Lucas Gebhart
Staff Writer
One glance at the Idaho State women’s basketball roster tells a tale of the recruiting efforts of head coach Seton Sobolewski and his staff. They recruit everywhere.
Perhaps one of Sobolewski’s best recruiting catches has been Apiphany Woods, a senior from Chicago.
There are few similarities between Chicago and Pocatello. One is a quiet little town in southeast Idaho and the other is the nation’s third largest city on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Violence and drugs were a part of everyday life in the neighborhoods of Chicago and Woods’ neighborhood did not take exception.
Now entering her senior season, Woods has experienced both the tranquility of Pocatello and the madness of the inner neighborhoods of Chicago.
“Pocatello is very peaceful,” Woods says. “The people here are very nice.”
Woods has adopted Pocatello as her new home, but her roots will always be in Chicago.
She grew up across the street from a local boys and girls club where she first discovered her love and talent for the game.
“When I first picked up the ball, I was just having fun with it,” Woods said.
Soon after picking up the basketball, she began to discover her talent. Talent that could lead to her escaping the inner cities and attending college.
“I didn’t get serious until my freshman year of high school. That’s when I realized I wanted to take it to the next level,” she said.
That dedication eventually led to playing in a high school All-Star game where her ability was noticed by State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri, located about 90 miles southeast of Kansas City.
State Fair offered Woods a full-ride scholarship and an opportunity to attend college.
“I was pretty excited. Especially being one of the few out of my family to go to college. My mom was very happy as well.”
In her sophomore campaign, Woods started 26 out of 30 games, shot 52 percent from the field and 34 percent from downtown. She was also second on the team in points per game, averaging 11.9, including a season high 28 against Johnson County.
With Woods’ help, State Fair found themselves as an elite junior college power, going 21-9 in her final season. They were in the Elite Eight of the NJCAA but ended up falling to Western Nebraska in the first round of the NJCAA Division One National Championships.
It was at the national championships that Sobolewski saw the potential Woods had.
According to Woods, ISU was the only four year school interested in her. Sobolewski offered Woods a scholarship to play for his squad and it’s safe to say that has paid off.
Last season she led the Bengals in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. That was good enough for her to be named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year.
“It was a big deal. I was honored,” Woods said. “I wish we would have been number one in conference instead.”
Though Woods has received many personal awards, team success is more important to her.
“What’s going to be more important than me scoring is making sure the team is on the same page,” she added.
Woods was named Big Sky Preseason First Team All-Conference prior to this season and will be one of two seniors who will lead the Bengals in the 2015-2016 campaign.
You can bet she is ready for the task.
