Recruiting recap: Hope cashes in early

Although most coaches who have won titles have told us that you don’t typically see the results of a national title until the second recruiting class comes in, Hope has some names to point to for 2006-07. At least, so says The Holland Sentinel.

In next year’s freshman class, (Dexter HS point guard Jenny) Cowens will be joining Philana Green, Grandville High’s second-best player behind MSU-bound Alyssa DeHaan, and Megan Mejeur out of St. Joseph, a 5-9 post player and sister of Jason Mejeur, who played for Glenn Van Wieren on the Hope men’s team a few years back.

Hersey HS (Arlington Heights, Ill.) point guard Sean Dwyer wanted to play for Scott Trost. He won’t get a chance to, but The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) reports Dwyer is still sold on Illinois Wesleyan.

Alan Jaziri, from Norwich (Conn.) Free Academy, will attend Suffolk.

Justin Strickland of East Davidson (N.C.) HS will play at Guilford, says The Dispatch of Lexington, N.C. Coach Matt Ridge said something to the paper that all basketball recruits should take to heart:

“Most high school kids dream of playing Division I basketball, and sometimes they turn down a better fit just to walk on, and it’s a mistake. But Guilford has been to a lot of our games and shown a lot of interest, and they said all along he was their number one recruit.”

Jake Hollifield of Pisgah HS will be heading to Emory and Henry, his coach told the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times. He averaged 10 points per game this past season.

Matt Mihalich, son of Niagara coach Joe Mihalich, will attend John Carroll. He’s a guard at St. Joe’s in the Niagara area.

The Jackson Sun says University School of Jackson (Miss.) is sending Alex Kovalic to Rhodes. The paper doesn’t mention Kovalic’s position.

Oglethorpe is getting Eddie Buckley from Lecanto (Fla.) HS, says the St. Petersburg Times.

The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reports Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial guard Jesse Van Sickle has committed to Gustavus Adolphus.

Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy guard Colin Cubit is attending the University of Rochester in New York next fall. He averaged 16.4 points, 3.7 assists and four rebounds for a team that went 26-3 last year, according to the Public Opinion of Chambersburg, Pa.

Women’s
South Kortright guard Jessica Laing will attend Cortland State, says the Oneonta Daily Star, after leading her team to New York’s Class D state championship. She scored 1,841 points in four high school seasons.

Abilene Reporter-News portrait of Cassie LylesCassie Lyles of Benjamin (Texas) HS is staying close to home (in Texas terms) and heading to McMurry. The Abilene Reporter-News describes her as a 6-0 post player with a shooter’s touch. That’s her at right.

Mountain Valley (Rumford, Maine) guard Kristen Arsenault is heading to Southern Maine, says the Bangor Daily News. The paper also has Skowhegan HS point guard Nicole Paradis joining Arsenault, Dexter HS forward Sabrina Cote and Rockland’s Caitlin Hynes heading to Bowdoin while Winslow’s Stephanie Bossie is off to Maine-Farmington.

Sherando (Winchester, Va.) HS all-time assist leader Brooke Davies will play at Mary Washington, according to The Winchester Star.

The Northfield News reports Northfield (Minn.) HS’s Ann Eckhoff turned down a scholarship to play volleyball at Northern Iowa and will play both volleyball and basketball at Carleton.

Greenfield’s Becky Atnip will play next season at Rhodes, according to The Jackson Sun. Again, no position.

As always, if you want to contribute a name, you must provide the published confirmation. (Unless you are an SID or coach, of course, in which case your word is sufficient.) You can either post the info here on the blog or e-mail to info@d3hoops.com.

To take a look at last year’s recruiting info, click here or on the Recruiting link on the right-hand menu rail of the Daily Dose.