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Providence Academy (MN) Star Maddyn Greenway Catches up with GopherHole
By: Chris Monter | September 1, 2021
gopherhole.com
Maddyn Greenway, a 5-foot-6 2026 guard from Providence Academy, shined in her first year of varsity play last season. Greenway, the daughter of former Minnesota Viking linebacker Chad, averaged 21.0 points per game this past season as a seventh-grader, scoring in double figures in all 24 games.
Greenway had two games of more than 30 points scoring 34 against Southwest Christian in a 74047 win in the section finals and 32 in their first-round state tournament 94-91 win over Duluth Marshall. Her 32 points were much needed as Duluth Marshall was led by Gianna Kneepkens, who scored 67 points in the loss.
GopherHole caught up with Greenway recently at the Pacesetter Sweet 16 at St. Benedict’s to learn more about the latest talented Minnesota hoopster.
GopherHole: Obviously, you are so young, playing as a seventh-grader last season. How much do you think your game has changed from last year to this year?
Maddyn Greenway: I think just the confidence part, like going on as a seventh-grader, I always had a target on my back as a young one. So, I think now I’ve just grown in confidence and being able to take over a game. I think that is where I’ve grown the most, probably.
GopherHole: What things have you really worked hard on to continue to improve your game?
Maddyn Greenway: Just continuing to work on my shooting. I make 250 threes a day on top of all my other stuff and just always be able to hit down open shots, uncontested shots. That’s what I’ve always been trying to work on.
GopherHole: Your team was 22-2 last year and made it to the state tournament, where you ran into a really good Albany team in the finals. Is that a motivation to get even farther this upcoming season?
Maddyn Greenway: For sure. We knew that we were right there and we know coming back, we have great players coming back from injury. We have another seventh grader coming up, so we know that we can get better and we know the things that we need to improve on, but it was for sure, good to see how good we were in the state.
GopherHole: I know that you have Grace and Maria Counts back. Do you have most of your starters back from last year?
Maddyn Greenway: Yes. We have most of our starters besides one.
GopherHole: Are you going to be a little bit more of a leader this season now that you have played a year of varsity and losing a couple of seniors?
Maddyn Greenway: Yes. I think for sure, I’ll be able to lead the team, just with my voice and how I play.
GopherHole: Is that something you are looking forward to being a little bit more of a leader?
Maddyn Greenway: For sure.
GopherHole: I talked to your head coach a bit about your recruiting. I know it is so early, but what would it mean to play college basketball?
Maddyn Greenway: It would just mean everything, because of all the hard work that I put in, but that is the end goal, so it would be really awesome if I got to play at a high-level school.
GopherHole: I know that coaches can’t call you because you are so young, but your head coach said that a lot of coaches are calling him. Do you know what schools and are you getting a lot of letters?
Maddyn Greenway: I’ve talked to a couple of schools just from when I played in AAU. I go to all the Nike tournaments and there is a lot of coaches watching there.
GopherHole: What schools are you kind of hearing from?
Maddyn Greenway: I heard from Iowa, Minnesota. Those are the bigger ones. There have been other schools that have just said stuff, but those are probably the best two.
GopherHole: What are you hearing from the home state school?
Maddyn Greenway: I have gone to some of their camps and they said they really like how I play and want to get me on an unofficial visit this fall. Hopefully, that happens.
GopherHole: I know that Coach Whalen has made getting the top girls from Minnesota a priority. She has four commitments from the Class of 2022 in Amaya Battle from Hopkins, Chaska forward Mallory Heyer, Wayzata guard Mara Braun and Nia Holloway from Eden Prairie. Do you know those girls at all?
Maddyn Greenway: Mara Braun plays at North Tartan, in my club, so I always get to go and watch her. She just has really been a good leader and mentor for me, because I have been going to some of her practices and I have been practicing with some of the older teams. It is just nice to see how well they work together and just what it takes to get to that next level.
GopherHole: Does that mean something to you to play for the home state school and play with girls that you have grown playing against and with?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be cool, but I really want to go to Iowa.
GopherHole: Obviously, you have a lot of family ties (her mother Jenni ran track and cross country) with Iowa. What would it mean to play for the Hawkeyes?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be awesome, just with my parents both doing sports there. I think it would be really awesome, just to be able to leave the family legacy there. That would be cool.
GopherHole: Have you had a chance to go down to Iowa City for games in the past, football or basketball?
Maddyn Greenway: We’ve gone down to a lot of football games and gone to some track meets with my mom. I know the campus really well, so I like it.
GopherHole: What would that mean following in their footsteps?
Maddyn Greenway: I would be awesome. I think it would be so cool playing exactly where my parents played. Just being able to say I played at a great D1 team, where my parents played.
GopherHole: When you finally pick a school, what are going to be the main factors that make you pick School A over School B or C?
Maddyn Greenway: I would think, for sure, it would just be academics. How good the team is? If I like the campus? If I fit in with all the girls? If I like the coaches? I think all those play a factor.
GopherHole: Obviously, it is so hard because you still have five years of school before you go to college. Your goal is to win a state title. What would that mean to you?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be awesome, just coming back after getting so close last year was really heartbreaking to lose that game, but I think it gave us a great motivation to just go on and get even better next year, so I think it would mean everything. It would be awesome.
By: Chris Monter | September 1, 2021
Providence Academy (MN) Middle School star Maddyn Greenway catches up with Gopherhole - GopherHole.com
Maddyn Greenway, a 5-foot-6 2026 guard from Providence Academy, shined in her first year of varsity play last season. Greenway, the daughter of former Minnesota Viking linebacker Chad, averaged 21.0 points per game this past season as a seventh-grader, scoring in double figures in all 24 games...
Maddyn Greenway, a 5-foot-6 2026 guard from Providence Academy, shined in her first year of varsity play last season. Greenway, the daughter of former Minnesota Viking linebacker Chad, averaged 21.0 points per game this past season as a seventh-grader, scoring in double figures in all 24 games.
Greenway had two games of more than 30 points scoring 34 against Southwest Christian in a 74047 win in the section finals and 32 in their first-round state tournament 94-91 win over Duluth Marshall. Her 32 points were much needed as Duluth Marshall was led by Gianna Kneepkens, who scored 67 points in the loss.
GopherHole caught up with Greenway recently at the Pacesetter Sweet 16 at St. Benedict’s to learn more about the latest talented Minnesota hoopster.
GopherHole: Obviously, you are so young, playing as a seventh-grader last season. How much do you think your game has changed from last year to this year?
Maddyn Greenway: I think just the confidence part, like going on as a seventh-grader, I always had a target on my back as a young one. So, I think now I’ve just grown in confidence and being able to take over a game. I think that is where I’ve grown the most, probably.
GopherHole: What things have you really worked hard on to continue to improve your game?
Maddyn Greenway: Just continuing to work on my shooting. I make 250 threes a day on top of all my other stuff and just always be able to hit down open shots, uncontested shots. That’s what I’ve always been trying to work on.
GopherHole: Your team was 22-2 last year and made it to the state tournament, where you ran into a really good Albany team in the finals. Is that a motivation to get even farther this upcoming season?
Maddyn Greenway: For sure. We knew that we were right there and we know coming back, we have great players coming back from injury. We have another seventh grader coming up, so we know that we can get better and we know the things that we need to improve on, but it was for sure, good to see how good we were in the state.
GopherHole: I know that you have Grace and Maria Counts back. Do you have most of your starters back from last year?
Maddyn Greenway: Yes. We have most of our starters besides one.
GopherHole: Are you going to be a little bit more of a leader this season now that you have played a year of varsity and losing a couple of seniors?
Maddyn Greenway: Yes. I think for sure, I’ll be able to lead the team, just with my voice and how I play.
GopherHole: Is that something you are looking forward to being a little bit more of a leader?
Maddyn Greenway: For sure.
GopherHole: I talked to your head coach a bit about your recruiting. I know it is so early, but what would it mean to play college basketball?
Maddyn Greenway: It would just mean everything, because of all the hard work that I put in, but that is the end goal, so it would be really awesome if I got to play at a high-level school.
GopherHole: I know that coaches can’t call you because you are so young, but your head coach said that a lot of coaches are calling him. Do you know what schools and are you getting a lot of letters?
Maddyn Greenway: I’ve talked to a couple of schools just from when I played in AAU. I go to all the Nike tournaments and there is a lot of coaches watching there.
GopherHole: What schools are you kind of hearing from?
Maddyn Greenway: I heard from Iowa, Minnesota. Those are the bigger ones. There have been other schools that have just said stuff, but those are probably the best two.
GopherHole: What are you hearing from the home state school?
Maddyn Greenway: I have gone to some of their camps and they said they really like how I play and want to get me on an unofficial visit this fall. Hopefully, that happens.
GopherHole: I know that Coach Whalen has made getting the top girls from Minnesota a priority. She has four commitments from the Class of 2022 in Amaya Battle from Hopkins, Chaska forward Mallory Heyer, Wayzata guard Mara Braun and Nia Holloway from Eden Prairie. Do you know those girls at all?
Maddyn Greenway: Mara Braun plays at North Tartan, in my club, so I always get to go and watch her. She just has really been a good leader and mentor for me, because I have been going to some of her practices and I have been practicing with some of the older teams. It is just nice to see how well they work together and just what it takes to get to that next level.
GopherHole: Does that mean something to you to play for the home state school and play with girls that you have grown playing against and with?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be cool, but I really want to go to Iowa.
GopherHole: Obviously, you have a lot of family ties (her mother Jenni ran track and cross country) with Iowa. What would it mean to play for the Hawkeyes?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be awesome, just with my parents both doing sports there. I think it would be really awesome, just to be able to leave the family legacy there. That would be cool.
GopherHole: Have you had a chance to go down to Iowa City for games in the past, football or basketball?
Maddyn Greenway: We’ve gone down to a lot of football games and gone to some track meets with my mom. I know the campus really well, so I like it.
GopherHole: What would that mean following in their footsteps?
Maddyn Greenway: I would be awesome. I think it would be so cool playing exactly where my parents played. Just being able to say I played at a great D1 team, where my parents played.
GopherHole: When you finally pick a school, what are going to be the main factors that make you pick School A over School B or C?
Maddyn Greenway: I would think, for sure, it would just be academics. How good the team is? If I like the campus? If I fit in with all the girls? If I like the coaches? I think all those play a factor.
GopherHole: Obviously, it is so hard because you still have five years of school before you go to college. Your goal is to win a state title. What would that mean to you?
Maddyn Greenway: It would be awesome, just coming back after getting so close last year was really heartbreaking to lose that game, but I think it gave us a great motivation to just go on and get even better next year, so I think it would mean everything. It would be awesome.
