Apr. 2—DRUMMOND — NOC Tonkawa was the right fit for Drummond basketball star Caitlin Busch, who signed with the Lady Mavericks in a ceremony at Drummond school Monday, April 1, 2024.And Busch was the right fit for longtime Northern Oklahoma College coach Greg Krause’s system, where guards like to shoot the threes.“I like her versatility,” said Krause, who has more than 600 wins and six regional titles at NOC Tonkawa. “She has good size for a shooting guard and is a good shooter. She came highly recommended from friends of mine. We worked her out and she did a great job. She will be a great fit for us.”Busch chose the Lady Mavs over Southwestern Christian, Northwestern Oklahoma State and “a few others in Kansas.”She wanted to go to a junior college to develop her game.“I wanted to get away from home,” Busch said. “I liked it there. The people were super nice and I liked the coach.”Krause has told Busch he wanted to use her as an outside shooter.“I’m looking forward to the competition,” Busch said. “Everyone is good at that level. It’s faster paced and more physical.”Drummond coach Kylie Vestal pronounced Busch ready to step up.“I’m very excited for her to get to the next level,” Vestal said. “She has grown quite a bit for the last couple of years.”Busch, as a young girl, had dreamed of playing college basketball. She, at one time, had backed away but enthusiasm grew under Vestal’s tutelage.“I just don’t want to be done playing,” Busch said.Busch averaged 18 points a game as a senior, earning All-Skeltur Conference honors.“Coach Vestal had a big part of it,” said Busch about her success. “She pushed me to get me out of my shell.”Busch said her first goal as a freshman was “just to get better.”Krause is counting on her right away. “Absolutely we’re counting on her,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of choices. We’re graduating 80% of our team (which was 1416 overall and 9-7 in Region 2).”Busch is undecided about her major. “I’m just glad the recruiting is over with,” she said with a smile.
