Nov. 10, 2010
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois women's basketball coach Jolette Law announced the signing of five talented student-athletes to national letters of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. Ivory Crawford, a 5-9 combo guard from Chicago, Ill., Kierra Morris, a 6-3 post from Chicago, Ill., Nia Oden, a 5-10 wing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Alexis Smith, a 5-9 point guard from West Islip, N.Y., and Taylor Tuck, a 6-0 wing from Bolingbrook, Ill., all will join the Fighting Illini for the 2011-12 season.
The class includes two state champions in Smith and Tuck, and all five student-athletes excel in the classroom. With three of the signees hailing from the Chicago area, Law continued her recruiting success in the state of Illinois and also signed two talented players from New York, an area she knows well from her years as an assistant coach at Rutgers University.
"I am as excited as I've ever been about an incoming class of freshmen," Law said. "Collectively, I love the energy that this class will bring to the University of Illinois. They're all good character kids who are talented, competitive and driven on the court. Even more impressive, however, is that they all get the job done in the classroom. These five young ladies understand commitment, hard work and dedication, so I have no doubt that they all will be great representatives of this University. I can't wait to get them here in an Illini uniform and I look forward to building something special with this group."
PROFILES ON THE FUTURE FIGHTING ILLINI
IVORY CRAWFORD
5-9 // Combo Guard
Hometown/High School: Chicago, Ill./Proviso East HS
High School Coach: Ezra Pridgeon
AAU Team: Lady Dribblers
AAU Coach: Andre Harvey
Notes: Ranked as the No. 88 senior in the country and No. 6 in the state of Illinois by Blue Star Basketball ... Honorable mention All-State by Champaign News-Gazette and West Suburban Conference (WSC) Player of the Year after averaging 16.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.5 steals per game and leading team to a 24-5 record as a junior ... Three-time All-Area selection by the Pioneer Press ... Two-time All-WSC Gold Division ... Led Proviso East to back-to-back conference titles in 2009 and 2010 ... Played her freshman year at Providence-St. Mel before transferring to Proviso East ... Chose Illinois over Alabama, DePaul, Missouri and Rutgers.
Coach Law on Crawford: "Ivory falls in line with some of the other great guards to come out of Chicago. Along with Taylor Tuck and Kierra Morris, Ivory will be a great addition to our program from the state of Illinois. She has great instincts with and without the basketball, which has earned her the reputation as not only one of the best guards in the state of Illinois, but in the entire country."
Crawford on why she chose Illinois: "I chose the University of Illinois because I felt very comfortable with Coach Law, her staff, and the team and the academic support there will help me succeed. l I feel it is the best place for me and my future."
KIERRA MORRIS
6-3 // Post
Hometown/High School: Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park Academy
High School Coach: Tom Drohozal
AAU Team: Lady Fire
AAU Coach: Mac Irvin
Notes: Named First Team All-State (Class 1A/2A) by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) after averaging 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game as junior in 20099-10 ... Also named Co-Player of the Year in the Independent School League ... Led team to 2010 regional championship ... Also plays volleyball at Morgan Park, leading team to 2009 conference championship and back-to-back regional titles in 2009 and 2010 ... Started high school at Luther South and moved to Morgan Park Academy after Luther South closed ... Honor Roll student ... Chose Illinois over Memphis, Notre Dame and Tulsa.
Coach Law on Morris: "Kierra will bring size and a solid work ethic to our program. I was drawn to her because she knows that her upside is unlimited and is willing to put in the time to be a formidable post player. Kierra is determined to become one of the best post players in the Big Ten Conference and I look forward to coaching her here at the University of Illinois."
Morris on why she chose Illinois: "I chose the University of Illinois because I knew what it had to offer, academically and athletically. After meeting the coaching staff, I knew U of I was the place for me. The fact that Coach Law is a phenomenal coach is just an added benefit. I am so excited that I have the opportunity to become a part of her basketball family."
NIA ODEN
5-10 // Small Forward
Hometown/High School: Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King HS
High School Coach: Bob Mackey
AAU Team: Exodus
AAU Coach: Apache Paschal
Notes: Ranked as the No. 30 wing in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz ... New York Daily News All-City Second Team and New York Post All-Queens First Team after averaging 11.9 points and 9.7 rebounds and leading team to 2010 New York Federation Class AA title as a junior ... Plays on Exodus club team with fellow Illini signee Alexis Smith ... Attends the same high school as WNBA stars Sue Bird and Chamique Holdsclaw ... National Honor Society member and Rose Classic Academic All-American ... Chose Illinois over Ivy League schools Brown, Cornell and Harvard.
Coach Law on Oden: "Nia comes from perennial powerhouse Christ the King High School in New York. Her desire and determination allowed her to become one of the only freshmen ever to earn a starting spot at the prestigious school. Nia is a consummate student-athlete that delivers on the court and in the classroom, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. Her winning habits will be infectious here at the University of Illinois."
Oden on why she chose Illinois: "I chose the University of Illinois because I felt a strong connection with the coaches there, especially with Coach Law and Coach Cermignano. The type of people at the University was an important key to making my final decision because I knew that they would be able to support me and encourage me to do my best."
ALEXIS SMITH
5-9 // Point Guard
Hometown/High School: West Islip, N.Y./St. John the Baptist HS
High School Coach: Ted Oberg
AAU Team: Exodus
AAU Coach: Apache Paschal
Notes: Ranked as the No. 22 point guard in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz ... Named First Team All-Long Island by Newsday after averaging 12 points, six rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.9 steals per game in 2009-10 ... Has led team to two Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association (NSCHSAA) championships ... Named Second Team All-Long Island in 2009 and is a two-time All-Catholic League selection ... Member of the 2008 CHSAA AA New York State Championship team, a team that was ranked #13 in the nation by USA Today ... Plays on the same club team as fellow Illini signee Nia Oden ... Selected for Town of Islip Academic/Athletic Achievement Award in 2009 and 2010 ... Chose Illinois over Florida State, George Washington, Middle Tennessee State and South Carolina.
Coach Law on Smith: "Alexis Smith defines the word competitor. She is recognized as one of the top guards not only in the state of New York, but also nationally. Her desire to win, combined with her ability to score will add great energy to our program. Her experiences with both perennial powers St. John the Baptist and her Exodus AAU team should allow her to make an immediate impact on our program."
Smith on why she chose Illinois: "Out of all the schools I looked at, Illinois stood out as a place that I can grow both academically and as a team player. The energy, dedication and commitment I felt from the coaches and the team leads me to believe that we will have what it takes to make it to the Final Four at Illinois."
TAYLOR TUCK
6-0 // Small Forward
Hometown/High School: Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS
High School Coach: Tony Smith
AAU Team: Dream Team
AAU Coach: Mike Henry
Notes: Ranked as the No. 152 senior in the nation by Blue Star Basketball ... Three-year starter and 2010-11 team captain for a team ranked in the top-10 in the nation heading into senior season... Has helped lead Bolingbrook to back-to-back IHSA Class 4A state titles in 2009 and 2010 ... Named to All-Tournament team at the 2010 state tournament after scoring 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in the team's two state tournament wins ... Averaged 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds as a junior for a team loaded with elite talent ... Named All-Area by the Daily Herald as a junior ... Was the first commitment to the 2011 class.
Coach Law on Tuck: "Taylor has felt like a part of our Illinois women's basketball family for a very long time as she was the first commitment to this 2011 class. She comes from a championship program, Bolingbrook High School, which is chasing after a three-peat this year. Taylor is very talented and has shown that she is a great team player with her high school team. With her love of the game and shared vision for this program, I believe she will be one of the keys for bringing future championships to the University of Illinois."
Tuck on why she chose Illinois: "When considering where I could be most successful and where I would be comfortable, I felt like Illinois was the very best place for me."
