In the driveway of her family home in Hawaii Kai is a basketball rim that has sat idle in 2014.

Before Kylie Maeda went to college at Brigham Young, the rim wouldn’t go a week without a steady diet of shots put up on it by the 2012 Iolani alumna.

With the help of her father, Lance, and two brothers and sisters who were heavily into sports, Maeda honed her craft in that driveway, developing a jump shot that BYU coach Jeff Judkins took note of during Maeda’s senior season of high school.

The countless hours putting up shot after shot opened the door for her to realize one of her childhood dreams.

"I give coach (Judkins) all of the credit because I wasn’t really highly recruited (by) Division I schools, but he has always seen something in me since he first saw me play," the BYU sophomore guard said on Tuesday. "It’s always been a dream of mine to play Division I and he gave me that opportunity."

An opportunity is all it was. What has happened since is solely because of the work Maeda has put into it.

After appearing in 28 games as a freshman, Maeda won the starting point guard job before the season for the Cougars, who had made the NCAA tournament only once in the past six seasons.

That changed this year as the Cougars not only received an at-large bid, but became just the third No. 12 seed in the history of the women’s tournament to advance to the Sweet 16 after upset wins over No. 5 seed N.C. State on Saturday and No. 4 seed Nebraska on Monday.

Maeda, who averages fewer than four shot attempts a game, tied a career high with 14 points in the win over the Wolf Pack, shooting 5-for-6 from the field.

In an 80-76 win over the Cornhuskers, Maeda nailed all three of her 3-point attempts and had nine points, four assists and three rebounds.

It was just like she imagined it’d be growing up draining shots in her driveway.

"It’s such a humbling experience," Maeda said. "I always dreamed about it and I would watch March Madness growing up but never would I have ever thought I would be a part of it.

"To have all of my family at both of our games this past weekend and see them in the stands, it’s something I never, ever thought I would get to experience."

It only gets crazier for Maeda as she’ll line up opposite the most dominant women’s basketball program of the past decade on Saturday when the Cougars face No. 1 seed Connecticut.

The Huskies, who won it all last season, have advanced to six consecutive final fours and have won seven of the past 14 national titles.

They are 36-0 this year.

"It’s surreal because I remember in high school watching them play and they’re at another level with the coaching and the athletes that they have," Maeda said. "I think we match up well with them and if we all play how we know we can, then we can give them a good run for their money."

After playing in Los Angeles on Saturday and Monday, the team has just three days back on campus before heading to Lincoln, Neb., for Saturday’s game.

The Cougars (28-6) will play their 35th game since November and will make their 11th road trip of the season.

Everything will return to normal next month when the semester ends and Maeda visits home for the first time since before the season.

She said she plans to take a small break from basketball, but it won’t be long before the rhythmic dribble of a basketball pounds the pavement in front of her house.

Like she always has, Maeda will find her favorite spots on the driveway and put up a few shots.

The surroundings will be the same and her father will once again be right underneath the basketball grabbing every rebound.

The only difference between now and before will be fewer clanks off the rim and a lot more swishes.