Women's Hoops Signs Five to NLIsNov. 11, 2009
NORMAN, Okla. -- OU women’s head basketball coach Sherri Coale announced today the Class of 2010 high school seniors that will join her program next season. Guards Aaryn Ellenberg (Las Vegas, Nev.), Morgan Hook (Lowell, Ark.) and Alexann Yancey (Dallas, Texas) and posts Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Jacqueline Jeffcoat (Dallas, Texas) signed National Letters of Intent with the University of Oklahoma Wednesday. Oklahoma's recruiting class was ranked sixth best in the country by Blue Star Report and 17th by ESPN HoopGurlz. Ellenberg, a 5-foot-7 point guard from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, was rated a consensus top 50 player. The No. 6 point guard by Blue Star Report, Ellenberg averaged 18 points, four rebounds and three assists and steals in her junior season. The three-time all-state selection has similar stature to current OU junior Danielle Robinson as well as a similar game. “I can’t wait for our fans to see this little guard in action,” Coale said. “Aaryn is a lightning quick athlete who is an explosive scorer. She can break down defenders off the dribble and get to the rim in a blink of the eye, but ironically, her 3-point shot has made her famous. “If she commits to defending, she could also become a ball handler’s worst nightmare. She is just a gifted, gifted athlete.” Ellenberg, a varsity member since her freshman year, led Gorman to the state championship game three straight times, winning twice. At 6-6, Griffin will become the tallest player to wear a Sooner uniform when she dons the Crimson and Cream in 2010. As a junior, she averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks. Rated to No. 10 center by ESPN Hoopgurlz, Griffin is no stranger to winning having led Vincent High School to three straight state titles and her AAU team, Team Wisconsin Select, to a National Junior Olympic Championship. “Nicole is a three-time state champion, who is working on number four,” Coale said. “At 6-foot-6 she obviously gives us something we don’t have. Her length enables her to affect a lot of shots around the rim and makes her a constant threat on offense, but she has a complete skill set as well. She’s a good passer and a solid perimeter shooter. “I expect her to develop quickly and add another element to the versatility of our post group.” Hook , a 5-10 shooting guard, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas last season and led Rogers (Ark.) High School to its first state semifinals in 25 years. Hook averaged 18 points as a junior while shooting over 50 percent from the field, including a 44-percent mark from 3-point range. “Morgan is a perfect fit for our program,” Coale said. “She combines a versatile skill set with an outstanding basketball IQ and a relentless work ethic. She plays for a fantastic high school coach, and therefore is as well prepared as she can possibly be to make the transition to Division I basketball. “She’s flown under the radar of national rankings because she has not played summer basketball on an all-star team, but Morgan Hook is one of the best guards in the country. She makes it look easy. She’s an excellent passer, a pure shooter, and a serious student of the game. And she’s a winner. She just finds a way to get it done.” Rated No. 46 overall on the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, Hook owns Rogers’ single-season records for scoring (517), field goals made (195) and assists (141) and is just 65 points and 33 assists shy of career records. Her high school jersey hangs in the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame’s Ring of Honor exhibit. Jeffcoat, a 6-3 post, hails from Plano West High School where she led her team, averaging 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds. Rated the No. 4 center and 41st overall by ESPN HoopGurlz, Jeffcoat has demonstrated the ability to play both the power forward and center positions in college. Jacqueline is the daughter of former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Jim Jeffcoat. “Jacqueline comes from an obvious athletic lineage,” Coale said, “and as a high school senior she has barely begun to scratch the surface of her potential. She will be a great compliment to our cadre of posts as she is rangy and explosive. “What sold me on Jac, though, was her attention at our summer camp and her desire to learn and improve. She is absolutely starving to soak up knowledge of this game.” Yancey, a 5-8 shooting guard, was a teammate of Jeffcoat at Plano West and the District 8-5A Offensive Player of the Year. Also a member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ All-Region team and an all-state selection by Texas Basketball Magazine, Yancey was rated No. 159 overall by Blue Star Report. “Alexann is a relentless worker,” Coale said. “She is the product of Sooner parents and her passion, not just for basketball but for this University, is undeniable. She is a tough, hard-nosed guard who only knows one way to play—full out. She’s fast and spunky and she will run through a wall if you ask her to. She will make us better.” Alexann is the daughter of Mark and Sherri Yancey, who both graduated from the University of Oklahoma.
  
 |
|
