By Marc Raimondi
The college recruiting process is an arduous one for even the best players. Luckily for CeCe Dixon, she had someone with plenty of knowledge she could get advice from: her sister Lorin, who plays at UConn.
“She warned me not to go to a big school,” Dixon said. “She said don’t go to a place that you’ll blend in with everyone. … Make sure it’s the right fit.”
The Murry Bergtraum star point guard heeded that advice and Saturday committed to St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic-10 Conference, over other schools like Pepperdine and Delaware. Dixon said Bonnies coaches have told her she’ll get the chance to make an impact right away.
St. Bonaventure is coming off a 23-10 season and a trip to the WNIT second round. Dixon, a Queens native, said she was told they’re in need of a pure point guard to get them to the next level.
“They really need me to help them get to the NCAAs,” she said. “They feel I’m that missing piece.”
It’s not difficult to see why they think that. Dixon, who transferred from Christ the King after her freshman season, helped lead Bergtraum to three straight PSAL Class AA city titles. This past season marked 12 straight championships and an unprecedented 13th overall crown. Dixon was the unquestioned leader the last two years and typically the Lady Blazers’ go-to player in the clutch.
“She’s the quarterback of the team, she runs the offense,” Coach Ed Grezinsky said before his team played at Madison Square Garden.
Dixon also evolved into Bergtraum’s defensive stopper this season. She earned the nickname “The Backpack” from Rose Classic President Anton Marchand for her relentless defense. After the season, she was named to the New York Post’s All-City second team and All-Manhattan first team.
The 5-foot-4 dynamo said she thinks St. Bonaventure is the perfect fit for her. It has the major she wants — she’s hoping to be a veterinarian — and the Bonnies are on the verge of big things. There’s no doubt that all the victories that piled up at Bergtraum that she’s been addicted to winning. St. Bonaventure already has a Lady Blazers alum, actually: sophomore guard Armelia Horton.
“I really wanted to go to a team that has already been successful and make them even bigger,” Dixon said.
After Dixon, there is really only one other top senior in New York City that has yet to sign: her teammate Doris Ortega. Dixon said Ortega is looking at the same schools she was — St. Bonaventure, Pepperdine and Delaware — and she’ll probably make a decision by next weekend.
It’s certain that Dixon has passed along the advice that Lorin bestowed upon her.
