By Kaleb Knowles
Born into the spotlight, Long Island Lutheran shooting guard Cece Arico has never shied away from the legacy of women’s basketball that runs deep in her family. Her mother, Kim Barnes Arico, is the winningest coach in program history for the University of Michigan women’s basketball team. With an undeniable legacy of over 550 career wins, she is currently leading the No. 8 team in the country with a record of 15-2 on the season.
Yet in just her junior year, Arico is on track to have an extraordinary legacy of her own. Arico came into Hoophall as the 22nd-ranked player in the class of 2027. Now deep into her junior season, she is showcasing just the unique skills she possesses as a player.
Her versatile skill set is primarily defined by her ability to shoot the three-pointer and create opportunities for her teammates. As a taller guard, standing at 5’10, she can shoot over the top of many defenders. She also boosts her team by being extremely coachable and being a threat in the paint. She is not scared to do the dirty work on the boards either, something that truly makes her hard to stop anywhere on the court.
“I actually thought she was shooting the ball at the highest clip before she got hurt,” Long Island Lutheran Head Coach Christina Raiti said. “She only played four games before she had trouble with her left foot for a while. I think even more impressive is that she’s still a scorer.”
Despite not being able to play in the 2026 Panini Hoophall Classic because of a left foot injury, her impact was still seen on the bench in her black warmup suit, put together by the shiny grey boot that shielded her injured foot.
“She is a natural scorer and just a really tough kid. She took major charges in our win over St. John’s D.C. She is just an offensive board and a monster on the board,” Raiti said.
While it may not have been the Hoophall game she was looking for, her toughness still came into play on the bench. While her team was grinding their way to a Friday night 70-60 win over Sierra Canyon, she was on the bench cheering loudly and could be heard. When her teammate Bridget O’Hara drilled a 3-pointer in the second quarter, she got right up on her injured foot and hobbled over to show her passion and celebrate with her teammates. Nothing was going to stop Arico from making an impact on her team, something Raiti loves about her player.
“I really think it’s the tangible things,” Riati said, “Today is her first day back and the first time we saw her since her surgery. She met us here; she flew in with her mother, Kim, and it was truly a breath of fresh air. She’s a special kid.”
Not only is she a special player, but also a special teammate. Her ability to change a game without even being a part of it speaks for itself, but her playing ability stands out. Despite the setback of injury in her junior season, she is still heavily recruited by many colleges all around the nation and has been offered scholarships from Miami, Mississippi State, Clemson, and many more.
With still lots of season remaining, her team keeps its hopes high that its sharpshooter can get healthy enough to play. But whether she is able to suit up again or not this season, Arico is carving her own path and in a family legacy of basketball.
(Photo by Shane Baran/The Student)