Rogers State Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams is beginning to see the fruits of her labor. Working tirelessly and as quickly as possible, Williams has already assembled six scholarship players for the 2007-08 basketball season with several other recruits nearing a commitment.
“I’m excited to get the ball rolling from a recruiting standpoint,” Williams said. “Several of these initial signees have an opportunity to be impact players right away and we have a number of others that are close to committing.”
The first six players to sign letters of intent with RSU hail from five different states and include two high school seniors and four junior college transfers. The prep stars include 5-foot-7-inch guard Hunter Peterson of Jenks High School and 6-foot forward Bailey Woods of Gentry (Ark.) High School.
Williams landed two players from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in 5-foot-7-inch guard Tasha Parker and 5-foot-8-inch guard Erica Taylor. Parker is originally from Wichita, Kan., (Wichita North High School) while Taylor hails from Alief Taylor High School in Houston, Texas. Parker will have two years of eligibility remaining at RSU. Taylor, who played one season and red shirted one season for the Ravens, has three years of eligibility left.
Ashley Coleman, a 5-foot-8-inch guard from Fort Smith, Ark., also logged a year at Coffeyville C.C. Coleman signed with the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith after leading Fort Smith Northside High School to a state championship in 2002-03. After sitting out a year she transferred to Coffeyville and will look to complete her athletic career at RSU. Megan Knowles, a 6-foot-4-inch center from Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Ariz., rounds out the first crop of RSU signees. Knowles red shirted last season at Cowley County (Kan.) Community College and will have four years of eligibility remaining when she enrolls at RSU.
Claremore High School senior Lauren Froese has verbally committed to the Hillcats and is expected to sign an official letter of intent on Tuesday.
Women’s basketball is one of four new athletic programs to be implemented by RSU in 2007-08. The Hillcats will also begin play in men’s basketball as well as men’s and women’s soccer this fall. Rogers State University, an NAIA member institution, was accepted into the Sooner Athletic Conference in Sept. 2006 and will play a full conference schedule and be eligible for conference and post-season tournament play in 2007-08.
The first regular season basketball game for the Hillcats is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8 vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan at the Claremore Expo.