Women's Basketball Signs Six for 2010 Class

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Northern Arizona women’s basketball has announced its 2010 recruiting class with six athletes signing National Letters of Intent to play for the Lumberjacks next fall. Head coach Laurie Kelly has brought in six players from four different states who have all received acclaim from national scouting services.

Shayla Batson (Irvine, Calif./Mater Dei)
Batson enters her senior season at Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) as a member of the No. 1 nationally-ranked Monarchs, according to MaxPrep’s Preseason Xcellent 25, presented by the Army National Guard. Batson was part of a Mater Dei team that finished 32-1 in 2008-09. The 5-9 wing player is ranked No. 72 at her position in the 2010 class according to HoopGurlz/ESPN Women’s Basketball recruiting services. She plays AAU basketball for Irvine Sol.

“The thing that’s great about Shayla Batson is she is a good winger player,” Kelly said. “She has a good perimeter shot and the ability to score off the dribble. She plays at Mater Dei, the No. 1 ranked high school in the country so to get a player out of that program is great for our program. She competes every single day against Division I type college athletes so her ability to get better and better at the high school level is a great thing for her."

Shakila Boler (Burnsville, Minn./Roosevelt)
As a sophomore for Kennedy High School (St. Paul, Minn.), Boler averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds-per-game. After transferring to Roosevelt (Minneapolis, Minn.) and struggling with knee injuries, Boler averaged 14.3 points-per-game and led the Teddies to a 20-10 record scoring 39 points against Jordan High School (Jordan, Minn.) in the Minnesota state playoffs. The 5-9 guard is listed as the No. 23-ranked point guard in the 2010 class presented by HoopGurlz/ESPN recruiting services. She was ranked the No. 25 player in the country according to www.GregSwain.com during her junior season.

“Shakila is one of the most highly ranked players we have ever signed here at NAU,” Kelly said. “She is a tremendous point guard. She has the ability to handle the ball, stay composed on the floor and score the basketball. She will be an impact player for us right away. She was a highly recruited player. We were fortunate to have things work out the way they did and have her come to NAU.”

Khyra Conerly (Oakland, Calif./Alameda)
Conerly is a three-year starter, letterwinner and two-year captain for head coach Brad Thomas at Alameda High School (Alameda, Calif.). Conerly helped Alameda to a 16-11 record last year advancing to the North Coast Section Division II playoffs. Conerly averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals a game during the 2008-09 season. She has also been named all-league first team and was recently nominated to the 2010 McDonald’s All-American team.

“Khyra has the ability to play the point as well as the two guard position,” said Kelly. “She is extremely athletic and runs the floor really well. She is able to score from the three-point line as well as off the dribble. She plays point guard for her AAU and high school teams, but because of her size at 5-9 and the ability to score the ball she gives you the versatility to play both guard positions.”

Shay May (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep)
May, from Xavier Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), is another nationally-ranked player by HoopsGurlz/ESPN recruiting services. May is rated as the No. 63 small forward in the 2010 recruiting class. She is a two-sport athlete in basketball and track and field. In basketball, she was a four-year letterwinner, three-year starter and captain her senior year under head coach Jennifer Gillam. May played AUU basketball for Arizona Elite.

“Athlete is the first thing that comes to you,” Kelly said. “At six feet tall, she is rebounding by the rim. As a four player, she is a player that runs well and who can score in transition. She will keep a lot of plays alive on the offensive and defensive ends with her rebounding ability. She is able to make shots all the way out to the three-point line giving her flexibility to score on the inside and outside. She could be one of the players with the biggest upside because she is so athletic.”

Trinidee Trice (Riverside, Calif./Alemany)
Last year at North Vista High School (Riverside, Calif.), Trice averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists-per-game. After transferring following her junior year, Trice is averaging 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds-per-game through two games for Alemany High School (Los Angeles, Calif.). The 5-10 forward played AAU ball for the nationally-ranked West Coast Premier. She is ranked No. 61 among forwards in the 2010 class according to HoopGurlz/ESPN recruiting services.

“Trinidee plays for an elite AAU program,” Kelly said. “It is tremendous to get a kid off a program like that. She is an outstanding student and basketball player. She is physical and has a great basketball build. At 5-11, she can play at the three and four spot. She rebounds and runs really hard. She can score inside and from the perimeter. She is able to fill out our depth as a bigger guard and also in the post.”

Sendy Valles (Milliken, Colo./Roosevelt)
Valles, a 5-10 forward from Highlands Ranch High School (Littleton, Colo.), is a three-time all-state, all-area and all-conference selection. She played three years at Roosevelt High School (Jonestown, Colo.) before transferring to Highlands Ranch for her senior year and is the all-time leader at Roosevelt in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. As a sophomore she led the state of Colorado in scoring with 26 points-per-game. Valles was also an all-state, all-area and all-conference volleyball player. She is ranked No. 23 overall among forwards nationally as stated by HoopsGurlz.com/ESPN recruiting services. Valles plays AAU basketball for Boulder Rockies-Red.

“I am very excited about Sendy,” Kelly said. “She is a three player that can play minutes at the four. Sendy has an unbelievable scorer's mentality. She never takes any play off. When it comes to a hustle player and someone who can make an impact on both ends of the floor, she is definitely that type. She is coming out of Highlands Ranch one of the premiere programs in Colorado. I think Colorado has a great reputation for girl’s basketball and she will bring a lot to our program.”