The defending national champion Tennessee Lady Vols continue to build their 2008 signing class. Five players have now pledge to sign with head coach Pat Summitt in November's early signed period.
The latest Alyssia Brewer, a 6'3" player versatile enough to play both inside and outside. Brewer, a senior at Sapulpa High School, jus tout side of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has career averages of 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. Brewer's stock has risen steadily throughout her high school career due to athleticism and size coupled with the ability to slash to the basket from the perimeter.
Brewer is rated as the 20th-best prospect in this year's class by HoopGurlz.com.
Brewer joins previous commitments Amber Gray [6'1" wing - West Chester, Ohio], Shekina Stricklin [6'2" wing - Morriton, Arkansas], Alicia Manning [6'1" wing - Woodstock, Georgia] and Brianna Bass [5'2" point guard - Indianapolis, Indiana]. According to HoopGurlz.com, Gray is the nation's 4th best prospect, Stricklin 9th and Manning 11th.
Even though the Lady Vols have five pledged for their 2008 class, the recruiting work is far from over. Coach Summitt is still in pursuit of two of the top three players in the country.
Glory Johnson, a 6'3" forward from Webb School in Knoxville is rated as the #3 player in the nation. Johnson led the Spartans to the Divison II state championship last season and is athletic enough to win seven state track championships.
Johnson has been considering five schools - Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Duke, although recent reports indicate that the Lady Vols and Tar Heels are the two finalists.
Also on the board is the nation's top ranked player. Elana Delle Donne, a 6'4" wing, from Wilmington, Delaware, has long been thought to eventually choose between Connecticut and Tennessee.
However, her status is somewhat mysterious following her late spring decision to forego any other discussion about recruiting and to take the summer off from basketball.
With that decision, she bypassed a spot on the USA's under-19 team that went to Slovakia and claimed the world championship. UConn fans were hopeful of seeing Delle Donne on the court with Huskie commitment Maya Moore. Some even felt the two already new they would be playing together in college. UConn pushed for a commitment in late spring before Delle Donne decided to get away in hopes of easing some of the pressure.
Now, sources close to the prized recruit say that Tennessee and Connecticut may not even be on the top of the list. Delle Donne's brother plays football at Middle Tennessee State and Villanova, is much closer to home where she is very close to a younger sister that has cerebral palsey and is autistic.
There is not set timetable by either Johnson or Delle Donne on when their college decisions will be made.
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