MOREHEAD, Ky. – Three highly-rated women’s basketball student-athletes have inked National Letters of Intent to join the Morehead State program for the 2013-14 season.
Billie Hearn (Dry Ridge, Ky./Grant County High School), Shiloh Murphy (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg High School) and Shay Steele (Salisbury, N.C./West Rowan High School) are the newest members of Head Coach Tom Hodges’ Eagle program.
“We are excited to sign three outstanding student athletes. All will have a chance to come into our program and to Morehead State University and thrive athletically and academically,” Hodges said. “Our staff worked hard and is to be commended in recruiting these young women. Eric White, Lacey Goldwire, and Nikki Davis put in countless hours on the phone, through E-mail, social media, and watching them play all over the southeastern United States to convince them that Morehead State was the right fit.”
Hearn, a 6-2 forward, has lettered three seasons at GCHS. She earned nods on the Kentucky East/West All-Star Game roster and the state’s Junior All-Star Team roster last season. Hearn has been named all-district and all-region twice. She totaled career highs in points (32), rebounds (12) and blocked shots (14) as a sophomore when she averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 assists per outing. Her junior year produced 14.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per contest.
“We feel fortunate to sign Billie,” Hodges said. “We learned about her, and what an outstanding young lady and basketball player she is, through David Tapley of the Kentucky Premier AAU program. When we got a chance to evaluate her there was no doubt that Billie may be the best kept secret in the state. She has great length, outstanding touch, and a skill set that will allow her to play all over the floor. Her high school coach, Shawn West, is doing an outstanding job with her skill development and preparing her for the next level. With the ability to shoot the three-pointer and play in the low post, Billie will have an opportunity for immediate success here, and we couldn’t be any prouder to be the coaches that will facilitate that.”
Murphy, a 5-9 forward, led RHS to a 26-1 record as a junior while averaging 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She is rated in the top 120 nationally at her position by ESPN Hoop Gurlz. Murphy helped RHS win the district, conference and regional titles last season as a junior and guided the Raiders to the state final four.
“Shiloh is a young lady that we recruited hard over the past couple of years,” Hodges added. “We feel like she is the perfect player for us both offensively and defensively. Against some of the highest-rated players in the country this summer on the AAU circuit, she did more than hold her own. Shiloh can play the two, three, or four positions for us and that type of versatility will be invaluable as we move forward. She is one of the best three-point shooters in southern Ohio and possesses a dynamic and physical off-the-dribble game. The fact that she plays for one of the best coaches around in Jack Purtell, and at one of the premier high school programs in all of the country at Reynoldsburg, further illustrates how excited we are to be adding Shiloh to our program.”
Steele, a 6-2 forward, is the 27th-rated forward nationally by ESPN Hoop Gurlz. A left-handed shooter, she averaged 16.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 7.0 blocks and 4.0 steals per game as a junior. She enters her final prep campaign just 23 points short of 1,000 and has averaged more than 6.0 blocks per game in her first three high school seasons. She is a three-time all-conference and all-county honoree for WRHS.
“Adding Shay to our program is an off-the-charts coup for our staff and university,” Hodges said. “Shay has the size, length, and athleticism to play in any league in America. Recruiting her was a pleasure for the simple fact that we got to watch her square off against the best players in the country for the entire month of July and compete at a level that not many young ladies ever get to. Shay’s high school coach, Todd McNeely, has done a really nice job in bringing her along skill-wise in preparation for life as a Division I athlete and helping her transition that much more next year. Shay’s abilities and skills are the type of player we haven’t had here at Morehead State. Her potential is off the charts from an athletic and academic standpoint. MSU got better as a whole when we added Shay to the student population.”
The trio is set to enroll at MSU and be ready for the 2013-14 season. Hodges expects to return the entire roster for next season.
“With no seniors on our roster this year and adding these three phenomenal young women, the future is bright for Eagle women’s basketball,” Hodges concluded.
