Maddy Siegrist鈥檚 rise to Villanova鈥檚 brightest
PHILADELPHIA — Marist College is a liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., a short stroll from the Hudson River. The stone buildings and grassy knolls interrupt the rural New York landscape, the trees a reminder that any student is far from the crowded avenues of New York City.
Despite an undergraduate student body of over 6,000 and 23 varsity teams, Marist College boasts only nine notable sports alumni as listed by Wikipedia. The women鈥檚 basketball program is among the most successful, including a streak of nine straight conference tournament wins in the past decade. The men鈥檚 program last made the NCAA Tournament in 1987, but the team counts former NBA All-Star Rik Smits as an alum.
Anyone living beyond the Northeast, or even the outside borders of New York, could be forgiven for overlooking the institution. For Villanova basketball player Maddy Siegrist, Marist and its basketball programs mean much more. For a rising junior, who鈥檚 already rewriting the records at Villanova, it was two Marist players who provided the inspiration. The first, Rachele Fitz.
鈥淕rowing up, Rachele Fitz who played at Marist College which was the college closest to me,鈥� Siegrist said. 鈥淚 watched all the games, and I thought she was such a dominant player. That was definitely who I looked up to most as a kid.鈥�
Fitz鈥檚 name fills the Red Foxes鈥� record books, most notably as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in program history. The two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year led the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in every season she played, however, there was someone else Siegrist looked to for inspiration: her dad, George.
鈥淚n terms of inspiring, I would say my parents,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y dad played at Marist. He was just a role player, but growing up, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I used to ask him all the time if I could play in college. I wasn鈥檛 very good, just taller than everyone else, but he said 鈥榊eah, if you work hard鈥�. I definitely was inspired by that.鈥�
Siegrist鈥檚 six-foot frame certainly helped. She is cognizant that her height supplied a significant advantage in high school. However, 32.7 points per game and 13.1 rebounds during her senior year are more than just height. It was the time spent outside the gym, the time spent using trash cans in the driveway to imitate defenders for that little extra practice that elevated her game.
With the success came the offers, plenty of universities offering whatever they could to bring in a prolific scorer to change their program. Siegrist saw through the recruiters鈥� pitches, but there was one school that stood out.
鈥淎 lot of the other schools tell you what you want to hear. 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to play immediately鈥�. Villanova really didn鈥檛,鈥� Siegrist said. 鈥�They said they hadn鈥檛 seen me a ton, and if I worked hard that I would play. I guess it motivated me. It made me think 鈥榃ow I would really have to work hard and get better to play at that school.鈥�鈥�
With that challenge, Siegrist packed her bags and settled into the stone buildings of Villanova鈥檚 campus. Faced with the challenge of even spending time on the court, she was offered the option to redshirt that season. With a wealth of upperclassmen in the team, Siegrist could have struggled to find a way to impact the team. She refused at first, but a broken foot, her first major injury, threw a wrench in the works.
鈥淚 did not want to redshirt,鈥� she said. 鈥淰illanova historically has had a lot of redshirts. I was really against it because I didn鈥檛 want to sit out a whole year for no reason. Then I got hurt and the coaches told me I had an opportunity to redshirt, learn the motion system, get a little stronger.鈥�
Even with the injury, Siegrist remained determined to return to the court. Her hard work had gotten her this far, so she stuck with what worked.
鈥淚 convinced myself I would come back that year,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to put myself in the best [situation] I could. Every day, I would go to the gym and shoot because that鈥檚 what I had to work on. Even on the scooter, I didn鈥檛 really need my legs, I just used my arms. Looking back now, I think that helped me become a better shooter.鈥�
Despite the progress she made during the fall semester, a return to the court just did not make sense. With a complex offensive scheme to learn under coach Henry Perretta, Siegrist spent her entire first year looking on from the sideline. She did not play in the actual games, but she did find an outlet for her competitive fire.
鈥淚n December when I realized I wouldn鈥檛 be able to come back that year, I really worked every practice, treating it like a game. It was my game,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 tried to learn from the older players. I was fortunate there were a lot of strong, older kids that made me better.鈥�
When the practice finally turned into games, Siegrist arrived ready to unleash a year of preparation. She led the team in points and rebounding during a bitter-sweet season for the Wildcats. Before the year, longtime coach Perretta announced his retirement, setting up the season as a farewell tour. His departure added more uncertainty to an already ambiguous offseason. Villanova decided to bring in former player Denise Dillon to lead the program.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 involved with the hiring of Denise Dillon,鈥� Siegrist said. 鈥淲e were waiting to hear about the tournament and the world shutdown. We were all sent home, but we didn鈥檛 know who was going to be the next coach.鈥�
Dillon played under Perretta at Villanova, so her philosophy appeared reminiscent of her predecessor鈥檚. That helps, but the lack of in-person training proved an obstacle. Isolation, mixed availability of gyms and even doubt that a season would happen characterized the 2020 offseason. When Siegrist and the team came back to campus, some of those worries were quelled.
鈥淚t really clicked,鈥� she said of her first interaction with Dillon. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 an awkward time getting to know her. You felt like you knew her because she knew Villanova and she loved Villanova. You immediately had that connection.鈥�
Siegrist thrived with more experience in the motion system, growing to be a veteran of the team like the ones that helped nurture her into the player she is today. Coach Dillon prefers more set plays than Perretta, however, the best players know set plays are only a rough outline for the structure of a possession. The best players know when to cut, where to move, and what shot to take.
鈥淗aving the foundation of the motion from my first two years helped me a lot when we run the set plays,鈥� Siegrist said about Dillon鈥檚 new offense. 鈥淵ou know to back door or slip when defenders do different things. Even though it may not be written in the play, that鈥檚 what helps you the most.鈥�
Siegrist improved her points and rebounding numbers, became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points in program history and made the shortlist for the Katrina McClain Award for the nation鈥檚 top power forward. Her three-point shooting percentage also jumped from her first year playing, an important improvement for what was once viewed as a hole in her game.
So, what鈥檚 the next step in Siegrist鈥檚 game?
鈥淕etting more comfortable with the midrange,鈥� she answered. 鈥淚鈥檝e been working on midrange pull-ups, midrange passes, and getting more comfortable with the ball in my hands. Starting with the ball, getting the ball back, just different ways to create. Defensively, I鈥檝e been trying to get better using my length to my advantage, getting in the passing lanes.鈥�
Siegrist鈥檚 ascent to dominance is inevitable. Through a broken foot, a shortened season and a new coach, she has continued to round out her skillset into that of a genuine star. The hard work is paying off, but she鈥檚 not done yet.
