Ohio State junior point guard Samantha Prahalis spent her off-season studying tape of Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, although she’d rather keep that a secret.
“Don’t tell nobody that,” Prahalis said. “I am a die-hard Lakers fan.”
At 5-feet-7-inches, Prahalis said she chose to study Rondo because she saw a little of herself in the all-star point guard while she was watching him take on her favorite team in the NBA Finals.
“He’s not that big as a point guard but he’s among giants. He’s not afraid to go to the lane, and when he goes into the lane he always has something in his arsenal that shocks you,” Prahalis said. “There’s always big girls around me. I just got to try to cut, weave, pass, do anything I can to get to the basket, or get my player a shot.”
A native of Commack, N.Y., Prahalis credits Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as her inspiration to be a Lakers fan and said that she tries to emulate the work ethic of her favorite player.
“While everyone else is out, I’ll be on YouTube or I’ll be watching film,” Prahalis said.
Having already made a name for herself in women’s hoops, thanks to her crafty moves and flashy passes, Prahalis said to look for Rondo’s signature ball fakes and scooping lay-ups to be the latest additions to her already unique repertoire.
“That’s definitely something I’ve tried to look at, like his fakes, how he gets to the basket, his finishes are all really good,” Prahalis said. “I think the women’s game hasn’t really seen men’s moves come into play.”
Prahalis enters her junior season just 151 assists shy of breaking Jamie Lewis’ OSU career record of 643. In her sophomore season, she averaged 16.3 points and 8 assists per game.
OSU coach Jim Foster said he isn’t ready to call Prahalis the most exciting player he’s coached, but did offer his own superlative for the point guard.
“She’s in a small group. I’ve coached some pretty good basketball players that are exciting in their own way,” Foster said. “She’s the most creative.”
A first-team all-Big Ten selection last season, Prahalis was selected on the 2010-11 Preseason Wooden Award Watch List, along with teammate Jantel Lavender. The Wooden Award is given to the most outstanding player in men and women’s college basketball each year and is considered the most prestigious individual honor in the sport.
Prahalis said she’s not fazed by the preseason hype.
“We still have a season to play,” Prahalis said. “A list is a list, until you actually do something. I’m just trying to stay focused and have a great year.”
As a player who was on the receiving end of many of Prahalis’ 289 assists last season, Lavender knows how valuable Prahalis is to the team.
“She makes great passes and she can see the floor really well,” Lavender said. “I get open baskets, and we get points.”
Foster said he doesn’t think fans realize Prahalis’ full set of skills — including some she honed playing football until she was 12 years old.
“She’s got a great skill set. She’s very competitive,” Foster said. “She’s got a good motor. I don’t think people understand how athletic she is.”
Prahalis said anything less than a national championship would be a disappointment for her this year, but that team goals aside, she wants to continue to use her skill set to make her imprint on the women’s game.
“I’m just trying to be someone who can bring some excitement to the game,” Prahalis said. “That’s a big thing for me.”
