There are some schools that are special. They are the schools that have found that balance between athletics and academics. These are the schools parents dream about for their kids. These are the schools that kids want to be part of. But what makes these schools different is that there are no back door or side doors. There are no winks and hand shakes at these schools. Your jump shot will not close the deal. To attend schools like COLGATE UNIVERSITY you must get the job done on the basketball court and in the classroom. ABBEY FERGUSON HAS DONE EXACTLY THAT and yesterday announced she will be attending COLGATE UNIVERSITY.
Colgate University Head Coach Bill Cleary knows that recruiting kids at Colgate is not easy. He knows the academic standards are unique to college basketball. But somehow Bill Cleary has done what some thought was impossible… he has turned Colgate into a winning program. A program that is knocking on the NCAA TOURNAMENT door. He has done this by recruiting his type of kid. Kids who want to play his beautiful yet terrorizing matchup defense. Abbey Ferguson is exactly what the doctor ordered for Colgate. She fits Coach Cleary’s system to a “T”. You see ABBEY FERGUSON is tall, long, smart and athletic. Exactly what Coach Cleary is looking for. But what Coach Cleary, who led Colgate to a 19-11 record last year, doesn’t know is this. Abbey Ferguson is a gym rat. A big time gym rat, who spends a scary amount of time in The gym. She is that rare big time student who loves the gym and can balance both. Abbey Ferguson has mastered the art of student athlete. It’s why she will be attending Colgate. It’s a match made in Heaven.
These days it’s hard to convince a kid of anything. We live in a world where kids want everything thing now. They don’t want to wait for there moment. They believe their moment is always now. They don’t understand you have to work constantly to create that special moment. Abbey Ferguson is no real surprise to yesterday’s big moment. She has just done things quietly every step of the way. Like as a freshman, she was considered one of the Top 5 incoming players in the 2022 class. She didn’t start as a freshman at Holmdel, but yet took advantage of any time she receive. Last season she didn’t start until halfway through the season. It was no surprise that Holmdel and Abbey took off after she was moved into the starting lineup. But throughout it all, not once did Abbey complain, talk about transferring or question her coach. You see it’s about character. Abbey Ferguson has so much character, that it’s clear she has special parents. Her parents, Terri and Ned have convinced her that academics don’t have to take a backseat to athletics. They have helped Abbey to understand that moment to shine would come. They knew their was no timetable for such things. Abbey Ferguson has been guided every step of the way with love and understanding. It’s why Colgate beat out so many other great schools to get Abbey Ferguson’s commitment…and mom and dad may have been the biggest reason why.
The Fagan Belles are starting to look like they have cornered the market on the word student athlete. Abbey Ferguson joins Kylie Capstraw (Yale) in attending a high academic school. But when you think about the Belles. Many names have come up over the years. Abbey Ferguson name rarely is one of the first names that came to mind. That’s because Abbey Ferguson is a true teammate. She does the little things that coaches love at the next level. It’s why, while fans of hoops may not have know much about her. The people who matter most all knew about her. College coaches from all over knew her name. While Covid 19 has affected so many.. it did little to ABBEY FERGUSON’S future plans. That because Abbey Ferguson created a brand that coaches die for. A brand that screamed academic greatness and basketball Royalty. It’s a combination that can’t be beat no matter how much you try.
I’ve known Abbey since she was in 6th grade. She has always quiet and a hard worker. She has never been one to seek the spotlight or attention. But from the day I met her, I knew she was special. Her versatility on the court as a young player was clear to all. She had quick feet and these pair of hands from the heavens. She caught everything tossed her way and was a rebounding machine. Because of her size 6’0” she rarely played her natural wing position on offense. But on defense she played every position and guarded everyone. Her versatility is what makes her so special. Like when Holmdel shocked RBC last year and she had 4 block shots. She also had multiple double/double games last season. In the STATE TOURNAMENT vs Hillside she had 22 points. You see Abbey gives you what you need. She does so willingly. It’s no shock she is one of the best ball handlers around for her size. Nobody is really shocked she averaged 2.7 dimes a game. These are all things that put Abbey Ferguson’s unselfish style of play on display and ALL THE THINGS COLGATE IS LOOKING FOR
ABBY FERGUSON LET HER IN – YouTube
When Abbey told me she had committed to Colgate University. There was zero surprise from me. You see I knew that Abbey wanted it all. She wanted a great campus( Colgate is always listed as one of the nicest campuses in America. It has one that title multiple times. She wanted to be around great people. Well she has certainly found that. She wanted to Secure her future. Well Colgate graduates are among the highest paid in the country. Abbey Ferguson will play for one of the favorites to win the Patriot League and advance to the NCAA tournament. All this is being made possible because ABBEY FERGUSON didn’t take shortcuts and never put anything ahead of doing what’s right at any time.
I wonder if Colgate really understands what they are getting. I told Coach Cleary that Abbey Ferguson was unbeknownst to most one of the best shooters in the shore. She will be a big scorer at the next level where the coaching and preparation will kick in and favor her skill sets. I told Coach Cleary she is a gym rat. But more importantly a gym rat with purpose. You tell her what to work on and she does it. You tell her when you are working out and there she will be… ABBEY FERGUSON has mastered the hardest skill set of all… listening!
When Abbey Ferguson decided to attend Colgate. I forgot to tell her. The list of great players who had hoped to attend Colgate and didn’t, it’s basically a who’s who.. that’s because the hardest part about attending Colgate University is getting in… ABBEY FERGUSON had no problem with that part… now she is part of something special and she and her family are now RAIDERS. There is a play called Hamilton it’s a big hit… well there is a player in the city of Hamilton coming soon and she is going to be a big hit too… her name is ABBEY FERGUSON… congratulations TEAM FERGUSON 💕👏🏀