Anna Oliver talks about scholarship offers

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -Hodgdon Freshman Anna Oliver received her second Division 1 basketball scholarship offer this week. Oliver received the offer from the University of Maine. Oliver said she was very excited to receive the offer from the State’s only Division 1 program.

Anna Oliver):” It was a huge honor to receive an offer from my home state. I have gotten a chance to watch a lot of their games this year. I got to see how the coaches interact with the players and it seems like a really good closeknit team.”

Matt Oliver:” Extremely exciting. A lot of emotions of course. Just to see all that hard work come to fruition. It was a really good feeling.”

Several other Colleges and Universities have also expressed an interest in Oliver. She said that receiving the attention doesn’t put added pressure on her.

Oliver:” I don’t feel pressure I use it more as motivation to keep developing and getting better.”

Oliver is not taking time off from the sport she loves. She has been traveling to the Portland and Lewiston area weekly to prepare for the AAU season with the Firecrackers. Oliver has had contact with several other colleges and Universities and has also received a scholarship offer from Providence College. Oliver hasn’t even completed her freshman year at Hodgdon and has already received two scholarship offers. Her father Matt says that the trend is to start recruiting players at a younger age

Matt Oliver:” It seems to be the trend across the country to recruit younger and younger. Freshmen year isn’t out of the ordinary.We were kind of expecting it. Last year Anna went down to the top 30 High School camp in Southern Maine and competed really well with that group so we sort of knew what was coming.”

The Olivers have been very impressed with the schools who had made contact with the family. NCAA rules don’t allow the coach to make initial contact with the younger players, it has to be initiated by the player or a third party.

Oliver:” A Coach, an AAU Coach, a Trainer, players she may know. All of the colleges that Anna has been in contact with have been so technically sound and follow the NCAA guidelines to a tee.”

They are not under any pressure to accept the offers at this point and Oliver said they have been in touch with other schools who have asked for video or who are doing their due diligence on the young Hawks player.

Matt:” They want to keep tabs on her AAU season. That is pretty exciting in itself. I am sure other things are going to develop. She is going to work as she always does. She loves her teammates

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