Photo by: Will Becque
Meet the Newcomers: Rachel Pudlowski
10/20/2017 | 1:50:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — A strong inside game has been a cornerstone of Saluki women's basketball since head coach Cindy Stein's arrival in 2013. But with the loss of Dyana Pierre in 2016 and Kim Nebo in 2017, Stein knew she needed to add dynamic players that could not only rebound at a high level but also stretch the floor. Enter freshman Rachel Pudlowski. A driven competitor who excelled at four sports in high school, Pudlowski earned All-State honors in basketball as a senior after she averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
"Rachel is a young lady that comes in with a lot of toughness," Stein said. "She is a really gritty kid, a scrapper, who is going to get in the game and get in the mix. She rebounds really well and plays with high energy."
Pudlowski excelled at soccer, basketball, track and field and softball at Fort Zumwalt North High School in O'Fallon, Missouri. A three-star basketball recruit who was ranked No. 45 at her position by ESPN, Pudlowski showcased her all-around athleticism by earning all-conference at least once in all four sports, which included winning eight conference titles as a jumps specialist for Fort Zumwalt North's track team.
"You don't see kids these days play two sports let alone four so she is unique," Stein said. "Her drive, effort and athleticism will get her on the floor and her learning how to be more efficient when she is there will give us wins!"
The 6-foot-2 guard/forward was no slouch in the classroom at Fort Zumwalt North either. She graduated ninth out of 306 in her senior class, was selected to the National Honor Society and was able to take college credit classes, all the while constantly being "in-season".
Pudlowski believes that her hard-work in high school better prepared her for college life, both athletically and academically.
"In high school I didn't really have free time because I was playing four sports," Pudlowski said. "I think (playing four sports) has made my transition to collegiate athletics a lot smoother because with college athletics you are always doing something. We had summer workouts, then we had preseason training and now we are into the season."
The O'Fallon, Mo. native always knew she would play a sport collegiately, but she originally thought it would be soccer. After all, she grew up playing the sport and didn't begin playing basketball competitively until she was 13.
"I always thought I would play soccer in college," Pudlowski said. "Once I actually got into basketball when I was in middle school, I ended up being better at basketball and I fell in love with the sport."
When asked if she ever considered playing two sports in college, Pudlowski said her desire to attend SIU made the decision for her.
"When I was looking at schools, SIU doesn't have a soccer team, so playing both wasn't really an option," Pudlowski said. "At that point I was like, 'I'll stick to basketball and make it easier on myself.'"
And while she finished her prep career with over 1,100 points, 600-plus rebounds and more than 200 assists, Pudlowski is setting modest goals for herself. Her expectations for her new team, however, are a bit higher.
"Personally, I would like to see the floor, get playing time and get a little bit of experience," Pudlowski said. "Team-wise, we're looking for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. I definitely think we have the talent to do it."
A self-described lover of animals, Pudlowski plans to major in zoology at SIU and hopes to one day conduct her own animal behavior research.
"Rachel is a young lady that comes in with a lot of toughness," Stein said. "She is a really gritty kid, a scrapper, who is going to get in the game and get in the mix. She rebounds really well and plays with high energy."
Pudlowski excelled at soccer, basketball, track and field and softball at Fort Zumwalt North High School in O'Fallon, Missouri. A three-star basketball recruit who was ranked No. 45 at her position by ESPN, Pudlowski showcased her all-around athleticism by earning all-conference at least once in all four sports, which included winning eight conference titles as a jumps specialist for Fort Zumwalt North's track team.
"You don't see kids these days play two sports let alone four so she is unique," Stein said. "Her drive, effort and athleticism will get her on the floor and her learning how to be more efficient when she is there will give us wins!"
The 6-foot-2 guard/forward was no slouch in the classroom at Fort Zumwalt North either. She graduated ninth out of 306 in her senior class, was selected to the National Honor Society and was able to take college credit classes, all the while constantly being "in-season".
Pudlowski believes that her hard-work in high school better prepared her for college life, both athletically and academically.
"In high school I didn't really have free time because I was playing four sports," Pudlowski said. "I think (playing four sports) has made my transition to collegiate athletics a lot smoother because with college athletics you are always doing something. We had summer workouts, then we had preseason training and now we are into the season."
The O'Fallon, Mo. native always knew she would play a sport collegiately, but she originally thought it would be soccer. After all, she grew up playing the sport and didn't begin playing basketball competitively until she was 13.
"I always thought I would play soccer in college," Pudlowski said. "Once I actually got into basketball when I was in middle school, I ended up being better at basketball and I fell in love with the sport."
When asked if she ever considered playing two sports in college, Pudlowski said her desire to attend SIU made the decision for her.
"When I was looking at schools, SIU doesn't have a soccer team, so playing both wasn't really an option," Pudlowski said. "At that point I was like, 'I'll stick to basketball and make it easier on myself.'"
And while she finished her prep career with over 1,100 points, 600-plus rebounds and more than 200 assists, Pudlowski is setting modest goals for herself. Her expectations for her new team, however, are a bit higher.
"Personally, I would like to see the floor, get playing time and get a little bit of experience," Pudlowski said. "Team-wise, we're looking for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. I definitely think we have the talent to do it."
A self-described lover of animals, Pudlowski plans to major in zoology at SIU and hopes to one day conduct her own animal behavior research.
Players Mentioned
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