Ashley McCray, a 6-3 post player, rounds out the Class of 2008 signees for the University of Arkansas women's basketball team, Lady Razorback head coach Tom Collen announced last weekend.

McCray is the ninth and final signee of the first recruiting class for Arkansas by Collen as the head coach. Based on the five fall signees, the class was ranked in the top 25 by one of the leading women's basketball recruiting services.

" Ashley is a very important signee for our program, " Collen said. " We needed a player with good size in the post to compete in the SEC. "

The Chipola College post was recruited by Florida State and West Virginia among others coming out of Seminole High in Sanford, Fla. McCray chose Arkansas out of JUCO over South Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth.

" She narrowed her list of schools carefully, " Collen said. " Everyone in the country was trying to get involved late in the process with Ashley, but Coach Z [Lady'Back assistant Zenarae Antoine ] did a great job of communicating with her throughout the season. "

ADVERTISEMENT

This year for Chipola, McCray averaged 12. 7 ppg and 5. 2 rpg as the captain of a team that finished the season ranked No. 10 in the country in the NJCAA. An all-conference selection at Chipola, McCray was also a two-year member of the Dean's List.

As a senior at Seminole, McCray averaged 21. 3 ppg and 7. 3 rpg. Along with earning a letter in track and field, McCray was also a state champion weight lifter.

" She has great hands and great footwork - two very important skills for a power post player in the SEC, " Collen said. " She will give us a scoring option on the low block. "

McCray was named first-team all-Panhandle by the Florida JUCO coaches this season. Her Indian team made NJCAA nationals both years she was with the Marianna, Fla., college.

McCray posted prep career-highs of 39 points against Crooms and 18 rebounds against Lake Mary High.

McCray joins four spring signees for the Lady'Backs, and is one of two junior college post players picked up by Arkansas. Starkitsha Luellen, a 6-0 nationallyranked rebounder from Southwest Tennessee CC, was Arkansas' other JUCO signee.

Australian transfer Cara Angel and Michigan prepster Quistelle Williams were the other spring signees.

Arkansas' five fall signees were Ashley Daniels, a 6-2 forward from Coldwater, Miss.; Julie Inman, a 5-9 guard from Carlisle; Lyndsay Harris, a 5-9 guard from Hoover, Ala.; Ceira Ricketts, a 5-9 point guard from Louisville, Ky.; and Jamesha Townsend, a 6-2 forward from Chula Vista, Calif.

With nine players signed in the Class of 2008, Collen has the largest single recruiting class in the 34-year history of the Lady'Back program.