Lindsay Schrader is soon to start her fourth year in South Bend, but she’s only halfway through her college career. Her coach believes her best Fighting Irish basketball moments lie ahead.

The former Bartlett High School all-American technically is a senior at the University of Notre Dame in terms of eligibility. But a serious injury to her right knee robbed Schrader of her sophomore season.

In accordance with the school’s policy, the 6-foot guard can not apply for a fifth year of eligibility until she completes her first four years. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw expects that to be a formality.

“The sky’s the limit for her,” McGraw said. “She really has a tremendous upside. There are some things she can get better at like her three-point shot, doing more scoring and working hard on defense, but I think she has a great all-around game.

“I’m so happy with where she is right now. A lot of people don’t come through adverse situations as well as she has. She’s really grown as a person and a player. She’s going to be a leader for us.”

Schrader has big plans for the next two years, and beyond. It’s her nature.

Planning stages

 Her plans are well-defined, but she’s mature enough to have contingencies.

“I have a list in my head of probably 100 things that I want to accomplish,” Schrader said. “Coaching is one of them. I consider myself a very driven person. You can bet your hard-earned dollar that I’m going to be an (athletic director).”

In the last year, becoming a major college athletic director has emerged as Schrader’s primary long-term goal. Previously, it had been coaching at the collegiate level. She has a head start from serving as an instructor at Bartlett’s summer girls basketball camps for several years.

“We love when she comes back,” Bartlett coach Denise Sarna said. “She’s a great teacher of the game and she’s always really great with kids. She’s real enthusiastic, energetic and hard working. The kids seem to gravitate to her. I guess you’d say Lindsay’s still giving back to Bartlett.”

Before Schrader moves from the court to the sidelines, there’s a chance that professional basketball may come calling.

In her first two seasons at Notre Dame, Schrader started 60 of 64 games and compiled a double-figure scoring  average. She was invited to the USA Basketball Under-20 team trials as a freshman.

“If I had a chance to play in the WNBA, I don’t think I’d turn that down,” Schrader said. “I’d also love to experience playing overseas. Basketball is my life. I want to concentrate on basketball until I can’t do that anymore, but I’m excited for my career opportunities. I really want to become a college AD.”

The Bartlett years

When basketball fans talk to Schrader about her four years as a Bartlett Hawk, there’s a common theme.

“People say we put Bartlett on the map,” she said.

The McDonald’s all-American and Illinois Miss Basketball led Bartlett to a 30-5 record and second place in Class AA as a senior. It was the first Bartlett team in any sport to reach the state tournament.

“It still blows me away that we played in the state tournament,” she said. “It just gets me excited for the (NCAA) Final Four. That was such a big accomplishment.”

Schrader said the team’s chemistry was responsible for its success.

“Every team has its problems off the court,” Schrader said. “I mean, we’re girls. But all of us snapped (into place) when it was time for practices or games. We had problems but didn’t let it affect us on the court.”

Her long list of individual achievements at Bartlett include having her No. 24 jersey retired. That was one of few goals she hadn’t sought as a Hawks freshman.

“I accomplished every goal I wanted,” she said. “I wanted to be Miss Basketball and I got it. I wanted to score 2,000 points and get 1,000 rebounds and got them. I wanted to make all-American and got that. Everything I wanted, I worked my butt off for. I think I deserved it.”

Dome ambitions

She’s grateful to be 100 percent healthy in summer pickup games at Notre Dame. That hasn’t been true  since Oct. 15, 2006 when she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury to her right knee.

“I think I finally have my full vertical (jump),” said. “It takes so long. Right now, I feel like I’m in top shape. I feel even better than I did a year and a half ago.”

She’s also wiser, understanding that scenarios can change without warning.

“In one second, it was just gone,” Schrader said of her sophomore season. “I don’t take anything for granted now. The good thing is that it wasn’t a life-affecting injury. So many people don’t have that chance to come back.”

Schrader feels fortunate that her first serious injury happened at a point that allowed her to preserve the year of eligibility and recuperate before the 2007-8 season.

“I thought she did an outstanding job of accepting it,” McGraw said. “She realized she couldn’t contribute by playing but contributed in every other way. She was the biggest cheerleader on the team.”

Last winter, Schrader never felt comfortable with her game, but still averaged 10.3 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds a game. She corralled a season-high 13 Feb. 27 against South Florida and averaged more than two offensive rebounds a game.

“I’d say it’s matter of knowing where it’s going to come off (the backboard),” Schrader said, “and, definitely boxing out. I have to guard some bigger people. So I’m usually around the basket.”

In the NCAA tournament, the Irish beat Oklahoma 79-75 in overtime to reach the Sweet 16, then lost to champion Tennessee 74-64 after leading at halftime. Schrader believes the team should have closed the deal if it played harder the last 20 minutes.
Still, she hopes the tournament run foreshadowed her last two years in the shadow of the Golden Dome.

“In the next two years, I want to be competing for a has national championship,” Schrader said. “I want a national championship before anything else.”