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Nearly 30 college coaches watched 5-foot-5 high school junior Olivia Schmitt square off against five-star prospect Maddy McDaniel. The then-“little, no name” Schmitt went toe-to-toe with the future South Carolina point guard, which instantly sparked a jump in her recruiting interest, according to Do More Everyday Academy head coach Michael Panaggio.

“When I left that game, even though we lost, I said, ‘I have a legitimate Power Five starting point guard,’” Panaggio said.

Offers began flooding in. About two months later, after a stellar performance against Life Center Academy and Kiyomi McMiller, ESPN’s 27th-ranked player in the 2024 class, St. John’s, Clemson and Syracuse offered Schmitt. SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack and associate head coach Kristen Sharkey attended the game and were impressed by Schmitt’s distribution.

The next day, Schmitt noticed Panaggio was “acting weird” before revealing a coach would contact her. Sharkey then texted her with the Orange’s offer. Schmitt immediately wanted to play for SU, a program close to home that’d featured undersized guards in the past, most recently Dyaisha Fair. In March 2023, she visited and committed on the spot.

Transferring to DME was vital for Schmitt’s development and advancing her career to college basketball’s highest level. She transferred to the prominent Daytona Beach, Florida, prep school after averaging 21.0 points per game as a sophomore at Staten Island Academy. Though surrounded by a Division I caliber supporting cast at DME, she became a pass-first point guard, averaging over four assists in both her seasons there. It’s translated to Schmitt’s freshman year at Syracuse, where she ranks fourth on the team with 1.9 assists per game.

“When I got to DME, I was surrounded by high-level athletes. I knew in order to win basketball games, I had to be selfless and hit all these really talented players beside me,” Schmitt said.

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Schmitt, a Staten Island native, began her high school journey at SIA, where her freshman season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic before breaking out as a sophomore. Because much of the previous year’s team had graduated, Schmitt became the Tigers’ most reliable scorer.

SIA is a historic women’s basketball powerhouse, so Schmitt had big expectations on her shoulders. Still, per head coach Alison Ryan, she efficiently ran its offense as a three-level scorer.

“(Schmitt) was a great spark for our team,” Ryan said. “Anybody would want to have an Olivia on their team.”

Schmitt showed qualities of a pure point guard, too. Ryan said she played “tenacious defense,” often bagging layups directly off steals. She also flashed potential as a distributor on the perimeter.

Her prowess led SIA to a 17-7 record and a 78-70 victory in the NYSAIS/PSAL Class A State Championship over Brooklyn Law and Tech, another top program in New York.

Schmitt stayed composed through constant pressure, finishing with 24 points. Afterward, she and her teammates celebrated by filling a water jug with their bottles, and then Schmitt dumped it on Ryan.

“I was so excited, I really can’t remember a moment in my sports history that felt better than that,” Schmitt said.

Despite her strong campaign, Schmitt didn’t receive much attention from recruiters. She got her first offer from Manhattan in eighth grade but had only been considered by mid-major schools like George Washington and George Mason. Schmitt strived to play for a Power Five program, and decided a change of scenery was necessary.

DME proved to be the right place.

In 2022, DME fell in the Geico Nationals Semifinal to Montverde Academy. During that game, starting point guard Zeryhia Aokuso tore her ACL. Panaggio needed an instant replacement.

A year prior, he tried to recruit Schmitt but was unsuccessful. Still on the coach’s radar, she became his primary target. Schmitt’s size didn’t deter Panaggio. In fact, he saw himself in her. Formerly a guard standing at 5-foot-11, he wanted to help Schmitt sell herself to top programs.

“She was gonna have the same challenges I faced with recruitment, so I just wanted to make sure she could answer the questions that I wasn’t able to when I was in her shoes,” Panaggio said.

Olivia Schmitt guards Fairleigh Dickinson’s Ava Renninger in SU’s 77-58 win over the Knights. Schmitt ranks fourth on the Orange with 1.9 assists per game. Arnav Pokhrel | Staff Photographer

Schmitt visited DME while in Florida for a tournament and was immediately thrust into practice. She held her own, Panaggio said, and was impressed by the tougher competition. As a result, she committed in April 2022.

During her junior year, Schmitt faced point guards committed to the country’s top programs. Besides McDaniel and McMiller, she played Kelis Fisher (UConn) and sisters Mya and Mia Pauldo (Tennessee). As interest sparked in her later in the year, she committed to SU.

“Being from New York, Syracuse is a dream school of mine, because it’s at that level I want to play at, plus it’s so close to home,” Schmitt said. “As soon as I got my Syracuse offer, I knew I wanted to go here.”

Schmitt finished her junior year averaging 12.8 points. She also posted a career-high 5.5 assists and 3.1 steals, steering DME to a 20-7 record and an SIAA championship.

In her senior year, DME added multiple Power Five talents — Ines Goryanova (Baylor), Tahj- Monet Bloom (Mississippi State) and Schmitt’s future Syracuse teammate, Keira Scott. Schmitt fully bought into her distributing role.

“Our team had a lot of talent, so I think we all had to play a different role,” Scott said. “No one was gonna average 20-plus (points) a game. That’s what we needed to win.”

According to Goryanova, passing came naturally to Schmitt. She knew where everyone was on the court and would constantly dish to teammates with better looks.

Schmitt’s scoring dropped to 5.8 points per game, though she averaged 4.2 assists. The senior was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee for her distributing prowess, something that’s been apparent at SU.

Through the Orange’s first five games, Schmitt only logged 12 minutes a game. Still, she worked tirelessly in practice, per Legette-Jack. So, for SU’s two-game stint at the Emerald Coast Classic, Schmitt was moved into the starting lineup.

“Everybody on our team has earned a scholarship, and everyone deserves an opportunity. The ones that get the opportunity are the ones that earn it in practice, and Liv’s been flying around that gym,” Legette-Jack said.

Schmitt was ecstatic but immediately “locked in.” This translated to success on the court. She tallied seven assists in a season-high 20 minutes, leading to a blowout 82-59 victory over Missouri.

Though Schmitt hasn’t replicated that performance again this season, she’s slotted into a key distributing role for the Orange.

But, if not for her transfer to DME, she might have never adopted that playstyle.

“I saw myself at the Power Five level, and I truly believed if I didn’t play against the best competition, there was no way I was going to be recruited to play at the best competition,” Schmitt said.

Published on January 15, 2025 at 10:51 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99