Sydney Crockett has been to England, France, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
She'll add Brazil to her list when she spends nine days in South America as a member of a United States team that will tour Brazil and play games against teams from a country that has a strong presence in basketball. Crockett is the only player from Arkansas on the USA team, which consists of some of the top players in NCAA Division II. Combined with a touring men's team, the group will include players from nine states and 14 different schools.
"I was ecstatic and kind of shocked when I was picked to do that," said Crockett, a former Fayetteville High School standout. "I'm so honored to be going to Brazil and to play for the United States."
Crockett is a key member of a Central Missouri team that shocked the Division II basketball world by beating Ashland 66-52 in the championship game to end Ashland's 73-game winning streak. The Jennies finished 30-3 with a team that also includes Paige Redmond (Springdale Har-Ber), Payton Taylor (Bentonville), Emilie Jobst (Rogers Heritage) and Madison Sandor (Rogers High). Crockett played in all 33 games and shot 36 percent from 3-point range while contributing 5.5 points per game.
Crockett was nominated by Central Missouri coach Dave Slifer, then selected for the USA team by USA Sports. She'll be joined in Brazil by Slifer and CMU teammates Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs. Crockett will make the trip to Brazil after Redmond went last year.
"These players have been high achievers both on the court and in the classroom," Ron Smith, director of USA Sports, said in a press release about the tour. "They represent everything good that the NCAA Division II institutions have to offer."
Winning championships are nothing new for Crockett, who led Fayetteville to a victory over Conway in the 7A state championship game in 2015. Crockett scored 23 points and was named the Most Valuable Player against a Conway team led by Jordan Danberry, who is now at Mississippi State after transferring from Arkansas.
Crockett has been home since May 9 in Fayetteville, where she's working part-time as an intern for Arkansas Athletes Outreach. She'll be on the move again with the Brazil tour that begins with an orientation July 30 in Orlando, Fla. Members of the team will then fly to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and play their first game Aug. 1. On Aug. 3, the team will arrive in Rio de Janeiro and tour the famous Christ the Redeemer statue that is listed as one of the seven new wonders of the world.
"I've always wanted to see that statue," said Crockett, who has made overseas trips previously with her family to Paris and London. "It's something I'll be able to knock off my bucket list."
Crockett is a rising senior who is on track to graduate from Central Missouri in May with a marketing degree. She then plans to attend graduate school, preferably at the University of Arkansas.
"I would love to come back to Arkansas as a GA," Crockett said. "Their athletic department has a great marketing team, and they put out some amazing content."
Workouts with the Jennies will start after the fall semester begins at Central Missouri on Aug. 13. Crockett knows her team will be targeted after winning a national championship in a division littered with superb athletes.
"D-II basketball is hard. It's competitive," Crockett said. "I don't think we will feel the pressure, but we know we will still have to prove ourselves. We won the national championship because we worked so well together. Everyone knows they have a purpose on the team, and they don't take that for granted."
Sports on 07/15/2018