Ennis’ eyes on the prize

That’s all well and good. And, sure, Ennis is intent on leaving her mark on the program, wanting to see the winning tradition carried on by a current roster that includes six juniors and six underclassmen, including her sister Mali, a 5-10 freshman.

“I think we are a very special team in regards to the fact we are so young,” Ennis said. “We’re trying to build a program. … In terms of our younger players, I want them to be a really good program and I think we’re on track to doing that.”

Ennis is building toward the future too. The senior workhorse fits the bill of a high school post player — she’s strong, hardly comes off the floor, and her cool signature headband has been a part of her uniform since grade school — but in terms of making her stature work at the next level, she knows she’s got her work cut out for her if she’s to achieve her goal of earning an NCAA Division I scholarship.

“I’d like to play at a Division I school,” Ennis said. “That’s the ultimate goal. I put that on myself and I’ve put in the hours to try to get there. That’s where I want to go and I think that’s where I should go.”

In terms of collegiate opportunities, Ennis has a ton of Division II programs offering her the moon, according to St. Ignatius head coach Mike Mulkerrins. And Ennis said she’s got Division I walk-on offers from University of the Pacific and University of San Francisco.

But while she’s got plenty of inside game, and can create a steady tempo with her ability to dribble-drive, Ennis knows it’s her midrange game — and the improvements she has made to it — that will ultimate navigate her college destination.

“She’s got unbelievable energy,” Mulkerrins said. “She really knows how to play. She’s really fast. And she’s really improved her shooting, which makes her more of a DI interest.”

Ennis turned the corner with her midrange game prior to her junior year. Switching her offseason affiliation by joining Golden City SF of the AAU, she immediately connected with a private coach. Drills, drills and more drills led to better technique. And that better technique led to better scoring efficiency.

As a sophomore, Ennis averaged 4.8 points per game in games recorded on MaxPreps.com, then improved to 8.8 ppg as a junior. This season, through her first six games, she averaged 17.8 ppg. She went on to record a season-high 25 points in last Thursday’s opener of the Leo LaRocca Sand Dune Classic in a win over Mills, and then scored 14 points in limited play in Saturday’s blowout of Terra Nova.

“Because of my size, I know I need to work on [the midrange game],” Ennis said. “I’m always trying to get better at that.”

Commuting from Burlingame to San Francisco every day hasn’t exactly helped. Spending an hour a day in the car is inevitable, but Ennis has had to do so on someone else’s schedule for most of her high school days, depending on the bus or carpooling to get to and from the St. Ignatius campus in the Sunset District.

This changed Dec. 18, though, when Ennis earned her driver’s license. And while she isn’t immune to the excitement any teenager would experience in earning one’s wings, Ennis has the additional thrill of knowing she now has extra time to spend in the gym, on the court, working toward the dream.

“Getting more time and getting shots,” Ennis said. “It’s just about getting shots and getting better.”