Courtesy of Morris DellaCosta, The London Free Press

It's been quite a ride for Miranda Ayim since she's left high school. Albeit a little on the quiet side.

If the ride continues to head upward, it won't be quiet for much longer.

Ayim is one of those exceptional athletes that never gets the credit or notice she deserves. There's always someone else or somewhere else that gets the attention.

It's not a big deal to Ayim. When asked about not getting the attention or flying under the radar, the 19-year-old basketball player's answer is what one expects from a grounded, well-rounded person.

"I guess that could be a fair statement," Ayim said.

Not for long.

Ayim is Chatham born but grew up in London. The Saunders grad is going into her sophomore year at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. She's coming off a freshman year where she played a lot more than a freshman from Canada is expected to play. Injuries were one reason for that. The other being that Ayim earned the right to play more basketball.

Ayim played 31 games, averaging almost seven points a game and more than 20 minutes a game. She shot 50 per cent from the floor.

"She is better than I thought she was," Pepperdine head basketball coach Julie Rousseau said. "I knew she was gifted athletically. She had the body, the athleticism, the skills. She exceeded our expectations.

"More than anything she's a beautiful person. That supercedes anything she does on the court. She's special. She has a beautiful demeanour. She's a blessing to have on this team and in our program."

She'll be ready for her second year at Pepperdine. Ayim has played a highly-competitive summer of basketball with Canada's national under-21 team in Moscow and early this month in the FIBA under-19 women's world championship in Slovakia.

She wasn't a passenger.

"I don't know what I expected but it was fun," said Ayim, whose father Gus played basketball for Fanshawe College in the early 1980s. "I know this experience helped me. I can hardly wait to get back to school and get started."

The under-19 team has a strong local presence. Also on that team was Kendel Ross from Sarnia, who goes to University of Dayton, and Londoner Jelessa Rhoden, who was red-shirted her first year at Georgia because of a knee injury. She's healthy now.

The experience with the national team, coupled with her experience at Pepperdine, has left the 6-foot-2 forward excited about her return to university.

"I loved my team and my coaches," Ayim said. "I was totally satisfied with my decision (to go to Pepperdine.) I'm excited to go back and put everything I learned this summer into action.

"Unfortunately, a lot of our team was injured. Got a lot more minutes in playing time than I wanted in retrospect. Hopefully, everyone will be healthy this year."

After hearing about Ayim by word of mouth, Rousseau saw tape of her playing, came and watched her and met with her.

"I just thought, wow. I saw the potential and the gifts she had," she said.

Rousseau says as a coach, she doesn't pay a lot of attention to a player's class.

"I don't like to put a lot of pressure on a freshman. But if you can play and contribute, you're going to play," Rousseau said. "Our front court is pretty special. We're going to be solid for the next few years."

Ayim is a member of the front-court that includes Teena Wickett.

"Wickett is one of the Top 20 kids in the nation," Rousseau said. "She plays against our post coach, Vanessa Nygaard, who played professionally. The kid played against some of the best.

"She really did well. A lot of minutes were thrust upon her. This was a good year to get her feet wet. She was up to her waist. We'll be better because of it."

Ayim will continue to develop on and off the basketball court. She found university to be a positive place.

"Playing basketball was a steep learning curve," Ayim said. "The first year at university as a whole was a major stepping stone in my life. The whole university experience was a good experience and I'm thankful for that."

Ayim is heading back to school later this week and very excited about it.

It's always a good sign when a player is excited. But it's even better when the coach is just as thrilled.

"I'm glad she's excited because we're excited," Rousseau said. "She's going to play . . . a lot."