The Scout/Full Court Press Class of 2006 top 50 prospects have all committed, save two. Jasmine Duffy, the number 29 ranked player, has her final four of Auburn, Georgia, Louisville and Maryland. The 6-7 post may not sign this week, giving her until the late signing period this April to decide.
La’Teena Wickett is close to deciding and could sign in the early period as well. The 6-3 forward from Oakland CA,has Pepperdine in the lead with Georgia Tech, LSU and Miami FL still in the running.
Amanda Thompson, a Scout/Full Court Press All-American for the 2006 class, has decided on Oklahoma ,where she will join Ashley and Courtney Paris to form perhaps the most promising young frontcourt in the nation next year. Sharpshooter Allison Hightower, the number 15 ranked player in the class chose LSU and is expected to sign soon.
Out west Stanford got a commitment from Utah star Michelle Harrison, the number 31 overall prospect, who joins Jayne Appel, JJ Hones and Melanie Murphy in a very strong class for the Cardinal.
Official signings have not been announced yet for many schools since players have until Nov. 16 to send in their NLIs -- nonetheless, Purdue, USC, Stanford, Duke and Rutgershave a great group of kids primed to sign this week. Baylor’s impressive class, led by Latara Darrett and Whitney Jones, was officially announced Wednesday.
UConn has already nabbedTina Charles, an athletic and skilled power forward from Christ the King HS in Middle Village N.Y., who tops the Scout/Full Court Press Class of 2006 top 50 prospect list.
‘Tina Charles is about power and explosiveness,’ said FCP writer Chris Hansen, a coach, trainer, scout and evaluator in the Pacific Northwest. ’She doesn't really have a polished left hand but with her athleticism, size and energy she does pretty much what she wants at the high school level. With all the physical things on her side, with the coaching at UConn you have a combination for a future WNBA star.’
But Charles is not alone. ‘The Class of 2006 is incredibly talented and athletic,’ said FCP contributor Nancy Pfaff, a New England-based writer and adminstrator of the Boneyard. ‘The guards, especially, seem to be a lot bigger, and the trend for taller, more athletic guards will probably continue into the future.’
Jacki Gemelos (St. Mary’s HS, Stockton, Calif.), Brittainey Raven (North Crowley HS, Fort Worth, Texas), Amber Harris (North Central HS, Indianapolis) and Jayne Appel (Carondelet HS, Concord, Calif.) round the top five, as selected by a quartet of Scout.com experts.
Gemelos is proof, as she’s a 5-11 shooting guard with point guard potential. She has committed to USC after reneging on an earlier commitment to UConn.
Raven, another big guard at 6-0, had a tremendous summer and has committed to Texas.
Harris, a tremendous talent at 6-6, could easily wind up as the best player in the class, as there is nothing she can’t do on the court. Harris's speed and athleticism are amazing for someone 6-6, and she has committed to Purdue.
‘If she were 6-0, you'd still say she was athletic and strong, but she's half a foot taller,’ said Hansen, who has coached for several Puget Sound area high schools, in the club basketball circuit as well and recently joined the staff at Puget Sound Christian College. ’Her body control is actually what impresses me most -- being big and fast is one thing but being able to control yourself doing it is something completely different, and in the women's game, there is nobody like Harris, even in the WNBA..’
Appel, a 6-4 post who says she will go to Stanford, was the top center in a relatively thin crop.
Jessica Breland (Bertie HS, Windsor, N.C.) is a long and athletic power forward who will fit right in at North Carolina, where she has committed.
The last three members of the top ten -- Monica Wright (Forest Park HS, Woodbridge VA), Dymond Simon (St. Mary’s HS, Phoenix) and Jordan Murphree (Brock HS, Brock TX) -- are all guards. Wright has committed to Virginia and Simon to Arizona State wjile Murphree has signed with Texas Tech.
‘Dymond Simon is by far the most exciting offensive player in the class,’ said Hansen. ’She's so good at creating space she makes the othe team look bad defensively. The knock on her is her size and her jumper but she is such a tough competitor and a great athlete that the criticisms may be a bit of a stretch.’
Wright, at 5-11, could play the two or three in college. ‘She's so strong and powerful at the high school level that the transition to the collegiate level could be easier for her, at least in terms of dealing with the stronger players,’ said Hansen. ‘She is a capable shooter, a very good defender and with her athleticism and body control she should be able to improve in most facists of the game.and has a superb all-around game.’
‘The Top 10 shows how much high school girls'
basketball has grown, as every area of the country has
a representative,’ said Pfaff. ‘Talented players have a chance to be
seen, no matter where they live, and that can only
help improve the game overall.’
1. Tina Charles (Christ The King Regional HS), Middle Village NY, 6-3 F. Committed to Connecticut.
2. Jacki Gemelos (St. Mary’s HS), Stockton CA, 5-11 G. Committed to USC.
3. Brittainey Raven (North Crowley HS) Fort Worth TX, 6-0 G. Committed to Texas.
4. Amber Harris (North Central HS), Indianapolis, IN, 6-6 F. Committed to Purdue.
5. Jayne Appel (Carondelet HS) Concord CA, 6-4 C. Committed to Stanford.
6. Jessica Breland (Bertie HS) Windsor NC, 6-3 F. Committed to North Carolina.
7. Amanda Thompson (Whitney Young HS) Chicago IL, 6-0 G. Committed to Oklahoma,
8. Monica Wright (Forest Park HS) Woodbridge VA, 5-11 G. Committed to Virginia,
9. Dymond Simon (Saint Mary's HS) Phoenix AZ, 5-5 PG. Committed to Arizona State,
10. Jordan Murphree (Brock HS) Weatherford TX, 5-11 G. Signed with Texas Tech.
11. Ashley Houts (Dade County HS) Trenton GA, 5-6 PG. Committed to Georgia.
12. Bridgette Mitchell (The Peddie School) Hightstown NJ, 6-0 G. Committed to Duke,
13. Epiphanny Prince (Murray Bergtraum HS) New York NY, 5-7 G. Committed to Rutgers.
14. Selena Nwude (Eleanor Roosevelt HS) Greenbelt MD, 6-4 C. Committed to Pittsburgh.
15. Allison Hightower (Seguin HS) Arlington TX, 5-10 G. Committed to LSU.
16. Cait McMahan (Heritage HS) Maryville TN, 5-6 PG. Committed to Tennessee,
17. Latara Darrett (IMG Academy) Bradenton FL, 5-10 G. Signed with Baylor.
18. Nikitta Gartrell (Mays HS) Atlanta GA, 5-9 G. Committed to N.C. State
19. Morghan Medlock (Narbonne HS) Harbor City CA, 6-0 F. Committed to USC.
20. Joy Cheek (South Mecklenburg HS) Charlotte NC, 6-1 F. Committed to Duke.
21. Dee Dee Jernigan (East Chicago Central HS) East Chicago IN, 5-11 F. Committed to Purdue.
22. Myia McCurdy (Winton Woods HS) Cincinnati OH, 6-1 G. Committed to Rutgers.
23. Mekia Valentine (Greensboro Day HS) Greensboro NC, 6-3 F. Committed to Wake Forest.
24. Ashley Barlow (Pike HS) Indianapolis IN, 5-8 G. Committed to Notre Dame.
25. Amber Norton (Assumption HS), Louisville KY, 6-1 F. Committed to Vanderbilt.
26. Arnika Brown (Christian County Alternative School) Hopkinsville KY, 6-2 F. Committed to Kentucky.
27. Whitney Jones (West Monroe HS) West Monroe LA, 5-6 G. Signed with Baylor.
28. Jasmine Stone (King HS) Detroit MI, 6-3 F. DePaul, Louisville, Temple. Committed to Temple.
29. Jasmine Duffy (Jonesboro HS) Jonesboro GA, 6-7 C. Undecided.
30. Ayla Brown (Noble & Greenough School) Dedham MA, 6-0 G. Committed to Boston College,
31. Michelle Harrison (Mountain View HS) Orem UT, 6-3 G. Committed to Stanford.
32. Aarika Hughes (Southridge HS) Beaverton OR, 6-2 G. Committed to USC.
33. Necole Evans (Springfield Central HS) Springfield MA, 6-0.5 G. Committed to Seton Hall.
34. Tyra Grant (Ursuline HS) Youngstown OH, 5-11 G. Committed to Penn State.
35. Hailey Dunham (Windward School) Los Angeles CA, 6-1 F. Committed to USC.
36. J.J. Hones (Southridge HS) Beaverton OR, 5-10 PG. Committed to Stanford.
37. Andrea Walker (West Allegheny SHS) Imperial PA, 6-5 C. Committed to Ohio State.
38. Heather Bowman (Lewis And Clark HS) Spokane WA, 6-1G, Committed to Gonzaga.
39. Danielle Wilson (St. John Baptist Diocesan) West Islip NY, 6-2. Signed with Baylor.
40. Christy Marshall (Beach HS) Savannah GA, 6-0 G. Committed to Georgia.
41. Nicole Michael (Notre Dame Academy) Worcester MA, 6-2 G. Committed to Syracuse.
42. Brittany Ray (Aquinas HS) Bronx NY, 5-9 G. Committed to Rutgers.
43. Julie Futch (Auburn Riverside HS), Auburn WA, 5-8 G. Committed to Oregon State.
44. Rashidat Junaid (Camden Catholic HS) Cherry Hill NJ, 6-4 C. Committed to Rutgers
45. La’Teena Wickett (Castlemont HS) Oakland CA, 6-3 C. Undecided.
46. Kaili McLaren (Our Lady Good Counsel HS) Wheaton MD, 6-2 C. Committed to Connecticut,
47. Sharnise Beal (New Britain HS) New Britain NJ, 5-9 G. Committed to North Carolina State.
48. Shani Grey (Windsor HS) Windsor CT, 5-9 G. Committed to Virginia Tech.
49. Leslie Mason-Cox (Winton Woods HS) Cincinnati OH, 6-2 F. Committed to Ohio State.
50. Vionca Murray (Francis Lewis HS) Flushing NY, 6-1 F. Committed to Virginia Tech.