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Mykia Dowdell of Oak Ridge commits to MTSU basketball

Mike Blackerby
USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Familiarity and a desire to play for a hall of fame coach led Mykia Dowdell to Middle Tennessee State.

Oak Ridge forward Mykia Dowdell, 5'10', 165 lbs, and Sophomore of the Year, poses for a portrait in the Knoxville News Sentinel studio on Thursday, April 14, 2016. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

Dowdell, a rising senior at Oak Ridge High School, said Thursday night that she has committed to play basketball for the Blue Raiders.

The 5-foot-8 Dowdell, who has played mostly post in high school, will likely transition to the 3 position at MTSU.

Memphis' Bionka Massie (0) and Oak Ridge's Mykia Dowdell (34) fight for the rebound mduring Game 1 of the 2017 TSSAA Class AAA State Girls' Basketball Tournament game between Memphis Central and Oak Ridge at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

Dowdell will have no trouble finding her way around her new digs at Murphy Center.

She has helped the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back state Class AAA tournament appearances on the Blue Raiders’ home court in Murfreesboro and is well familiar with MTSU coach Rick Insell.

“Middle just felt like home to me,” Dowdell explained.

“We’ve been to the state tournament at MTSU the last two years and I just felt like I bled blue.”

Dowdell said she consulted with Oak Ridge coach Paige Redman about Insell.

Redman was an AAU All-American for Insell before starring at Vanderbilt (1996-99).

“I talked to Coach Redman about my decision, and she said if Coach Insell had been at Middle Tennessee when she was coming out of high school she would have gone there,” said Dowdell.

“She loves Coach Insell.”

Dowdell has another tie to Insell.

Her mother, Tammy Dowdell, was an all-state player for Oak Ridge’s undefeated 1988 team that edged Shelbyville, 60-58, in the state Class AAA championship game. Insell coached Shelbyville to 10 state championships.

Dowdell said East Tennessee State was her other finalist.

Others who offered, she said, included mid-majors such as Chattanooga, UAB, Austin-Peay, Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech.

Dowdell has started 100 consecutive games for Oak Ridge and helped the Lady Wildcats to consecutive 30-win seasons.

Last season she averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Given Dowdell’s work ethic and relentless style of play, Redman said the sometimes difficult transition from post to perimeter is doable.

“Mykia has worked really hard in the offseason on her ball-handling skills and outside shooting,” said Redman.

“With her build and her physicality, you don’t find that with a lot of perimeter players. I think (college) coaches saw a lot of upside there. She plays hard and she battles. She does a lot of the dirty work, taking charges and being in the right position.”

Mike Blackerby is a freelance contributor.