Lexi McNabb Discusses Syracuse Commitment

The daughter of two Orange alums will play for the women's basketball program.

Syracuse women's basketball landed its first class of 2022 recruit on Saturday when Lexi McNabb signed with the Orange. 

"With the coaching change from Buffalo to Syracuse, with coach Jack, that was a lot of the reason why I decided to go there," McNabb said. "When she recruited me, she wanted me and said she saw something in me that a lot of people didn't see. That she's going to make me a great player. To go to a coach that actually wants you, that's what you're supposed to do. She wanted me so that was first. Obviously with my parents, they've been there, I've grown up going there a bunch of times. I know the campus, I know the people, and I just know the school already. That was a comfortability thing. When I had that opportunity, of course I was going to take it." 

The 5-7 point guard was recruited by new Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack at Buffalo. In fact, McNabb committed to coach Legette-Jack at Buffalo back in September. When Legette-Jack took the job with the Orange, she believed so much in McNabb's ability that she re-recruited her to play at the high major level.

"It means a lot," McNabb said. "Buffalo's a great school. They're in a great conference, it's great competition. But Syracuse is a different level. That's where every girls basketball player wants to go play college basketball. They want to play at that level. When she went there, I wouldn't say I was a little nervous, but I wasn't sure she was going to still want me to go to that school. Right away, she was like, 'listen, you can play here. You can play for me.' The fact that she still believes in me even going up to that level means so much to me. It shows she does think I can play at that level. She does think I can be a great player." 

When Legette-Jack took the Syracuse job, one of her first calls was to McNabb. 

"At first, when the announcement went out, she did call me," McNabb said. "She reached out. I wasn't able to respond back because I was away at national team camp. But it shows that she was there. From there, with everything going on with me at Buffalo, she still showed me she cared. Since she is a close family friend of ours, I was able to contact her. I made my decision right away." 

The McNabb name is likely familiar to most Syracuse fans. Lexi's dad, Donovan McNabb, was a star quarterback for the Orange and then spent 13 seasons in the NFL, most of which with the Philadelphia Eagles. Lexi's mom, Raquel Nurse McNabb, was a star for the women's basketball team. Despite those connections to the school, Lexi says her parents gave her the space and support she needed to make the decision that was best for her. 

"At the end of the day, they told me this was your decision," McNabb said. "I feel like a lot of people would say this is because of your parents. Actually, they had nothing to do with this at all. Coach Jack recruited me on her own. She came to me in my last few tournaments at EYBL last summer and said, 'you know what? I want you.' They were ecstatic because they said 'if that's where you want to go, you can go there. We have nothing to do this.' When I told them that's where I wanted to go, it's been my dream school since I was little, I think they were trying to act like they weren't excited. But I think I know, I could just tell by the way they were talking they were really excited." 

What does McNabb bring to Syracuse?

"I play for my team," McNabb said. "I'm not a 'me me me' type of player. If somebody's hot, they're going to get the ball. If somebody's struggling, I'm going to be there to pick them up. I want to make sure that everybody, not just me, everybody's happy and getting what they want out of this experience. That's my job, especially as a point guard. You get the ball to the right people, you're the coach on the floor, you're the leader. Also, you're everybody's friend. Off the court, we're going to get along so well. We're going to have a great time. That's what I plan to do when I go to Syracuse." 

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