NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s basketball head coach Karen Barefoot is pleased to announce the signing of three committed recruits for the 2016-17 season. This class consists of three players Barefoot considers to be triple-threats that can really score, rebound and defend. Each prospect averaged a double-double in their junior season and earned a plethora of athletic honors throughout their careers.
Manaya Jones, Tyasia Moore and Jessica Munoz all signed a National Letter of Intent this morning, committing to the ODU program.
“We're extremely excited with the quality and depth of this class,” said Barefoot. “All three fit our aggressive up-tempo style of play. Each player brings unique qualities and talents that will help mold the future of our program and I believe they will make the Lady Monarch family proud both on and off the court.”
Jones hails from Memphis, Tenn. where she was a standout player at Raleigh-Egypt High School. The 6-4 power forward is tabbed in the Top-100 ESPNW rankings and recognized as a four-star prospect by ESPN. Jones was a Class AA All-State selection as a junior after averaging 24 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks per game. She highlighted her career with All-District MVP and All-Region MVP honors.
“Manaya brings us great size and an inside presence,” said Barefoot. “She not only can play with her back to the basket, but she can also step out and make shots. She is a tremendous rebounder and defender.”
Moore, the only guard in the bunch, filled the stat sheet with 16.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 5.0 steals per game last season. The 6-0 guard helped lead Forestville Military Academy to a State Championship, earning Tournament MVP honors along the way. The Forestville, Md. native has excelled on the court throughout her career and was named MVP of her conference, along with earning First Team All-State and All-District honors.
“Tyasia is a long, athletic player with tremendous open court ability and has a dangerous midrange game,” Barefoot said of Moore. “She is a strong rebounding guard and can get to the rim and score. She is also a excellent defender and will bring energy to our defense.”
Munoz, a 6-2 forward from Nacogdoches, Texas, enters her senior campaign as the reigning District Most Valuable Player. She averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game as a junior and earned All-Region and First Team All-State laurels. Munoz helped lead her AAU team to two Adidas National AAU Championships and was most recently ranked 19th for the Class of 2016 by the Texas Premier Basketball Report.
“Jessica has an excellent basketball I.Q. and brings us and inside and outside presence,” noted Barefoot. “She is a tremendous rebounder, smart defender and a great three-point shooter. Jessica is hard-nosed and very aggressive and relentless on the court.”
“We are very excited to welcome all three prospects and their families to Monarch Nation and the Lady Monarch’s women’s basketball program!”
The Lady Monarchs will officially open the 2015-16 season on Friday, November 13 at the Robins Center as they take on the Richmond Spiders at 3:00 p.m.
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