BRADLEY HOOPS

Bradley freshman skates successfully from the ice rink to the basketball court

Johnny Campos
Journal Star
Bradley’s Tete Danso, left, moves the ball past Milwaukee’s Megan Walstad in the first half Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 at Renaissance Coliseum. The Braves fell to the Milwaukee Panthers 65-60.

PEORIA — Before becoming a double-double standout for the Simley High School basketball team in Minnesota, Bradley freshman Tete Danso was more interested in completing a double lutz as a youngster.

The 5-foot-11 forward was focusing on the sport of figure skating when she was in the sixth grade. At that time, basketball wasn’t even a distant possibility.

“When I was little, I was watching the Olympics, and it just became one of my biggest fantasies,” Danso said. “I’m like, 'Oh! I want to get on the ice!'

“I never thought of any other sport at the time.”

And, at about 5-foot-6, she was also was taller than half of her classmates, and teachers were always pushing her to trade in her ice skates for sneakers.

“But I wanted to skate,” Danso said. “In Minnesota, you can probably find a rink like five minutes from wherever you are. I have one right in my neighborhood.”

After about a year on the ice, and even giving golf a try, she decided to go with the flow and join the school’s basketball team.

Danso has come a long way since then, even though she’s a latecomer to the sport. She was a two-time all-state player in Minnesota and joined one of the state’s elite AAU programs.

She will enter this weekend’s two home games against Loyola as Bradley’s second-leading rebounder and one of the top defenders on the team. But it has been a long process.

“In the sixth grade, I remember that I had the length and was lanky and everything,” Danso said. “But I didn’t really learn how to use my body until I was in high school. That was definitely a big jump for me.”

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Her parents are from Ghana

Just the fact that Danso has participated in several sports already (she also lettered in volleyball in high school) is the result of a big jump that her parents made in 2000.

“Both my parents are from Ghana, so I’m first gen,” she said. “Sports is not really part of our culture or anything, so it was a culture shock for both my family and my relatives when we learned that we could really travel or that we could use sports to go this far.”

Bradley’s Tete Danso moves to the basket in the second half Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 at Renaissance Coliseum. The Braves fell to the Milwaukee Panthers 65-60.

Her parents won a lottery in 2000, and then moved the family to the United States.

“My parents are still adjusting to this day,” Danso said. “It’s been interesting, but we still have the culture and the heritage with us here today.”

Part of the travel ball involved playing on an AAU team that included several Division I players, including Connecticut freshman phenom Paige Bueckers.

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Bradley saw her on the AAU circuit

That’s when Danso caught the eye of BU coach Andrea Gorski.

“Initially, her length and athleticism really stood out to us,” Gorski said. “We liked how she could impact a game from the defensive end, and took charge on the boards.

“After we got to know her, we were extremely impressed with her character and academic ambitions, which fit great with our program and university.”

Danso is averaging 1.7 points per game, and is working to improve her offensive output. But she knows what she brings to the table.

“They want me to do what I’m best at,” she said. “I know what I can bring to the team. They’re not putting any pressure on me to score more. I’m doing the things that you have to have the will to really do. Offense you can teach.”

Bradley’s Tete Danso, right, and Sami Martin, left, defend against Quincy’s in the second half Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 at Renaissance Coliseum. The Braves defeated the Hawks 104-53.

That has made her a solid contributor so far for the Braves, who are 8-4 and will take a five-game winning streak into Friday’s 6 p.m. against Loyola.

“Tete has been a perfect fit with this year's team,” she said. “We were looking for another defensive stopper and rebounder, and she has filled that role perfectly for us and is continuing to get better.”

And now that Danso has found her sports calling on the basketball, she is no longer wanting to return to ice skating.

“Sadly, I did not make it to the Olympics or the Junior Olympics,” she said. “I tried it for a year, and they told me I wasn’t too good. But I tried.

“I focused a lot on just staying on my feet, and it’s not how I envisioned it when I saw it on TV! So, I have put that behind me.”

And looking forward, that’s good news for the Bradley women’s basketball team.

Johnny Campos can be reached at 686-3214 or at jcampos@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JohnnyCampos59.