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12/07/2018 11:00 PMEast Haven High School basketball player Mackenzie Helms recently signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her career at the University of Nebraska, a Division I school in Lincoln, Nebraska. Helms, a senior member of the Yellowjackets’ girls’ basketball team, was one of three athletes who signed to play for the Cornhuskers on the first day of the early signing period on Nov. 14. The 5-foot-8 guard is expected to be a playmaker at Nebraska. She’s currently ranked by ESPN as the No. 27 point guard in the nation for the Class of 2019.
Helms ultimately decided to attend Nebraska over fellow Division I schools such as Syracuse, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kentucky, Yale, Penn, Rutgers, and Georgia Tech. An outstanding student, she carried a 4.72 grade-point average in her junior year at East Haven and plans to major in chemistry at Nebraska.
“I chose Nebraska because of the amazing family atmosphere I felt. It was as if I was already a part of the team from the first time I stepped onto campus,” Helms said. “Fans and family members approached me at the game last January as if they had known me forever. I had the best experience possible on my unofficial visit and knew this place was meant for me. It is true what they say: “There is no place like Nebraska!”
Helms was the first commitment for Nebraska’s 2018-’19 class, making her intentions known in January. During the high school season, she averaged 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 4.0 steals per game for an East Haven team that won the Class M state championship and finished ranked No. 3 in Connecticut after posting an overall record of 25-3. Helms was selected to the All-SCC First Team, the New Haven Register All-Area Team, the Register’s All-State Team, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Class M Team, the New Haven Tap-Off Club’s All Area Team, and the USA Today All-USA Connecticut Team for her performance throughout her junior campaign.
Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams said that Helms’s creativity and competitive instincts will make her an asset for the Cornhuskers.
“We are excited to add Makenzie to the Husker women’s basketball family. She has incredible court vision and creates offense for her teammates with tempo and passing ability,” said Williams. “Combining that with her confident scoring mentality and her ability to score at all three levels, Makenzie is a great fit for the versatility we like in our system. She is an intense competitor, and we are eager to have her fighting for the Huskers.”
As a sophomore, Helms averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 steals per game for the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor. She earned All-New England accolades as both a freshman and sophomore at Loomis Chaffee.
Helms also played summer basketball for Coach Rock Rosa on the team, New Heights NYC, averaging 20 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and five steals per contest.
Helms is the daughter of Lance and Jocelyn Helms. She has two older sisters, Cynthia and Cassie, and a younger brother, Logan.