As she narrowed down her college options, MK Drevline found herself torn between two with family ties.
The Grayslake Central senior guard’s brother Billy plays football at DePauw, and her sister Rosie plays basketball at Denison.
Rosie Drevline, a sophomore guard, hoped her younger sister would join her at Denison but tried not to give too much input.
“I wanted it to be her own thing, but I was definitely talking to my parents and telling them how much I wanted her to go to school with me,” she said.
She got her wish when MK Drevline committed to the Big Red in December. Needless to say, both are thrilled they’ll be reunited on the court.
“She’s always been such a great role model for me,” MK Drevline said. “I always look up to her. We do workouts over the summer, and we’re around each other a lot. … We’ve always had basketball together.”
Two years ago, Rosie Drevline was an all-conference starter for the Rams, and MK Drevline came off the bench. The following season, MK Drevline became a starter and evolved from an outside shooter to a balanced scorer. She was a key part of Grayslake Central’s 30-win season and Class 3A sectional title.
As MK Drevline became more confident, she began working on her midrange shooting to become a versatile offensive threat. Rams coach Steve Ikenn said she has one of the purer jump shots in high school basketball.
“Beautiful shot, handles the ball well, great court intelligence,” Ikenn said. “She’s a really intelligent basketball player and exceedingly coachable. She’s really good at making the adjustments.”
Meanwhile, Rosie Drevline was getting her feet wet at the college level. A four-year varsity guard at Grayslake Central, she played in four games during her freshman year at Denison and loves the program’s culture, although the Big Red haven’t played this season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s been great,” Rosie Drevline said. “The team is an amazing family. We’re one of (the closest teams) if not the closest team on campus. People always commend us for how great our camaraderie is.”
According to Ikenn, Rosie Drevline relies more on her physicality on the court, while MK Drevline uses her finesse to be efficient.
When MK Drevline was new to the Rams, she watched her sister be a vocal leader. Whenever she wasn’t in the game, Rosie Drevline cheered loudly for her teammates from the bench.
As one of two seniors for Grayslake Central this year, MK Drevline now has embraced a leadership role, helping the team through Zoom meetings and contact days as the Rams await a possible start date for the season.
The 2020-21 season was scheduled to begin in November but has been pushed back by the Illinois High School Association due to the pandemic.
“I was definitely more quiet before, but her leadership definitely changed my view,” MK Drevline said. “When she was on the bench, she was so loud in a good way and just loved to pick people up and lead them.”
MK Drevline will get to experience that vocal leadership all over again at Denison. And the sisters aren’t the only ones looking forward to her arrival.
“She came on a visit a few months ago, and everyone loved her,” Rosie Drevline said. “(Teammates) talked about her like, ‘You have to get her to come here.’ They were talking to me about it for so long, so they’re super excited too.”
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