Freshman Brea (pronounced BRAY-ah) Banks has found another home at Illinois State. The Richton Park, Ill., native has been draining threes and swatting shots in Redbird Arena since her high school days at Marian Catholic High School, where she helped lead her team to consecutive IHSA State Finals appearances in 2003 and a fourth-place finish in 2004.
But Banks, nicknamed "B", did not think she would end up in a Redbird uniform when she was considering colleges, that is until she met head coach Robin Pingeton and the Redbird women's basketball coaching staff.
"When looking for colleges, I wasn't really interested in Illinois State at first," said Banks. "But I decided to come for a visit anyway. When I came to campus, I instantly fell in love with the coaching staff. They are unbelievable."
When Banks is not on the court at Redbird Arena, she can be found on her laptop surfing the Internet. A self-proclaimed computer addict, Banks loves to check up on her fellow Redbird student-athletes on the ISU athletics website, GoRedbirds.com.
"I'm addicted to the computer," said Banks. "I love my laptop. I like to surf the web in my free time. I go to GoRedbirds.com a lot to check up on the other ISU sports to see how they are doing."
Banks has had her share of memories playing basketball, but the one that stands out is the IHSA State Finals her junior year at Redbird Arena. The 6-foot forward played against current Redbird teammate Tiffany Hudson of Naperville Central while going toe-to-toe with national player of the year Candace Parker in the semifinals.
"The most memorable moment in my basketball career was during my junior year at state," said Banks. "Even though we lost, it still was a great experience."
On the floor, "B" tries to be aggressive, whether it is driving to the bucket or making a stop on the defensive end. She tries to model her game after her favorite professional player, Tamika Catchings of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. Banks feels that Catchings' aggressive play is what makes her a great player.
"My favorite player is Tamika Catchings," said Banks. "I like how she plays with aggressiveness and the way she goes after the ball. She plays great on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor."
Pingeton believes that Banks' passion and aggressive play is an asset to the Redbirds as they look to repeat as State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions.
"Brea's strong and explosive," said Pingeton. "She can handle it, shoot the three and play with her back to the basket. She has a tremendous upside."
Banks has made her basketball journey to Redbird Arena, after playing some of her most memorable games on the arena's court while in high school. Banks now has the chance to make more memories - this time as a Redbird.
