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Madeline Potts couldn’t travel further than five kilometers from her home province of Victoria, Australia, for two years due to COVID-19. But the small basketball court behind Potts’ house in Doncaster stayed open, allowing her to practice. It featured an undersized concrete surface that wasn’t wide enough to include the whole 3-point arc.

There, Potts practiced her 3-point shooting for hours on end. She watched videos of Stephen Curry and tried emulating him. According to Potts’ mother, Kristen, Potts’ grandmother, who lived down the street, used to hear the ball bouncing at the park and knew it was Potts.

Before the pandemic, Kristen admitted Potts wasn’t among the best players on her club team, Nunawading Spectres. But by the end, she made Victoria’s state team and was invited to Australian National Team camps.

“She could have just put the ball down and said, ‘I’m so s*****y, I don’t want to play anymore,’ and just said, ‘No, that’s enough,’” Kristen said. “But she didn’t. She said, ‘I’m just going to work. I’m just going to take the opportunity and get better.’”

Potts’ development led her to Syracuse, where she’s in her freshman season after enrolling in January 2024. The guard is averaging 3.4 points per game and flashed her potential with 11- and 13-point outings against Florida State and Clemson, respectively. Her calling card is her 3-point shot. Potts makes 37.8% of her triples as a spark plug off the bench for SU, which has an ACC-worst 133 made 3s this season.

“Her 3-point shot is what we count on the most,” Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack told Z89 on Jan. 9 following Potts’ then-career-high 11 points in its loss at FSU. “She’s slowly getting comfortable with her own body and getting comfortable being in America. There’s a lot more for her to give to us.”

When Potts was in 10th grade, she spoke with Gary Smith, the father of Minnesota Lynx and former Stanford forward Alanna Smith, about playing in the United States. Darren explained how the NCAA works and praised its quality of basketball.

Once Potts saw the possibility of playing in the U.S., she improved her academics to meet the NCAA’s requirements. A year later, Kristen reached out to Taylor Jones, the director of ATC Academy, an NCAA Certified Recruiting Service helping Australian basketball players get recruited to NCAA schools. Jones scheduled a Zoom meeting with Potts and her parents.

“When we first spoke to Maddy and her parents, it was clear that she had a singular focus,” Jones said. “Her dream was to play college basketball in the U.S.”

Madeline Potts makes 37.8% of her 3-point shots, ranking second on the Orange. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

Jones guided Potts through recruiting, helping her create a package with highlights, game film and achievements to send to colleges. Jones also arranged Zoom calls with interested coaches and scheduled school visits.

With Jones’ help, Potts narrowed her decision to Syracuse, Clemson and Western Kentucky. Potts visited SU and WKU in June 2023. She chose the Orange for their high-level facilities and to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“We have nothing like that back home,” Potts said of the facilities. “(Syracuse’s coaches) were very supportive on my visit. They talked me through what I could do whilst I’m here, and how I could grow and get better.”

After Potts committed to the Orange, Jones suggested she enroll in January since Australia’s school year ends in December. Though atypical for most college athletes outside of football to enroll early, SU’s coaches agreed. This gave Potts time to adjust to the U.S., build strength and adapt to the faster, more physical game.

Potts prepared for playing in the U.S. by competing in Australia for Spectres, which plays in the semi-professional National Basketball League 1 and includes 16 to 30-year-olds, Potts said.

In her first few months at SU, Kristen said Potts “thrived” learning from SU star guard Dyaisha Fair and working with assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Wietlispach. When Potts returned home in the summer, Kristen said she put on 11 pounds of muscle.

“It’s almost like she’s a sophomore (now), and even though she still hasn’t played as many minutes as every kid would want, she’s so much more mature than a lot of people,” Legette-Jack said.

When the 2024-25 season started, Potts played in a game for the first time in almost a year. But at the start of the campaign, her playing time was limited. She only played in eight of SU’s first 10 games, averaging less than 10 minutes and 2.0 points per game during the stretch.

Then, in 15 minutes at Binghamton on Dec. 18, Potts drained three triples for a career-high nine points. She followed that with six points on 2-for-3 3-point shooting in the Orange’s next game, a blowout over Dartmouth. Potts carried over her form to ACC play, including her 11-point performance versus Florida State.

Potts’ breakout performances coincided with her parents, Kristen and Malcolm, seeing her play in person for five games in January. Kristen said it’s hard to find a stream to watch SU’s game in Australia, and they often tune into the radio broadcast. Sometimes, they can’t even find a radio broadcast and instead follow live play-by-play updates.

Kristen was impressed by Potts’ defense watching her in person, noting it was “four million times better” since arriving at Syracuse. In its 85-73 loss to FSU, Potts frequently guarded Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s top scorer. Kristen felt Potts wasn’t intimidated by the tough matchup.

“Through the coaching, they really focus on defense, and Maddy has had to work really hard at it, and I just couldn’t believe the improvement,” Kristen said.

Potts earned her first-career start against Clemson on Jan. 26. She impressed against the Tigers, scoring a career-high 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting in 35 minutes.

“She obviously can shoot the 3-ball, but we want her to get her wiggle together and get in that lane, because we think she can do that as well,” Legette-Jack said on Jan. 31. “So we’re pushing her as she gets closer to attaining her greatness in the front area.”

Since then, Potts’ production has dropped off, but Kristen said she’s been dealing with a nagging back injury and an illness. Kristen has to remind herself that Potts is only a freshman. She imagines where Potts can be in a few years, and the prospect excites her.

Potts is climbing high from that makeshift court behind her house to the ACC — and she’s only getting started.

“I agree with coach Jack when she said people better watch out,” Kristen said of her daughter. “There’s probably not many players that are as mentally strong and resilient as she is.”

Published on February 17, 2025 at 10:20 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal