were very supportive,” Videckis said. “I appreciate that.”