Illinois signee Berry Wallace gearing up for McDonald’s All-American game

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (WCIA) — Berry Wallace still remembers meeting Illinois head coach Shauna Green for the first time. Green was on her first home visit as the new Dayton coach back in 2016, at the Wallace house recruiting Berry’s sister Bexley, who ended up going to Penn State.

“Me and a couple of my other siblings just kept peeking in the room and I think my parents probably made me introduce myself and I was probably like scared,” said Wallace.

Little did Wallace know that, seven years later, life would come full circle when she signed to play for Green at Illinois.

“I’ve known the family for a long, long time and just great people and we’ve been recruiting her for a long time and Berry is someone who just continually gets better,” said head coach Shauna Green.

The 6’1″ senior forward has grown her game throughout high school, now averaging 17 points and nine rebounds a game as a versatile frontcourt player. A five-star recruit, she is the No. 20 player in the country, according to ESPN, picking Illinois ahead of Michigan, Clemson, Ohio State and Marquette among others, but the relationship with Green was what sealed the deal.

“When she went to Illinois, I was one of the first people she offered and she was really intentional with me and chasing after me ever since then I feel like,” said Wallace. “Knowing that she’s believed in me for all that time. She’s watched me play since I was young and she still has confidence in me that I can be a good player at the next level.”

Her hard work on the court paid off earlier this month when she was named a McDonald’s All-American, the first girl from her school with the honor and just the third Illini in program history to receive the accolade.

“I was just in disbelief but it was super cool,” said Wallace. “Just an honor to be recognized in that way.”

Before heading to Champaign in the fall, she plans to do a little more winning, looking for a state title to cap off a memorable high school career. The Pickerington Central Tigers finished 24-5 last season, falling in the state semifinals.

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