Victoria Vivians has learned to balance her time on two different courts this week.
On Monday, the senior guard for the Mississippi State women’s basketball team found out that she had made the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference team with teammate Morgan William.
Vivians and William got to talk about that and the preparation on the court for the 2017-18 season at SEC Women’s Basketball Media Day in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday..
Vivians was probably asked a couple of times also about what's about to happen on Saturday. She will take her place on the MSU Homecoming Court and will be crowned queen at halftime of the 3 p.m. football game against Kentucky.
It’s an honor that Vivians does not take lightly.
“Not only am I representing with my basketball, but it’s something different and not a whole lot of people expected me to do it,” Vivians said. “I’m representing students and athletes.”
Vivians has been recognized as one of the best women’s college basketball players in the country for several years now. She helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Final Four and the national championship semifinals last season.
Her election as MSU Homecoming Queen opened a new door for the Carthage native and something her coach Vic Schaefer was pleased to see happen.
“It’s special,” Schaefer said. “She’s a Mississippi kid. She came to her state school and trusted our vision. She has been an active participant in helping us be where we are today.”
After scoring 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals for the Bulldogs last season, Vivians made first team All-SEC and third team All-American.
This is the second-straight season that Vivians has been selected to the Preseason All-SEC squad, but it’s the 60 percent of the student vote to become homecoming queen that impressed her.
“I want to thank everyone for voting for me and supporting me and I appreciate it,” Vivians said. “I did a lot of campaigning. I talked to fraternities and I was campaigning on the drill field so just getting involved with all of the students was fun.”
Vivians was in the running for homecoming queen at Scott Central High School, but it did not work out for her at the time.
The thought of being the next MSU Homecoming Queen didn’t enter Vivians’ mind at first.
After observing last year’s crowning of Shawanda F. Brooks, Vivians felt it was time to give it another try at the college level.
The plate may be full for Vivians, but she has learned how to manage her time and make everything work.
“It’s all on the schedule and you have everything planned out,” Vivians said. “You have a specific time you have to be certain places and do certain things, so it’s not overwhelming. As long as I get my sleep in, it’s good.”