SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. The Seton Hall women’s basketball team has signed three high school seniors to national letters of intent, Pirate head coach Phyllis Mangina announced Tuesday. Ashley Booker of Oceanside, Calif., LaTanya Copeland of Silver Springs, Md. and Necole Evans of Springfield, Mass., will join the Seton Hall program for the 2006-07 season.
“We are extremely pleased with this season’s recruiting class to back up last year’s,” Mangina said. “This is a group of outstanding young women who are also excellent players. It is very exciting for our program because each individual will bring unique talents to help the program in the future.”
Booker is a 5’7 standout point guard for the Lady Torreys at La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, Calif. She is a nominee for McDonald’s All-America honors after leading the school to three straight Coastal South League Championships, back-to-back Regional Championships and consecutive runner-up finishes at the state tournament. Booker, ranked as the No. 89 guard by All-Star Girls Report, earned first team All-CIF Division IV and First Team All-League honors as a junior after averaging 6.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.2 assists. Booker is also a member of the Torreys track and field team, where she is a three-time All-Coastal League honoree in the 4x100 relay.
“Ashley brings speed to our lineup and is an outstanding defensive player. She comes from one of the top high school programs in the country, so she knows what it takes to be successful. She will also fill an important role in our backcourt and bring a defensive intensity that will help the team,” Mangina said.
A 6’0 center for Gaithersburg High School, Copeland is one of the top players in the Washington, D.C. area. Copeland has a balanced all-around game and led Gaithersburg to a 22-1 record as a junior after averaging 21.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.8 blocks per game. She was the leading scorer in Montgomery County and named Second Team All-Met by the Washington Post in addition to earning First Team All-County honors. Copeland earned Honorable Mention All-Met honors as a sophomore after averaging 4.2 blocks with 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds. She played her freshman year at The Bullis School, also earning honorable mention recognition from the Washington Post.
“Copeland is a true power player on the frontline. LaTanya can score inside or outside and is also a strong defensive presence. Her extraordinary scoring ability will immediately help our frontline,” said Mangina.
Evans, 6’0 forward for Springfield Central High School, is a preseason Street & Smith All-American after earning Honorable Mention All-America status the previous three seasons. She is a three-year starter and has led the team in scoring, rebound and blocked shots each season. As a junior, Evans averaged 22.8 points, 18.9 rebounds and 7.5 blocks per game and led Central to a second place finish at the state tournament where she was named the Western Mass Division I Playoffs MVP. She was awarded the Goodnow Award as the best player in Western Massachusetts in 2003 and has been named to the All-Western Mass First Team the past three seasons. Evans who has already surpassed 1,600 points, 1,500 rebounds and 500 blocks for her career was invited to the 2005 Adidas Top 10 All-American Camp.
“Necole is an outstanding talent. She can play inside or outside and is a strong physical talent. She has a great feel for the game and will be able to help us at numerous positions. She is also a fierce competitor and will be able to help us immediately,” Mangina said.
Seton Hall returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 1, when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., to face Saint Joseph’s in a 7:00 p.m. game at the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
