Mei-Lyn Bautista isn’t your average rising freshman, in more ways than one.
The Whitestone native grew up playing CYO basketball for St. Andrews against boys, spent the last two summers competing against some of the best high-school players in the country with coach Kevin White’s NYC Heat travel team and will arguably be the best ninth grader in the city when she steps through the doors at Mary Louis this fall. Her father Butch, a DJ for the rapper N.O.R.E, has chronicled his daughter’s workouts and eye-popping game highlights in a series of YouTube videos.
All of this has made Bautista an instant celebrity in the girls basketball world. Coaches will come up to White, also the varsity coach at Mary Louis, and ask where Mei-Lyn is if she misses a tournament. Girls her own age from different states, who know her from YouTube, have approached her about taking a picture together.
“Some of them actually say they look up to me and say they practice what I do in my videos,” the 5-foot-6 Bautista said. “I find that really, really amazing. I’m inspiring other people, yet I’m still going after my dream. I’m not sure what to say. I’m like, ‘Yeah sure.’”
Still the most impressive thing about Bautista isn’t her ball handling skills or killer step back jumper. It’s the maturity and dedication with which she handles herself. Her quasi-celebrity status has never affected her, her love of the game or her unyielding desire to improve herself and her teammates.
“The good news is, up to today, if there is a game at 10 in the morning she is up without me dragging her out of the bed,” Butch Bautista said.
The true point guard is always in the gym. She works out once a week with trainer and former Hofstra star Jay Hernandez and shoots with her father at least two other days. He realizes she is not going to get much bigger, so he constantly has her improving her jump shot, hoisting up 1,000 at time. She was inspired to take up the sport at a young age by her aunt Jane Walsh, who played at Francis Lewis.
“Anytime there is a deficiency or flaw in her game she goes and spends countless hours trying to correct that flaw or deficiency,” White said. “She does it because she wants to do it.”
That maturity also translates to the court. Bautista plays with a pass first mentality. That doesn’t mean he can’t take over when need be. That’s exactly what she did in the Heat’s final game at the USJN/Nike National Championships this weekend against South Medford (Ore.). She feels she plays her best under White because he always encourages her and believes in her.
With the Heat down a point in the final four minutes, she drove into the lane and looked at an open shooter to confuse the defense before scoring herself. Shortly after, Bautista hustled down court and stripped a ball off an opposing player’s leg along the baseline. On the next possession, she drove and kicked the ball out to Christina Rubin for an open 3-pointer, hit a trey of her own and converted a basket and a foul to ensure a 50-48 win.
“She is very, very posed,” White said. “She understands roles and responsibilities on the court very well. She plays beyond her age.”
Bautista said she has treated this summer differently than others. While many of the players around her are preparing for their senior season and college, she is getting ready for the increased level of play at the high-school level. It’s a challenge she is looking forward to. Bautista will be joining a backcourt inhabited by explosive scoring guards Reana Mohamed and Jasmine Nwajei.
“I have to be ready for a quicker game and strong level,” she said. “These past two years working with them, I’m getting better. I’m getting used to it.”
In typical Bautista fashion, her focus quickly shifted away from basketball. The 97-average student at JHS 158 brought up that her favorite subject is math and that she also plans on excelling academically. It’s moments like that where her true character shines through. Despite all her success, it is her lack of complacency and refusal to buy into the hype around her that’s made her so special and promising.
“I’m not the greatest,” Bautista said. “I can always get better.”