Winners and losers from national signing week
The early signing period of national signing week in women’s basketball has come to a close.
Oregon started and finished signing week atop the class rankings by landing five top-33 prospects. UConn officially landed the No. 1 prospect in Paige Bueckers and, in the process, the No. 2 class.
Baylor and Syracuse also won big by each landing two top-11 prospects, with No. 7 Sarah Andrews and No. 9 Hannah Gusters headed to Waco and No. 5 Kamilla Cardoso and No. 11 Priscilla Williams on their way to join the Orange.
But those schools were not the only ones who won big during signing week. Here is a list of schools that hit the jackpot and some that missed out on improving their class.
Louisville climbed into the top five of the class rankings with a late commit, No. 8 prospect Hailey Van Lith, a silky-smooth lefty guard. The Cardinals also signed No. 18 Olivia Cochran, a gold medalist with Team USA’s U18 3-on-3 team in the FIBA World Cup in 2018 and a physical dominator in the block. They also landed three-star guard Merissah Russell and top junior college guard Ahlana Smith, who transferred from UCLA to juco powerhouse Gulf Coast State and could contribute right away at Louisville next season.
The Irish solidified themselves as the No. 3 recruiting class. Not only did they enter signing week with a group of four top-50 commits, but they also added Amirah Abdur-Rahim, the sister of former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Once a top-60 prospect, Amirah Abdur-Rahim suffered a knee injury her junior season just when she was turning the corner in her development, but she still has vast potential. She joins a Notre Dame class that also features No. 23 Madeline Westbeld, No. 25 Allison Campbell, No. 32 Natalija Marshall and No. 44 Alasia Hayes.
Rutgers is one of the biggest surprises in the recruiting class rankings for 2020. Legendary coach C. Vivian Stringer, who stepped away from the game to take time off and refresh, left the team to associate head coach Tim Eatman. The Scarlet Knights landed five prospects, notably No. 6-ranked Diamond Johnson, an agile guard with a scorer’s mentality, and top-65 prospects in Chyna Cornwell and Sakima Walker, both frontcourt players with size, mobility and a shot-blocking presence. The Scarlet Knights also landed three-star guard Elizabeth Martino from Maryland and three-star wing Erica Lafayette from Louisiana.
Ole Miss finds itself with the top recruiting class in the SEC, which is quite a turnaround from where the Rebels were a few years ago. No. 13 prospect Madison Scott, a perimeter player who is also active on the glass, was the Rebels’ impact signee. With her and Jacorriah Bracey, the No. 48 player in the Class of 2020, Ole Miss has two top-100 prospects in this recruiting cycle. Ole Miss also signed three-star guard Silentianna Collins and three-star wing Caitlin McGee. A year ago, the Rebels were No. 10 among SEC teams. As of now, they have the No. 13 class overall.
Last year, Dawn Staley brought in the No. 1 recruiting class, signing four top-11 prospects: Aliyah Boston (No. 3), Zia Cooke (No. 4), Laeticia Amihere (No. 10) and Breanna Beal (No. 11). This year, South Carolina has landed just one player — No. 43 prospect Eniya Russell — in the 2020 class for now. Although the 5-foot-10 Russell gives the Gamecocks a creative guard with versatility on the perimeter, South Carolina’s effort to land Diamond Johnson fell short. Perhaps the Gamecocks look to the transfer portal.
Tennessee signed two players for 2020: No. 59 Destiny Salary, a 5-11 guard who is active off the glass, and three-star guard Tess Darby. The Lady Vols, in their first season under head coach Kellie Harper, probably would have wanted to get more, but this is a start. Darby, who grew up in Greenfield, Tennessee, will realize her dream of playing in Knoxville. She can shoot and gives Tennessee an athletic guard with size.
Mississippi State did pretty well in landing two top-100 prospects, No. 29 Madison Hayes and No. 95 DeYona’ Gaston, but lost out on two top-10 prospects, Kamilla Cardoso to Syracuse and Diamond Johnson to Rutgers. Still, the class is not a total loss. Hayes is a versatile playmaker who is similar to former Bulldog Dominique Dillingham. Gaston, once a dominant player who flirted as the nation’s top prospect as an eighth-grader, has the tools and the coach who can make the most of her potential.