BLOOMING PRAIRIE —Blooming Prairie junior Taylor Hagen still has two years left of high school basketball, but she already knows where she will be playing college basketball.

Blooming Prairie’s Taylor Hagen pulls down a rebound in the first half against Southland last season in Adams. Hagen has verbally committed to play basketball at Northern Iowa University. Herald file photo.

Hagen recently verbally committed to Division I University of Northern Iowa, where she will receive a full athletic scholarship.

Hagen had other offers, but she couldn’t pass up on UNI.

“I just loved the school. They just spent quite a bit of money remodeling their science program and that’s what I’m going into,” she said. “I love the coaches and everything just seemed like the right fit.”

Hagen, a 6-foot, 1-inch center, averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds for the Awesome Blossoms last season as they finished 17-9 overall. It is likely she will finish as BP’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Hagen said she will be able to relax this upcoming basketball season as the pressure to impress college coaches is now off.

“I was feeling a little stressed and now I’m just ready to go,” she said. “I have fun playing anyways, but now it’ll probably be more enjoyable.”

BP head girls basketball coach John Worke said that Hagen has put in a lot of work to get to where she is today.

“Taylor has an incredible knowledge of the game and she is the type of player that makes others around her better,” Worke said. “I am happy this dream has come true for her and her family.”

Hagen spent the summer playing AAU basketball in tournaments in North Carolina, Chicago and Iowa. It helped her get noticed by college coaches and it helped her improve her game.

“It was nice to see tougher competition,” Hagen said. “If you play in the twin cities every weekend, you see the same players every weekend. ”

As far as what she has to do to get ready for the next level, Hagen put it simply. She needs to get stronger.

“I’m going to have to start lifting some weights,” Hagen said.

The Panthers, who play in the Missouri Valley Conference, finished 17-17 overall last season.