At any level of any sport, versatility is a golden attribute. The advantage of an athlete that can play multiple positions might be greatest in basketball because the ability to switch positions creates mismatches and headaches for opposing teams.

If this rings true, then those guarding general studies freshman Christine Mainguy will need to reach for some Advil.

Mainguy is one of Loyola’s six scholarship athletes, the first group since the program was discontinued in the 1970s. In her, the team has a multidimensional weapon. Her height makes her a tough matchup for shorter guards. Her ball handling and guard skills make her a tough draw for a bigger forward.

“Christine’s very versatile,” head coach DoBee Plaisance said. “She has two different positions to learn on our team, which is difficult, but she’s up to it. Her best basketball is ahead of her.”

Plaisance said she is excited with what the freshman can do for her team.

“She’s enthusiastic, constantly asking questions,” Plaisance said. “I’m very excited about her potential here.”

A strong incoming class, including Mainguy, has helped Loyola receive votes in the national preseason poll, for the first time in ‘Pack history, and a preseason ranking of third place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, the highest the team has ever ranked.

Mainguy, a Houston native, started playing organized basketball in the third grade. She honed her skills in games with her brother growing up, and the practice paid off.

In Houston, Mainguy attended the Westchester Academy of International Studies, where she was named to the all-district team and led her team to a district championship in 2002. According to Plaisance, Loyola team captain and sociology junior Joelle Bordelon saw Mainguy play in a national tournament and advised her coach to see Mainguy perform. Plaisance did, liked what she saw and Mainguy became part of the 2004 Loyola scholarship class.

Mainguy said that Loyola University provides a great balance for her.

“I wanted a happy medium,” she said. “I wanted to play basketball, but without sacrificing a good education. I like that it’s a small school and that the professors are so personable, a lot more so than you hear of professors at other schools. It’s great that everybody seems to know everybody here.”

The difference between the college game and the high school game can be daunting for any incoming freshman, a notion that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Mainguy. She said her footwork and agility have improved greatly from practicing with her new teammates.

“More than anything, at this level you can’t just go on talent,” she said. “It’s much more based on knowledge of your team’s system and the game itself.”

Of course, versatility doesn’t just extend to happenings on the court. Mainguy sees her scholarship as a responsibility to excel not only on the floor but in the classroom as well.

“It gives me an extra incentive to do well in school. The coach and athletic director worked so hard to get me this opportunity, so I feel like I need to give 110 percent in the classroom. The worst thing you can do is have a free education given to you and not do everything you can to make the most of it.”

Plaisance said that Mainguy is fulfilling her role as a scholar-athlete.

“She’s a great representative of Loyola basketball both on and off the court. I’m very pleased with her.”

As for what she expects on the court, Mainguy is confident that this season could be a special one.

“I think we can go deep in the national tournament,” she said. “We have enough talent to do it. It’s all up to how much effort we put into it this season.”

Ryan Arena can be reached at [email protected].