Southeast product DeAngela Mathis selected First Team JUCO All-American for women's basketball

BRADENTON -- When DeAngela Mathis topped off her high school career by leading Southeast High School to a state basketball title, she bet on herself.

Instead of accepting a scholarship offer from several lower-tier Division I schools, she enrolled in junior college, hoping that in two years she would hit a home run.

That day came recently when Mathis became the first female player from Manatee County to be named first team All-American at any level of college basketball.

The guard/forward was one of 10 players selected to the 2016 Junior/Community College Division I All-American Team by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Mathis finished her sophomore season in leading Florida State College in Jacksonville to an 18-11 record while averaging 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds for the season.

"It worked out perfectly, I love it," Mathis said. "I wanted to go to a bigger school and felt playing junior college was the best way to do it. It put me in position that I am in now. I have more offers than I've ever had."

Mathis never had any doubt about her decision. She has been betting on herself since the day she entered Southeast as a freshman and never lost.

"I am a better player. I am a lot more mentally tough and my basketball IQ has gone up. My coach here (John McGraw) has done a good job helping me develop more as a player," Mathis said.

The rewards are coming for the 2014 Southeast graduate.

She has been offered basketball scholarships from Illinois, Tulsa, Arkansas State and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and was being recruited by Temple and Houston until she told them she wasn't interested.

Mathis doesn't plan on signing until the end of April. She has visited Tulsa and plans to visit Illinois in the five visits she is allowed by the NCAA.

"Academics is big for me. I want a school that is sol

id academically, where the competition level is high," Mathis said. "Tulsa is in the AAC (American Athletic Conference) and I get to play against UConn twice a year and USF. Illinois is in the Big 10 and that's good basketball. I am looking to get some exposure and good competition and take basketball as far as I can."

Southeast head coach John Harder has had a lot of girls go on to play Division I college basketball, but says Mathis had a belief in herself that you don't often see early on.

"As a freshman she was a skinny little kid who had the confidence she would be something," Harder said.

"Her goals as a freshman was to lead Southeast to a state basketball championship and to be Player of The Year in her class, and she did both."

Mathis played four different positions at Southeast, which showed her versatility, though some college coaches might have been a little confused about how to use her.

In her senior year, she led Southeast to a 31-1 record and led the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) while averaging 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.9 assists.

She is the fourth-highest career scorer in the storied program, with 1,614 points

"I am so proud of her. I don't know the words to express how I feel," Harder said.

"She always told me she was a Division I player from the first day of high school. She had a style that was very unique and is a great person. She has never forgotten the people back home."

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Southeast product DeAngela Mathis selected First Team JUCO All-American for women's basketball ."