DAVIS, Calif. — When you're the point guard, you have to see a lot of things.
Know where your teammates are at any one moment and anticipate where they're GOING to be the next. Quickly analyze an opponents strengths and weaknesses. Control the tempo. All the while, keeping the offense running like a well-oiled machine at break-neck speed and score the occasional point or two.
In her four years in an Aggie uniform, it's fair to say that
Kourtney Eaton did all that and more.
Playing alongside her twin sister, Karley, the three-year starter who appeared in 129 career games in her four seasons took over the mantle of floor general as a sophomore and did not let go. A three-time Big West All-Academic Team selection and All-Big West choice as a senior, Eaton left her mark on the Aggie program, finishing her career as the program's all-time record holder in assists with 546, supplanting Head Coach
Jennifer Gross' mark that had stood since 1997, and posting the highest assist total by any UC Davis basketball player, male of female, in the history of either program.
The total also ranked seventh in the history of the Big West upon graduation, where the younger Eaton (Karley is older by a minute) earned her degree in psychology following the Aggies' run to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, capping off a career that saw the Longview, Wash., native help the UC Davis to three consecutive Big West Conference regular season titles, a pair of Women's National Invitation Tournament berths, and a league tournament title, while winning a combined 97 games in her four seasons.
However, her vision wasn't restricted to the court where, alongside her sister, opponents were seeing double night in and night out. Established to help UC Davis student-athletes prepare for launch into the professional world after their collegiate playing careers are over, the Aggie EVO program was instrumental in providing Eaton the ability to research and gain information on potential medical careers.
She always had her sights set on her future off the court where she knew she wanted to be involved in the medical field in some way, but her focus didn't become clear until Athletics Director Dr.
Kevin Blue provided her with an eye-opening opportunity to gain some real-world experience.
"Kevin heard I was interested in optometry and set me up to shadow his optometrist, Dr. Wayne Schrader in Davis, at the end of my senior year," Eaton recalled. "I think that, right there, shows how special Davis is and how the entire athletic department and Aggie EVO program will provide you with the right tools and resources to make sure you're successful when you're done competing.
"I don't really know if there was a moment or just the more research, shadowing, or talking to the people I did, I really fell in love with optometry and the entire profession and day-to-day operations in private practice. Shadowing Dr. Schrader in Davis was really big for me in realizing that is what I want to do for the rest of my life, not only because I was super interested in the anatomy of the visual system, but because I absolutely loved the lifestyle and patient interaction I was seeing on a daily basis while interning there."
That experience has Eaton running south of her Washington home to attend optometry school at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., a four-year, full-time program that is scheduled to start in late August.
"After shadowing in private practice, I really loved it and know at some point that's where I want to be, but I'm going to explore a lot of different options while I'm in school," Eaton said. "I'm very interested in learning more about sports vision and how I could potentially work with athletes to enhance their visual skills and help them perform at their peak during competition.
"I think it's a really cool field that people don't necessarily think about but might be just as important as strength and speed. There's a lot of cool research behind it that I'm excited to learn more about in the future."
That future is built upon a foundation of being a student-athlete at one of the nation's top public universities, which she credits getting her as far as she has to this point.
"I truly believe my experience as a student-athlete is the reason I was even accepted to optometry school because of my work ethic, competitiveness, and time-management," Eaton touts. "It was the hardest, yet most rewarding, experience of my life and I'm excited to experience school as just a 'student' when I don't have 20-plus hours a week of practice/training.
"I know optometry school is going to be extremely rigorous, stressful, and mentally exhausting. I'm super excited for the challenge but I feel like I've been through all of that already by attending UC Davis as a student-athlete so it prepared me in every way possible."
Preparation, which included taking final exams on an airplane en route to Manhattan, Kan., for a WNIT "Sweet 16" contest against Kansas State.
Eaton admitted, that part won't be missed.
Despite her emphasis now on her post-graduate career, Eaton has not completely abandoned her basketball "Roots," lending her expertise to training kids of all ages at Roots Sports Academy in her hometown, giving back to the community that she says, "was soooo supportive to me in my basketball journey growing up."
Lest you think she's lost a step a year removed from her collegiate playing days, fear not, the sister rivalries in the driveway are alive and well.
"Occasionally Karley and I will go to a park and shoot or just do some ball handling in the garage but not nearly as much as I wish I did," Eaton said. "All of our 1-v-1 battles are epic — when they don't end in us chucking the ball at each other.
"We are still extremely competitive in everything we do and I've actually taken up running just because I miss the mental and physical challenges of basketball. I wanted something that allowed me to set goals and be challenged in other ways. Running is definitely more competing with myself and my own mind, but I've been loving it and hope to run a half marathon before 2020 is over."
Until then, eyes up Pacific Northwest. Eaton is looking for the next opportunity she can't pass up.
"I'd love to own my own practice someday," Eaton said. "It will probably be far down the road but that's the ultimate goal… maybe call it 'Seeing Double' or 'Double Vision' to play on the fact that I'm a twin.
"I'd also love to coach high school basketball if my schedule has time for it. I'm a complete sports junkie and I miss it so much. I want to be able to positively influence girls and share my love for the game, so I know I'll be trying to coach on the side if I can."
SHOW SOLIDARITY THROUGH SUPPORT
Aggies are tough, resilient, and compassionate. We will remain connected throughout this unprecedented situation to strengthen our community, and showcase our Aggie Pride by sticking together and supporting one another.
UC Davis Athletics is proudly supported by Woodstock's Pizza, Buckhorn Steakhouse, Pizza Guys Davis, Taqueria Guadalajara, The Good Scoop, Nugget Markets, In-n-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A Vacaville and Sudwerk Brewing Co. To help us thank these pillars of the local business community for partnering with the Aggies, we ask that you support our corporate teammates when possible.
Information on pick-up and delivery options, as well as links to websites and respective social media accounts is available by clicking here.
