The Recruiting Guy

Arkansas commit earns MVP honors at prestigious summer event

Arkansas women's basketball coach Mike Neighbors following the Razorbacks' 73-72 win against Ole Miss on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 in Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas women’s basketball commitment Ginger Reece earned MVP honors at one of the more prestigious summer tournaments.

Reece (5-11) of Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhower led OK Swish to the Junior Titanium Division title at the July 10-13 event in Louisville, Ky. The event is considered one of the top three tournaments of the summer and features 64 teams and approximately 700 players.

She scored a game-high 13 points in the championship game win over NL Eclipse BlueStar. A wing, Reece started slow during the early part of the tournament.

“At first I was struggling to get going, but I pushed through it and started playing my game," she said. "My break-away game was in the Final Four against the Celtics, where I really got my mojo back going. Just when everyone else was tired and dragging, I took advantage and kept pushing forward. I’m blessed and happy that I was able to win that award amongst hundreds of other talented players.”

ProspectsNation.com rates Reece a 4-star prospect, the No. 18 wing and No. 78 overall prospect in the nation for the 2019 class. Reece averaged 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2 steals as a junior and 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2 assists per game in 27 games as a sophomore.

Coach Mike Neighbors and his staff reached out to congratulate her on her performance.

“Just mainly congratulating me on getting MVP and boosting me up,” Reece said.

Most schools have backed off from recruiting her.

“I still get letters and emails from others schools now, but the calling and all that stopped about the beginning of summer,” Reece said.

Reece, along with other commitments center Destinee Oberg, 6-2, of Burnsville (Minn.) Academy of Holy Angels; point guard Makayla Daniels, 5-7, of Frederick High School in Maryland; and Springdale guard Marquesha Davis, 6-0, stay in touch through group texts.

“Just how excited we are to get to Arkansas and become close, a really great team,” Reece said of their conversations. “And we also make small talk like about food and all that.”

She started bonding with Neighbors and assistant Todd Schaefer while at Washington and that led to her being solid in her commitment to the Razorbacks.

“When they moved to Arkansas, I made a stronger bond with them and gained more bonds with [assistant coaches] Lacey [Goldwire] and [Pauline] Love,” she said. “Plus the campus is beautiful.”