Jeff Walz Inks Five In His First Louisville Recruiting Class
November 14, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2007
Louisville, Ky. - Louisville head coach Jeff Walz has announced that Kentucky natives Monique Reid, Janae Howard and Gwen Rucker along with Tiera Stephen and Mary Jackson have all signed letters-of-intent to play for the University of Louisville next season.
Walz and his staff have signed the best recruiting class in school history, signing five players ranked in the Top 100. It is the first Louisville class where all the signees were ranked in the Top 100. Walz and his staff also accomplished another first in signing three players from the state of Kentucky in one class. All three Kentucky players are from different areas of the state.
"This is an exciting day for Louisville women's basketball," said head coach Jeff Walz. "I need to say thanks to my entire staff for all the hard work they put into making this class come true. Stephanie Norman, Michelle Clark-Heard and Bethann Ord worked many hours to help secure our 2008 recruiting class.
"Taking over in late March we went full speed in recruiting and it paid dividends. This is one of the best group of seniors to come out of Kentucky in many years and for us to have three signed at this point makes a statement to where Louisville basketball is going and how we are perceived in the state. All three of these young ladies will be able to help us win in the BIG EAST. You add Mary Jackson and Tiera Stephen to that mix and all the sudden, we have put together a solid group of incoming freshmen."
Below is the list of 2008 Louisville signees:
Monique Reid, 6-1, Guard/Forward, Louisville, Ky., Fern Creek High School
Reid is ranked 36th in the nation among the 2008 recruiting class. She led the state in scoring and rebounding with 28.9 points and 16.2 rebounds per game as a junior. She was a named a first-team Courier-Journal All-State selection and is considered to be one of the front-runners for Miss Basketball this season. Reid finished her junior season with 752 points and 420 rebounds while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. She also averaged 5.7 assists, 3.3 steals and three blocks. "Monique has all the physical skills to come into our program and make an immediate impact," said Walz. "She played this summer with her future teammate Janae Howard and they were very impressive. Her ability to score off the dribble and rebound the basketball is as good as anyone. Her passion for the game will help her continue to develop and become a very special player here at Louisville."
Janae Howard, 6-2, Forward, Owensboro, Ky., Owensboro High School
Howard is ranked 41st in the nation among the 2008 recruiting class. She averaged 17.8 points and 8.6 rebounds at Owensboro High School her junior season. Last season she was a second-team pick on The Courier-Journal's All-State team.
"We are very excited to have Janae join our family here at Louisville," Walz said. "She had a great summer and has continued to work on her game this fall. She has the ability to play both inside and out and will be a match-up problem for many teams. Janae's ability to shoot the basketball will give her the opportunity to come in and be an impact player for us from day one. Janae has done a great job both on the court and in the classroom and she will be a great ambassador for the University of Louisville."
Gwen Rucker, 6-1, Forward, Lexington, Ky., Henry Clay High School
Rucker is ranked 84th in the nation among the 2008 recruiting class. She was an all-state selection in both basketball and volleyball as a junior. She is considered one of the top basketball players in the state after averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds her junior year. She also shot 56 percent from the field last season. She played on the Kentucky Junior All-Stars team and earned all-city, all-district and all-region honors her sophomore and junior seasons.
"We are very excited to have Gwen join us here at Louisville," said Walz. "She really shined this summer on the AAU circuit and the sky is the limit for her. She is a great defender and rebounds the ball very well. Gwen showed this summer that she has the ability to be a very good basketball player in the BIG EAST. We are excited about what she brings to the University, both on the basketball court and in the classroom."
Tiera Stephen, 5-7, Point Guard, Dayton, Ohio, Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School
Stephen is ranked 68th in the nation among the 2008 recruiting class. The Ohio Girls Report has her ranked as the 6th best player in the state of Ohio. She averaged nine points, four rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals while leading her team to the Columbus regional semifinals last season as a junior. She was a second team all-state selection as a junior and earned all-league and Greater Cincinnati League honors as well.
"Tiera is a natural point guard who understands the game and how to make her teammates better," said Walz. "Her ability to defend the ball is as good as anyone in the country. With the loss of Patrika Barlow next year to graduation, we were looking for someone who has the ability to come in and play as a freshman. She has had success at every level she has played and we are excited to have her join our program."
Mary Jackson, 5-10, Combo Guard, Memphis, Tenn., Oakhaven High School
Jackson is ranked 80th in the nation among the 2008 recruiting class. Jackson is an all-state selection after averaging 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists her junior year. She shot 78 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line. Jackson was named the District 16-AA Most Valuable Player last season.
"We are excited to have signed such a high quality and gifted student-athlete," Walz said. "Mary is a very versatile player who can dominate the glass and finish with contact. She is a tireless worker with a tremendous passion and enthusiasm for her team and the game. She has all the intangible characteristics we were looking for, both in the classroom and on the court. I anticipate that she will make huge contributions immediately and continue to develop her game."
