Big Sky Conference

STAY THE COURSE: Barhoum overcomes adversity to complete college career

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Margreet Barhoum’s career at Montana State has not followed the script she once imagined when she first stepped on campus as a prolific scoring guard from Washington’s West Side.

Barhoum came to MSU from Meadowdale, a suburb in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, after scoring more than 1,300 career points and earning Washington all-state honors as a senior. The explosive combo guard was part of one of Tricia Binford’s most heralded recruiting classes, a group that included future Big Sky Conference MVP Jasmine Hommes, a pair of players with famous fathers (Lindsay Stockton, Alexa Dawkins) and Peyton Ferris, the Montana Gatorade Player of the Year.

The 5-foot-7 guard suffered a knee injury just a few months after arriving in Bozeman, a setback that forced her to redshirt and made her feel like she was being left behind by the rest of her class. She would miss most of another season with a foot injury, further pushing her down the bench as the rest of her class blossomed to help the Bobcat women reach new heights.

All along the way, Barhoum has never lost her positive attitude, infectious personality and bright smile. Her journey of trials has taught her a great deal while also opening up several other doors for her future.

Barhoum (L) with former teammates Alexa Dawkins (M) and Jasmine Hommes (R) in 2015

Barhoum (L) with former teammates Alexa Dawkins (M) and Jasmine Hommes (R) in 2015

“I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything,” Barhoum said. “The class I came in with, we were very close and I was the first one to redshirt. I remember since that day thinking my fifth year would be so sad without Lindsay and Lexi and Jasmine and Peyton (who ended up redshirting the second year) at that point too. This year has been different without those girls around me but it’s been so fun. I’ve enjoyed this year just as much as past years.”

These days, Barhoum is navigating the stretch run of her fifth and final season with the Bobcats as MSU chases its second straight regular season Big Sky title. The steady, poised senior has carved out a roll as MSU’s backup point guard whenever the Bobcats need solid minutes behind junior Hannah Caudill. Barhoum’s scoring has never reached her high school level — she averaged more than 21 points per game as a prep senior — nor the level of her redshirt freshman year when she averaged 5.0 points per game.

But her ability to buy in, prepare and perform whenever her 10 to 12 minutes a night do come has been a key as MSU has surged to an 18-6 start that includes wins in 11 of 14 Big Sky contests.

“What she has become shows her level of mental toughness, selflessness and confidence,” Binford said earlier this week. “Anybody that has faced adversity, the people who have succeeded through adversity will tell you that your attitude is a big portion of that. Margreet has always had an exceptional attitude about life and adapting and focusing on the things you can control. That’s allowed her to be extremely successful.”

Magreet Barhoum big cross overAlthough the arc of her career has not followed the storybook many recruits anticipate when first joining a Division I team, Barhoum has been able to embrace the other opportunities that have come with the adversity. Her second season with MSU, Ferris ended up redshirting, meaning Barhoum wasn’t the only player from her class that would stay at MSU for five seasons.

During her second season out with injury two years ago, Barhoum got an opportunity to serve as Montana State’s color commentator next to play-by-play announcer Riley Corcoran on MSU’s radio broadcasts. During her third spring in Bozeman, Barhoum interned with KBZK television sports director Ted Dawson, getting some fledgling experience for a career in broadcast journalism, something Barhoum said she might explore once she graduates this spring.

And on the court, Barhoum has been a stable contributor during one of the best runs in the history of MSU women’s basketball, providing sound minutes when called upon, especially when the Bobcats play high-pressure teams like Sacramento State, Montana State’s opponent on Saturday afternoon.

Margreet Barhoum dribble up“Even with injuries, I do think everything happens for a reason,” Barhoum said. “I got to embrace my role as kind of a cheerleader for the team and also doing the color, which hopefully helps with my career. That helped out my future so I’m thankful for that. I try to take everything in a positive light and I learned so much through those two injuries, I will always refer back to that for my entire life. It wasn’t easy but I’m glad I stuck it out to reach this point. I never once thought about leaving or quitting.”

As a prep senior, Barhoum earned Washington Associated Press all-state honors by averaging 21.3 points, 4.5 assists and four steams per game. David and Lisa Barhoum’s oldest daughter – her sister, Jaclyn is a junior at Western Washington while her brother, Daniel, is a senior at Meadwodale — was a three-time All-Western Conference selection and the Washington 3A Wesco Player of the Year in 2011 after averaging 22.5 points per contest. She finished with 1,388 points and two Wesco scoring titles.

She expected to play right away when coming to Montana State in the fall of 2012. But early-season knee surgery dashed those hopes. The following year, she played in all 30 games, averaging 13.5 minutes per game and scoring in double figures on multiple occasions, including a 13-point outing against Portland State. Her redshirt sophomore year, the injury bug bit again as a season-ending foot injury sidelined her after six games. She has been relegated to her backup role ever since.

Barhoum (R) with a cast of underclassmen in 2017: L-R Annika Lai, Blair Braxton & Oliana Squires

Barhoum (R) with a cast of underclassmen in 2017: L-R Annika Lai, Blair Braxton & Oliana Squires

“When you are getting recruited, you obviously don’t think you are going to be a bench player your whole career,” Barhoum said. “At first, it’s hard. But once you do embrace it, I think you play better and your whole mentality and your whole life is better. We put so much emotion and time into basketball, it feels like it’s your entire life. If you feel like your entire life is not going well for you because you are a bench player or you are not getting the minutes you want, that makes for a sad life. I made a promise to myself I wasn’t going to allow myself to get to that point.

“I’ve seen on other teams I’ve been on throughout my life that the person on the end of the bench can affect the person in the starting lineup. I’ve seen it happen throughout teams and it’s like poison. I promised myself I would never be that. I never thought I would be in that situation but I know how important it is that every person on the team is engaged.”

The reserve role has become much easier to accept given MSU’s team success. The Bobcats have won 39 games and counting over the last two seasons. Barhoum has contributed throughout, both in production and by the example she has set for her younger teammates.

Margreet Barhoum cross leg jump pass“That example becomes infectious with your underclassmen when they see first hand how to do it and how to do it well and see her thriving in those situations,” Binford said. “What is also fun to watch is how Greet’s teammates have such confidence in her in that role. That part is important to: it’s not just about that person embracing the role themselves but also how they are valued by the rest of the team and Greet is certainly valued by her team and her coaches.”

Binford added that Barhoum is particularly key in games against opponents like Sac State. Barhoum’s ability to handle the Hornets’ relentless full-court press proves valuable, especially when the matchup comes on short rest like Saturday’s will.

Barhoum and the Bobcats have four games in the regular season to sew up just the second outright Big Sky title in program history. Even if the MSU women don’t hang another banner, the ultimate goal is a run in the Big Sky Tournament after being eliminated after one game last season.

Barhoum herself is closing in on a degree in business marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship. She still dreams of someday becoming a sports broadcaster but could also see herself working in some sort of sports marketing after graduation. She knows she wants to say in Montana for at least one more Bozeman summer, but is open to exploring all her options once she completes her fifth and final year at Montana State.

Margreet Barhoum free throwThe ending to Barhoum’s story at MSU may not have followed the details she once imagined. But she would not trade any of it — not the injuries or the memories — for a different ending.

“I will definitely remember the people I’ve met,” Barhoum said. “I will definitely remember winning a championship. I will remember the lessons I learned through my injuries and through perseverance. I will definitely look back on my college experience as so positive, something I’m so grateful for. I would not trade my five years at Montana State for anything.”

 

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved. (Several other photos will be added this evening)

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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