Waiting game is over for Campbell
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By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
UNIVERSITY PARK -- It has been more than two years since Alli Campbell was able to play a full basketball season.
Blair County's all-time leading scorer had her senior season at Bellwood-Antis halted in the middle of the state playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She got onto the floor for just six games as a true freshman at Notre Dame, and after transferring to Penn State, an injury ended her season before she ever took the court for a game.
Wednesday at the Lady Lions' media day, Campbell was a full participant in the open practice. She ran sprints, cut to the basket, went up for rebounds and hit some outside shots.
"I feel great. I feel 100 percent," Campbell said. "I have been playing this whole summer getting back to myself, and I feel great. I have had a great staff and a great support system around me helping me get back to 100 percent, and I'm ready to go."
It was a stark contrast to last year's media day in which Campbell was forced to stand on the sideline during drills and was hoping to possibly return by the end of the season. Though she was cleared late in the season, it was decided she would wait.
"I have never had the game taken away from me before," Campbell said. "It taught me a lot of things, a lot of patience. I'm not a very patient person, but I learned a lot about the game from watching from the sideline. I learned a lot from Coach (Carolyn) Kieger, a lot about myself and I'm ready to use that and apply that to this upcoming season."
Campbell is a redshirt sophomore and due to still having her COVID year, she's still eligible to play four full seasons at Penn State.
Campbell's return to the court coincides with a timeline Kieger has been pushing toward for the entire team.
"We'll play different," Kieger said. "This is the type of offense and defense we've been building toward. We obviously needed the right personnel to get to this point, but we have the pieces and the different versatility to play the way that I have wanted to play here. We can push pace, we can defend, we can be versatile and we can switch."
Campbell's skill set with the ability to play guard or forward fits that style perfectly.
"She will play a combination of both," Kieger said. "The way that we're organizing this roster and implementing our defensive and offensive philosophies is that we're really interchangeable. She can play the four and stretch the defense and step out and hit the 3-pointer or she can play guard and come off ball screens. You're going to see her in different roles."
Campbell played everywhere from point guard to center at Bellwood-Antis and is willing to adjust to whatever role works best for Penn State.
"I'll do whatever the team needs me to do, whether that's play the two, three or four," Campbell said. "I'll knock down open shots, be a reliable defender, rebound -- whatever it takes to help the team win."
Campbell is one of several players Kieger mentioned as fitting the type of player she values the most.
"Swings, as we call them in our program, can step out or step in and be a mismatch," Kieger said. "Defensively, it's going to make us so much better when we're using our length and switching out for smaller defenders. I'm excited for both sides of the ball for her, because you're going to see that versatility and that composure on both ends."
Penn State, which has improved in each of Kieger's first three seasons, will be led by returning All-Big Ten First Team selection Makenna Marisa, who said she's been impressed with Campbell.
"We're all so excited to see her progress and her hard work through everything last year and coming back," Marisa said. "To see her hit shots on the court -- she's a shooter. She knocks it down whenever she gets it. To play with her on the court, she helps me tremendously. She's a very high IQ basketball player. She knows when to set up her cuts, she knows the right read."
Though Campbell hasn't had the chance to experience an actual in-game mentality since her last game at Notre Dame, she isn't worried about regaining the focus that helped her score 3,019 points in high school and lead Bellwood-Antis to two state championships.
"Being around this team, it's not hard to have that mindset," Campbell said. "Every day we're talking about our goals and what we want to do together as a team. It comes naturally. We want to win and make it to the (NCAA) tournament. We want to make each other better, and it's a great atmosphere to be around."
Penn State opens the season Nov. 9 at the Bryce Jordan Center against Norfolk State.
"I know we're all ecstatic, but I have been waiting for this moment for a couple years now," Campbell said. "I'm just ready to get out there and have some fun and let it all out there. We're ready to make some noise this year."
Kieger seems genuinely excited for Campbell's Penn State debut.
"Alli Campbell, the hometown hero, gets to come back and finally put on a blue and white jersey for us," Kieger said. "She's works extremely hard after coming back from injury. She looks great. Obviously, she was a high school All-American, so to bring her back, we have very high aspirations for her. She's really locked in mentally right now and physically to give whatever she can to this team to win."
Regardless of her role, Campbell said she'll cherish every moment.
"I'm just so happy to be back out on the court," Campbell said. "I have been waiting for this the whole past year. We're going to have a great season. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm ready to contribute with whatever the team needs, giving my everything. You never know when it could be taken away from you."