Aleck Franks never even tried a 3-pointer as a freshman.
Now a senior sharpshooter, her 3-pointer is one of the main reasons Waterloo is 13-5 with an 8-4 record in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference.
It all started with a simple message from Vikings coach Kevin Longanecker, who saw a post player several years ago and envisioned a sniper.
"I was supposed to be more down low and then I started and I kept shooting 3-pointers and stuff," Franks said. "Every year my coach kept pushing me to keep shooting more and more. He was like, 'I'll tell you when to stop shooting. Keep shooting.’"
At first, she was nervous. As a freshman and sophomore, Franks didn't want to be the person missing shots. She didn't want her older teammates running up the court, shaking their heads and wondering why their younger teammate took that shot.
"It was kind of scary actually, because I'm a freshman, sophomore starting to shoot outside more," Franks said. "You don't really get that a lot at other places normally. I don't want to take stuff that I thought was stupid, but then (Longanecker) was like, 'No, those are good shots.'"
The Vikings coach assured a young Franks that he would tell her if she was ever taking too many shots.
He hasn't told her that yet with Franks in her fourth year on the Waterloo varsity girls basketball team.
"One of the most beautiful things I like to watch on film is when Aleck shoots the three," Longanecker said. "She's really worked on her technique, she's worked on her footwork, and when she's on, it's fun to watch."
Hard work has been the key — for Franks and fellow seniors Jordyn Jennings and Becky Adelman, as well as Leah Luli, who graduated last year. Adelman, Franks and Jennings have hit a monstrous number of 3-pointers this year, and Longanecker credited that to the hours they've put in.
"If I say we have practice at 3 on Saturday, the kids know that if there's nothing ahead in the gym, I'm going to have the gym open at 2:15 or something like that," Longanecker said. "Ninety percent of the time, they're the first ones through the doors."
Franks said that work was necessary given that she had little experience shooting the ball from outside when she started at Waterloo. In fact, her shot "was a little funky" with a little bit of a heave.
"I didn't have a lot of spin on it," Franks said. "I still don't now, but I have a lot more than when I first started freshman year."
Sometimes, in practice, Longanecker will come out near the arc and raise his hand, forcing his Vikings to learn how to shoot over a tall defender.
"I'm like just look at the rim," Franks said. "It's bright and orange for a reason. If you look at that, you're going to be a lot closer than looking at the hand and seeing nothing past it."
It's a lot of work. A lot of shots. Open shots. Shots over Longanecker's outstretched hand. Over the summer. In between volleyball and basketball.
What's remarkable is basketball isn't even her favorite sport. The senior is a gifted volleyball player who is looking to play in college. Sometimes, kids drop off in their second sport as they get more serious about their top sport.
Not Franks.
"It's a credit to who they are as people and who their families are," Longanecker said, noting Adelman is more of a volleyball player as well. "That's the type of people that they are, that they make a commitment and you're going to get their best effort. I've been blessed to have those three seniors as the bedrock for four years for trying to turn things around here."
But to simply call Franks a 3-point shooter wouldn't be fair. Adelman notes that Franks has a nice up-and-under move — and Longanecker couldn't agree more.
"Aleck has a beautiful up-and-under move in the post," Longanecker said. "Depending on certain matchups, we'll isolate her in the post and let her use that, and technique-wise, it's pretty much flawless."
Her length is also helpful in Waterloo's 1-3-1 defense.
And then there's the way Franks helps her teammate Adelman, a star post, when she gets doubled and even tripled inside. Watching her on the court, Adelman seems to know when the defense is closing in on her, even when the second defender is coming from behind. It turns out she doesn’t have eyes in the back of her head. Franks is simply talking to her all game long.
"She's my right hand basically," Adelman said. "I see wherever she is on the court and I always know I can hear her through my ear. If there's a couple girls on me, I can hear her like, 'Kick it out,' or something."
Even on a late Monday evening after a Waterloo win over Mineral Ridge, while Adelman talks to a reporter, Franks stands waiting. The two are "pretty close" friends, Longanecker explains. Sure enough, when Adelman wraps up her interview, the two leave together.
"Batman had Robin," Longanecker said. "(The) Lone Ranger had Tonto, and those two, from day one of my time here, have been two peas in a pod. They do really look out for one another."