Women's Basketball: Former Glenbard South star Maggie Bair finds 'family' at Drake

DeKALB — Drake women's basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk looked through her phone recently and found a surprise.

Freshman Maggie Bair, a Glenbard South graduate, had taken an array of selfies on the phone without Baranczyk's knowledge.

The thought presented the shining example of just how quickly Bair has become comfortable in her skin as a Drake Bulldog.

“She’s great with my kids and she’s great with the team and she’s a fan favorite already and she waits for all the kids after the games and she’s playing with them and it’s really cool," Baranczyk said.

Bair, who led Glenbard South to two state appearances and second in Class 3A last season, comes from a large, athletic family. Her brother Billy played football at Illinois State and brother Charlie plays basketball at Illinois Wesleyan. That familial feeling is something she's already experiencing in Des Moines.

“It’s kind of cliche, but when I stepped on campus and met the team, I got a feeling," Bair said. "I feel like Division I sports is really a business sometimes and I just felt like it was a family. Coaches care about you on such a deeper level than just basketball, and the teammates we just want what’s best for each other.”

Bair played just seven minutes when Drake came to DeKalb to play the Huskies on Dec. 29, but she was happy to have had the chance to have immediate family and friends in attendance to watch the Bulldogs.

“I have a big family so it’s nice to have a family away from [home]" Bair said.

Averaging 2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 9.6 minutes per game, Bair has found a way into each of Drake's 13 games this season.

She posted a career-high 13 points in a Nov. 30 win over Maine.

While Bair is no stranger to large sporting environments, having played on a grand scale in an Illinois girls basketball state championship game, Bair did mention it was a "pinch me" type feeling playing Iowa in college.

"Especially during the state playoffs and state championships, those type of games prepared me for the high pressure and stuff," Bair said. "But, honestly, nothing really prepares you for this level because it’s so much more intense, so much more physical and there’s so much communication.”

When going after Bair in the recruiting process, Baranczyk liked what she saw in Bair as a multisport athlete in basketball and volleyball.

Her 6-foot-3 frame allows Bair to do things that leave an impact on the floor whether she's scoring or not. She doesn't need to score at the moment for an established Bulldogs group averaging 82.0 points per game.

“She’s a presence inside, she’s got unique athleticism where she’s kind of long and kind of unassuming but then she can kind of make a play," Baranczyk said.

Because Bair didn't specialize in a sport during high school, Baranczyk said she thinks Bair's ceiling is particularly high.

“Right now she doesn’t have necessarily the consistency, but she does have glimpses of things that are really good and that’s what really excites us to continue to coach her are those glimpses to turn into consistency," Baranczyk said.

Added Baranczyk: "Maggie Bair’s best basketball is way ahead of her and you can still see it.”

For now, Bair is just happy to have each moment with her new family.

“I just love being part of this team," Bair said.