Huskers Sign Third Straight Top 15 Class
Lincoln - A solid group of five 2016 high school seniors including a pair of top 100 national recruits gave the Nebraska women’s basketball team its third consecutive top-15 recruiting class, Coach Connie Yori announced on Wednesday.
Yori and the Huskers will welcome Mi’Cole Cayton (5-9, G, Stockton, Calif./St. Mary’s), Kathleen Doyle (5-9, G, LaGrange, Ill./Benet Academy), Nicea Eliely (6-1, G/F, Colorado Springs, Colo./Rampart), Grace Mitchell (6-2, G/F, Wellington, Kan./Wellington) and Hannah Whitish (5-9, G, Barneveld, Wis./Barneveld) in a class that was ranked No. 14 nationally by Blue Star.
Cayton and Doyle provide the headlines for the group, with Doyle being ranked as the No. 22 overall player in the nation by Blue Star, No. 69 by All Star Girls Report and No. 89 by Prospects Nation, while Cayton was ranked as the No. 80 overall player by ESPN. Cayton led her St. Mary’s team to a California Open Division state championship and a No. 2 final national ranking by USA Today in 2015, while Doyle led Benet Academy to its first-ever Illinois state title and a final No. 23 national ranking by USA Today.
Eliely added a ranking as the No. 25 guard in the country by ESPN, while Mitchell was ranked as the No. 51 wing nationally by ESPN. Whitish is a leading contender for Wisconsin Player-of-the-Year honors in 2016 and could reach the 2,000-point career scoring mark while trying to lead her high school team to its third consecutive state title.
Nebraska’s fourth top-25 recruiting class in the last six seasons might resemble most closely its first top-25 class in school history, which was the four-player class of Emily Cady, Brandi Jeffery, Tear’a Laudermill and Hailie Sample that graduated as the most successful senior class in school history after leading the Big Red to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and four straight 20-win seasons.
“We have a lot of reasons to be excited about this year’s class,” Yori said. “Obviously, we needed to address some needs in the backcourt with the upcoming graduations of Rachel Theriot and Kyndal Clark, and we also felt like we need to add depth at the wing positions, which we really haven’t had in the last five years or maybe in my entire 14-year career at Nebraska. These young players have the potential to grow into elite guards in our program.
“All the top programs in the country know about Mi’Cole Cayton and Kathleen Doyle. They played for two of the nation’s best teams last year and they led their teams to state titles. Maybe not as many people know about Hannah Whitish, but she is a great shooter, a smart player and a great leader who has led her team to back-to-back state championships in Wisconsin. We are really excited about seeing all three of them alongside Natalie Romeo in our backcourt the next couple years.”
In addition to the three point/shooting guards, the Huskers will add Eliely and Mitchell to the wings, joining 2015-16 freshman Maddie Simon and 2015-16 sophomore Jasmine Cincore.
“Nicea Eliely and Grace Mitchell both have a lot of potential, and we feel like both of them have some really good basketball in front of them,” Yori said. “Nicea has a chance to be a lock-down defender. She has great length and athleticism and she comes from a basketball family. Grace is relatively new to basketball, especially in terms of summer club basketball, but she can flat out shoot it. She has great size and deep shooting range to extend defenses around our inside game.”
This year’s crop of Husker recruits will be added to this season’s freshman class, which was ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN in the fall of 2014, and NU’s current sophomore class, which was ranked No. 9 in the nation by ESPN in the fall of 2013.
“We are looking forward to watching all five of these young women have great senior seasons and hopefully win more state championships,” Yori said. “We’re also looking forward to helping them grow on and off the court when they get to Nebraska.”
Mi’Cole Cayton
5-9, Guard, Stockton, California (St. Mary’s)
The No. 80 overall player and the No. 20 guard in the nation according to ESPN, Mi’Cole Cayton will be expected to bring extreme speed and energy to the Nebraska backcourt. The 5-9 guard out of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif., claimed one of 10 spots on the Cal-Hi Sports Elite All-State team in 2015 after averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 steals as a junior. Also a Cal-Hi Sports first-team Division I (1 of 15) and a first-team All-State Underclass Junior selection (1 of 15), Cayton helped lead St. Mary’s to a 34-1 record and a final No. 2 national ranking by USA Today under Coach Tom Gonsalves in 2015.
“Mi’Cole Cayton is going to remind Husker fans of Tear’a Laudermill and Yvonne Turner,” Yori said. “She is a speed guard and she plays the game with loads of energy and a lot of flare. She is the kind of player that is going to be exciting to watch, and our fans are going to appreciate the work she does to wreak havoc on the defensive end. She is explosive off the dribble, can hit the dribble jump shot and can shoot a pretty high percentage from three-point range. She has the skills she needs to be successful at this level, and she also has a great desire to win.”
Cayton, who was one of six finalists for the Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year award in 2015, led the Rams to the California Open Division Championship by scoring 21 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 76-69 win over national No. 10 Mater Dei and 2015 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Katie Lou Samuelson, now a freshman at UConn. A proven winner who has shown the ability to perform her best in big games, Cayton helped St. Mary’s to a 59-7 record the past two seasons, including a 29-game winning streak to close her junior campaign.
As a sophomore at St. Mary’s, Cayton produced 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game while being named one of 20 Cal-Hi Sports All Underclass sophomores. An explosive player, Cayton not only was a catalyst in transition, she is also a proven long-range shooter. She hit 42-of-114 threes (.368) as a junior, after connecting on 39-of-100 (.390) as a sophomore for St. Mary’s.
The 2015 Northern California Preps Division I Player of the Year, Cayton joined current Husker Jessica Shepard on the Nike Tournament of Champions all-tournament team in December of 2014. Cayton played club basketball for the California Storm under Coach George Quintero.
A talented all-around athlete, Cayton also competed as a middle distance runner at St. Mary’s as both a freshman and a sophomore. She ran a personal-best 59.44 in the 400, while adding a 2:19.37 in the 800.
She chose Nebraska over Arizona State, Iowa State, Utah and Colorado.
Kathleen Doyle
5-9, Point Guard, LaGrange, Illinois (Benet Academy)
The No. 22 recruit in the nation according to Blue Star Basketball, Kathleen Doyle is a true point guard who can fill the stat sheet and play tenacious defense. The 5-9 senior at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., was ranked as the No. 69 overall prospect in the country according to All Star Girls Report and was ranked No. 89 by Prospects Nation.
“Kathleen Doyle was the first commit to this year’s recruiting class, and we’re confident we have found a winner both on and off the court,” Yori said. “She is an extremely smart player with a high basketball IQ, and she is also a really intelligent person off the court who was recruited by basically all the Ivy League schools. Kathleen is a pass-first point guard who can shoot it too, and she is a tough defender. She knows how to find the best solution to leading her team to victory.”
The No. 27 point guard in the 2016 class by ESPN, Doyle averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while leading Benet Academy to a 34-3 record and its first-ever Illinois Class 4A state championship in 2015, while playing for first-year Coach Joe Kilbride. Doyle, who was named the MVP of the state championship game win over Fremd after scoring 18 points, also helped Benet to a final No. 23 national ranking in the USA Today Super 25.
A first-team Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Class 3A/4A all-state selection, Doyle added a second-team All-Illinois honor from the Associated Press as a junior for the Redwings. She also earned third-team all-state honors from the Chicago Tribune. Doyle was a first-team all-area selection by the Chicago Sun-Times and a two-time East Suburban Catholic all-conference choice.
Doyle played her club basketball for the Chicago Hoops Express and Coach Jerald Davis.
Doyle chose Nebraska over Indiana, Wake Forest, Dayton and Marquette. She also strongly considered several Ivy League schools. During the summer of 2015, Doyle took a 10-day mission trip with classmates and teachers from Benet Academy to Guatemala where she helped build homes, established a soup kitchen and visited an orphanage. She is a high-performing student and a member of the National Honor Society.
Nicea Eliely
6-1, Guard/Forward, Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rampart)
The No. 25 guard in the class of 2016 according to ESPN, Nicea Eliely earned third-team Colorado Class 5A all-state honors at Rampart High School as a junior in 2015. Ranked as the No. 143 overall player nationally by Blue Star, Eliely is an emerging player with loads of potential, Eliely creates problems with her length, versatility and athleticism on the perimeter. A potential lock-down defender and an offensive slasher, Eliely averaged 16.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on her way to first-team All-Colorado Springs Metro League honors in 2015. She was also a second-team Gazette Class 5A/4A all-area selection as a junior.
“Nicea Eliely is an exciting defender. She has excellent lateral quickness, great length and a commitment to defense,” Yori said. “She also has a quick first step offensively and can hit the dribble jump shot. Nicea has received some good coaching, and she has become a significantly better player each year in high school. We expect that growth to continue this season and once she arrives at Nebraska. She has a chance to provide us with some versatility in our wing rotation that we haven’t had in a long time.”
Eliely helped Rampart advance to the Sweet 16 at the Colorado High School Athletic Association Class 5A state tournament and finish with a 20-5 overall record on the season under Coach Ashley Miller.
As a sophomore for the Lady Rams, Eliely contributed 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.2 blocked shots to help Rampart advance to the Elite Eight of the CHSAA Class 5A state tournament and finish with a 20-6 record. She was also a varsity contributor as a freshman in 2013, averaging 4.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Eliely played for the Boulder Rockies club team that won the U.S. Junior National Nike Tournament in 2015 and the Blue Star Nationals title in 2014 for Coach Johnnie Bratton. Eliely was also a member of the all-star teams at both the USJN Battle of the Border and the USJN Windy City Classic.
Eliely chose Nebraska over Colorado and Wichita State. Off the court, she was a first-team academic all-state selection and a member of the National Honor Society.
Her father, Actual Allah, played basketball collegiately at Colorado State-Pueblo.
Grace Mitchell
6-2, Guard/Forward, Wellington, Kansas (Wellington)
The No. 51 ranked wing player in the nation according to ESPN, Grace Mitchell will bring a long-range shooting threat and a big frame to the perimeter for the Huskers in 2016-17. The 6-2 guard/forward from Wellington, Kan., earned second-team KBCA Class 6A all-state honors as a junior at Derby High School in 2015. She was also a second-team Class 6A pick by the Wichita Eagle. Mitchell averaged 17.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to earn first-team All-Ark Valley-Chisolm Trail League (AVCTL) Division I honors as a junior.
Another emerging talent, Mitchell did not start playing organized basketball until seventh grade and did not compete for a summer club program until the summer before her junior season in 2014-15, competing for Coach Gayla Soyez for Next Level Hoops Academy in Wichita. Mitchell will compete as a senior at Wellington High School, which is just south of Wichita.
“Grace Mitchell wasn’t really a highly recruited player until this summer because she didn’t play much AAU basketball. We were lucky to get her because she has a lot of potential,” Yori said. “Grace will add great size and athleticism on the wing at 6-2, but she also has great shooting range. She should give us the ability to stretch the defense from the wing, which we haven’t been able to do. She has the chance with Nicea Eliely, Maddie Simon and Jasmine Cincore to give us great versatility in our wing rotation.”
Mitchell was an honorable-mention KBCA Class 6A all-state selection as a sophomore at Derby in 2014, when she also claimed second-team AVCTL Division I honors.
Mitchell picked Nebraska over 12 other Division I scholarship offers.
Hannah Whitish
5-9, Guard, Barneveld, Wisconsin (Barneveld)
Hannah Whitish was a unanimous first-team Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) all-state selection as a junior at Barneveld High School in 2015. The Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Player of the Year, Whitish averaged 21 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 4.6 steals while leading the Eagles to a 27-1 record and their second consecutive WIAA Division 5 state championship. In the state title game win over Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Whitish led all scorers with 23 points. A lights-out shooter, Whitish connected on 46 percent of her three-pointers on the season while knocking down nearly 80 percent of her free throws as a junior for Coach Jim Myers.
“Hannah Whitish was the last player to commit to our recruiting class and we are thrilled that she did,” Yori said. “She is a winner and an absolute gym rat. When she came on her visit, she could not wait to have some time alone to shoot in the Hendricks Complex. I think she is going to wear some of these nets out, along with Natalie Romeo for the next couple years. Hannah is a tough competitor who comes from a winning program and expects to win. She is going to bring that mentality every day to our practices and our games.”
As a sophomore, Whitish pumped in 17.1 points per game while powering Barneveld to the state championship. She added 15.0 points per game as a freshman, while leading the Eagles to a state runner-up finish.
Through three seasons of high school basketball, Whitish has scored 1,454 points and led Barneveld to an 82-3 record. A three-time Wisconsin Basketball Association Division 5 All-State honoree, Whitish is also a three-time first-team All-Six Rivers Conference selection. She was the 2015 Six Rivers Conference Player of the Year.
Whitish played her club basketball for Wisconsin Academy, earning a spot on the All-Star Team at the U.S. Junior Nationals Midwest Qualifier in the summer of 2015.
Whitish will become the first Husker women’s basketball player from the state of Wisconsin since 1994 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Player of the Year Anna DeForge from Niagara. A four-year starter at Nebraska, DeForge went on to earn honorable-mention All-America honors for the Huskers as a senior in 1998, before being a two-time WNBA All-Star. Whitish is expected to be a leading contender for the 2016 WBCA state player-of-the-year award.
Whitish chose Nebraska over Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas and Florida Gulf Coast.
Lincoln - A solid group of five 2016 high school seniors including a pair of top 100 national recruits gave the Nebraska women’s basketball team its third consecutive top-15 recruiting class, Coach Connie Yori announced on Wednesday.
Yori and the Huskers will welcome Mi’Cole Cayton (5-9, G, Stockton, Calif./St. Mary’s), Kathleen Doyle (5-9, G, LaGrange, Ill./Benet Academy), Nicea Eliely (6-1, G/F, Colorado Springs, Colo./Rampart), Grace Mitchell (6-2, G/F, Wellington, Kan./Wellington) and Hannah Whitish (5-9, G, Barneveld, Wis./Barneveld) in a class that was ranked No. 14 nationally by Blue Star.
Cayton and Doyle provide the headlines for the group, with Doyle being ranked as the No. 22 overall player in the nation by Blue Star, No. 69 by All Star Girls Report and No. 89 by Prospects Nation, while Cayton was ranked as the No. 80 overall player by ESPN. Cayton led her St. Mary’s team to a California Open Division state championship and a No. 2 final national ranking by USA Today in 2015, while Doyle led Benet Academy to its first-ever Illinois state title and a final No. 23 national ranking by USA Today.
Eliely added a ranking as the No. 25 guard in the country by ESPN, while Mitchell was ranked as the No. 51 wing nationally by ESPN. Whitish is a leading contender for Wisconsin Player-of-the-Year honors in 2016 and could reach the 2,000-point career scoring mark while trying to lead her high school team to its third consecutive state title.
Nebraska’s fourth top-25 recruiting class in the last six seasons might resemble most closely its first top-25 class in school history, which was the four-player class of Emily Cady, Brandi Jeffery, Tear’a Laudermill and Hailie Sample that graduated as the most successful senior class in school history after leading the Big Red to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and four straight 20-win seasons.
“We have a lot of reasons to be excited about this year’s class,” Yori said. “Obviously, we needed to address some needs in the backcourt with the upcoming graduations of Rachel Theriot and Kyndal Clark, and we also felt like we need to add depth at the wing positions, which we really haven’t had in the last five years or maybe in my entire 14-year career at Nebraska. These young players have the potential to grow into elite guards in our program.
“All the top programs in the country know about Mi’Cole Cayton and Kathleen Doyle. They played for two of the nation’s best teams last year and they led their teams to state titles. Maybe not as many people know about Hannah Whitish, but she is a great shooter, a smart player and a great leader who has led her team to back-to-back state championships in Wisconsin. We are really excited about seeing all three of them alongside Natalie Romeo in our backcourt the next couple years.”
In addition to the three point/shooting guards, the Huskers will add Eliely and Mitchell to the wings, joining 2015-16 freshman Maddie Simon and 2015-16 sophomore Jasmine Cincore.
“Nicea Eliely and Grace Mitchell both have a lot of potential, and we feel like both of them have some really good basketball in front of them,” Yori said. “Nicea has a chance to be a lock-down defender. She has great length and athleticism and she comes from a basketball family. Grace is relatively new to basketball, especially in terms of summer club basketball, but she can flat out shoot it. She has great size and deep shooting range to extend defenses around our inside game.”
This year’s crop of Husker recruits will be added to this season’s freshman class, which was ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN in the fall of 2014, and NU’s current sophomore class, which was ranked No. 9 in the nation by ESPN in the fall of 2013.
“We are looking forward to watching all five of these young women have great senior seasons and hopefully win more state championships,” Yori said. “We’re also looking forward to helping them grow on and off the court when they get to Nebraska.”
Mi’Cole Cayton
5-9, Guard, Stockton, California (St. Mary’s)
The No. 80 overall player and the No. 20 guard in the nation according to ESPN, Mi’Cole Cayton will be expected to bring extreme speed and energy to the Nebraska backcourt. The 5-9 guard out of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif., claimed one of 10 spots on the Cal-Hi Sports Elite All-State team in 2015 after averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 steals as a junior. Also a Cal-Hi Sports first-team Division I (1 of 15) and a first-team All-State Underclass Junior selection (1 of 15), Cayton helped lead St. Mary’s to a 34-1 record and a final No. 2 national ranking by USA Today under Coach Tom Gonsalves in 2015.
“Mi’Cole Cayton is going to remind Husker fans of Tear’a Laudermill and Yvonne Turner,” Yori said. “She is a speed guard and she plays the game with loads of energy and a lot of flare. She is the kind of player that is going to be exciting to watch, and our fans are going to appreciate the work she does to wreak havoc on the defensive end. She is explosive off the dribble, can hit the dribble jump shot and can shoot a pretty high percentage from three-point range. She has the skills she needs to be successful at this level, and she also has a great desire to win.”
Cayton, who was one of six finalists for the Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year award in 2015, led the Rams to the California Open Division Championship by scoring 21 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 76-69 win over national No. 10 Mater Dei and 2015 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Katie Lou Samuelson, now a freshman at UConn. A proven winner who has shown the ability to perform her best in big games, Cayton helped St. Mary’s to a 59-7 record the past two seasons, including a 29-game winning streak to close her junior campaign.
As a sophomore at St. Mary’s, Cayton produced 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game while being named one of 20 Cal-Hi Sports All Underclass sophomores. An explosive player, Cayton not only was a catalyst in transition, she is also a proven long-range shooter. She hit 42-of-114 threes (.368) as a junior, after connecting on 39-of-100 (.390) as a sophomore for St. Mary’s.
The 2015 Northern California Preps Division I Player of the Year, Cayton joined current Husker Jessica Shepard on the Nike Tournament of Champions all-tournament team in December of 2014. Cayton played club basketball for the California Storm under Coach George Quintero.
A talented all-around athlete, Cayton also competed as a middle distance runner at St. Mary’s as both a freshman and a sophomore. She ran a personal-best 59.44 in the 400, while adding a 2:19.37 in the 800.
She chose Nebraska over Arizona State, Iowa State, Utah and Colorado.
Kathleen Doyle
5-9, Point Guard, LaGrange, Illinois (Benet Academy)
The No. 22 recruit in the nation according to Blue Star Basketball, Kathleen Doyle is a true point guard who can fill the stat sheet and play tenacious defense. The 5-9 senior at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., was ranked as the No. 69 overall prospect in the country according to All Star Girls Report and was ranked No. 89 by Prospects Nation.
“Kathleen Doyle was the first commit to this year’s recruiting class, and we’re confident we have found a winner both on and off the court,” Yori said. “She is an extremely smart player with a high basketball IQ, and she is also a really intelligent person off the court who was recruited by basically all the Ivy League schools. Kathleen is a pass-first point guard who can shoot it too, and she is a tough defender. She knows how to find the best solution to leading her team to victory.”
The No. 27 point guard in the 2016 class by ESPN, Doyle averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while leading Benet Academy to a 34-3 record and its first-ever Illinois Class 4A state championship in 2015, while playing for first-year Coach Joe Kilbride. Doyle, who was named the MVP of the state championship game win over Fremd after scoring 18 points, also helped Benet to a final No. 23 national ranking in the USA Today Super 25.
A first-team Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Class 3A/4A all-state selection, Doyle added a second-team All-Illinois honor from the Associated Press as a junior for the Redwings. She also earned third-team all-state honors from the Chicago Tribune. Doyle was a first-team all-area selection by the Chicago Sun-Times and a two-time East Suburban Catholic all-conference choice.
Doyle played her club basketball for the Chicago Hoops Express and Coach Jerald Davis.
Doyle chose Nebraska over Indiana, Wake Forest, Dayton and Marquette. She also strongly considered several Ivy League schools. During the summer of 2015, Doyle took a 10-day mission trip with classmates and teachers from Benet Academy to Guatemala where she helped build homes, established a soup kitchen and visited an orphanage. She is a high-performing student and a member of the National Honor Society.
Nicea Eliely
6-1, Guard/Forward, Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rampart)
The No. 25 guard in the class of 2016 according to ESPN, Nicea Eliely earned third-team Colorado Class 5A all-state honors at Rampart High School as a junior in 2015. Ranked as the No. 143 overall player nationally by Blue Star, Eliely is an emerging player with loads of potential, Eliely creates problems with her length, versatility and athleticism on the perimeter. A potential lock-down defender and an offensive slasher, Eliely averaged 16.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on her way to first-team All-Colorado Springs Metro League honors in 2015. She was also a second-team Gazette Class 5A/4A all-area selection as a junior.
“Nicea Eliely is an exciting defender. She has excellent lateral quickness, great length and a commitment to defense,” Yori said. “She also has a quick first step offensively and can hit the dribble jump shot. Nicea has received some good coaching, and she has become a significantly better player each year in high school. We expect that growth to continue this season and once she arrives at Nebraska. She has a chance to provide us with some versatility in our wing rotation that we haven’t had in a long time.”
Eliely helped Rampart advance to the Sweet 16 at the Colorado High School Athletic Association Class 5A state tournament and finish with a 20-5 overall record on the season under Coach Ashley Miller.
As a sophomore for the Lady Rams, Eliely contributed 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.2 blocked shots to help Rampart advance to the Elite Eight of the CHSAA Class 5A state tournament and finish with a 20-6 record. She was also a varsity contributor as a freshman in 2013, averaging 4.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Eliely played for the Boulder Rockies club team that won the U.S. Junior National Nike Tournament in 2015 and the Blue Star Nationals title in 2014 for Coach Johnnie Bratton. Eliely was also a member of the all-star teams at both the USJN Battle of the Border and the USJN Windy City Classic.
Eliely chose Nebraska over Colorado and Wichita State. Off the court, she was a first-team academic all-state selection and a member of the National Honor Society.
Her father, Actual Allah, played basketball collegiately at Colorado State-Pueblo.
Grace Mitchell
6-2, Guard/Forward, Wellington, Kansas (Wellington)
The No. 51 ranked wing player in the nation according to ESPN, Grace Mitchell will bring a long-range shooting threat and a big frame to the perimeter for the Huskers in 2016-17. The 6-2 guard/forward from Wellington, Kan., earned second-team KBCA Class 6A all-state honors as a junior at Derby High School in 2015. She was also a second-team Class 6A pick by the Wichita Eagle. Mitchell averaged 17.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to earn first-team All-Ark Valley-Chisolm Trail League (AVCTL) Division I honors as a junior.
Another emerging talent, Mitchell did not start playing organized basketball until seventh grade and did not compete for a summer club program until the summer before her junior season in 2014-15, competing for Coach Gayla Soyez for Next Level Hoops Academy in Wichita. Mitchell will compete as a senior at Wellington High School, which is just south of Wichita.
“Grace Mitchell wasn’t really a highly recruited player until this summer because she didn’t play much AAU basketball. We were lucky to get her because she has a lot of potential,” Yori said. “Grace will add great size and athleticism on the wing at 6-2, but she also has great shooting range. She should give us the ability to stretch the defense from the wing, which we haven’t been able to do. She has the chance with Nicea Eliely, Maddie Simon and Jasmine Cincore to give us great versatility in our wing rotation.”
Mitchell was an honorable-mention KBCA Class 6A all-state selection as a sophomore at Derby in 2014, when she also claimed second-team AVCTL Division I honors.
Mitchell picked Nebraska over 12 other Division I scholarship offers.
Hannah Whitish
5-9, Guard, Barneveld, Wisconsin (Barneveld)
Hannah Whitish was a unanimous first-team Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) all-state selection as a junior at Barneveld High School in 2015. The Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Player of the Year, Whitish averaged 21 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 4.6 steals while leading the Eagles to a 27-1 record and their second consecutive WIAA Division 5 state championship. In the state title game win over Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Whitish led all scorers with 23 points. A lights-out shooter, Whitish connected on 46 percent of her three-pointers on the season while knocking down nearly 80 percent of her free throws as a junior for Coach Jim Myers.
“Hannah Whitish was the last player to commit to our recruiting class and we are thrilled that she did,” Yori said. “She is a winner and an absolute gym rat. When she came on her visit, she could not wait to have some time alone to shoot in the Hendricks Complex. I think she is going to wear some of these nets out, along with Natalie Romeo for the next couple years. Hannah is a tough competitor who comes from a winning program and expects to win. She is going to bring that mentality every day to our practices and our games.”
As a sophomore, Whitish pumped in 17.1 points per game while powering Barneveld to the state championship. She added 15.0 points per game as a freshman, while leading the Eagles to a state runner-up finish.
Through three seasons of high school basketball, Whitish has scored 1,454 points and led Barneveld to an 82-3 record. A three-time Wisconsin Basketball Association Division 5 All-State honoree, Whitish is also a three-time first-team All-Six Rivers Conference selection. She was the 2015 Six Rivers Conference Player of the Year.
Whitish played her club basketball for Wisconsin Academy, earning a spot on the All-Star Team at the U.S. Junior Nationals Midwest Qualifier in the summer of 2015.
Whitish will become the first Husker women’s basketball player from the state of Wisconsin since 1994 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Player of the Year Anna DeForge from Niagara. A four-year starter at Nebraska, DeForge went on to earn honorable-mention All-America honors for the Huskers as a senior in 1998, before being a two-time WNBA All-Star. Whitish is expected to be a leading contender for the 2016 WBCA state player-of-the-year award.
Whitish chose Nebraska over Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas and Florida Gulf Coast.
