Ella Tofaeono realises a dream with Texas A&M
It may have taken slightly longer than anticipated for Ella Tofaeono to reach her goal of playing high-major college basketball, but after three seasons in the junior college system at Midland College in Texas, the Sydneysider recently committed to Texas A&M.
Not many players get the chance to play for their dream program, but Tofaeono will suit up for one of the teams she has had her eye on since high school.
āPlaying Big 12 or SEC was one of my dreams, especially coming into junior college knowing that could be the reality for me if I had a great two years here,ā Tofaeono revealed. āAnd so, itās the level Iāve wanted to play at, I want to compete with the best. I set criteria for my coach my freshman year, like āThese are the schools Iād love to potentially go to,ā and Iām pretty sure A&M was on that list.ā
It certainly took longer than originally envisaged for the NJCAA All-American to reach her desired level, though. Injury forced Tofaeono to red shirt her second season, obliging her to make a tough decision: to play her red shirt sophomore year at Midland, or make the jump to NCAA Division I. Eventually, Tofaeono chose to return to Midland and set herself up for the best possible chance at future success.
āWhat was more important at the time was my mental psyche, and me physically getting back to being comfortable in my own body. So, considering Iām in one of the best junior college conferences, and still going to be competing at a high level, I think knowing what coaching staff I was going to come back to and team and the environment I was in, I was in a very supportive and encouraging environment.
āI just donāt think I was ready at the time to move on, I think I had unfinished business. I wanted to come back and accomplish a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish last year. I had two great options. I think the other option was very unclear, moving onto Division I. I think thatās more something that strokes the ego than doing whatās best for you. So, I think for me personally, the best thing for me to do was come back to Midland, just knowing that it was familiar."
It turned out to be a fantastic decision.
The level of Division I programs that showed interest in the Penrith junior skyrocketed, with a number of high-major schools from various parts of the nation contacting Tofaeono. Returning to the court reinvigorated after a lengthy injury layoff, the Midland star posted 14.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in just 24 minutes per game, shooting 60% from the field in the process.
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āIt actually brought in schools that I never thought I could get recruited by. Also, I just really enjoyed playing basketball this year. I mean, I think you kind of lose sight of why you play basketball, and this year I wholeheartedly enjoyed it because I enjoyed my team. Of course every teamās going to have their ups and their downs, but this team was great for me to come back into and fall in love with the game again.
āMinnesota and A&M were my top two, 100%. And BYU rode the wave the whole entire time. And I donāt really know of too many other schools; there was a time where the coach at Louisville called me. It was more of an interest, and by then I was kind of ready to make my decision. I just knew that as soon as A&M came in, thatās definitely where I wanted to be and where I wanted to go.
āThings are run a bit differently at my college, just in the sense that our coaches take care of it, and then we kind of start recruiting once our season is over. I didnāt really know about my options during the year, I mean I touched base with some of them, but the storm kind of came in after my season was done.ā
That point of difference in the recruiting process at Midland meant that Tofaeono wasnāt in contact with coaches quite as much as some other players may have been. However, with things shutting down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the slowdown in proceedings actually helped the newest Aggie make her decision.
āI was able to get to know the coaches, just in the time that I missed out through the year. I wouldāve loved to have been speaking throughout the year, but I think this time has given me time to speak to them on a weekly basis and build that relationship, kind of similar to what Iāve done with my coaches here at Midland.
āEven though I wasnāt able to get my five visits in, and see the other campuses and compare, in a way, it kind of made my decision a little bit easier. I feel like if I had gone to each school for a visit, there wouldnāt have been as much clarity, because I think everyone has great facilities to offer. But A&M definitely looked out for me.
āI lost a couple of options last year just because I got hurt, but then this year I had a great year and I had a great team. So, I think everything happens for a reason, and I donāt regret my decision to come back to Midland whatsoever, at all.ā
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Having immersed herself in the Texan culture for three years, Tofaeono has found a real home in the Lone Star State. Having taken to life in Texas like a duck to water (not that youād find a lot of the wet stuff in Midland), it was little surprise that she chose College Station as her destination.
āI think Iām a Texan girl at heart. People here are very down-to-earth and very hospitable, and Iāve just heard great things about College Station being a college town. Quotes about the Aggie way, and how Aggies take care of each other, and I just think that hits me personally. I think itās really important for people to be good people off court, and thatās definitely the vibe I got from A&M.ā
However, it wasnāt just about the vibe coming from Texas A&M. Head Coach and 2011 National Champion Gary Blair is a legend of the game ā just ask Ella herself, who has been studying his teams since her time playing junior basketball in the tin shed at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre.
āSo, the first phone call I had with him, thatās when he offered me. But it was the second phone call that was really the deal-maker. He was just explaining what role I can play in the team and his program, and he was asking me great questions. Thatās when you know youāve got a coach thatās been around for a long time. There was definitely some difference in the recruiting and how he recruits his players.
āBut I think heās just genuinely a nice man too, and that was really important for me. In my eyes, heās a celebrity to me, but heās still Coach Blair at the same time. Itās not every day that you can say āWow, I just got a phone call from Gary Blair,ā and not only that, thereās not many girls that can say they received a scholarship from him. So, to get that, was pretty overwhelming. I think he sits at the same calibre as Kim Mulkey and Vic Schaefer. Heās been in the business for so long, heās very well-respected.ā
āI watched Gary Blair on TV for a long time, watched YouTube clips, and the fact he gets to be my coach now is justā¦itās a dream come true, honestly, thatās the best way to put it.ā
Playing in one of the nationās top conferences for a legendary head coach is a great way to spend the next two years, but Tofaeono is playing the long game. With both academics and basketball high priorities, the decision to commit to Texas A&M makes more and more sense.
āThe style of play was really important for me. I would watch clips of the junior college posts that they would bring in, like (former WNBA player) Danielle Adams, and there was a (Midland) Lady Chap, Achiri Ade, and she went there and she said she had a great experience.
āAlso, the communications program there is impeccable. Thatās what Iām majoring in, and just knowing that this schoolās going to set me up for life was really important. That was the deciding factor, you know, whatās going to set me up for life after I graduate, whether itās basketball-wise or whether itās academically.ā
āI said to myself āIām going to earn itā and that was another thing at Texas A&M. Iām going to have to compete for a spot. Like, looking at the roster, itās time to go to work. Thatās exactly what I need. Iām going to be going up against some really great kids, and if you want to be the best, you have to compete with the best, and thatās exactly what I needed.ā
However, Tofaeono isnāt just doing this for herself. One mention of the word āfamilyā, and her entire mood changes. There are a lot of people that have helped her get to this point, and she is determined to make sure their contributions arenāt wasted.
āMy family is the driving force, and not even just my blood relatives. My family encompasses my Texas family, and then also my family back in Australia. Thatās why I can wake up every day and be like āok, Iām going to go put some work in,ā or āIām going to go rehabā, or āIām going to be a good teammateā.
āMy family encompasses my coaches too, my assistant coach Ginger Gatliff, sheās been pushing me to be the best that I can be, and sheās been helping me a lot with my mental battles. So, sheās a huge factor, sheās encouraged me to evolve as a player and a person.
āThis means a lot to my family. So, going into the SEC, I think itās great that I get a clean slate, not to reinvent myself, but to build off what I already have, and I think Iām just going to go in and work extremely hard, knowing that this is a great stepping stone for me and my career. Just everything that my familyās been through and the support that I receive from them. Itās impossible for me not to be successful with the amount of support I get. I just think you canāt go wrong with family.ā
Texas A&Mās College Station campus reported an enrolment of over 64,000 students last year. Looks like that familyās about to get a whole lot bigger.