Published: 10/26/2007
Author: Bob_Richards
© Old Gold Free Press Columnists
Purdue scouts Tayler HillThere are a few guards consistently named among the top two handfuls of players in the class of 2009. Indiana's Skylar Diggins has been there since birth it seems, but another top guard in Big Ten country also draws similar praise. Tayler Hill, a 5'10 junior guard from Minneapolis, Minn. was honored as the "Best High School Athlete" in the Twin Cities area by Minneapolis City Pages -- when she was in the 8th grade. Purdue visited Minneapolis at the very end of September, and is now one of many schools listed showing interested in her. Some of the schools who have expressed strong recent interest include Marquette, Minnesota, Indiana, Baylor, Texas, Louisiana State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, and a ton of other programs. Iowa and Iowa State reportedly offered when she was an eighth grader.
Her brother plays for Ohio State, and she recently went on unofficial visits to Ohio State, Notre Dame and Marquette while her family traveled to Ohio State to deliver her brother to campus. Angel Robinson, Minnesota's 2007 Miss Basketball, now plays for Marquette and is Tayler's cousin. And while she wears No. 3 because of Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker, she admits Tennessee is her favorite team to watch.
Hill has amassed 2,272 points, 540 rebounds, 450 assists, 192 steals and 180 blocked shots in three varsity seasons, her first as an eighth grader. She averaged 27.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, four steals, six assists and four blocked shots as a sophomore last season, leading Minneapolis South to a second place finished in the state tournament. Her assists numbers can be much better, as a current weakness I've seen in her game is her passing over the top of the defense which is at times too casual.
Hill carries a 3.2 grade-point average, and has early plans to become a pediatrician when her playing career is finished.
New profile and schedule
The profile for Chelsea Jones, including her season schedule is now linked from the Women's Recruiting Page.
READ MORE: Player Profile: Chelsea Jones
Big Ten Recruiting
In a move certainly to make for interesting family conversation during the Ohio State/Michigan football matchups, longtime Ohio State fan, Carmen Reynolds, has committed to Michigan. Reynolds has an older brother who is a member of the Ohio State men's lacrosse team. The 6'0 forward from Hilliard Davidson, recruited to play small forward in college, averaged 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds and was first-team all-conference selection as a junior. Reynolds chose Michigan over offers from Bowling Green, Toledo and Coastal Carolina.
Michigan's new head coach Kevin Borseth received his second commitment recently from 5'9 senior Jamillya Hardley of Grand Rapids Christian (MI). Hardley chose the Wolverines over offers from Central Michigan, Ball State, Indiana State and Oakland.
Ohio State landed the heavily recruited Samantha Prahalis, senior point guard from Commack, N.Y. She averaged 23.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 5.2 assists per contest last year as a junior while committing 2.1 turnovers per game. She shot 42.6 percent from the field and was 49-of-146 from the perimeter. Prahalis is ranked No. 30 by Hoopgurlz.
Northwestern continues to move up in profile in the recruiting, gaining commitments from the Mocchi twins from the class of 2008, and also adding their first 2009 recruit in Benton Central High's (Ind.) Skyler Gick. The Mocchi's chose the Big Ten over DePaul and Miami of Ohio, continuing a recent trend in gaining the attention of quality Chicago area players.
Maggie Mocchi was named first-team all-state by the Illinois Coaches Association and was named the MSL East player of the year. She was second in scoring for Buffalo Grove with 13.4 ppg and led the team in rebounds (7.1 rpg) and field-goal percentage (46.6).
Allison Mocchi averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 2.7 assists last season, and was second on the team in three-pointers taken at 52, and first in percentage at 43-percent.
Gick, a 5'6 point guard, averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 assists and 3.0 steals per game as a sophomore, and led the Bison to an 18-5 record.
READ MORE: Big Ten Recruiting: Commitments
