Nov. 13, 2013
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU head coach Michelle Clark-Heard announced Wednesday that four players have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball and attend Western Kentucky University in the fall of 2014. The class includes Ivy Brown (Hodgenville, Ky.), Shalika Smith (Glasgow, Ky.), Jaiveonna Norris (Chicago Heights, Ill.) and Tashia Brown (Lake Park, Ga.). All four players signed on the opening day of the Fall Signing Period.
"The excitement and progress we are making towards winning championships and being a team that can advance in the NCAA Tournament was seen by these players and they bought into the family we are building here at WKU," said Clark-Heard. "I am excited to officially welcome these players into our WKU family.
"Lady Topper Basketball has always been at its best when we are able to recruit great players to come to the state of Kentucky and when we keep the best players from the state of Kentucky right here at home. I am really excited that Ivy and Shalika saw that they can do big things right in their own backyard and glad that Tashia and Jaiveonna are making Kentucky their new, second home.
"With this signing class, we will continue to become more athletic, get bigger at the guard spot and add more depth to our post game. The group fills some of the needs that will help us compete for championships in Conference USA as we make the transition to the new league next season."
The highest rated played in the class is Ivy Brown, a leading candidate for Kentucky Miss Basketball. Brown is currently rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 73rd in the nation in the espnW 100, compiled by HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
2014 WKU Lady Topper Basketball Recruiting Class
Ivy Brown, 6-1, Forward from Hodgenville, Ky. (LaRue County HS)
Tashia Brown, 6-1, Forward from Lake Park, Ga. (Lowndes HS)
Jaiveonna Norris, 6-0, Forward from Chicago Heights, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmoor HS)
Shalika Smith, 6-1, Forward/Center from Glasgow, Ky. (Glasgow HS)
2014 LADY TOPPER BASKETBALL SIGNING CLASS BIOS AND QUOTES
IVY BROWN
Ivy Brown, a leading candidate for Kentucky Miss Basketball for 2013-14, led LaRue County to a 27-6 record last season, reaching the finals of the 5th Region Tournament before falling to eventual state champions Marion County. It was the first time in school history that LaRue County had advanced to the regional championship game.
Brown is currently rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 73rd in the nation in the espnW 100, compiled by HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
Brown averaged 22.9 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and 3.5 assists per outing as a junior, ranking her among the top 10 scorers and top 15 rebounders in the state. She also shot over 50 percent from the field and hit 43 three-point field goals as she was named a First Team All-State performer by the Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader. Following the season, she was also named to the Kentucky Junior All-Star team.
As a sophomore, Brown led the Lady Hawks to a 17-11 record, averaging 19.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She was named an Honorable Mention All-State selection by the Associated Press following the season. As a freshman, she helped the Lady Hawks reach the semifinals of the regional tournament and finish the season 27-4, winning the 2010 KME Classic at Trigg County over the holiday break.
Entering her senior season, she is at the top of the LaRue County career list for rebounds (1,227) and steals (504), while ranking second in career points (2,186). She has helped LaRue County to a 68-21 record over the last three seasons.
Brown has also excelled on the volleyball court, leading LaRue County to a 24-10 record in 2013 and an appearance in the semifinals of the regional tournament. Brown chose WKU over Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Tech.
Coach Michelle Clark-Heard on Ivy Brown…
"Ivy Brown was a major focus of our recruiting efforts from the first day we arrived on campus as a staff. She can be an immediate impact player for us at WKU. She has an amazing skill set and has enjoyed great success, helping take her high school to the next level."
SHALIKA SMITH
As a junior, Smith posted 14.5 points per game for the Glasgow Lady Scotties, helping the team to a 21-7 record and an appearance in the 4th Region Tournament. Smith shot an astounding 68.9 percent from the field (184-of-267), which is good for the 10th best mark in the NFHS National Record Book for single-season field goal percentage among those attempting at least 250 shots. She also averaged 8.3 rebounds per game.
Following the season, she was selected to play for the Kentucky Junior All-Star team and earned All-Region honors for the second straight year.
As a sophomore, she helped Glasgow reach the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls Sweet Sixteen at E.A. Diddle Arena after winning the 4th Region Championship for the first time in school history. She scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the game at her future collegiate home. The team finished the season with a 28-5 record, including a 22-2 mark against regional foes, as the team set a new school record for wins in a season. Smith averaged 11.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. During her freshman season, she averaged 7.6 rebounds per game as Glasgow finished the year 16-11.
Coach Michelle Clark-Heard on Shalika Smith…
"Shalika Smith is a energetic, pure post player. She is high energy all the time and has a great competitive drive. She doesn't know how to slow down. She is a tremendous rebounder and will bring great intensity to practice everyday as our depth at the post position works to get better and compete for playing time on the court."
JAIVEONNA NORRIS
Jaiveonna Norris averaged 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior for the Vikings, earning All-Conference First Team honors at Homewood-Flossmoor High. Norris has earned two varsity letters for the Vikings and has been nominated for the Northwest Times All-Area team two years in a row.
Norris also excels off the court where she has received recognition twice for making the Honor Roll in all four quarters of the academic year.
Coach Michelle Clark-Heard on Jaiveonna Norris…
"Jaiveonna Norris is really versatile. She can do a lot of different things in that she has a really good shooting range and can also put it on the floor and get to the basket. She has the body type and frame to become a great impact on the interior for us at WKU."
TASHIA BROWN
Tashia Brown averaged 22 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks a game for the Vikings of Lowndes High School. Following the season, she was named a Class AAAAA Second Team All-State selection by the Georgia Sportswriters Association, the highest class in the state of Georgia.
Brown posted 11.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Prior to making the commitment to the Lady Toppers, Brown received major interest from programs in the Southeastern Conference, Conference USA and Atlantic Coast Conference.
Coach Michelle Clark-Heard on Tashia Brown…
"Tashia Brown is a highly-gifted wing player. She has incredible athletic ability and is extremely poised on the court. Like Ivy Brown, she is going to have a chance to make an immediate impact for us as she continues to work hard this season."
HOW TO FOLLOW THE LADY TOPPERS: For complete information on Lady Topper Basketball, visit www.wkusports.com, follow the program on Instagram via "LadyTopperHoops" or follow the program on Twitter via @LadyTopperHoops. The official twitter hashtag of the 2013-14 season for Lady Topper Basketball is #ClimbingTheLadder.
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