Maddie Vickery during Washburn Rural media day (Source: Twitter/@VickeryMaddie)

"I like to win": Top recruit Maddie Vickery explains why she chose Kansas State over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State

Modified Dec 22, 2024 19:35 GMT

Washburn Rural High School standout Maddie Vickery is staying close to home, announcing her commitment to Kansas State on Saturday. A sophomore and part of the Class of 2027, Vickery had offers from major programs, including Kansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

While she does not have a star ranking from websites like On3 and 247Sports yet, the sophomore combo guard has gotten much attention and is considered a rising star in Kansas. She announced her decision on On3 and explained why she chose Kansas State.

“More than anything, it just felt like home,” Vickery said. “They just checked all the boxes. No other team fit the category of checking every box. Being on campus, meeting the staff and the team, it’s just the culture and community of Manhattan.

“Geography was a big thing for me. I want my parents to be at every single game. Another factor for me is that they win and they’ve got a winning culture. I like to win. They’re top 15 now, and it just all lined up.”

Vickery made official visits to all three programs mentioned above but felt the strongest connection with Kansas State.

Maddie Vickery addresses why she already made her college decision as a sophomore

When Maddie Vickery decided to go to Kansas State so early in her high school basketball career, it raised many questions. In her interview with On3, she shared why.

“I decided around Thanksgiving that this is what I want to do,” Vickery said. “Once I got my mind wrapped around that and I knew this was 100% what I wanted to do with my college career, it was starting to get hard to be genuine with other coaches.”

Usually, high school athletes tend to make their decisions in their senior year, as it allows them to see which other schools have better offers. However, the Kansas native did not want to waste anybody's time.