Marshall University Athletics
Chadwick Inks Four In Early Signing Period
11/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2007
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall University head women's basketball coach Royce Chadwick announced the signing of four high school seniors to National Letters of Intent. Raechelle Gray, Kristen Kluempers, Alaya Mitchell and Veronica Ruiz have all signed to play with the Thundering Herd beginning in the fall of 2008.
Head coach Royce Chadwick is happy with the class and sees each one being able to make an immediate impact. "We have been really good about trying to get our freshman some minutes," Chadwick said. "We have hardly any freshman that do not come in and get some quality minutes before their freshman year is over with."
"Getting those minutes as freshman will pay them huge dividends when they are juniors and seniors."
The two additions to the frontcourt include Veronica Ruiz and Kristen Kluempers. Ruiz, a 6-1 senior at JFK High School in Bronx, N.Y. has averaged a double-double over the course of her career, which saw her take JFK to the city title game in 2007.
Ruiz, who is liasted as a "Player To Watch" by the New York Daily News, was also recruited by the University of Texas, St. John's and Seton Hall. Her high school coach Glen O'Neil called her one of the top players in the city.
Kristen Kluempers, a 6-0 forward, comes to Marshall from Fishers High School in Fishers, Indiana. She averaged 8.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in her junior year.
"That (the frontcourt) was a definite need. Veronica Ruiz is an outstanding forward. KK is a great inside player. Those are girls that we feel like can add some dimensions to our team with their size and rebounding ability," Chadwick said. "We think they are going to be able to pick up some of the slack from losing Samis in the paint and do some things for us in and around the basket. Both have the potential to move away from the basket as their careers develop."
Raechelle Gray and Alaya Mitchel make up the additions to the Herd backcourt. Gray is currently a senior at Shleby Country High School in Kentucky.
"Raechele is the most passionate and coachable player I have ever been around," Gray's high school coach Sally Zimmerman commented. "I feel she is one of the best point guards in Kentucky."
Gray is a candidate for the 2007-08 Kentucky All-State team, Miss Kentucky Basketball, and the Wendy's Heisman Trophy. In her junior year, Gray was named to the Farmers Bank Snowball Classic 2006 All-Tournament Team, the 30th District All-Tournament Team and was rated the second best player on the 8th Region Team.
Rounding out the class is 5'4 guard Alaya Mitchell. Mitchell currently attends Plymouth-Salem High School in Canton, Michigan. She led her team to an 18-4 record last season and is touted as an explosive offensive player with the ability to get to the rim or shoot jump shots.
"Alaya and Rae are going to be very good perimeter people for us, since we're losing Kizzy and Mel," Coach Chadwick said. "Those girls will be able to come in and do the things that they do, they are outstanding defensive players and can handle the ball with either hand."
"They can both play the point and both can play a wing position, so they are multi-dimensional players just like Kizzy and Mel."
