Graves Signs Another Elite Recruiting Class

[Charles Fischer]

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics)

 

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Kelly Graves announced Wednesday the signing of four players ranked inside the top 60 of the espnW Top 100 to National Letters of Intent. The Ducks inked two five-star prospects from Ohio, Chance Gray (No. 7) and Grace VanSlooten (No. 13) in addition to a pair of top-60 players from Arizona in Jennah Isai (No. 36) and Kennedy Basham (No. 59).

 

“We’re thrilled about this group,” said Graves. “We got four elite-level players who are not only some of the best in the country, but will be great additions to our program on and off the floor. We always go after the best players who will fit who we are, and that’s what we got with this group.”

 

Kennedy Basham, 6-7, F, Phoenix, Ariz. (PHH Prep)

The No. 59 overall ranked recruit in the country in the espnW Top 100 … Rated a four-star prospect according to ESPN … Ranked No. 9 among all post players in the class … Named to the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year watch list … Played her first two seasons of high school ball at Pinnacle High School before moving to PHH Prep for her junior and senior years … Nearly averaged a double-double as a sophomore at Pinnacle High School, with 17.6 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per contest … Also blocked 4.6 shots per game while shooting 47 percent from the field … Reached double-figures in scoring in 24 of the 28 games, with 11 20-point games and two 30-point games … Averaged a double-double as a freshman, putting up 13.3 points and grabbing 10.2 boards per game … Blocked 4.3 shots per contest and shot 48 percent from the field … Scored in double-figures in 17 of the 19 games while reaching 20 points 11 times … Earned second-team 6A all-state recognition as a freshman in 2018-19 … Also received first-team All-Desert Valley Region honors.

 

Graves on Basham: Kennedy is a very talented post player with great length. Her size and athleticism will allow her to guard multiple positions defensively in addition to making her very versatile on the offensive end. Kennedy will be a strong presence in the frontcourt and will be a great fit for our program.

 

Chance Gray, 5-9, G, Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods HS)

Ranked No. 7 overall in the nation in the Class of 2022 in the espnW top 100 … A five-star recruit according to ESPN … The second-ranked point guard in the class by ESPN … The second-highest ranked recruit in program history according to ESPN, behind only Sabrina Ionescu … Named to the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year watch list … Played first three high school seasons at Lakota West High School before moving to Winton Woods High School to start her senior year … An Ohio first-team all-state selection as a junior in 2020-21 … Earned Greater Miami Conference Player of the Year honors … Led the league in scoring with 25.0 points per game while averaging 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in addition to 2.5 steals per contest … Shot 44 percent from the field, including 37.3 percent from downtown and 85 percent at the line … Named first-team All-Ohio as a sophomore in 2019-20 after putting up 20.6 points per contest.

 

Graves on Gray: Chance is one of the best point guards in this class. She’s a real leader on the floor, is very unselfish and is always looking for ways to make plays for her teammates. Chance plays with a ton of confidence and we’re thrilled to be able to have her join the program next year.

 

Jennah Isai, 5-11, G, Surprise, Ariz. (Valley Vista HS)

Ranked No. 36 nationally in the espnW Top 100 in the Class of 2022 … A four-star prospect according to ESPN … The No. 6 overall wing player in the class … Named to the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year watch list … Helped lead Valley Vista to back-to-back 6A state titles as a sophomore and junior … Averaged 18.0 points and 5.7 steals per game as a junior in 2020-21 … Played in just four games during her junior season due to injury … Named first-team 6A all-state as a freshman in 2018-19 … Also on the All-Southwest Region first team … Scored 18.2 points per game while averaging 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals per contest … Shot 51 percent from the field and 42 percent from outside in her first year of high school ball.

 

Graves on Isai: Jennah has an incredibly versatile skillset. She’s a tenacious defender both on the perimeter and in the post, and battles on the glass. Offensively, she can stretch the defense, make plays off the dribble and handle the ball well. Jennah will be a tremendous addition to our program and we’re excited to welcome her to the family.

 

Grace VanSlooten, 6-3, F, Toledo, Ohio (IMG Academy (Fla.))

No. 13 overall in the Class of 2022 in the espnW Top 100 … Rated a five-star prospect by ESPN … Ranked No. 4 among forwards in the class by ESPN … Named to the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year watch list … Played first three seasons of high school ball at Notre Dame Academy before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida at the start of her senior season … Earned Division I All-District Player of the Year as both a sophomore and junior by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association … Averaged 21.8 points and 12.5 rebounds as a junior, helping Notre Dame Academy to a state semifinal appearance … Shot 61 percent from the field while adding 2.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game … Received first-team All-Ohio recognition as a sophomore in 2019-20 after averaging 16.2 points per game.

 

Graves on VanSlooten: Grace is one of the more well-rounded players in the country. She has a ton of length and is a great rebounder, in addition to owning a versatile offensive game being able to score both inside and outside. Overall, she’s just a great athlete who will be able to do a lot of things for us and we can’t wait to have her in Eugene. 

 

[Jon Sousa]

YUP! Good things happening. It is interesting that, even with the #1 projected class, Graves' recruits are #7, then #13, #36, and #59. This means that a lot of great recruits were spread around to a lot of other teams. 

 

Graves has the best class for the second time in three years!

 

What is significant to me is that the PAC 12 has 5 of the top 6 recruiting classes nationally. Is the PAC 12 the SEC (football) of women's hoops????