Stevenson's Morrissey heads for Michigan State

If she's wearing that new Michigan State sweatshirt that she got for her 18th birthday last week, understand that it's not because the green matches Stevenson's similar shade, or that her biased parents made her.

Yes, Anna Morrissey said yes to the state of Michigan.

Stevenson's 5-foot-9 senior guard accepted an offer from Michigan State women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant to be a preferred walk-on at the East Lansing university next year.

"I've always wanted to play in a big-college atmosphere," Morrissey said.

Stevenson coach Tom Dineen has no doubt that Morrissey will be able to contribute at the NCAA Division I level.

"They're going to find out real fast that she's a welcomed addition to that program," Dineen said. "I'm confident that's going to work its way into a scholarship before too long."

Morrissey is the daughter of Jim and Amy, both of whom attended Michigan State, with Jim playing football for the Spartans before an NFL career that included nine seasons with the Bears.

If Anna eventually earns a scholarship from the Spartans, she won't be the first member of her family to accomplish that.

Her brother Mike was a preferred walk-on at Boston College, after a great career at Stevenson, and wound up being rewarded with a scholarship. The linebacker is now a fifth-year senior.

Anna Morrissey also likes to stick people on defense.

"I love playing defense," Morrissey said.

A varsity basketball player since her freshman year, she's earned a reputation as one of Lake County's best defenders. She was named all-area last season after averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists for a 21-win team. She notched 68 steals.

"She's a team player," Dineen said. "She's just nonstop, and she defends. Everybody is an offensive star (at the Division I level) and that's the kind of people these colleges recruit. But they don't always necessarily recruit a team player or somebody who wants to play defense, and takes pride in that, and she does."

Morrissey recently visited Michigan State, watched practice and talked to Merchant, who last season coached the Spartans to a 23-10 record and second-place finish in the Big Ten. Merchant is 68-35 in three seasons.

"I'm really excited," Morrissey said.

So was her dad, the former Michigan State athlete.

"He was excited," Morrissey said with a laugh, "very excited."

Stevenson's girls basketball team, which opens its season Monday night at home against Zion-Benton, will have a "Michigan" flavor to it.

Patriots senior guard Michelle O'Brien, who made a verbal commitment to Western Michigan just before the start of the school year, will sign her national letter of intent today.