Greta Kampschroeder rediscovered her joy for basketball.
Now the former Naperville North star is prepared to take on the world.
Kampschroeder, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, saved the best season of her college career for last, leading Michigan to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. More important, it was her happiest season.
“Coming in as a college athlete, I would tell anybody that it’s a guarantee that you’re going to go through some highs and lows and bumps in the road,” Kampschroeder said. “Whether it was my freshman year at Oregon State, where I didn’t feel like I was in the right place and having to navigate through that, and then going into the portal is scary, you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“So I was lucky to find my place at Michigan. Even through the highs and lows, I still felt like it was a good place for me and still a great experience.”
Kampschroeder, a three-time Naperville Sun Girls Basketball Player of the Year, started 25 games as a freshman at Oregon State. Then she transferred to Michigan, becoming the first McDonald’s All-American to play there.
The lows included a couple of injuries, a fight for playing time and changing roles. But former Naperville North coach Erin Colletti knew the highs were coming for Kampschroeder.
“I talked with Greta last summer, and she was in such a good headspace going into her senior year,” Colletti said. “She was taking the pressure off of herself.”
Kampschroeder endured the same problem that Colletti, who played at DePaul, had in college.
“Sometimes you put so much pressure on yourself to do well that you almost handcuff yourself in your decision-making,” Colletti said. “We saw that early on with Greta.
“I was the same way in college. I didn’t play free. This year, she was like, ‘I’m just going to play and let it go.’”
That paid dividends for Kampschroeder. She started every game and averaged a career-high 6.8 points, a career-high 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Wolverines (23-11), who used her as a facilitating center in a five-guard offense instead of the scorer she had always had been.
“I don’t look like a 5, but I can do a couple things from that position and essentially gave our team an advantage this year,” Kampschroeder said. “Other teams were having to figure out how to guard us, so that was fun. It was a fun year.”
Kampschroeder scored 13 points during Michigan’s 80-74 win over Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She didn’t score in the Wolverines’ 76-55 loss to Notre Dame in the second round, but she has no regrets.
“There’s a lot of lessons to be learned by going through some of those lows,” Kampschroeder said. “You gain a lot of perspective in a short period of time, but I wouldn’t trade any of my decisions anywhere for the world. It made me who I am, and it led me to where I was supposed to be.”
Kampschroeder, who will graduate in May with a degree in sport management, aims to play professionally overseas in the fall. It will be unfamiliar territory, but Kampschroeder is prepared.
“I’ve been in a lot of uncomfortable positions,” she said. “That’s part of being a college athlete. It’s never easy, it’s never comfortable, so I think I’m ready to take on a situation where it’s a little bit unpredictable.
“I think now is the time to do it, while I’m young and I can still play. If I don’t do it, I’ll regret it, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Colletti is excited to see what Kampschroeder accomplishes.
“When you’re a teenager going into college, your brain is still not ready to handle the emotions of college stuff, and I feel like she’s grown up so much and is so much more mature and confident,” Colletti said. “If she does go overseas, she’s going to have such a strong career.”
A pro career has always been Kampschroeder’s goal.
“While it’s a scary step, I think it’s important to go out of your comfort zone and try something new,” she said. “I think I’ll gain a lot of perspective and experience out of doing it.
“I don’t expect it to be easy right away, but I think it’s a very fulfilling opportunity that I can’t pass up.”
Former Naperville North assistant Molly Murray, who played at Michigan, attended Kampschroeder’s final two games and said young athletes can learn from Kampschroeder’s example.
“She found another gear this year,” Murray said. “Her role was different, but her attitude was the same.
“She stuck with it, and I think that’s something that should be applauded more in college athletics. It speaks a lot to her character.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
