Stanford, Baylor, Georgia lead Week in Review

Kailee Johnson of Portland, Ore., personal statement for cardiology fellowship sample leads a busy week in recruiting news.

By: Keil Moore and Chris Hansen

We’re closing out the month of September. As we head towards signing day it is to be expected that more and more members of the class of 2013 will make there college decisions. These commitments also provide us with perspective as we try to see where all of the chips of 2013 fall into place.

This week we saw some progress on that front as two Final Four participants from last season, Stanford and Baylor, picked up verbal commitments from top-200 players, while a number of names of note outside of the top 100 made choices as well. Here is the Week in Review for the last week of September.

One of the major storylines for the class of 2013 was the emergence of the three top 50 caliber prospects from the state of Oregon, a state not known for producing players of this level on the regular basis. With the No. 1 overall player in the class, Mercedes Russell of Springfield, Ore., pairing with high school teammates and Portland residents, Jordan Reynolds and Kailee Johnson, on the Team Concept summer team, Oregon was a hot bed for basketball for the class of 2013.

This week Johnson became the first of the Oregon trio to make a college decision. Johnson, who was literary analysis essay on two kinds largely considered a lock to stay on the West Coast, picked Stanford as her school of choice. The 6-foot-4 forward will give the Cardinal more size and depth in their frontcourt. Johnson has the ability to flourish in Stanford’s triangle offense with her diverse skill set and ability to stretch the floor and shoot the perimeter jumper.

This summer, class of 2013 forward Nina Davis of Memphis, Tenn., was one of the more consistent performers on the circuit. At 6-0, Davis was steady and productive throughout the month of July and her play captured the attention of a number of programs. Towards the end of the summer and into the early fall, Davis had narrowed her list to hometown Memphis, plus Vanderbilt, and Baylor. This week Davis picked defending national champion Baylor as her destination of choice. Davis will be apart of a young fresh crop of kids the Bears will take into the post-Brittney Griner era.

Around the Rim

No. 86 Sydnei McCaskill picks Georgia: The Dr. Phillips High School (Orlando, Fla.) senior gives the Bulldogs their third commitment in the 2013 class. The 5-6 lead guard, who played with Central Florida Elite, gives head coach Andy Landers the a player who can push the break, set up teammates or lead the team in scoring when needed. She also showed she can play legalization of cannabis research paper with other elite guard talent, playing along side 2014 standout Taryn Griffey, in both high school and travel ball.

Camille Calhoun to Virgina Commonwealth: Calhoun, a DMV-area prospect, is known for her physical play on both sides of the floor. She has the ability to score with her back to the basket and should be a double-digit rebounder throughout her career.

Brooksie McGraw to Alabama: The Crimson Tide adds the 6-3 Floridian post to their 2013 class. McGraw will give Alabama depth and athleticism along the frontline.

Brianna Lakes to Charleston Southern: The 6-0 forward Brianna Lakes of Cumming, Ga., is known for her defensive prowess and ability to rebound the ball. Lakes was a member of the successful Georgia Ice teams of years past, carving a niche for herself as a quality post defender with a developing offensive game.

Haley Smith to Colorado: Smith, a 6-0 swing player, had a dynamite spring and a solid summer with Tree of Hope. She is the Buffs first commit in the 2013 class and complements 2012 signees Jamee Swan and Lauren Huggins, giving CU length and versatility to use at the two through four positions.

Onome Jemerigbe to Santa Barbara: This 5-5 sparkplug point guard gives UCSB head coach Carlene Mitchell the athleticism in the backcourt she needs to push the Gauchos forward. write essays quickly And Jemerigbe, a three-star prospect, knows something about winning, playing for highly successful St. Mary’s High School (Stockton, Calif.) and with the Cal Sparks NorCal program coached by Michelle Massari. Her older sister, Afure, is a junior at Cal this season.

Marly Anderson picks EWU: At 6-3, Anderson gives Eastern Washington size in the middle. The two-star prospect showed she is strong in the paint and can finish through contact in her play with Team Concept.

Keil Moore is the Director of Scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report – a division of Peach State Basketball, Inc. He also is a contributor and national recruiting analyst for ESPN HoopGurlz. Moore has been involved in the community since 2007 as a recruiting analyst and trainer. He can be reached at [email protected].

Chris Hansen is the managing editor for Peach State Media. In addition to serving as a contributor to the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report, Hansen also covered girls’ basketball and women’s college basketball prospects nationally for ESPN.com. A graduate of the University of Washington with a communications degree, he has been involved in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a high school and club coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He is a member of the McDonald’s All-American team selection committee. He can be reached at [email protected]