Britt Prince follows mother鈥檚 guidance to state titles, national stardom
ELKHORN, Neb. (BVM) 鈥� Elkhorn North sophomore sensation Britt Prince is as the No. 10 high school girls basketball recruit in the country for the Class of 2024. She already holds 22 Division I offers and she鈥檚 even UConn sophomore star Paige Bueckers.
But as her mother 鈥� and Elkhorn North鈥檚 head coach 鈥� Ann Prince fondly recalls, Britt has been attracting attention with her performance on the court since her early elementary school years.
鈥淲e were playing in this OSA (Omaha Sports Academy) first/second grade co-ed league and we had four girls on our team, went undefeated in the top division, and it was all boys teams that we were playing (against),鈥� Ann recalled. 鈥淚 remember there were some people talking at that time and they鈥檙e like, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 going to make a phone call to (then-Nebraska head coach) Connie Yori. This Britt Prince is good.鈥欌��
There鈥檚 no question that statement holds true today for Britt, who鈥檚 become one of the most highly sought after recruits in the country, with even the likes of perennial powerhouse UConn showing interest in the four-star point guard who鈥檚 already surpassed 1,000 career points in two seasons of high school basketball. Britt has also led Elkhorn North to back-to-back state championships in the first two years of the school鈥檚 existence.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really crazy,鈥� Britt said. 鈥淟ast year for sure it definitely felt like a dream. Ever since I was young I鈥檝e been watching the state basketball championships on TV or going there to watch and it鈥檚 something I鈥檝e always dreamed of. I鈥檝e been wanting to play in the championship games ever since I was young and to actually be in it two years in a row and win it is just crazy.鈥�
Britt has been able to share the entire experience with her mom, a former player herself. Ann has doubled as her daughter鈥檚 coach and paved the way for her success since Britt began playing basketball at the age of 4. After playing four years (1987-91) of college basketball for Midland University, an NAIA school in Fremont, Nebraska, Ann became an assistant coach at her alma mater for 16 years before taking another assistant coaching job at Fremont High School where she also worked as a PE teacher.
鈥淪he was a really big influence,鈥� Britt said of her mom. 鈥淚 was always wanting to go to her practices when she was a coach. Even when she was at Midland and I was really young, I would go and shoot while they were practicing. And also at Fremont when I got a little bit older I would love going to practices and just shooting while they鈥檙e practicing. I just always loved being in the gym and especially with her too.鈥�
It was always one of Ann鈥檚 goals to become a head coach somewhere, and she jumped at the opportunity to apply for the position at the newly-built Elkhorn North High School, which just so happened to coincide with the start of her daughter鈥檚 prep career.
鈥淚t was pretty cool,鈥� Britt said. 鈥淢y mom鈥檚 pretty much been my coach my whole life. Really the only time she wasn鈥檛 my coach was for middle school ball like seventh or eighth grade. I was excited when I found out (she was the coach).鈥�
While the mother-daughter duo has already made history with two state titles in Elkhorn North鈥檚 first two years, there is still plenty of potential to make more. Four state titles in four years will be no easy task, but it鈥檚 well within the realm of possibility.
鈥淚鈥檝e obviously thought about it before and how that鈥檇 be awesome,鈥� Britt said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 really just focusing on getting better each game, each practice and each season and kind of taking it day by day. It鈥檒l come if it comes.鈥�
Regardless of what Britt is able to accomplish with the Wolves over the next two years, attention will undoubtedly continue to come for the star point guard who seems to be on every college program鈥檚 recruiting radar.
鈥淚t kind of happened fast,鈥� Britt said of the attention she鈥檚 getting from college coaches. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e been blessed to be able to be recruited by all these amazing colleges and coaches and it鈥檚 been a really awesome experience getting to know everyone throughout the process. Overall it鈥檚 been really good.鈥�
Britt has visited six of the colleges she鈥檚 received offers from so far 鈥� Creighton, Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Indiana 鈥� and she plans to visit a lot more this spring and summer. And as she continues to work through the recruiting process, she鈥檒l have her mother鈥檚 guidance to lean on, just as she has all along the way to becoming one of the nation鈥檚 top recruits.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many programs here that you鈥檇 be silly not to at least go look at those places and kind of see where you think you fit in,鈥� Ann said. 鈥淎nd then you have some decisions to make as far as the program, and closeness to home and seeing if they see her playing right away or not playing right away. There鈥檚 a lot of things that play into it 鈥� the winning piece, the coach, is the coaching going to be around? I think there鈥檚 just so many things that go into the decision and it鈥檚 something you don鈥檛 take lightly at all.鈥�
Wherever Britt eventually decides to take her immense talent, she鈥檒l be bringing the kind of well-rounded game that all coaches dream of having in their program. Whether it鈥檚 with her innate ability to take over the game as a scorer or be the primary ball handler who can distribute with the best of them, she鈥檒l be a valuable asset to any college basketball team in a couple more years.聽
鈥淗er versatility is huge and that鈥檚 what many of the coaches who鈥檝e seen her play have said is that they love her versatility,鈥� Ann said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 not the very best at one particular thing, but she does everything at a pretty high hevel and she can fill a variety of roles… She makes the right reads, she makes the right plays, she鈥檚 not a selfish player, and those are the things I鈥檓 hearing from coaches that they like about her and maybe what separates her from other players out there.鈥�