C-G’s Jakubicek achieves D-I dream

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Four years ago, Claire Jakubicek was asked to write down her long-term goals, and the then-fourth grader scrawled “to play Division I basketball” on a sheet of paper.

Jakubicek still has the piece of paper, and Northern Illinois is giving the Cary-Grove senior a chance to make that goal a reality.

NIU coach Kathi Bennett received an oral commitment from Jakubicek on Monday, capping a recruiting derby that spanned two years and included more than 15 schools.

“It was really stressful and overwhelming, but it was also a lot of fun and a learning experience,” said Jakubicek, who primarily plays forward for C-G.

Jakubicek had narrowed her decision to NIU, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Ball State (Ind.) before giving her word to NIU, a school with which she fell in love the minute she stepped on campus.

“I had a feeling that was where she was going to end up,” C-G coach Rod Saffert said. “It’s a good fit for her, and I knew she loved it the first time she went. I know she’s happy, too, to have it out of the way.”

Jakubicek (6-foot) was a 2010 Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection and averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.1 steals and 4.1 deflections a game last season for the Trojans, helping them win a share of the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title and a regional championship. C-G took then-undefeated Geneva to the wire in a sectional semifinal before losing to bow out of the postseason.

Last season, the Huskies were 10-19 and 4-12 in the Mid-American Conference, but Jakubicek is confident it will take little time to turn the program around.

“I love Coach Bennett,” Jakubicek said. “She is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She has so much faith in what she’s doing, and I think she’s going to turn the program around. All the coaches, ... they all know what they’re doing, and I know they’ll have a huge impact on the school.”