Basketball standout Trista Fayta recently committed to play basketball at Illinois State. The Online Tritonian decided to ask the junior questions about her decision as well as her expectations for the upcoming Triton season.

What is your favorite thing about playing basketball?

My favorite thing about playing basketball is that I can go out in a game and just be focused on the game, not anything or anyone else. It is a game that I can play with some of my best friends, and we all have the same goal, which is winning a state championship.  

What other schools were you considering?

My other four schools I was considering were Green Bay, Milwaukee, Bradley and South Dakota.

Why specifically did you choose Illinois State?

 I chose Illinois State because of how welcoming the players and coaches were, the distance isn’t too close to home but not too far, and I loved how many options/things there were to do on campus.

How long have you been playing basketball?

 I have been playing basketball since I was around 3 years old.

Do you play any other sports? 

I play volleyball as well.

Outside of NDA basketball do you play/train somewhere else? 

 I play AAU after NDA basketball, so I travel all around and play against other AAU teams from other states. I also train with the Purple Aces program as well as Synergy.  

Are you nervous about playing at such a high level and in front of so many people?

No, I’m not nervous at playing at the next level because I’m confident in my abilities and what ISU can help me accomplish to be prepared to play at that level.  

How are you feeling about going into your NDA season being back-to-back state champions?

I’m feeling super excited about being back-to-back champions and defending that title for this season, as well as going after another one.  

What obstacles will you face being the defending champions? 

Obstacles that we will have to face throughout this season is staying healthy throughout the whole season, and teams are gonna play at their best potential against us, so we need to be ready to play at all times. 

What are you most excited for with playing basketball at the collegiate level? 

 I’m super excited to play in college because I will be able to play with and against high level players from many states, and I can potentially make it to the sweet 16 with ISU.

What are your plans after college? Are you wanting to coach or go pro?

 After college, I’m not 100% sure what I want to do but I will for sure be coaching and if I get the chance to go overseas I might do that as well.