UT MARTIN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES SEVEN COMMITMENTS TO DECORATED 2022 SIGNING CLASS
11/10/2021 3:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MARTIN, Tenn. – Two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference champion University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team continued its success on the recruiting trail by adding seven decorated commitments to its 2022 signing class on the first day of the early signing period with the addition of Anaya Brown (Lexington, Ky.), Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (Jackson, Tenn.), Clara Garland (Iuka, Miss.), Haley Hallett (Savannah, Tenn.), Kenley McCarn (Melbourne, Ark.), Lexi Rubel (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) and Josie Storey (Mountain View, Ark.).
"We have had a number of great signees here in the past." McMillan said. "We have also had two overall classes that stood out. The 2010 class with Megan White, Jasmine Newsome and Heather Butler was the first. The second was the 2017 class with Chelsey Perry, Paige Pipkin and Maddie Waldrop. This class rivals both of those classes."
"We have a versatile group that can play multiple positions which allows us to do a lot of different things on both ends of the floor. Their sheer size, with all of them from 5-10 to 6-5, gives us opportunities to compete on a national stage that we have not had consistently year-in and year-out. Most importantly, these young ladies fit with our culture of work ethic and selflessness. There are fierce competitors in this class that know how to win and do things the right way. This will be a fun group to watch grow and mature."
Anaya Brown, F, 6-1, Fr., Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette HS)
Prepped at Lafayette High School where she plays for head coach Allison Denton…Averaged a double-double as a junior with 17.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game…Her 283 rebounds in 23 games last season ranked ninth in the state of Kentucky…Is a member of her program's 1,000-point club while boasting a pair of all-region and all-district honors…Named a PGH Ky Class of 2022 All State first team selection…Decorated track athlete where she placed first in the region in the 800 before posting a ninth place finish at state…Helped her 4x800 relay team to a fourth place finish at the state championships.
"Anaya is a 6-1 versatile wing/post player that can guard a point guard, shoot from the perimeter and get on the glass," McMillan said. "She's a quiet young lady who plays with a lot of effort and energy. She is an outstanding athlete who also runs track and is driven to be the best she can be. She is fun to watch!"
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, F, 6-2, Fr., Jackson, Tenn. (Southside HS)
Prepped at Southside High School where she plays for head coach Brent McNeal…Averaged 12.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 spg and 2.0 bpg last season while shooting 56 percent from the field en route to being voted Team MVP…Played two seasons during which time she helped her team to a 56-8 record with two substate appearances…Has tallied 780 points and 515 rebounds in her career…Earned a pair of all-district and all-region honors along with being named to both the All-West Tennessee Newcomer Team and All-West Tennessee second team.
"Sharnecce is one of the most versatile post players in the state of Tennessee at 6-2," McMillan said. "She comes from a winning high school program and the sky is the limit for this young lady. She is a fierce competitor that we believe will develop tremendously with her work ethic."
Clara Garland, F, 6-5, Fr., Iuka, Miss. (Tishomingo County HS)
Prepped at Tishomingo County High School where she plays for head coach Brian Middleton…Averaged 12.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game last season…Ranked as the No. 4 player in the state of Mississippi and No. 135 player nationally…Helped squad to 1-4A division championship in 2020-21…Garnered 1-4A All-Division first team honors while being named Defensive Player of the Year…Named a 2021 Mississippi Sports Medicine North/South 4A/5A/6A Basketball All-Star.
"Clara can put us on the map as far as posts go," McMillan remarked. "At 6-5 she can impact a game like no other. With her high ceiling, she has the ability to make this class one of the best in the country when all is said and done. She wants to work and do what it takes to get better."
Haley Hallett, F, 6-1, Fr., Savannah, Tenn. (Hardin County HS)
Prepped at Hardin County High School where she plays for head coach Ronald Burnham…Averaged 10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds per game while tallying 20 blocks as a junior…Helped the Tigers to a 22-3 record last season and the program's first trip to the state tournament since 1997…Averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks in 2021 state tournament…Named All-District 13AAA and garnered All-District Tournament 13AAA accolades…Picked up All-Region Tournament 7AAA honors.
"Haley is a west Tennessee girl and may be the best athlete in the class," McMillan said. "She has just scratched the surface at Hardin County and has gotten better and better every year. She can play way bigger than her 6-1 size and can defend multiple positions. She will continue to improve by leaps and bounds."
Kenley McCarn, G, 5-11, Fr., Melbourne, Ark. (Melbourne HS)
Prepped at Melbourne High School where she plays for head coach Eric Teague…Led Bearkatz to three-straight state titles from 2019-21 while posting a combined record of 85-7…Averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season…Shot 52.1 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from beyond the arc and 81.5 percent from the free throw line…Named 2A state tournament MVP as both a sophomore and junior…Named 2A-3 Conference MVP and Player of the Year…Led team to top-five ranking in Arkansas Class 2A in back-to-back seasons…Earned three all-conference honors in prep career.
"Kenley is the definition of a winner," McMillan noted. "At 5-11 she can play every spot on the floor and has done so. She comes from a program that knows nothing but winning and will step in with the right mindset immediately. She is down to earth, hard-working, a leader by example, and a fierce competitor."
Lexi Rubel, G, 6-1, Fr., Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Notre Dame HS)
Prepped at Notre Dame High School where she plays for head coach Kirk Boeller…Averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 assists per game last year…Joined her program's 1,000-point club during junior season…Two-time Class 5 All-State selection and district player of the year…Led her team to 2019-20 Class 4 Final Four…Named 2021 Southeast Missourian Girls Basketball Player of the Year…Tabbed 2021 CBJ Female Athlete of the Year after combining for 41 wins and four tournament championships along with individual all-conference, all-district and all-state honors in basketball and volleyball.
"Lexi has one of the highest basketball IQ's we have seen at this age," McMillan said. "She can play every spot on the floor and at 6-1 does it extremely well. She is also a tremendous competitor. She is deceptively athletic, when matched with her skills, brings a tremendously well-rounded player to us."
Josie Storey, G, 5-10, Fr., Mountain View, Ark. (Mountain View HS)
Prepped at Mountainview High School where she plays for head coach Randall Storey…Averaged 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a junior…Shot 50.3 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc…Averaged over 17 points per game with three double-doubles in the playoffs…Garnered all-conference, all-state and all-state tournament honors in 2021…Helped lead her team to back-to-back state championships in 2019 and 2020.
"Josie is one of the most polished offensive players to come to us," McMillan commented. "She can get a shot one-on-one as well as anyone around. She fits perfectly with the class and at 5-10 provides a bigger wing to help on both ends of the floor. As she matures, she could be a special guard."
UT Martin officially opens the 2021-22 campaign on Friday, Nov. 12 with a matchup against Kansas State to being a three-game appearance in the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament.
"We have had a number of great signees here in the past." McMillan said. "We have also had two overall classes that stood out. The 2010 class with Megan White, Jasmine Newsome and Heather Butler was the first. The second was the 2017 class with Chelsey Perry, Paige Pipkin and Maddie Waldrop. This class rivals both of those classes."
"We have a versatile group that can play multiple positions which allows us to do a lot of different things on both ends of the floor. Their sheer size, with all of them from 5-10 to 6-5, gives us opportunities to compete on a national stage that we have not had consistently year-in and year-out. Most importantly, these young ladies fit with our culture of work ethic and selflessness. There are fierce competitors in this class that know how to win and do things the right way. This will be a fun group to watch grow and mature."
Anaya Brown, F, 6-1, Fr., Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette HS)
Prepped at Lafayette High School where she plays for head coach Allison Denton…Averaged a double-double as a junior with 17.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game…Her 283 rebounds in 23 games last season ranked ninth in the state of Kentucky…Is a member of her program's 1,000-point club while boasting a pair of all-region and all-district honors…Named a PGH Ky Class of 2022 All State first team selection…Decorated track athlete where she placed first in the region in the 800 before posting a ninth place finish at state…Helped her 4x800 relay team to a fourth place finish at the state championships.
"Anaya is a 6-1 versatile wing/post player that can guard a point guard, shoot from the perimeter and get on the glass," McMillan said. "She's a quiet young lady who plays with a lot of effort and energy. She is an outstanding athlete who also runs track and is driven to be the best she can be. She is fun to watch!"
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, F, 6-2, Fr., Jackson, Tenn. (Southside HS)
Prepped at Southside High School where she plays for head coach Brent McNeal…Averaged 12.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 spg and 2.0 bpg last season while shooting 56 percent from the field en route to being voted Team MVP…Played two seasons during which time she helped her team to a 56-8 record with two substate appearances…Has tallied 780 points and 515 rebounds in her career…Earned a pair of all-district and all-region honors along with being named to both the All-West Tennessee Newcomer Team and All-West Tennessee second team.
"Sharnecce is one of the most versatile post players in the state of Tennessee at 6-2," McMillan said. "She comes from a winning high school program and the sky is the limit for this young lady. She is a fierce competitor that we believe will develop tremendously with her work ethic."
Clara Garland, F, 6-5, Fr., Iuka, Miss. (Tishomingo County HS)
Prepped at Tishomingo County High School where she plays for head coach Brian Middleton…Averaged 12.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game last season…Ranked as the No. 4 player in the state of Mississippi and No. 135 player nationally…Helped squad to 1-4A division championship in 2020-21…Garnered 1-4A All-Division first team honors while being named Defensive Player of the Year…Named a 2021 Mississippi Sports Medicine North/South 4A/5A/6A Basketball All-Star.
"Clara can put us on the map as far as posts go," McMillan remarked. "At 6-5 she can impact a game like no other. With her high ceiling, she has the ability to make this class one of the best in the country when all is said and done. She wants to work and do what it takes to get better."
Haley Hallett, F, 6-1, Fr., Savannah, Tenn. (Hardin County HS)
Prepped at Hardin County High School where she plays for head coach Ronald Burnham…Averaged 10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds per game while tallying 20 blocks as a junior…Helped the Tigers to a 22-3 record last season and the program's first trip to the state tournament since 1997…Averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks in 2021 state tournament…Named All-District 13AAA and garnered All-District Tournament 13AAA accolades…Picked up All-Region Tournament 7AAA honors.
"Haley is a west Tennessee girl and may be the best athlete in the class," McMillan said. "She has just scratched the surface at Hardin County and has gotten better and better every year. She can play way bigger than her 6-1 size and can defend multiple positions. She will continue to improve by leaps and bounds."
Kenley McCarn, G, 5-11, Fr., Melbourne, Ark. (Melbourne HS)
Prepped at Melbourne High School where she plays for head coach Eric Teague…Led Bearkatz to three-straight state titles from 2019-21 while posting a combined record of 85-7…Averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season…Shot 52.1 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from beyond the arc and 81.5 percent from the free throw line…Named 2A state tournament MVP as both a sophomore and junior…Named 2A-3 Conference MVP and Player of the Year…Led team to top-five ranking in Arkansas Class 2A in back-to-back seasons…Earned three all-conference honors in prep career.
"Kenley is the definition of a winner," McMillan noted. "At 5-11 she can play every spot on the floor and has done so. She comes from a program that knows nothing but winning and will step in with the right mindset immediately. She is down to earth, hard-working, a leader by example, and a fierce competitor."
Lexi Rubel, G, 6-1, Fr., Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Notre Dame HS)
Prepped at Notre Dame High School where she plays for head coach Kirk Boeller…Averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 assists per game last year…Joined her program's 1,000-point club during junior season…Two-time Class 5 All-State selection and district player of the year…Led her team to 2019-20 Class 4 Final Four…Named 2021 Southeast Missourian Girls Basketball Player of the Year…Tabbed 2021 CBJ Female Athlete of the Year after combining for 41 wins and four tournament championships along with individual all-conference, all-district and all-state honors in basketball and volleyball.
"Lexi has one of the highest basketball IQ's we have seen at this age," McMillan said. "She can play every spot on the floor and at 6-1 does it extremely well. She is also a tremendous competitor. She is deceptively athletic, when matched with her skills, brings a tremendously well-rounded player to us."
Josie Storey, G, 5-10, Fr., Mountain View, Ark. (Mountain View HS)
Prepped at Mountainview High School where she plays for head coach Randall Storey…Averaged 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a junior…Shot 50.3 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc…Averaged over 17 points per game with three double-doubles in the playoffs…Garnered all-conference, all-state and all-state tournament honors in 2021…Helped lead her team to back-to-back state championships in 2019 and 2020.
"Josie is one of the most polished offensive players to come to us," McMillan commented. "She can get a shot one-on-one as well as anyone around. She fits perfectly with the class and at 5-10 provides a bigger wing to help on both ends of the floor. As she matures, she could be a special guard."
UT Martin officially opens the 2021-22 campaign on Friday, Nov. 12 with a matchup against Kansas State to being a three-game appearance in the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament.
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