Nov. 24, 2010
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - One season after being recognized for signing a top 50 recruiting class, UCF women's basketball head coach Joi Williams and her staff have signed another impressive crop of players to National Letters of Intent for the 2011-12 season. The 2011 class boasts four premier high school players in Andrea Hines (New Castle, Del.), Meghan Keough (Land O'Lakes, Fla.), Bryeasha Blair (Chicago, Ill.) and Stephanie Taylor (Indian Trail, N.C).
"We are extremely excited about the new additions to our UCF women's basketball family," Williams said. "Recruiting coordinator, Courtney Locke, and the rest of our staff did a great job of identifying four talented young women who will definitely address our needs for next season and add to our athleticism and depth."
All four players come to UCF with decorated basketball backgrounds. Hines and Keough are both ranked in the top 100 at their positions by ESPNU HoopGurlz, while also earning grades in the high 80s by the recruiting site.
Hines (5-7, F/G), ranked as the 56th best player at her position in the country, comes to UCF from Sanford High School in Delaware. A two-time all-state and all-conference player, Hines scored 671 points in her first three seasons. As a junior in 2009-10, she was a nominee for the Gatorade Delaware Player of the Year as she led her team to an appearance in the state finals. In the championship game, Hines finished just shy of a triple-double, scoring 12 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Keough (5-9, F) will join her sister Kayli Keough (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) as both make their debuts with the Knights next season. Kayli is currently sitting out this year after transferring from Florida State following last season.
Meghan will come to Orlando after playing her final two seasons of high school basketball at Tampa Catholic. Keough spent her first two years at Land O'Lakes before helping Tampa Catholic win its first 3A State Championship as a junior in 2009-10. As a sophomore, she was named the Tampa Tribune's All-County Girls Basketball Player of the Year as she averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Twice recognized by ESPN.com has a "Player to Watch", Keough is ranked by HoopGurlz as the 74th best guard in the country, while also receiving a grade of 86 and three stars.
Blair (5-4, PG) comes from Whitney Young High School in Chicago. She is one of four players on this year's Whitney Young team to commit to a Division I program next season as she will join the Knights in the fall. A 5-foot-4 point guard, Blair will add depth to UCF that stands to lose three members of its backcourt to graduation after this season. A four-year varsity player, Blair helped lead Whitney Young to the 2008 Illinois State Championship and the 2009 and 2010 Chicago City Championships.
Taylor (6-2, F) rounds out the quartet of players that will debut next season in UCF uniforms. During her first three seasons at Sun Valley High School, Taylor has averaged a double-double of 13.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. An all-conference player her first three seasons, she was also named to the All-Union County First Team as a sophomore and junior as well as the second team as a freshman. In each of her first three seasons at Sun Valley, Taylor was named to the Union County Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team.
Last season, the Knights' 2010 recruiting class was ranked 44th in the nation by HoopGurlz with the singings of Sarah Green (Columbia, S.C.), Erika Jones (Phenix City, Ala.) and Aarika Judge (Augusta, Ga.). Jones has started all three games this season, while Green has been one of the team's top reserves.
The Knights will open their 2010-11 home schedule this Friday, Nov. 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the UCF Thanksgiving Classic against Richmond. UCF will then take on Western Kentucky Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in its second game of the weekend. Michigan State rounds out the four-team field.
Season and single-game tickets for the 2010-11 women's basketball team are on sale now. Season tickets start at just $39. Fans can purchase tickets online or by calling (407) UCF-1000.