Jan. 11, 2017
By ANNA PITINGOLO, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - At this time last year, Jaida Travascio-Green was enjoying all that comes with being a second semester high school senior. She was preparing for her impending prom, graduation and, after that, the trip to Happy Valley to begin her collegiate basketball career.
In the seven months since she left Downers Grove North High School in Lisle, Illinois, Travascio-Green has gone from bench player to one of the starting five for the Lady Lions. It was a quick transition from high school to college for Travascio-Green, but one that she took in stride.
"It was kind of a forced quick adjustment, but it was a quick adjustment, and everyone was really helpful with it," she said. "They make it so easy for you to adjust in school, and even basketball-wise, both my teammates and coaches made it so easy to adjust."
The promotion to starter came on January 3rd when the Lady Lions faced Iowa, after Travascio-Green had had a strong showing at the start of the season, which didn't go unnoticed by her coaches.
"It was an adjustment we had to make for the betterment of the team," said assistant coach Tamika Jeter. "Jaida gets her shot off really quick, she's giving us a lot of production and she works really hard and I think that was a great move for our team as far as production."
Travascio-Green boasts a .410 field goal percentage on the season and averages 16.5 minutes and 6.1 points per game. Jeter credits her in-game success to the hard work she puts in at practice day in and day out.
"I think Jaida, once she gets something, she gets very comfortable, and she can roll with it, so she's very mentally tough," Jeter said. "The other part of Jaida that I really like is she pushes through. When Coach [Coquese] Washington is taking them through some tough practices, I've seen that kid, when there's no more gas in the tank, find two more drops of gas, and that's what you want to see in your student athletes."
It's that time put in during practice that has helped Travascio-Green get used to playing at the faster pace of college basketball.
"I think everyone knows going in that the basketball is going to be faster, but you don't really know that until, I would say, you get into conference play," she said. "It's always kind of like playing against yourself because everyone's intense, everyone's strong, everyone's fast, and so that was probably the biggest adjustment, just having to make that jump so quick."
As Travascio-Green continues to get the nod from Washington as a starter, she reuses to let it get to her head or change her preparation from game to game.
"I don't try to let it change my mindset at all. I just think that Coquese trusts me to execute my role and whether that means starting the game or whether that means coming into the game later on, it doesn't really matter. I'm glad that she trusts me enough to start me," Travascio-Green said.
"That's what I like the most about Jaida is her toughness in the situations Coach Washington has put her in," Jeter said. "The environment has been very tough, [coach] gets on her a lot, but she's responded and I think that's what's most impressive about Jaida."
Travascio-Green and the Lady Lions will continue their Big Ten slate when they face No. 3 Maryland on Wednesday night in College Park. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m.