Mary Crompton ’21 has had a love for basketball since she was a little girl growing up in Iowa. Now in her second year of graduate school and fifth year on the Redbird women’s basketball team, that feeling is as strong as ever.
One of the team’s veteran leaders, Crompton and her teammates are in the thick of it in an always-competitive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Redbirds (11-5, 5-1 MVC) are in second place in the conference and are on a four-game winning streak. Friday’s “Pack the Arena” game at CEFCU Arena against Indiana State, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., is a “Black Out” game, where Illinois State fans are encouraged to wear their best black Redbird gear. Admission is free.
With key games just ahead against Bradley, Murray State, and Southern Illinois—and the conference tournament fast approaching—Crompton said fans can expect Redbird coaches and players to prepare the way they always have.
“We don’t look ahead, that’s been consistent all five years here,” she said. “We approach every single practice and every game as if it’s all that matters. We know if we take care of that we’ll be where we need to be when the conference tournament comes around, and we’ll be where we need to be with our conference ranking.
“This is a very tough mid-major conference, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
A Bone Scholar, Crompton, an Iowa City native, was looking for the right fit academically when she decided on Illinois State. She was so focused on academics that she visited some schools without even meeting with their basketball coaches.
“I value academics a lot and came here on several visits,” she said. “I saw the research labs, and the people were all great.”
Crompton finished her undergraduate degree in biology in three years while also excelling on the basketball court. Now she’s finishing up a master’s degree in biology before moving on to medical school to pursue her dream of being a doctor. She’s already been accepted and has narrowed her choice to two schools.
Head coach Kristen Gillespie, who had just been hired, came to see her play in high school and offered her a spot on the roster.
“I got recruited just when the new staff came on,” Crompton said. “‘Coach G’ saw me play in an AAU game for the All-Iowa Attack, and she called me.”
It’s worked out pretty well. In the program’s history, no one has made more 3-pointers than Crompton. She’s the all-time leader in 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal attempts. She’s also a member of the 1,000-point club.
The season for the Redbirds is going well for a number of reasons, Crompton said, describing the team as skilled at both ends of the floor.
“We play really sound defense, so teams find it tough to score on us off of first action,” she said. “We’re also very prepared because of good scouting. Our coaches scout really hard and have us ready to go.”
On offense, Crompton said opposing teams have a lot to deal with playing against the Redbirds.
“We have five on the floor who can score at all times,” she said. “We can score in a variety of ways, so we’re hard to stop.”
But the season’s success is also rooted in team chemistry, she said. It’s not something you can look up on a stat sheet.
“I feel like you can see the chemistry on the court. We really play for each other and get really excited for each other’s successes. You don’t always see that. We love doing it together.”
Mary Crompton
“I feel like you can see the chemistry on the court,” Crompton said. “We really play for each other and get really excited for each other’s successes. You don’t always see that. We love doing it together.”
As for her game, Crompton is about sharing the ball, smarts, and of course, perimeter shooting.
“When you think of my game, you think of a shooter,” she said. “That’s definitely been my key to success being a big 3-point shooter. I have a high basketball IQ and like to read the defense and see how they’re guarding me and get plays off of that for my teammates.”
This season got off to a good start for Crompton as she had her career night in the opener at Dayton, scoring 27 points on seven 3-pointers. For the year, she’s averaging 11.4 points per game and is just shy of making 50% of her 3-point shots, hitting 46 of 102 attempts.
All the preparation, camaraderie, and success are the result of a group of coaches who turned the tide since Gillespie’s arrival in 2017. The Redbirds have improved every year of Gillespie’s tenure and are coming off their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last year after winning the conference tournament.
“I can’t say enough good things about our coaching staff,” Crompton said. “They are committed to our college experience beyond basketball, always support us academically, and are always there for us. They are the reason this program is where it is and why this place is so special to me.”
Crompton still has that same passion for the game that started back in third grade when she began competing in free-throw competitions. She and her dad would go to the gym six out of seven days, and they still do that when she’s home. Her parents, Terry and Betsy, make it to all the games whether by car or airplane, even traveling to Las Vegas earlier in the season. Basketball has provided a lot of great memories, and after all these years, Crompton said she’s still learning the game.
“I feel like every day there’s more to learn about the game itself or about teammates,” she said. “Since we’re a young team, I’ve been able to help new teammates learn how to adjust to the college game. I’ve been here five years, so I get to use my experience to help them, which I enjoy.”
For Crompton, now 23, it’s not lost on her that her next chapter is coming soon, so she’s enjoying competing with her teammates and being a Redbird for a little while longer.
“This place means so much to me,” she said. “It’s still a lot of fun. I really love basketball.”
