On Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, North Penn seniors Sam Carangi, Jess Huber and Irisa Ye were recognized for committing to play basketball at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
“I’m very proud of these three girls,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “They’ve set a tremendous example for the younger girls. All three of them work at their game tirelessly. It’s been just a pleasure to watch them grow. I saw them play when they were in middle school. They came to our camps, and just to see them mature and grow into responsible young women, it makes me so proud. Their families have been wonderful. All three of them are going to be sorely missed next year.
Sam Carangi – Villanova University (Basketball)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Villanova, Drexel, Delaware
Reasons for choosing Villanova: “I chose it because both of my parents went there, and it felt like home to me since I was young.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in basketball at the collegiate level? “I’ve wanted to play basketball in college since I was young.
“I think that high school sports help you set goals in life, and it makes you feel a part of something. I’m excited for college to have the same experience.”
Coach Maggie deMarteleire says: “Sam does control the floor on both ends of the court, offensively and defensively. She just has a high basketball IQ. Sam dictates our game, and she’s just important at both ends of the floor. I think sometimes her defense gets under-reported. She really is smart on defense. She’ll anticipate what the other team is going to do, and she’ll jump passing lanes and also go double team. She just makes a lot of things happen on defense, and I don’t really think she gets that much credit for that. Every team takes pride in trying to shut her down defensively. In a couple of games this year, teams have shut her down a little bit, but then she’ll end up with a lot of assists.”
About Sam:
Favorite food: Fries dipped in milk shake
Favorite movie: Best of Me
Favorite music: Black Beatles
Jess Huber – University of the Sciences (Basketball)
Major: Exercise Science
Final list of colleges: University of the Sciences, Shippensburg, Bloomsburg, Millersville
Reasons for choosing USciences: “I chose it because I knew it was the best fit for me. All my friends are going there, and it was just a good fit for everyone.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in basketball at the collegiate level? “I knew I wanted to play college basketball as soon as I started to play high school basketball.
“High school sports has taught me discipline, how to manage my time well and how to always be responsible and be a part of something.”
Coach Maggie deMarteleire says: “Jess is just a competitor. Her performance last year in the playoffs on a broken foot is second to none. For her to average 17 points a game in the playoffs without practicing – she couldn’t practice because of her foot, it was a stellar performance. She has improved so much in the course of her four years. This year we’re running some things a little bit different, so she’s ending up getting the ball in the post. She is a tall, strong girl, and I think she’s figured out if she does that, she’s going to score a lot more points. She’s really improved her three-point shooting. We’re trying to get her and the entire team to work more on their mid-range game, and Jess does have a nice jumper off the dribble. We’re trying to incorporate that in her game. She’s athletic, and she’s improved on her conditioning. She’s a very diverse offensive player, she’s a good rebounder, and she’s a good passer. We have her throw the ball inbounds because she can make any kind of throw.”
About Jess:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: White Chicks
Favorite music: “Not I do What I Want”
Irisa Ye – University of the Sciences (Basketball)
Major: Pre-Med/Biomedical Science
Final list of colleges: University of the Sciences, University of Rochester, New Haven, New York Institute of Technology
Reasons for choosing USciences: “I chose it because I thought it was a great fit. I feel like it will provide me with a lot of academic opportunities, and a lot of the people I know are going there too.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in basketball at the collegiate level? “I’ve wanted to play college basketball ever since I was young.
“High school sports definitely taught me to work hard to improve my skills and also time management, responsibility and accountability.”
Coach Maggie deMarteleire says: “I’m not sure if I’ve ever coached anyone with the ability to get to the basket like she does. She really can take the ball to the rim and go right and left. She just has a really quick first step, and offensively, she really has a nice pull-up jumper. She’s very diverse on offense. She’s worked on her three-point shot – she doesn’t take a lot of threes, but she can hit them. She can attack the basket, and she does have a mid-range game, which is very unusual for a high school female basketball player to use all three, and she can and she does. The other thing she’s really improved on is her offensive rebounding. She will really get after it on the offensive boards. We try and preach that all the time, but it’s easier said than done. She works so hard every second she’s in the game that I have to sub for her more frequently than anybody else. Defensively, she can defend on the ball, she can defend off the ball. She’s very active. She and Sam, in particular, are very active defensively particularly out front putting pressure on the guards after they cross over midcourt.”
About Irisa:
Favorite food: Chinese Food
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite music: Body by Drizzle
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