Oklahoma State women's basketball: Emilee Ebert ready for 'really weird' return to K-State

STILLWATER — As a young, basketball-loving girl, Emilee Ebert and her family would make regular trips to Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, where watching the stars of the early 2000s embedded in Ebert a dream to one day be a Wildcat.

And she accomplished it, playing four successful seasons at K-State.

On Saturday, she’ll walk into Bramlage for the last time as a player — and the first time not as a Wildcat.

Following a unique and circuitous journey, Ebert is an Oklahoma State Cowgirl now, playing out her final season of college basketball, about eight months after she told OSU coach Jacie Hoyt she didn’t want to play anymore.

“It’s gonna be really weird,” Ebert said. “ I’ve gone to Bramlage my whole life and it’s always been as a Wildcat. I love Manhattan, I love the university, so I’m excited to go back. I still have a few best friends on the team, so I’m excited to see them.

“But I’m gonna walk in there knowing we’re gonna win the game."

The Cowgirls face K-State at 4 p.m. Saturday, and while Ebert is playing limited minutes since joining OSU in December, box scores can’t measure her impact on her new team.

More: Skylar Vann, OU women's basketball hold off Oklahoma State for Bedlam road win

But how Ebert got here is perhaps the most fascinating part of her story, from entering the transfer portal to giving up the game she loved to moving to Tennessee where her husband-to-be is an NFL player.

That’s where she was when Hoyt reached out in December. With her team wrecked by injuries and attrition, Hoyt needed bodies, but midseason signings aren’t commonplace in college basketball.

Any good player who wants to be on a team is on one by August — with very rare exceptions.

And Ebert, as it turns out, was an exception.

After her fourth season at K-State, Ebert entered the transfer portal in May, and Hoyt — who had recruited Ebert when she was a high school standout in Frankfort, Kansas — began trying to lure her to OSU for her final season.

But Ebert felt life pulling her away from basketball.

“Part of me was ready for the next step in life,” Ebert said. “I’m engaged, getting married. That was a big thing. Four years of college athletics, my body was ready for a break, too.”

So she followed her fiancé, Ty Zentner, to Tennessee, where he’s a punter for the Titans.

“I was in Tennessee, just hanging out,” Ebert said with a laugh. “I wasn’t really doing much, just watching him play football on Sundays, really.”

More: Oklahoma State women's basketball getting 'back to neutral' for showdown with Texas

No running. No shooting. No basketball at all, except for a couple times on trips home, where her father is still the high school coach.

Ebert had barely touched a ball in months when she heard from OSU coaches a couple months ago.

“When they texted me in December, it couldn’t have worked out more perfect with my timeline,” Ebert said. “Football season was pretty much over. It was just a good time for me to come here, and another opportunity, because it was really hard for me to tell them no in the summer.

“I feel like it worked out pretty perfect.”

Zentner came along as well, enjoying his time in Stillwater while preparing for spring minicamp ahead of the couple’s July wedding.

Ebert has played a total of 68 minutes over nine games, and in five of those games, she didn’t attempt a shot. But the 6-foot guard provides a healthy body with a wealth of experience as a Big 12 player — and Hoyt has little of either these days.

OSU had just five healthy players for practice Monday, but without a midweek game, Hoyt let some of her injured starters heal up.

“Emilee has played in the Big 12 for four years, so she came in with a knowledge and understanding of what this conference is about, what it takes to win in this conference," Hoyt said.

“She’s so smart and she has earned the respect of her teammates by them seeing here make the right plays and adapting so quickly. That has been a really big advantage for her.”

Ebert’s selfless nature helped her blend with her new teammates quickly.

“I feel like I adjusted really well and I feel like Jacie had a lot of grace with me,” Ebert said. “It was tough to adjust to their terminology and the things they do, but I feel like everyone embraced it. It could’ve went a lot worse.

“It was a great opportunity for me, and I knew that.”

A few months away from the game had given Ebert a different perspective on her career, and a second chance to play for Hoyt was something she didn’t want to waste.

“That’s the great thing about forming and building relationships,” Hoyt said. “When she said no the first time, we wished her well. There were tears from her, because she wasn’t really sure if she was making the right choice choosing to walk away from basketball.

“She had some time away to realize how much she loves playing and kinda missed it. We needed her and she kinda needed us at that point.”

More: How 'it all just fell into place' for Hannah Gusters, Oklahoma State in win over Texas Tech

Getting a taste of life after basketball, then being approached with an opportunity to play once more, Ebert had an easy decision to return.

“That’s one thing we’re always trying to tell our athletes, that the real world is not kind,” Hoyt said. “If you put yourself in her shoes, you’re talking about a few months for the rest of your life. If you miss it, come back and give it hell for a few months and then you can go on with everything else.”

The Cowgirls have spiraled a bit lately as the injuries piled up and the grind of Big 12 basketball sunk its teeth in. They’ve lost five in a row, all by 12 points or less, as their record tumbled to 11-11 overall and 4-7 in conference play.

“It’s tough,” Ebert said. “No one likes to lose. But we’re not getting blown out. We’re just not winning them. But we’ve stayed together really well, and there’s a lot of teams that wouldn’t.

“I can promise you that this team has all the confidence in the world that we can win every game from here on out.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

OSU at No. 8 Kansas State

TIPOFF: 4 p.m. Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State women's basketball: Emilee Ebert returns to K-State