The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Basketball Signs Four For 2009-10
11/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB women's basketball team has inked four players to its 2009-10 class, announced head coach Audra Smith. Jasmine Green, Jala Harris, Pearl Johnson and Khalilah Watson have all signed national letters of intent to play for the Blazers next season.
"We are really excited about this signing class," said Smith. "We have signed four outstanding, talented players that fill some needs for us and will be able to help this team."
Green and Harris are high school teammates at Bob Jones High School in Madison, Ala. The duo helped head coach Tim Miller and the Lady Patriots to a 35-2 record and the Alabama 6A State Championship a season ago. Bob Jones was preseason ranked No. 36 in the nation by ESPN.
Green is a 6-3 forward/center that brings a lot of size and athleticism to the paint. She was named to the Area 16 All-Tournament Team and listed as honorable mention All-Huntsville by The Huntsville Times in 2008. She also earned the team's Most Improved award a season ago. Most recently, Green was listed on the Birmingham News' Super Senior list.
"Jasmine is an athletic and skillful post player," said Smith. "She runs the floor well and can make a difference in the paint. She also is good on the defensive end, getting stops and blocking shots."
Harris, a 5-6 point guard, has amassed numerous accolades, including second-team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association a season ago. She has also been listed on the Area 16 All-Tournament team, Northwest All-Regional team, State All-Tournament team and was named the MVP of the Northwest Regional Tournament. In addition, she was invited to play in the 2008 Alabama North-South All-Star game.
"Jala handles the ball so well," said Smith. "She is a solid point guard and can push the ball in transition. She can score as well by either shooting the three or getting to the basket."
Watson is a 5-7 guard from Savannah, Ga., playing her prep career at Beach High School. She has been a force on both ends of the court for the Bulldogs, earning Class 5A honorable mention all-state accolades from the Georgia Sports Writers Association as a junior.
"Khalilah is a hard-nosed guard," said Smith. "She has a knack for getting to the hole and making big plays. She is also a real defensive player that will get in there and grab rebounds."
Johnson hails from Lady Lake, Fla. and is spending the 2008-09 season at Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. Playing her high school career for head coach Mark Oates at Leesburg High School, the 5-6 guard is a speedy and talented player that was listed as one of the Class of 2008's top girls basketball players in the state of Florida by FloridaHoops.com.
"Pearl is a tremendous point guard with great scoring ability," said Smith. "She is quick and athletic. With her experience, she can run the team from the point and also be an offensive threat."
