UC Irvine Inks Talented Trio
November 18, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Irvine, Calif. – UC Irvine head coach Doug Oliver announced the signing of Tayla Jackson, Arianna Knox and Andrea Ritter to National Letters of Intent.
"I couldn't be happier with the three young ladies that we signed in the 2015 class," Oliver said. "This is the best recruiting class we've had since I have been a part of this program and I am excited to see what the future holds. All three are very versatile scorers who have the ability to play multiple positions and will impact this program immediately. These ladies all come from well-coached programs where hard work ethics have been instilled both on and off the court. "
Tayla Jackson 6-3 Forward Surrey, British Columbia/Brookswood Secondary School
First and second team All-Stars in Provincial Championships…Prospects Nation '97 ELITE 25 Watch List…selected as the High School Athlete of the Year…was a member of the U17 Provincial Team for two years and played one year on the U15 Provincial Team…earned the Ike Sinden Stubbs Memorial Award, Rick Hansen Achievement Awards…Team finished second in Regional Championships three times…also members of the volleyball and track & field teams as a prep…Academic Honor Roll.
"Tayla is a very talented post player who brings an unmatched competitive nature to our program," Oliver continued. "She can score on the block as well as step outside from three- point range. Her 6'3 frame and ability to run the floor will give us a huge presence around the basket. Tayla's tenacious personality and leadership will be an asset to our team."
Arianna Knox 6-1 Forward Norco, Calif./Corona Centennial HS
All-CIF Div1AA honoree as a junior….MVP of the Big VIII League…Averaged 18.8 points and 9.4 rebounds for the Huskies…helped Corona Centennial to a Big VIII co-championship and the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section 1AA playoffs…Selected MVP of the 2013 El Monte Tournament…Named to the All-Paul Pierce Winter Classic Team in 2013…15U Nike Nationals Player - WCP in 2013 as well as 17U Adidas Nationals Player GBL in 2014.
"Arianna is a highly skilled local post player who comes to us from a very established high school program. Her skill set allows her to play both on the perimeter and down low. We are pleased to be able to pick up a talented recruit from our backyard who has a tremendous upside," Oliver added.
Andrea Ritter 6-0 Guard Medford, OR/South Medford HS
Two-time second team All-League selection…Averaged 14.2 points as a junior before being sidelined with a leg injury…Named Honorable Mention All-League in 2014 for her efforts…Team was 6A State Champions in 2012 and runner's up the last two seasons…Was named second team All-State Tournament and Player of the Game in the 2012 State Tournament…Named MVP of the 2011 Nike Interstate Shootout…The Panthers were undefeated from 2011-13…Three-time Scholar-Athlete.
"I'm glad to have the opportunity to coach a player of Andee's caliber during her college career," Oliver noted. "Andee is a fundamentally sound versatile guard who can handle the ball and shoot from anywhere on the court. Her length and size pose as a huge match-up problem for opponents. We expect her to have an immediate impact on our program and play significant minutes as a freshman."
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