This offer was too good to pass up.
Bishop Loughlin basketballer Lynette Taite stepped onto the campus at Manhattan College earlier this month and knew she was exactly where she was meant to be. Taite didn’t waste any time — the senior guard committed to the school on her official visit earlier this month, joining the Jaspers’ women’s hoops squad and cementing a future she’s certain will be nothing short of fantastic.
“I loved the way they treated me. I felt like I was a part of the team as soon as I even got there,” Taite said. “I feel really confident with my choice.”
Taite did her research before visiting Manhattan — scoping out the Jaspers’ roster and the positions that would be open if she joined the team next season. It didn’t take long for Taite to realize there was a place for her, encouraged by the enthusiasm of first-year head coach Heather Vulin.
“Coach told me that she ‘goes crazy’ when she looked at me and some of the other players on the floor,” Taite said. “I knew I would have some time to help her do what she’s trying to do there, which is build a strong program.”
Taite — who averaged 12 points, seven rebounds, and four steals with the Lions last season — knows it won’t be easy at the next level, but she’s willing to put in the work.
In fact, the standout wanted to suit up for practice with her future Manhattan teammates during her visit. She would have, if it weren’t for National Collegiate Athletic Association rules stating she can’t.
“I’m not allowed to work out with the team until everything is final,” Taite said. “But the first thing I thought of [after committing] was practice. I know it’s going to be hard, but I really don’t mind honestly. I want to get in there, and I want to work hard.”
Taite also had an offer from St. Francis in Pennsylvania, but opted not to go on her visit — slated for early October — after realizing Manhattan was her perfect college-hoops fit.
“There were three or four other girls who could have maybe had this scholarship,” Taite said. “So I as soon as I visited Manhattan, I just knew I wanted to be there. Waiting that long could have messed me up and I could have missed out.”
Now that her college choice is set, Taite is ready to focus entirely on her final season of high-school basketball and — more importantly — her next practice.
She’s determined to get better every day and knows that practice will help her reach her final goal — a city championship.
“I want a championship. I’m not leaving without one,” Taite said. “This year, I’m going to do whatever I have to do. We’re going to work and it’s just a matter of putting that work in. If I have to put in some more work or do anything extra, that’s what I’ll do.”
