ECU Women's Basketball Inks Four in Early Signing Period
November 12, 2015 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina Head Women's Basketball Coach Heather Macy announced the additions of four newcomers, Dominique Claytor, Alexis Cortez, Raven Johnson and Thais Oliveira, who have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Pirates beginning with the 2016-17 season.
The quartet comprises the No. 49 overall class in the nation with three high school signees and one junior college transfer according to the Dan Olsen Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, marking ECU's first top-50 crop in program history.
"Two years ago, we made an adjustment within our recruiting strategies to prepare for conference realignment," Macy said. "I felt that our staff did an incredible job identifying immediate-impact transfers during our league change, while still focusing heavily on our future recruiting classes. I'm very pleased with their commitment to the long-term vision I had so that our program would not experience any drop-off during the conference change."
Claytor, a 5'10 guard slated to graduate from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Prep in the spring of 2016, is ranked as the No. 15 wing player and was rated three stars with a scouts' grade of 90 according to the 2016 ESPNHoopGurlz recruiting rankings. Under Head Coach Eugene Love, the Lady Cats won the state championship during her junior season in 2014-15 and Claytor was named Most Valuable Player in the title game. She is a three-time all-conference and all-region first team selection, respectively, to go with consecutive all-state nods.
"Dominique is a winner and that was clear watching her leadership during the state championship run." Macy said. "She is always in the right place at the right time and makes winning plays. We love versatile players and her size and athleticism will give us the ability to play her at almost every position on the floor. Coach Love and (AAU coach) Porsche Jones have played a vital role in the development of Dominique's skill set and character. She will bring with her a tremendous work ethic in the classroom and in the gym."
A 5'11 guard from Tucson High School in Tucson, Ariz., Cortez is a top-100 prospect at No. 92 overall and a three-star prospect with a scout's grade of 90 according to the 2016 ESPNHoopGurlz recruiting rankings. The 2014-15 MaxPreps Player-of-the-Year in the state of Arizona is a four-time all-conference and all-region first team pick, respectively, and owns career averages of 25 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals during her career. On pace to break the state's men's and women's all-time scoring record among prep teams, Cortez earned Division II all-state honorable mention recognition as a sophomore in 2014.
"Alexis is a prolific scorer," Macy said. "She will allow us to stretch the floor with her ability to shoot the ball from long range, while her instincts and skill set will translate immediately. Coach (Annette) Gutierrez played a huge role in Alexis' development. Her family's support is an integral part of her success and growth as a person and I'm looking forward to helping her continue to excel."
A 5'10 guard from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., Johnson is also a three-star prospect with a scout's grade of 90 according to the 2016 ESPNHoopGurlz recruiting rankings. She also ranks among the top wing prospects in the state of Georgia after guiding the Panthers to the semifinals of the 6A state championship with a 26-4 overall record and 16-0 mark against regional opponents as a junior in 2014-15. She was named all-county and all-region first team, respectively. She scored 452 points on the year for an average of 15.6 points per game. Heading into her senior campaign, Johnson maintains a 3.2 GPA and was recently named a 2016 Gwinnett Daily Post Preseason Super Six selection.
"Raven is an exciting addition to our Pirate family," Macy said. "She is a long, athletic wing and a threat on the perimeter. She will make an immediate impact in our conference with her ability to stretch the defense. Raven scores exceptionally well in transition which complements our up-tempo style of play and she is a tenacious defender. As one of the top players in the state of Georgia, Raven is not only a great basketball player, but an exceptional student as well."
Oliveira comes from the College of Central Florida as the No. 10 junior college player in the country after putting together an impressive freshman campaign in 2014-15. The Manus Amazonas, Brazil native led the Patriots to the 2015 Mid-Florida Conference title and its first state tournament appearance in four years, before being named the team's MVP at the end of the season. Among her accolades, the 6'2 post player was named the NJCAA Division I National Player-of-the-Week and the NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week two times. Oliveira started all 32 games and scored a team-high 575 points while averaging a double-double with 18 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She reached double-digit points on 31 occasions, including 13 different 20-point performances.
"Thais is a player that fits perfectly into our offensive system," Macy said. "She has the ability to face up in the post and put the ball on the floor. Her ability to score from beyond the arc makes her a scoring threat in multiple ways. Tommy Jones, her coach at Central Florida College, played a vital role over the last season in her development and success. After coming over from Brazil last year, she had an exceptional first year playing American basketball and I'm looking forward to coaching her."
