City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
__

While she appreciated the schools recruiting her and the opportunity to play at the next level, Mariah Watkins said she was excited to finish off the recruiting process.

She had a list of schools she felt comfortable choosing from and knew what she wanted from her school. There was no more need for being wooed, just time to make a decision.

That came back on May 31 when the 2024 wing from Webster Schroeder (N.Y.) announced her commitment to Drexel.

“I didn’t want to go to a higher level, so I was content with the offers that I had,” Watkins told CoBL while playing for her Team Northeast grassroots program at Spooky Nook last month. “I’ve been talking to Drexel for such a long time. I knew it was the right place for me.”

“I just love the coaches,” she added. “They’re amazing people and just the way they work with their girls is amazing. It just made me feel at home. The relationships for me was one of the most important things, and they really put work into getting to know me and I know them really well I feel.”

Watkins is a 6-foot wing who brings a lot of versatility and athleticism to both sides of the ball. She can play with or with the ball in her hands and is effective as a primary option or excelling in a lesser role.

She was a third team all-state Class A as a sophomore at Webster Schroeder (N.Y.) when she averaged 24.1 ppg and earned first team all-state Class AA honors in 2022-23 as a junior, averaging 24.4 ppg to lead her squad to a state title.

“I feel like I’m a very versatile player, but I’m also dedicated to defense,” Watkins said. “I love playing defense. That’s where I get my motivation from. I’m in their shorts, but also offensively I can play multiple positions with my height and my length. I can handle the ball. I’m not a point guard, but I'm a 2-guard, 3-guard, 4.”

Watkins said Drexel associate head coach Stacy Weiss began reaching out early in her sophomore season. The Dragons offered last July — one of just a handful of schools to do so at the time. 

But that list grew to be pretty long before the end of her recruitment with UMass, Vermont, Rhode Island, Rider, Holy Cross, Monmouth, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, Loyla-Maryland, Marist, William & Mary joining the likes of Drexel, Lafayette, Canisius, and Binghamton.

William & Mary, Loyola Maryland and George Washington were her other top choices before ultimately deciding the relationships built with Weiss, head coach Amy Mallon and the rest of the Dragons’ staff stuck out above the rest.

“They just made me feel a lot more comfortable,” Watkins said. “They made it so I was in more control of my process with them, reaching out to me, making sure I was able to talk when I was available, when it was a good time for me. No pressure or anything.”

She’s also planning to go into nursing and was blown away by the school’s health sciences facilities. On the court, the Dragons provide a great fit for what she was looking for as well.

Drexel won 20-or-more games for the sixth time in seven seasons in 2022-23, the exception was the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign when the Dragons went 14-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

“Knowing that I have a chance to win the conference and go to the tournament is super exciting for me as someone who wants to play, by the end of their career, in the tournament at some point,” Watkins said.

Sophomore point guard Grace O’Neil (7.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg as a freshman) is the only returning underclassmen to play a significant role last season.

Drexel added West Chester Rustin standout Laine McGurk and 6-2 Canadian forward Clara Bergeron from the 2023 recruiting class along with grad transfers Brooke Mullin (Villanova) and Erin Doherty (Catholic) and JUCO transfer Amaris Baker (Harcum College).

The Dragons’ staff gave Watkins high praise in their recruiting pitch when they compared her ceiling to that of recently graduated All-American honorable mention guard Keishana Washington.

“They really compared me to Keishana. An underdeveloped version of her,” Watkins made sure to add. “Someone they can see running multiple positions, scoring with my pull-up, my midrange and going to the basket.”

“It’s flattering, honestly, just being able to be compared to her, but also knowing that they have faith in me and that they believe I’m going to play and make an impact for them.”

Watkins said she was able to see Washington in person on her official visit to Drexel during the team’s home game against Northeastern at the DAC this season. She said last month it wouldn’t be long until she got back on campus in University City. 

Her younger sister Bria, a 6-foot 2025 combo guard who also plays for Webster Schroeder and Team Northeast, is also being recruited by the Dragons, receiving an offer in March.

“We’re not opposed to it, but we’re going for our individual fits,” Watkins said about playing with her sister. “I think we’re very different people, but if one school happens to be a good fit for both of us I think it’d be awesome.”

If not, she’s excited to finish off her final grassroots season and high school season with her sister with her future no longer uncertain.

“I feel like for every player that’s wanting to go to a D1 program, there is some pressure, but knowing that I have a home and it’s somewhere I’m so excited to go to, there’s definitely some pressure off so I can just go and enjoy it,” Watkins said.