College coaches are beginning to take notice of Maria Backman, and the list is growing.
Backman already has an offer from Hofstra after attending the school’s elite camp and St. John’s and Providence are very interested, along with FDU and Niagara. After a stellar first varsity season at Spellman, she has been showing off her athleticism, agility and guard skills to go along with her 6-foot-2 frame for New Heights, which competed earlier this week at the USJN/Nike National Championships in District Heights, Md.
“I’m flattered by all the schools [that] have interest in me,” the Cardinal Spellman rising junior said.
She’s shown the knack to knock down the mid-range jump shot, which makes her very attractive considering her size. Backman, who will play a small forward at the next level, has worked on her ball handing with trainer Rodney Swain and has even run the point at times this summer.
“When she gets her ball handling down she is going to be a serious, serious player,” New Heights coach Curtiz Simpson said. “She’s got to be able to get it and make a decision, ‘I’m going to go,’ instead of worrying where the guards are at.”
This is Backman’s first summer playing with New Heights’ top team. Getting a chance to face top competition has opened college coaches’ eyes to her potential, Simpson said. Backman made an impression against the California Ballaz at the Battle in the Boro in Tennessee, has been New Heights’ best player along with Bishop Ford’s Aaliyah Jones for most of the summer and played her best game of the USJN/Nike National Championships against Cy-Fair 17 Nike last Sunday.
“The more teams we play that are recognized as being good teams, the more scouts are going to come to the game,” Backman said. “Realistically, that’s the type of competition you are going to see when you play college ball.”
She had a breakout sophomore season at Spellman last year, leading the Pilots to a 21-7 record, dropping in 18 points in a win over rival Moore Catholic and leading them to a trip to CHSAA Archdiocesan title game. The All-Bronx first team selection by The Post was a double-double machine and the perfect complement to Onia Webb, who will be at Northeastern in the fall. She had a career-high 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win over Maria Regina.
“It boosted my confidence tremendously,” Backman said. “It just sent me out with a positive attitude that the sky is the limit.”
She is beginning to see herself reach those new heights and is enjoying the attention that has accompanied her improved play.
“Hard work, training, it all pays off,” Backman said. “Put in the work and you see the results.”