Women's Basketball Announces Nationally-Ranked Recruiting Class
11/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Columbia, Mo. -Mizzou Women's Basketball and Head Coach Robin Pingeton are excited to announce the addition of three Tigers to the Women's Basketball family for the 2015-16 season. Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla.), Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) and Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) have signed letters of intent to join the Tigers next season, making up a recruiting class ranked at No. 24 in the nation by Blue Star Report. Prospect Nation ranks the Tigers' incoming class as No. 17 in the nation as well. That number stands as the third-highest for an SEC recruiting class this year.
"To say we are excited about Sophie, Cierra, and Hannah is an understatement," Pingeton said of the three signees. "Our program got better today. They are all three capable of coming in an making an immediate impact in our program and I believe they will. Sophie and Cierra are probably the highest ranked players we have signed in the history of our program. Hannah is a player we got on late but was being recruited by South Carolina, Rutgers, and Northwestern. These three can play and are going to bring great skill and toughness to our program. "
Sophie Cunningham // 6-1 // Guard // Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge High School)
Ranked as the No. 14 recruit in the country by Blue Star Report and No. 20 by ESPN HoopGurlz, Cunningham will join her older sister, Lindsey, as a Mizzou Tiger next season. A Columbia, Mo., native and Rock Bridge High School standout, Cunningham was named the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year and is a three-time All-State First Team honoree. She has been named All-District three times in her high school career, and was recognized as the Class 5A Player of the Year last season. Cunningham has led Rock Bridge to three Missouri State Championships as the team's leading scorer. She earned the opportunity to serve as an alternate for the 2014 Women's USA Basketball U18 team as well. An all-around athlete, Cunningham also plays volleyball, runs track and is currently on Rock Bridge's football team.
"I chose Mizzou because this is my hometown," Cunningham said. "I wanted to be a part of the rebuilding of the program as well as play on the same team as my sister."
Cuningham chose Mizzou over Lousiville, Kansas and Florida. She has strong family ties to Mizzou as her mother, father, aunt, uncle and grandfather also played sports here for the Tigers. In her spare time, Cunningham volunteers for the Central Missouri Food Bank in Columbia, and she is a member of FCA and FFA as well as the Rock Bridge Student Council.
Cierra Porter // 6-4 // Forward // Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge High School)
Columbia, Mo., native Cierra Porter will also join her sister, as well as her father, in the Mizzou Women's Basketball family next season. Porter also comes to Mizzou from Rock Bridge High School where she helped lead the team to three Missouri State Championships. Porter is ranked as the No. 37 recruit in the country by All Star Girls Report and No. 42 in the nation by Blue Star Report, and she is a two-time MBCA All-State honoree. She was named to the 2014 USA Today All-Missouri Second Team as well as the Class 5 All-State First Team. The Associated Press named her to the All-State First Team in 2014 and Second Team in 2013. Porter averaged more than nine points and almost eight rebounds per game for Rock Bridge last season, helping the team to a 27-3 record overall. Porter was named to the 2014 USA Basketball U18 National Team Trials Roster as well.
"I chose Mizzou because I know the women's basketball staff on a more personal level, and I know that they are all amazing people that genuinely care about me as a person first and as a player second," Porter said about her choice. "I've seen the way that the staff is turning this program around and I want to be a part of the journey! Also, by choosing Mizzou I get to play under my aunt (Robin Pingeton) and my dad (Michael Porter) and alongside my best friend, Bri Porter."
Porter comes from a large family of basketball players. She has five brothers and two sisters, including current Mizzou forward, Bri Porter. She is the daughter of assistant coach, Michael Porter, who played basketball for the University of New Orleans. Her mother, Lisa Becker, also played for the University of Iowa before playing professionally in France.
Hannah Schuchts // 6-2 // Forward // Tallahassee, Fla. (Maclay School)
Leading her high school to three District Championships Hannah Schuchts will come to Mizzou from Maclay School in Tallahassee, Fla. where she averages 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. She has scored more than 1,000 points at Maclay, and Schuchts led her team to both a District and Regional Championship with a 22-7 record overall. She is ranked among the top 15 players in the state of Florida, and No. 59 in her position by ESPN HoopGurlz. She was named Third Team FABC All-State last season. Schuchts chose to come to Mizzou over South Carolina, Rutgers, Miami, UCF and Northwestern, among others.
"I chose Mizzou because I fell in love with the campus, the people, the basketball team and the style of play," Schuchts said of her decision. "I just knew it was the place for me; it felt right as soon as I got here."
She comes from a family of athletes as Schuchts' father played football at Florida State, her uncles played football at UVA and her aunt ran track at Florida State. She is a four-year honor roll member at Maclay, and is also a member of the Spanish Honor Society and MU Alpha Theta, which is the math honor society. In her spare time, Schuchts volunteers as a basketball coach for the YMCA and also for the Maclay Elementary Basketball Camp.
Mizzou is excited to welcome these three additions for the upcoming season. Stay tuned as the Tigers being the 2014-15 season on Saturday against Western Illinois. Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouWBB) and Facebook (/MizzouWBB).
