IT has been a whirlwind past few years for former local, Abbey Sutherland, who is approaching her final US college basketball campaign with the Houston Baptist University (HBU).

The 22-year-old has been back in Australia for about two months and is enjoying her last weeks with friends and family before returning to Texas for the upcoming season

Sutherland told The Spectator her most recent season had been her best to date and was excited for what was to come.

“The last three years has been really good to build up,” she said.

“This year I got to play a lot more minutes than what I have been the year before because I was injured.

“It was just really good to put together a really consistent season and perform well for the team.”

The former centre/forward had a tough second campaign, soured by injury which reduced her court time significantly, but was excited to get back into the groove.

Consistency also improved as a result with a bigger role on the court a reward for her dedication and hard work to get her body right.

“I nearly played 40 minutes a game last year, so it was quite a lot, but obviously it is easier to enjoy it when you are playing more,” Sutherland said.

“It was much more enjoyable, we ended up winning the regular season for the first time in program history which was really exciting.

“It was just a really good season for the team and for myself.

“In general, I was just wanting to do what the team needed me to do, just stringing consistent games together, rather than just a couple of good games then going down.”

Playing two games a week along with study loads pushes the players to remain diligent, and with recovery and travel thrown in, it is quite the experience.

Sutherland, who anchors her game in defence, played an important role for the Huskies this year and with a strong support network around her, has taken her game to a new level.

“I think it is definitely improving, I think I am more of a defensive player and I was the pillar in our defence,” she said.

Set to conclude her psychology degree later this year, the former local is already looking ahead and will start her Masters degree after graduating in December with an eye to transferring her studies back home.

“There are obviously certain times of the year where you get a bit more homesick like birthdays and Christmas, but I have got a really good group of friends and teammates over there which makes it easier,” she said.

“I want to come back to Australia, so I have to figure out if I want to live here or if I want to take a bit of time off after I finish.”

With Sutherland approaching her last hurrah with HBU, she is hoping to continue the upward trajectory of her basketball, but to also enjoy the experience with her teammates after a mixed run with injury over the previous three seasons.

“For my last year, I just want to have fun,” she said.

“I am not sure what I want to do after college, so I just want to enjoy my last year with my teammates.

“Hopefully we can build on our season from last year because our team is pretty much the same.

“I would love to win our regular season again then the tournament so we can progress through to the NCAA tournament which would be awesome.

“Personally, I just want to build on my season last year and put more of a focus on my offensive end.”

With a few different options on her radar for once her college playing days conclude, Sutherland is unsure where exactly she will end up longer term.

After a four-year stint, the 22-year-old may choose to take time away from the sport for a while, but is keeping her options open.

“Obviously four years of college basketball is pretty intense, so I don’t know if I will want to give my body a rest or if I will want to play straight away,” she said.

“I am just going with the flow and a lot can happen in a year and who knows where I will be at.”

The former Monivae College student will return to the US next month and get straight into pre-season ahead of her final season with the Huskies in the hopes of pushing towards an inaugural NCAA appearance for the red, white and blue; a fitting end to her college stint in the United States.