PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
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The best way for new Purdue coach Sharon Versyp to recover from the knee-buckling decommitments this spring of two HoopGurlz top 20 prospects from the 2006 class,
Amber Harris and Dee Dee Jernigan, was to hold onto the commitment of one of the top prizes of the 2007 class, Ta'Shia Phillips.
Phillips, the 6-foot-6 post out of Indianapolis, has made that situation difficult to read, however, as she has steadfastly refused to clarify rumors that she has re-opened her
recruitment, including making a visit to Baylor.
So Versyp and the Lady Boilermakers staff have attacked the problem the second-best way, as they endeavor to build Phillips a solid supporting cast. Step one was a big one -
gaining a commitment from one of the shooting stars of the '09 class, Brittany Rayburn of Attica, Ind. They went West for step two, gaining a commitment this past week from
one of California's top shooting point guards, Michelle Clark of Westlake Village, Calif.
A grand third step might be snagging Jence Rhoads, the Slippery Rock, Pa., point guard who had a breakout summer and whose game we at HoopGurlz.com have equated that
of Sue Bird, WNBA all-star and former UConn star. Rhoads is not a done deal, but she has scheduled an official visit in West Lafayette, Ind., for next month. Clark also will be
making an official visit at the time, but needed only an Aug. 23 unofficial visit to accept Versyp's scholarship offer.
“From the first time we spoke I knew that she had the same passion for the game that I do, and I want to be coached in college by someone that can help me become the best
player inside me," Clark said of Versyp. “I also like that she played point guard when she was at Purdue.”
Clark, who'd also considered Colorado, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Pepperdine, San Diego State and TCU, also cited Purdue's fan support, which led to attendance that ranked
fifth nationally.
A Division IVA CIF Player of the Year as a junior, Clark averaged 17.3 points for Oaks Christian High School. She can be a devastating shooter from behind the stripe -
sometimes from several feet behind - on either catch-and-shoot opportunities or off the dribble. At 5-8, she also is an improving penetrator who can finish and is learning to
read defenses to create passing lanes for teammates.
While Clark is a combo guard, Rhoads is a pure point and, at 5-11, has good size for the position.
Ohio Players Make Noise
Liz Repella |
We revealed the development of Jantel Lavender adding North Carolina to her list earlier in the week and the news from Ohio keeps rolling in. Two of Lavender's All Ohio Black
teammates from this summer committed this week. Elizabeth Repella from Steubenville, Ohio, verbally committed to West Virginia this week while Crystal Murdaugh of Dublin,
Ohio, committed to Xavier.
Repella, a 5-10 guard brings great strength and energy to West Virginia. She's a kid you never have to worry about coming to play. She plays hard every play and most of her
mistakes on the court are from being too aggressive, which is something most coaches would gladly take. She has the ability to knock down jumpers out to three-point line
and she's at her best attacking the basket from the perimeter. Her strength was described by her club team coach J.B. Bethea as "strong as an ox". Her strength helps her in
attacking the basket and having the ability to take contact and still finish. It also is a big factor in her defensive presense as she is able to body up most guards and control
them defensively.
Murdaugh is also a very good athlete who is physically stronger than most high school forwards. She has a great repetoire of moves to score the basketball. From a
turnaround jumper to crafty moves in the lane she always keeps her balance and gets her shots off. Consistency with finishing could be improved some but she also gets shots
off many high school forwards her size can't. She has great lift and strength both in her upper and lower body. Like Repella she also is a workhorse on both ends of the floor.
Rim Shots
Two of California's top prospects, Vicki Baugh and Danielle Robinson, are being heavily recruited by teams from across the country. Both definitely are among the very top
prospects the country and will be taking in a football game at the Cal-Berkeley campus next month. While not exactly an official unofficial visit, it does indicate that Cal is still in
the game for the both of them. A source recently told HoopGurlz that Robinson, the rocket-powered guard from San Jose, California, is leaning toward Cal, Oklahoma and
USC. She has scheduled official visits with all three. Baugh, on the other hand, has scheduled a late September visit to Tennessee and there has been rampant speculation that
the versatile, 6-4 wing is headed for Knoxville. ... ... Chelsea Buher, a 6-1 wing from Lawrenceville, Ill., verballed to the University of Illinois. Buher, who averaged 21.7 points
and 9.5 rebounds during her junior season, chose Illinois over Northwestern, Illinois State, Indiana State, Memphis, Evansville, Eastern Illinois, Ball State, Oregon State and
Hawaii. ... Kristen Daugherty of River View High School in Warsaw, Ohio, has committed to Dayton. ... Brooke Shepherd of Virginia High School in Bristol, Va., has committed
to Alabama Birmingham. The 6-foot wing averaged 18 points during her junior season and also received offers from Wake Forest, West Virgina and Virginia Tech. "The coaches are great," Shepherd said of her decision. "A lot of coaches called and several offered but UAB just feels right." She noted that the UAB staff has been recruiting her since they were at Virginia. "That shows commitment," she said. ... Cosima Higham, a high-intensity 6-footer from Brooklyn, N.Y., has received offers from Bucknell and Lafayette and will visit both next month.
Glenn Nelson is the publisher of HoopGurlz.com and the editor-in-chief of Scout Media (www.Scout.com), an online sports network and magazine-publishing company and subsidiary of Fox Interactive Media. Glenn also founded and coached
the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girls basketball teams. He previously was a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle
Times. His work also has appeared in several national magazines and books. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). He
can be reached at hoopgurlz@comcast.net.
Chris Hansen is the National Director of Scouting for Women's Basketball at HoopGurlz.com and Scout.com. Chris leads the panel that evaluates and ranks girl's basketball
prospects nationally for HoopGurlz, Scout.com and Full Court Press (www.FullCourt.com). Chris has been involved
in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He can be reached at chansen@scout.com.
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