Nov. 9, 2006
Check out the five newest Tigers' bios here!
Missouri head women's basketball coach Cindy Stein announced that five student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Tigers, beginning in the fall of 2007.
Danielle Adams of Lee's Summit, Mo., Heidi Brandenburg of Garland, Texas, Shakara Jones of St. Charles, Mo., Rebekah Mills of Towanda, Kan. and Jasmyn Otote of Duncanville, Texas signed their papers on the first days of the early signing period this week.
"I am thrilled about this class," Stein said. "It is a very strong recruiting class and all of them have the potential to play immediately. Obviously, this is a must due to having seven seniors this year, we will have some holes to fill."
Blue Star Basketball - the longest-running national college evaluation and college showcase organization in women's basketball - has already ranked this class third in the Big 12 Conference and 28th in the nation.
Adams is a 6-1 forward who has led Lee's Summit High School to the Missouri Class 5 state quarterfinals as a junior and the state title game as a sophomore. Last year she averaged 21.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as she earned her second-consecutive first-team All-State award by both the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association and the Missouri Sportswriters & Sportscasters.
"Danielle can do some many things and her uncanny ability to score from any position is amazing," Stein said. "She handles the ball well, can post up and has a great shooting touch. Her strength has been down low on posting up and has incredible power on the block. She will be a force for us in the years ahead."
Brandenburg stands 6-3 and recently led Lakeview Centennial High School to the area and bi-district championships. She was named the District 11-5A Newcomer of the Year after posting 12 points, 10 rebounds and two assists over her junior season. She was also the recipient of the Garland Independent School District Academic Excellence Award for the past two years.
"Heidi is a tremendous athlete with so much potential," Stein said. "She has good hands, runs the floor exceptionally and has great court sense. Heidi is a good shooter from the perimeter and also down on the block. She is a strong defender and passes the ball extremely well for her size."
Arguably the best player in the state of Missouri, Jones is a 6-2 forward who scored 25.5 points per game on 64 percent shooting as a junior. She eclipsed the 30-point plateau seven times and was held below 15 just once. Jones, whose father, Ron, played at Mizzou from 1980-84, has been a three-time first-team All-State honoree by the MBCA and was an honorable mention Street & Smith's All-America selection last year.
"Shakara is an extremely talented young lady that can do it all," stated Stein. "She brings versatility, energy and talent to our program. She has the ability to play on the perimeter or under the basket. Her strength is her ability to create her own shot, dominate the boards and run the floor."
Mills is a 5-9 guard who has earned two second-team All-State honors at Circle High School. She averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.3 steals her junior year as the Thunderbirds won their third-consecutive AVCTL Division 4 title. She was also named to the All-State All Class team and is a Wendy's High School Heisman nominee.
"Bekah brings great leadership, court awareness, and basketball savvy (to the program)," Stein said. "She is a tremendous passer and ballhandler who is going to always hit the open shot. She can create so much for her teammates. She has a great three-point shot and can push the ball up the floor quickly to ignite the break. We look forward to her maturity and leadership as a future Tiger."
Otote is a 5-9 guard who is coming off an All-State junior year in which she posted 10.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest at the Texas-girls power Duncanville High School. She is a three-time Academic All-District selection who has led the Pantherettes to a 98-18 record in her career and a state runner-up finish as a freshman.
"Jazz is a very exciting player and a very talented guard that can do it all," according to Stein. "She is a three-point threat, can take it to the basket and create her own opportunities. Jazz plays for one of the best schools in Texas and that experience will pay dividends for us. She has big game experience and can get out and defend someone."