If forward Aisha Jefferson keeps playing like she has in the last few games, more attention is sure to follow.
This freshman has stepped up recently, and MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie took notice, inserting her into the starting lineup.
But this isn't the first time she's been in the public eye because of basketball.
When she was younger, Jefferson appeared on the show "Totally Hoops," on the Disney Channel, which documented her Amateur Athletic Union team's season.
"Everyday we wore mics and got interviewed, like on 'The Real World' or something," Jefferson said. "They went to school with us, came home with us and we had a camera in our face all the time, but we got used to it."
Now playing at the college level, Jefferson said she's becoming more and more comfortable with each passing game and doesn't feel like a newcomer anymore.
"Every time you step on the court, you get more experience, and I just need to keep gaining that experience," Jefferson said. "I don't feel like a freshman at this point."
Jefferson's comfort level was especially evident during a Jan. 22 contest against No. 7 Ohio State. She was fouled on a put-back attempt with three seconds remaining and MSU trailing by one point. It was up to her to send the game into overtime or even win the game outright.
She missed the first attempt but buried the second.
MSU ended up losing the game on a last-second shot, but the importance of Jefferson's clutch free throw could not be overlooked.
McCallie said Jefferson's free throws were an indication of how much she has progressed as a player.
"I was so proud of her because she's exactly where she needs to be," McCallie said. "For a freshman to make that kind of play, to get fouled in that situation, I was just excited. That was a great opportunity."
Although Jefferson's game has grown by leaps and bounds since she first put on the green and white, McCallie said there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Jefferson's main weakness is a common problem facing freshman: playing at a high level on every night, in every game, for an entire season.
"She needs to get back to the rebounding she did early in the season," McCallie said. "We need more rebounds from Aisha, and we also need a more aggressive attack to the glass from her and continued consistency with her defense. She makes great defensive plays, but she needs to have it more consistently for a longer period of time."
Some of the consistency problems, however, have been out of Jefferson's control. She's been nursing an injured left shoulder throughout the season. She practices and plays with a protective brace that seriously hinders her movement — but is still producing, despite the injury. During MSU's last four games, the freshman forward has put up about nine points per game.
"(The brace) really restricts you from lifting your arm above your head," Jefferson said. "Any rebounds I've been getting are pretty much with one arm. I guess I've gotten pretty good at grabbing the ball with one hand."
Perhaps the shoulder injury is just the reality of a lengthy college basketball season. Jefferson said this year has been a grind, but she's coping well.
"It's a long season. In high school, it wasn't nearly as long," Jefferson said. "I'm just trying to get used to it, and I'm getting there."
