Published: 5/08/2007
Author: Bob_Richards
© Old Gold Free Press Columnists
Rayburn selected by USA BasketballPurdue commitment Brittany Rayburn will join 36 other high school players for the USA Basketball Women's Youth Developmental Festival at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this June. The entire list of attendees has yet to be released. Rayburn is coming off all-tournament honors at the Deep South Classic, where the Indiana's Finest 16-under team won the Open Division title with a 45-43 victory over New Heights 17-under. The Finest played up in the 17-under bracket, also defeating the Capital City Monarchs, Tennessee Wings and Long Island Basketball and Texas Hooping Angels on the way to the title game.
More honors for seniors
Michelle Clark has added two more honors to her high school career. Clark was named the MVP of the Tri-Valley League, and named to the California Division II-AA second team.
Sam Woods was named to the Herald News Illinois Class AA Girls Basketball All-Area first team, and all-state honorable mention by the Champaign News-Gazette.
Purdue among final five for Sammy Prahalis
Junior guard Sammy Prahalis of Commack (NY) has a final five of Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers, and UConn according to Newsday. Prahalis averaged 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals as a junior, and is frequently talked about as one of the top five point guard prospects in the class of 2008. She will join Brittany Rayburn in Colorado Springs as one of the 36 invitees to the USA Basketball Developmental Festival in June.
READ MORE: Newsday
Athletic forward Ashley Gayle mentioning Purdue
Purdue's attention to the west coast has paid off with mentions from 6'4 junior forward Ashley Gayle of Bishop Gorman high school in Las Vegas (NV). The entire list contains over a dozen programs, but Purdue is getting a look. Gayle averaged 11.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and five blocks per game as a junior, shooting 47-percent from the field and 57-percent from the freethrow line.
READ MORE: Scout.com
Big Ten Recruiting - Denise Fairbanks update
In November of last year, word spread that Indiana had received a commitment from Ohio's Denise Fairbanks. Upon checking with her junior college coach, Steve Garber, we did not add her to the list of Hoosier commitments due to his denial of the commitment.
Published reports now officially announce the signing of Fairbanks with the Sugar Bears of the University of Central Arkansas. Fairbanks is expected to play center, and will have three years of eligibility remaining. Fairbanks was a first-team NJCAA All-America and All-Region selection.
Big Ten Recruiting
The University of Minnesota has recruited their first junior college player under Pam Borton's tenure. The Gophers signed 5'8 guard Kay Hill-Sylva of North Idaho College. Hill-Silva averaged 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals, and was named all-conference and received NJCAA all-american honorable mention honors.
READ MORE: Big Ten Recruiting: Commitments
