City of Basketball Love

By Tom Robinson
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PHILADELPHIA – Madison Kocis has been playing basketball seriously “since about second grade.”

She’s not about to stop now that she has made an NCAA Division I college commitment and become a 1,000-point scorer at St. John Vianney in New Jersey.

“I would say all of my life, I’ve been serious about basketball,” the University of Pennsylvania commit said in an interview at the Blue Star High School Invitational at Jefferson University earlier this month. “I don’t live by SJV. I came there for the competitive environment and the winning mentality and playing in games like this.”

Through the years of dedication, Kocis has added the ability to get to the basket to her well-earned reputation as a shooter.

Now, as she progresses toward her college career as a player who is a threat to both stretch the floor and attack the basket, she is trying to add a little more in between.

“Something I always try to improve on is to be more of a consistent shooter and one thing I want to be able to show more is having a mid-range game, so I’m definitely working on that,” said Kocis, who is from Chatham, N.J.

Versatility is Kocis’ calling card, not just when it comes to scoring.

The combo guard is comfortable playing the 1, 2 or 3 positions on offense.

Working with good quickness for a 6-footer, Kocis puts attention into developing physically to be as ready as possible for what is ahead by “continuing to get stronger and be able to fit in against the stronger college girls next year.”

Kocis can often be found on the wing offensively at St. John Vianney where she followed up the stop in Philadelphia for the Blue Star event by joining the 1,000-point club on a deep 3-pointer from way out front during the team’s next outing, a game against fellow Jersey powerhouse Red Bank Catholic that represented SJV’s only loss of the season.

When needed, however, she is there to help the team handle the ball, including bringing it up against pressure.

The same is true defensively where Kocis can effectively guard scorers on the wing or point guards and is a big part of SJV’s ability to pressure opponents.

“She’s got versatility there and her length is really a strength for us,” SJV coach Dawn Karpell said.

Karpell leans on that when she wants to apply additional pressure.

“We play to her length a lot,” she said. “ … She’s pretty dynamic, I use her length in those situations.”

Kocis leads the team in scoring at 15 plus per game and 3-pointers at two per game along with being tied for third in assists and fourth in steals. She had 21 points and five 3-pointers against Xavierian (N.Y.) in the team’s most recent outing Jan. 10.

“Madi’s a 100 percent very competitive kid,” Karpell said. “I just love her tenaciousness, her willingness to shoot big shots.”

Kocis has put many years into travel and AAU basketball, spending her 15U, 16U and 17U springs and summers playing in the EYBL with Philly Rise.

“I kind of knew I wanted to go D-I and definitely a good education was important to my family and me and my decision process,” Kocis said.

That all led her to the commitment to Penn and the Wharton School of Business last summer.

“It’s a great fit,” she said. “The coaches are really great. Everything is what I like.”

Penn will be getting someone who strives to be a complete player and keeps working in that direction.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve worked on getting quicker,” Kocis said, “ … being able to handle contact better and work more off the dribble.”

Her high school choice helped in the constant effort to build versatility.

“At SJV, defense is a really important part of our game,” she said. “I’m just working on using my length and taking angles and things like that.

“For defense, I can pretty much play anyone. I’m pretty big, so I have the size and like the speed to cover multiple positions. I say that’s something that makes me good, my versatility.”