Greco on Path Toward Her Ultimate Dream

Michelle Greco dreams of playing professional basketball.

But never in her wildest fantasy did Greco, a 5-foot-9 junior forward for La Crescenta Crescenta Valley High, envision herself scoring 54 points in a state playoff game.

“I don’t know, it just didn’t seem like I scored 54,” she said. “I guess you could say it’s all been overwhelming.”

Greco set a single-game school scoring record against Porterville Monache in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs March 11. The next day, she strolled into school and received all but a standing ovation.

“A friend of mine gave me flowers and people from the administration were coming up to me,” Greco said. “I got to my classes and my teachers all knew about it and the principal announced it over the loudspeaker.

“It’s a really good feeling to have everybody looking at you and smiling.”

The game was the highlight of a season in which Greco averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in leading the Falcons (29-4) to the Pacific League title and the Southern Regional semifinals against Los Angeles Crenshaw.

For her efforts, she has been selected The Times girls’ player of the year over Naila Moseley of Crenshaw and Nicole Greathouse of Ventura Buena. Greco will be presented the Cheryl Miller Award at an awards brunch Saturday.

Greco should be getting used to such accolades. As a freshman and a sophomore, she was selected Cal-Hi Sports state player of the year in her class.

But even for Greco, this season’s stretch run seemed improbable.

Before topping the 50-point plateau, she had averaged 34 points through five playoff games. Against Crenshaw, which moved multiple bodies in Greco’s direction whenever she touched the ball, she still managed to score a game-high 19 points.

“She is the best player I’ve ever coached,” Crescenta Valley Coach Marc Ward said. “She can create so many things.”

That might include her own destiny.

Next season Greco figures to be among the state’s most highly recruited players. But she has all but declared herself for UCLA.

“I’d really like to go to UCLA,” Greco said. “That would be my first choice. I have all the schools I’m pretty much interested in down to five.”

From there, Greco aspires to the fledgling Women’s National Basketball Assn.

“I really do,” she said. “After college, I cannot imagine anything better than playing in the Women’s NBA. That would be like a dream come true.”

Just like scoring 54 points.