Every scholarship basketball player endures unique bumps along the road to a commitment.
Lindsey Lemay's path required patience. The 5-foot-11 wing from Barrington, R.I. tore her left ACL and meniscus between her freshman and sophomore year of high school. She missed her entire sophomore season at Barrington, came back and played her junior year, then transferred and reclassified to Tilton for two more years of prep school. Lemay reached the NEPSAC Class AA final this past winter as part of a talented Rams roster that ultimately lost to Nobles. Tilton then won the inaugural Girls National Prep Basketball Championship later that March.
Still, Lemay entered the spring — her last season on the AAU circuit — without a Division 1 offer. She finally got her first in June, then another from Northeastern, where she ultimately committed on July 29.
Lemay discussed the challenges of her winding journey through high school basketball, and what she learned along the way, in this Q&A. It's been lightly edited for length and clarity.
When did you first fall in love with basketball?
"I was kind of late to the game, honestly. I started playing in fifth or sixth grade. I just joined a travel team with some of my friends because it was local, and I was trying different sports when I was younger. I did, gymnastics, soccer, I did some music and all that, cross-country and then tennis too. But I liked basketball, and I stuck with it throughout middle school and high school, and I just loved it."
Who is your favorite player to watch, college or pro?
"My favorite player is probably Kawhi Leonard or Paul George."
Kawhi Leonard's not a name I hear a whole lot, even though he's very good. Why Kawhi?
"I feel like I kind of play like him a little bit. I like his energy, and how he's just so different from a lot of the other basketball players and NBA players."
How would you describe your game?
"I would describe my game as pretty versatile [and] high-energy. I feel like I'm a really good defender, and I like getting to the hoop and stuff like that."
You're from Barrington, and Tilton is obviously pretty far away. What advice would you give to other NEPSAC transfers that you learned about being a boarding school student and making that adjustment?
"I would say, stick with it and use the opportunities to your advantage, because going from public school to prep school, you have so much more gym time, you have the trainers, you have the athletic facility, you have the gym all day. Using that to your advantage and really helping you get better is something that changed my game completely. Getting in the weight room and stuff like that — you really have all the tools and access at your fingertips."
You played alongside Ahnay [Adams], who is a superstar. What was it like being her teammate?
"I love Ahnay. I love her so much. I would even get up and shoot with her too. She just pushes people to be better and has such leadership qualities. I love her."
What is hard about recovering from a long-term injury that you think people don't realize?
"I think a lot of it's really mental, honestly. You have to push back the feeling of, 'Oh, am I gonna be as good as I was before? Am I gonna be able to play? Am I gonna be able to trust my legs to actually work? And it's a whole mental battle. So I definitely had to fight through that and then gain the confidence back, and confidence is obviously something that you have to work on all the time."
What do you think helped you get that confidence back?
"Definitely [being] in the weight room. Lifting is really important, and getting structure in your knees. We have speed training, which is this program that we do at my school, and we're always working on our plyometrics and things like that. So just having the confidence and then just also backing it up with the work is really important."
Was there a game you played where you felt like you were back to whatever level you were happy with?
"I actually remember, when I was in Barrington my junior year after the injury — I think it was in the playoffs or something — I was tired of that big brace. I was just like, I'm done wearing it. And then my coaches were a little skeptical because I just took it off, but I was like, I have confidence in myself, and I'm tired of the brace."
For those who have never worn one, what's it like playing with a knee brace?
"It's like five pounds of weight attached to your leg. I can't — and it's uncomfortable. But it keeps your knee structure so that you're not sliding your ACL or having that sudden movement. But once you get your strength back up in your legs, you should be able to be fine."
You entered this summer with zero Division 1 offers. Was that stressful for you?
"I mean, yeah, definitely, I was a little anxious, because you never know what could go on in the summer having nothing. But I feel like it pushed me to work harder, and go out onto the court and bring the energy, and really put it out on the floor because it was my last season too."
What did it feel like for you to get that first one [from Le Moyne]?
"I was crying. I was so happy, and my mom as well. She was literally — she was so excited, and everyone was, but it was amazing. I was so grateful."
You committed pretty quickly after getting your second offer from Northeastern. What about Northeastern convinced you to commit so quickly?
"Honestly, if you ask anyone, even my coaches, I always wanted to go to school in Boston, and I always liked Northeastern so much. The reason for that was, when I was younger, my dad used to live in Boston, and we would go there on the weekends, so I love the city. Then when I went to the campus — and I'd been talking to Coach Spin [James Spinelli] for a while, and he's a great guy — and then when I went to the campus, met the team, got to hang out and see everybody, see the culture, I really felt like it felt like home to me. So that's why I really wanted to go there."
What's your favorite high school basketball memory so far?
"Winning the national championship for this prep school league [the Girls National Prep Basketball Championship] that we did with my team at Tilton this year. I just loved playing with my team this year, and we just had such a fun time. I loved the whole season."
Where are you most proud of yourself in what you've gone through to get to this point?
"I would say, growth is a word that I use a lot, and I'm just proud of the growth and change from different environments and different situations that I've had to get here."
What's your go-to pregame music?
"I would probably say, either something by J. Cole, or "Dreams and Nightmares" probably.
