HOISINGTON — Plans for his next four years have been set, and Hoisington High School senior Cody Stetler is glad that the decision is over.
The 6-foot-8 center signed to play basketball for National Collegiate Athletic Association Division-I Houston Baptist University over the weekend.
“It was exciting,” Stetler said. “Just getting that weight off your shoulders was great. It’s nice to have it out of the way. I wanted to get it over with so I could play my senior season and not have to worry about it.”
The Cardinals start the 2012-13 season at home against Central Plains High School on Friday night, starting at 4:30.
Stetler said that it was a decision that he and his parents came to.
“The last day to sign in the early period was coming, and my mom and dad and I just sat down and decided,” Stetler said. “They let me make the final decision.”
Stetler said there were several schools interested in him to play either football or basketball, including Kansas State (football), Fort Hays State University (football and basketball) and Pitt State (football and basketball).
Ultimately, the decision rested on a few things for Stetler.
“It came down to a five-year, full-ride scholarship,” Stetler said, “and I would have a chance to start. It’s a great school, and they weren’t talking like they were going to redshirt me.
“Nobody wants to go and sit on the bench for the first couple years. They’re talking like I’d be able to start as a freshman.”
Hoisington head coach Kyle Haxton said that Huskies head coach Ron Cottrell is getting a valuable player.
“I think they’re getting exactly what they were looking for,” Haxton said. “He’s a strong player that can play either forward or center for them. That’s what they wanted when they recruited him.
“He’s one of the best, if not the best player out of Hoisington High School. Definitely one of the best in his position.”
Haxton said he believes that Stetler is going to a good program as well.
“I think they’re in their second or third year at D-I,” Haxton said. “They set a record for the most wins by a transitioning school in their first year with 10.”
Houston Baptist is in the Great West Conference.