Our first Friday Feature is with sophomore forward, Brittany West. The Shakopee, MN native averaged 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during the 2017-18 season earning 2nd Team All-Region accolades. West is a Sports Management major and will complete her Associate's in May 2019.
Why did you choose Iowa Central?
Coach Kruger was my dad's college coach so he has been in the family for a long time. When I figured out I could have the chance to play for him, it felt right. Plus, Iowa Central is a great school overall, when I toured here I loved it.
How has basketball contributed to your overall development as a person?
Basketball has taught me: communication skills, what hard work is really about, how to work in teams. It makes me compete for things I want and helps me keep the right goals in mind.
What areas have you improved on since becoming a Triton?
I have learned many things, such as how important it is to manage your time. I have a lot to juggle between school and basketball and I have gotten much better with balancing both since coming to college. I have also learned how important communication is, whether it is verbal or non-verbal both on and off the court. I have also become an overall better player and teammate.
How will the returners set the tone for the season?
Setting the tone starts with everyone buying in. I hope we can all get the team to buy in so we can be as successful as possible. On the court, it comes down to communicating, practicing hard to make each other better, and always having each other's back because times can get tough. Off the court, we need to make sure everyone gets their classes taken care of, make sure everyone is taking care of their bodies, and let the freshman know they always have someone to talk to.
Which game are you most looking forward to?
I'm most excited about the first game because I just love being in season. Other games I'm excited about are the big conference games against teams like Kirkwood and NIACC.
Can you share a funny memory from the team?
The funniest thing to happen to our team last year has to be when we couldn't get into the gym for a walk thru, so we did it in the Walmart parking lot. Coach Kruger set his coffee cup down as the hoop, we used parking spot lines as the lane and had to pretend to throw around an invisible ball.
What academic and athletic goals have you set for yourself for the 2018-19 season?
Academically - I want to achieve a 4.0 both semesters this year. Athletically - I want to be All-ICCAC First Team instead of second team like I was last year. I also want the team to win the conference and play at nationals.
Why did you choose your academic major? What is your future career plan?
I choose sports management because I knew I wanted my career to be involved around sports. I don't know what I specifically want to do out of it whether it's coaching, becoming part of management of a team or dealing with the financial side of sports. I just know I love sports and that is what I want my career to revolve around.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering the junior college level?
JUCO is the best decision I could have made for myself. At the JUCO level, if you want to be good enough to play on you have to force yourself to get better. JUCOs are not huge like most universities which allows for you to be as successful as possible whether you need help from coaches, professors or tutors there is always someone willing to help one on one.
Do you plan to continue playing basketball? If so, where would you like to go?
I do not have a specific school in mind right now, but I would like to continue playing at a D2 level.