RECRUITING : Forward becomes latest commitment to UA women
Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/224050/
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Lady Razorbacks Coach Tom Collen continues to add pieces to the puzzle for his basketball team.
Southwest Tennessee Community College power forward Starkitsha Luellen, 6-0, orally committed to Arkansas while on an official visit this weekend. Luellen averaged 13. 7 points and 12. 3 rebounds a game this past season and was named player of the year in her conference and an honorable mention All-American.
Luellen will sign with Arkansas early in the week when she returns home from her official visit.
Collen signed five players in November and East Kentwood (Mich. ) forward Quistelle Williams, 6-0, this past week. Williams visited Arkansas early in the season and almost signed in November but chose to wait.
Luellen chose Arkansas over Southern Miss and Tulsa.
“I’m looking for a nice program with a nice campus and a place where I can fit in,” Luellen said. “I feel I can score, but my strength is my rebounding. I can score when needed, but I love to rebound.”
Arkansas also is expected to sign Australian Cara Angel, 5-11, who can play shooting guard, point guard or small forward. Angel orally committed to Arkansas last week and is reportedly sending her letter of intent to Arkansas.
Arkansas also is hosting Chipola (Fla. ) College center Ashley Mc-Cray, 6-3, this weekend. McCray, who signed with South Florida out of high school but failed to qualify academically, averaged 12. 7 points and 5. 2 rebounds a game this past season. McCray is scheduled to visit Virginia Commonwealth and possibly others before making her decision.
Arkansas is recruiting Afeisha Noel, a 6-4 center from Weatherford (Texas ) College, as well.
Arkansas is hoping to add nine new signees to the six returning players from Collen’s first team. The NCAA allows women’s teams to have 15 scholarship players, but Arkansas played much of last season with only 10 players after an injury to Lauren Ervin sustained in the SEC opener.
The five early signees have seen their stock soar since signing with the Lady Razorbacks. The class was rated No. 25 in the nation and No. 3 in the SEC behind Tennessee and LSU by the All-Star Girls Report.
The early signees included Fairdale (Ky. ) point guard Ceira Ricketts, 5-9; Hoover (Ala. ) shooting guard Lyndsay Harris, 5-9; Coldwater (Miss. ) center Ashley Daniels, 6-2; Carlisle point guard Julie Inman, 5-8, and San Diego La Jolla forward Jamesha Townsend, 6-2.
Ricketts put on a show during the Kentucky-Ohio All-Star game, scoring 23 points and earning MVP honors while leading Kentucky to victory. Ricketts also will play for the Kentucky team that will play a two-game series against the Indiana All-Star team.
Harris was named MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game. She also led her team to a title at the Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith in December, earning MVP honors there as well.
Daniels was a member of the Mississippi All-Star team that faced Alabama and Harris. As a senior, Daniels helped lead her team to a 35-1 record while averaging 19. 8 points and 8. 7 rebounds.
Inman has helped lead Carlisle to consecutive state championships, earning MVP honors in the past two Class AA state tournaments. She will play in the East-West All-Star game June 19 in Bud Walton Arena.
Townsend transferred high schools as a senior and was ruled ineligible. She does have strong ties to the state, with both her parents originally from Eudora. Townsend had close to 100 scholarship offers after her junior season.