Lindsey Corsaro was so sick, she didn't practice, which -- if you know her at all -- is really, really sick.
But Corsaro, a 6-foot-1 senior combo guard and a McDonald's All American for Roncalli (Indianapolis, Indiana), went to practice anyway and asked coach Stan Benge to give her something to do.
Benge obliged, asking his sophomore star to watch game tape of Roncalli's next opponent, which happened to be reigning state champion Mater Dei (Evansville, Indiana).
Corsaro did more than watch -- for about 90 minutes, she sat in Benge's office and broke down the tendencies of each Mater Dei player, whether they were right-handed or left-handed and what type of offensive sets and defensive packages the team used.
"Since we were playing Mater Dei, I felt I had to be in the gym," Corsaro said. "I had never broken film down for [Benge], but I had done it on my own, at home."
When she was finished, Corsaro left her expansive hand-written notes on Benge's desk.
"She broke down the tape better than any coach I've ever had," Benge said. "We ended up beating Mater Dei by double figures."
Corsaro remembers the game well.
"[Mater Dei] threw a trap defense at us, a run-and-jump press," said Corsaro, who had a 4.5 GPA as a senior. "I had written it down when I broke down the film, and we were prepared."
Teammate Rachel Titzer said she wasn't surprised.
"She's always one step ahead of everyone," Titzer said. "She will ask Coach a question in practice, and he will say, 'I was about to get to that.' It's insane."
One thing Corsaro didn't foresee was having to pick a college again -- not after she had signed with Kentucky in November.
Despite her warm feelings toward everyone at the school, including coach Matthew Mitchell, Corsaro decided late last month that she would not attend Kentucky.
Mitchell, hired by Kentucky in 2007, already is Kentucky's all-time winningest coach. But the Wildcats program has been rocked lately by a mass exodus -- nine players have either left the program or backed away from commitments since last fall. In addition, two assistant coaches are gone.
"Initially, they were making a culture change," Corsaro said, "and girls who didn't fall in line with that culture left."
Corsaro said she and other players had built strong relationships with assistant coaches, and when they left, things turned.
Still, Corsaro said she was extremely "appreciative" when Mitchell let her out of her National Letter of Intent.
"He wants what's best for me, and that shows the kind of person he is," Corsaro said. "I believe he's a great guy. It's just been bad timing how everyone was leaving."
Corsaro said she wants to pick a new school by the first week of June. She has narrowed her choices to Baylor, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, UCLA and Washington.
Athletic family
Sports have always been a big part of Corsaro's family.
The youngest of three children, Corsaro was raised by her father, Greg, who was a Division I linebacker at Indiana State, and her mother, Susie, who played volleyball and softball at the University of Indianapolis, a Division II school.
Lindsey's brother, Paul, who played football and basketball at Indianapolis, and her sister, Casey, who played Division III volleyball, also had the sports bug.
But Lindsey's talents have always been on another level, and that was apparent early on when she played kindergarten soccer and was so aggressive that she would steal the ball from her own teammates so she could put a shot on goal.
Greg remembers Lindsey playing basketball in third grade and sinking a shot from her knees because she knew if she tried to get up it would be -- technically -- traveling.
"At that age, you can run up and down the court, and they won't call it," Greg said. "But Lindsey has always been a stickler for the rules."
Corsaro, who took a heavy load of Advanced Placement courses in high school, also is a perfectionist. Every grade she ever got was an "A" except one -- an A-minus in ceramics.
Corsaro loves art and especially enjoys drawing. She believes the only thing she did wrong in ceramics was that she missed a deadline.
"I wanted to make sure all the details were right," Corsaro said. "When I got the A-minus, I was so mad."
Titzer, her teammate, said Corsaro has a photographic memory.
"I wouldn't say it's photographic, but I do have a great memory," Corsaro said. "It helps when I study a page of my notes. Later, when I'm taking a test, I can [visualize] the notes or that diagram, and I'll say, 'Oh, this is what I wrote down.' "
Popular player
Corsaro, who was a four-year Roncalli starter, was the Indiana comeback player of the year in 2016, an award given to just one athlete, boy or girl, regardless of sport.
She earned it after tearing the ACL on her left knee toward the end of her junior year. She made it back on the court in 10 months, in time for the Roncalli opener, when she ripped Perry Meridian (Indianapolis) for 41 points, which was her career high at the time.
Two games later, she scored 43 points against Indianapolis Pike. She finished her season averaging 25.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, leading her team to a 24-5 record and setting single-season and career scoring records for her school.
Corsaro was the first McDonald's All-American in school history, and when she re-opened her recruitment, her coach was deluged with phone calls.
"If you have ever felt lonely, tell college coaches you have a McDonald's All-American with a 4.5 GPA available," Benge said. "You won't be lonely anymore."
James Banks, who coached Corsaro in AAU ball for the Nike Indy Lady Gym Rats, said one of the things that has made her so good is her ability to draw fouls.
"She has a great pump fake," Banks said. "She averages about 10 trips to the foul line per game. I don't know of any high school kid who gets to the line that often."
Corsaro's length also helps in shooting over opponents and in driving past them.
Personality is another plus for Corsaro, who is interested in becoming a physician's assistant or perhaps a sportscaster.
"If you have ever felt lonely, tell college coaches you have a McDonald's All-American with a 4.5 GPA available." Stan Benge
Corsaro started a special needs track team at her school, often running alongside her friend, Elizabeth Layer.
"I pace her and talk to her," Corsaro said, "and that's more fun than competing."
Darby Maggard, who was Corsaro's teammate in AAU ball, said all eyes are always on her friend.
"When Lindsey walks in the gym, she lights up the place," Maggard said. "She fist-bumps everyone, and you just know things are going to go well. She has a presence."
Just which college gets her presence has yet to be decided.
Corsaro said it's been stressful, but she's confident it will be worth it in the end.
"I committed to Kentucky as a sophomore, and I hadn't even thought about another school after that," Corsaro said. "It's been a quick turn of events -- one day I'm going to Kentucky, and the next day I'm not, and all these coaches are calling me.
"It's hard because I care about Coach Mitchell. But I had to pull away in the end because I know what's best for me."