Hillsman Signs Top-10 Recruiting Class
11/18/2009 11:54:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SYRACUSE – Syracuse University head women's basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has collected one of the top ranked recruiting classes in the nation for the 2010-11 season. This year's class is ranked No. 8 by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report, No. 10 by Blue Star Basketball and No. 12 by All-Star Girls Report. The Top 10 class is the highest ranked collection of incoming players in the Hillsman era.
The 2010-11 class includes high school seniors Rachel Coffey (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston H.S.), Jelleah Sidney (Queens Village, N.Y./Saint Michael Academy), Tiara Butler (Waldorf, Md./North Point H.S.), Phylesha Bullard (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills H.S.) and Lashay Taft (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore City College H.S.).
“We went out and filled needs. We needed a shooter and we signed Lashay Taft. We also wanted to make sure that we had great guards to go with Kayla Alexander, coming in our last class,” Hillsman said. “We got some guards that can really produce on the wing and guard three or four positions. Rachel Coffey is a tough point guard who will be able to step in with Tasha (Harris) being a senior next year.”
Coffey, a 5-foot-7-inch point guard from Kingston H.S., averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 assists, five rebounds and 3.5 steals last season. She has led Kinston to three consecutive trips to the Class AA state final four while eclipsing the 1,000-point and 400-assist mark. She also holds the career and single-season assist record with 350 and 137, respectively. She is rated as the 19th prospect in the county Blue Star Basketball and the No. 21st prospect by All-Star Girls Report.
“Rachel (Coffey ) is one of the top point guards in the country,” Hillsman said. “She's a very good player off of the bounce, and it's very tough to keep her in front of you. She can get into the paint at any time and she's a very good passer. She's a very good floor general. She is a point guard that can come in and make an immediate impact.”
Sidney, a 6-foot-1-inch small forward, led her St. Michael Academy team to a Class AA state championship title and a 24-3 overall record in her junior season. In the spring of 2009, she competed with her club team Exodus in Russia, where the team played a pair of matches against the U-17 Russian national team. Sidney will continue play at IMG Academies prep school in Bradenton, Fla., before joining the Orange for the 2010-11season. Throughout her career, Sidney has played with five current members of the Orange roster, including Nicole Michael, Erica Morrow, Tasha Harris, Shakeya Leary and Vionca Murray. Sidney is rated as the 83rd prospect in the county Blue Star Basketball. She is also tabbed at the 17th-best guard by All-Star Girls Report and the No. 26th-best guard by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report.
“Jelleah (Sidney) is a very tenacious and tough defender,” Hillsman said. “She can guard four positions, and is a very good rebounder. She makes open shots and she's a fierce competitor.”
Butler, a 5-foot-10-inch shooting guard from North Point H.S., averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while leading her team to the Division 2A Regional Final. The North Point Eagles compiled an overall record of 23-2, improving on a 13-8 mark from the previous season. She is rated as the 66th prospect in the county by All-Star Girls Report, 74th by Blue Star Basketball and 91st by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report.
“Tiara (Butler) is a very good catch-and-shoot guard and has very good size. She plays really well in the mid-range and has a very high basketball IQ,” Hillsman said. “She has played at a high level for a long time with her summer program – she has been in the circuit since eighth grade. She's a very good offensive talent.”
Bullard, a 5-foot-11-inch shooting guard from Walnut Hills H.S., has collected numerous honors over the course of her playing career. In 2007, she was honored as an adidas Top 10 All-American. The following year, Bullard was named to the SW Ohio District Second Team. During the 2008-09 season, the Eagles went 16-5, falling in the second round of the playoffs. She is touted as the 69th prospect in the country by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report and the 33rd-best guard by All-Star Girls Report.
“Phylesha (Bullard ) is a big guard with catch-and-shoot capabilities,” Hillsman said. “She's very good in the mid-range, a very good defender and hardworking wing player.”
Taft, a 5-foot-7-inch has been named all-city and all-metro in each of her three years. She led Baltimore City College H.S. to the 2008-09 Maryland State 2A championship. The team's leading scoring the past three seasons, Taft is rated the 19th-best guard by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report.
“Lashay (Taft) is an incredible shooter. She gets the ball out to about 25 feet with consistency, and is very good off of the bounce,” Hillsman said. “She's a kid who has gotten better every year and is set to make an immediate impact on the perimeter, shooting the basketball.”
The Orange returns to the hardwood when it hosts Alabama State at Manley Field House on Thursday, November 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available free to the public.
