Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Meet the Newcomers: Ashley Hummel
07/29/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By Tony McDaniel
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SIU's women's basketball team can boast one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top centers, but now the team can boast about a center for the future.
Incoming 6-foot-1 freshman center Ashley Hummel dominated as a post player at Hillard Bradley High School in Galloway, Ohio. In her junior season with the Jaguars, she averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, earning All-Ohio Capital Conference honors that season.
At Hillard Bradley, Hummel enjoyed team success to compliment her individual achievements. In her junior year she helped her team to the district finals but lost on a heartbreaking last-second shot. In her senior season, the Jaguars won the Ohio Capital Conference and were regional finalists.
Hummel's high school coach, Kathy Lindsey, coached the University of Illinois' women's basketball team from 1990-95 and hired SIU coach Cindy Stein as an assistant in 1993. Twenty years later, Hummel brought them back together.
"Ashley caught our eye immediately because of her strong fundamentals and work ethic," Stein said. "She is a very good low-post player with a variety of ways to score and a presence in the paint. She crashes the boards hard, is a natural leader and has amazing strength. We see her being a very instrumental part of our program in the near future. She is extremely well-coached, so her basketball IQ is very high, as well."
Hummel said choosing SIU as her college destination was a no-brainer because of the connection between her high school and college coach. The two women are so similar that the first time Hummel spoke to Stein on the phone she thought she was speaking with Lindsey.
"Coach Stein has really similar plays," Hummel said. "The transition is so easy. The motion offense is the exact same as my high school's."
While Hummel eases into her new role at SIU, she gets to play behind Dyana Pierre, one of the best centers in MVC history. Pierre earned first-team All-MVC her last two seasons and a spot on the MVC's All-Defensive team last season.
"Dyana is a very good post player, and I've never had to deal with that ever," Hummel said. "In high school, I played against girls that were going to Indiana and big-time schools; I always showed up against them. Playing against Dyana is very challenging because she's a very, very good post player."
Each morning the pair work out one-on-one in SIU Arena so that Hummel can potentially be SIU's next great post player.
Hummel keeps herself busy off the court by volunteering in her community. She worked with Pilot Dogs, an organization that rescues dogs and finds them homes. She cooked meals for the needy for Ronald McDonald House and took a mission trip to Cincinnati to help rebuild churches and other facilities.
"There's power in selflessness; that's my saying," She said. "It's a good feeling when you help other people, but it's a better feeling knowing that they feel better."
Hummel said she plans to continue to volunteer in the Carbondale community. In the next four seasons Hummel could bring a lot of joy to people both on and off the court.
