Tuscola’s Sydney Moss changes course, signs with UIS

TUSCOLA (WCIA) — Sydney Moss racked up plenty of accolades as the leading scorer on a team that won a combined 60 games over the past two seasons. Following her senior year, she planned to attend the University of Missouri to pursue a nursing degree and forgo playing college hoops. Then she had a change of heart.

“I was thinking about it again and if you decide not to play, you can never go back,” Moss said.

So when Moss heard from newly hired University of Illinois-Springfield coach Olivia Lett early last month, the wheels started spinning about the possibility of playing at the next level.

“Coach Lett texted me, because she transferred schools and I was excited whenever she texted me because I thought it would be a great opportunity,” Moss said. “I kind of pushed it aside before.”

The third team all-state forward signed on to play for the Prairie Stars last week during a ceremony at Tuscola High School. Moss tallied 1,288 points and 580 career rebounds at Tuscola, spending extra time in the gym to improve as a ball handler and shooter.

“You could just watch her getting better and better and she’s such a quick study with such athleticism that it just came fairly quickly to her and she became I think one of the most dominant bigger people in the area this last two years,” Tuscola head coach Tim Kohlbecker said.

“They think I’m going to be playing more of a four position,” Moss said. “In high school a lot, I would be inside the post, but I also was doing outside work a lot. As senior year came around, I did a little of everything, but I’m really looking forward to that to be out on the arc and be able to do different things.”

And Kohlbecker is confident she’ll continue to receive recognition at the next level.

“She has this really competitive desire to be good, and she will be,” he said.

Even with a change in scenery and a busier schedule playing basketball, Moss still plans to major in nursing at UIS.

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