Vite plays a smart game of hoops

EASLEY — Vite gets the ‘scoop’ on the court

You don’t hear the term “basketball IQ” too much these days. Some basketball players just grow up wanting to launch the threes and not play too much defense.

But Abbi Vite, a junior low-post player at Easley, has that certain basketball knowledge that helps her game when she takes the court. She’s very seldom the tallest player or the fastest player on the court.

However, the 17-year-old Vite gets the job done and is a student of the game. The end result is her developing a “scoop shot” in the paint. Some of her high-point games this season include 17 points against Hunter House on Dec. 21 in a 57-30 win and 16 points in a victory over Seneca during a 78-34 on Dec. 18.

“Since I was little, I’d always watch my brother with a basketball,” said the 5-foot-9 Vite. ‘I was on the JV (team) last year and watching all these other girls go up like that (to shoot the ball). All my coaches are like that’s ‘signature Abbey’ with her scoop shot.”

Beyond that, Vite is a die-hard fan of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball program. She watches any game she can of Tennessee on TV or online.

Green Wave coach Ivan Raymond, meanwhile, just enjoys coaching a player like Vite.

“She uses her body well to create space,” said Coach Raymond. “She knows how to get the shot off that she wants and she scores at odd angles. You can’t teach that. She is just so consistent with her play around the rim. I’m very proud of her and she continues to get better.”

Vite has an overall grade point average of 4.3 and is the January Student Athlete of the Month for The Easley Progress newspaper. She’s also taking AP classes in literature and history.

Vite still has some time to figure out what she wants to do after high school. Yet, she is already leaning towards studying forensics and going into criminal justice at Anderson University.