Aug. 5, 2011
Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa’s Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — In a short the month span during the summer of 2010, Samantha Logic went from a relatively unknown recruit to one of the most sought-after guards in the class of 2011. Thankfully, the Hawkeye women’s basketball team welcomed Logic with open arms before ever offering her a scholarship.
Logic had played AAU basketball in the past, but not for a top-level team that gained national exposure. In 2010, Logic joined the Midwest Elite AAU squad, considered one of the best in the country.
The Racine, Wis., native had received some Division I offers from in-state schools, but her phone rang off the hook and letters flooded her mailbox after one summer with Midwest Elite. Her precise passing, fantastic court vision and all-out hustle earned her the ESPNHoopGurlz.com Breakout Player of the Summer Award in 2010. Logic went from an unranked prospect to the No. 10 recruit in the entire class of 2011.
“It was kind of hectic,” Logic said. “I never had anything happen like that before. I had smaller schools and local schools show interest, but this was different. Thankfully, I had some good coaches that helped me prepare and narrow my list. It was definitely a process.”
It was before that summer, however, that Logic took her first look at Iowa City. Logic and her family had a long weekend planned in October of her sophomore year of high school. The Logic’s headed west to check out the Hawkeye State. Just one stop in black and gold country and Logic realized that Iowa City was a special place.
“I didn’t have offers from any Iowa schools, but I just wanted to check them out,” Logic said. “Getting to know the team and the coaches on my first unofficial visit was a huge plus. I knew them early on in high school, and I felt really comfortable around them. It was so easy to talk to the coaches on the phone. It never felt like an effort to talk to them, and it was fun talking to the Iowa coaches on the phone.”
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“You play on a team to help that team win. That’s why we are recruited to a school, to help them win. People might look at individual performances, but as long as the team is winning, I’m happy.”
UI freshman Samantha Logic
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After all the e-mails, phone calls and letters from schools across the country, Logic finally had to make a decision on where to play. She started thinking about that October day as a sophomore in high school.
“When I was making up my mind on where to go I remembered being around the Iowa team on my visit,” Logic said. “The players didn’t even know me, and I still felt like part of the family. That was a great feeling.”
Logic ultimately committed to Iowa, bringing an extensive list of accolades with. She became the third McDonald’s All-American recruited by head coach Lisa Bluder and her staff. She was a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American and received virtually every player of the year award in the state of Wisconsin, not to mention the ESPNHoopGurlz.com Breakout Player of the Year nod.
Most high school athletes would crave that type of attention, but Logic is the definition of humble.
“If someone wouldn’t have told me about getting that honor (ESPNHoopGurlz), I wouldn’t even know,” Logic said. “There’s always going to be someone who likes the way, and someone that doesn’t like the way you play. It all had to do with my AAU team. I played on one of the best AAU teams in the country.”
Logic is one of the most decorated and highly-ranked recruits to ever play under Bluder. Expectations from the outside are high for the humble guard, but Logic doesn’t want to hear about other people’s ideas about her basketball skills.
“People are going to say what they want and have expectations,” Logic said. “The only expectations that matter to me are the ones that the coaches and my teammates have, along with my personal expectations. If you do what you are supposed to do and help your team win, who is going to tell you that you are wrong?”
Logic may be humble, but she loves to win. It doesn’t matter to Logic if she scores 40 points or four points; she just wants a team victory.
“You play on a team to help that team win,” Logic said. “That’s why we are recruited to a school, to help them win. People might look at individual performances, but as long as the team is winning, I’m happy.”
One way Logic is looking to help the Hawkeyes win is through her passing. If statistics were kept in the few short practices preparing for the upcoming overseas trip, Logic would be leading the team in assists. Her court vision is excellent and her passing skills have the ability to make jaws drop.
“That’s the best thing in the world,” Logic said of getting an assist. “Passing or straight hustle plays are the best things to watch. My favorite thing is setting someone else up to score. Scoring has never mattered to me. I just want to win.”
Logic has enjoyed helping other people since youth basketball. Even as a fourth-grader, Logic looked to pass rather than score.
“I’ve been told that I always wanted to pass the ball,” Logic said. “I always enjoyed making other people happy by passing the ball and leading them to score. It’s never two points for a single person, its two points for your team. The team name is on the scoreboard, not the individual names.”
With an excellent skill set, a fiery passion for basketball and a humble personality, Logic is poised to make noise in the Big Ten this season. But she is looking forward to just playing the sport she loves with the teammates that embraced her as a high school sophomore.
“Being around people that just love basketball is awesome,” Logic said. “It’s to the extent that my teammates give up 20-some hours a week to play at Iowa, not to mention all the extra time you spend on your own. That’s what’s going to be great about playing college basketball.”