With a record of 5-1, it’s easy to see how a Lady Lion’s fan could be excited about this season. But for Coach Lori Davis Jones, it’s also very easy to get excited about next year as well. The Lady Lions added four players to their roster for next season.
“In terms of character, academic performance and on-court talent, this is the best freshman class we’ve ever signed,” stated Jones.
The class, consisting of two guards, a forward and a forward/center, are expected to get major playing time. The center piece, East Ascension High School guard Symone Miller, is the 81st ranked senior guard and a three-star prospect, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
“Well, we’ve got ESPN HoopGurlz ranked player, we have one of the top 5 guards in the state of South Carolina, and we have two outstanding post kids from very strong AAU programs, and very strong high school teams that have played at a high level. Both of them [the post players] are college-ready now,” said Jones, “Yeah, I think all four should [see significant playing time]. Two have college bodies and are college ready, with the bodies and physiques. All four of them have played at a high level AAU, so mentally they’ll be ready to play.”
The post players, Hillary Shaffer, a 6-1 from Brownsboro High School in Texas, received district MVP for district 20-3a in both basketball and volleyball, while six-footer Summer Postell, from Del Valle High School, also in Texas, excelled in basketball and track, according to lionsports.net.
“[On Shaffer] I’m not sure. We’ve got to see how she transitions into the college game, with the speed and physicality of it first of all, because a lot of times you’re off your shooting rhythm when you’re not in a rhythm game-wise, so, we’ll have to see what kind of impact her three point shooting makes. I think she’ll have a greater impact defensively for us,” said Jones.
The other two, 5-4 point guard Elizabeth Styles, and Miller, are no slouches either.
“She’s pretty dynamic. And she knows where the ball is, and she’s a wing that loves to rebound,” said Jones, on Miller.
Styles, from Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C., was named two-time All-Europe player from her time at Baumholder High School in Germany, according to lionsports.net.
With all of this talent coming in, Jones is optimistic, to say the least.
“I think it’ll be as dynamic as it is this year. We’ll probably have some growing pains, with the speed and physicality of the college game and the decision making, but you can’t make that a college-type thing. But there’s no doubt they’re going to play good minutes for us,” said Jones.