Prairie’s Mallory McDermott commits to Western Illinois

CEDAR RAPIDS — Too small? Mallory McDermott isn't sweating it any more.

'A lot of people say 5-7 is too small for a shooting guard,' McDermott said Monday morning, confirming her oral commitment to play women's basketball at Western Illinois University. 'But I had a good conversation with (former WIU point guard) Emily Clemens, and she said I'll be fine.'

Now an assistant coach, the diminutive Clemens was the Summit League player of the year and led the Leathernecks to the NCAA tournament in 2017.

A junior at Cedar Rapids Prairie, McDermott averaged a team-high 14.9 points per game last season as the Hawks finished 16-7, their best season since 2005-06.

She is one-third of a dynamite Prairie backcourt; senior Sarah Schmitt (13.1 ppg) has committed to Nebraska-Omaha, and junior Sidney McCrea (12.9) is likely to snag a Division-I offer.

McDermott, McCrea and Cedar Rapids Xavier junior Caitlynn Daniels all were offered by WIU during a visit last weekend, and McDermott accepted.

'I knew right away that I would fit in their style of play,' McDermott said. 'They have a good, quick offense. And it's huge that it's close so my family can watch.'

McDermott's father, Mark, is a former girls' basketball coach at Iowa City West and now is a professor at the University of Iowa. She wants to follow in his path as an education major and as a coach someday.

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