Recruiting service lauds the latest Southeast women basketball signings

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee believes the Redhawks had a banner recruiting year.

A national recruiting service agrees.

Collegiate Girls Basketball Report ranks the Redhawks' six-member recruiting class 53rd nationally and No. 1 among Ohio Valley Conference members.

"It's an honor for our program and the university," said Ishee, who wrapped up his recruiting for next season this week. "Any time you're talking about 326 Division I programs, to basically be in the top 50 ... it's a testament to the hard work our assistant coaches did."

Ranking recruiting classes, particularly those outside the top 20 or 30 of the traditional women's powers, is an inexact science at best.

Dan Olson, a former college head coach, runs Collegiate Girls Basketball Report out of Tampa, Fla.

Olson said he ranks the top 10 recruiting classes for USA Today, but doesn't routinely publish a list of rankings beyond that.

But Olson said he does compile those rankings, and provides them to programs who subscribe to his service when they ask.

Ishee said he became intrigued with where the Redhawks ranked when he read a press release on OVC member Morehead State's Web site publicizing that the Eagles' recruiting class was ranked 54th by Olson's service.

"I knew we had two higher-rated girls than them, so I called Dan and said what's the deal," Ishee said.

Ishee said Olson's organization is one of three nationally recognized recruiting services for women's basketball, the others being Blue Star and the All-Star Girls Report.

Olson said he has known Ishee for a while and considers him a good friend, but emphasized that has nothing to do with the ranking.

"He's a great guy and a good friend, but I didn't rank him because he's a good friend," Olson said. "I think the guy does a great job. He gets around and he particularly pulled two very good players in."

Olson, whose service rates nearly 1,500 players in each high school class, as well as 1,000 junior college prospects, was referring to Victoria Smith and Bianca Beck.

Olson ranks Smith, from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., as the nation's No. 8 junior college small forward.

"This kid can play. She can score," Olson said. "She's very versatile. She can fill a void for him at a number of positions."

Perhaps the only drawback is that the 5-foot-11 Smith has not yet qualified academically, which might have scared off some bigger programs.

Olson rates Beck, from Incarnate Word Academy in suburban St. Louis, as the No. 48 point guard in the high school class of 2008. She is rated by Olson as a top 300 player nationally regardless of position.

"I watched her play a number of times. She's really good as far as pushing the ball," Olson said.

Beck missed nearly her entire junior season due to a knee injury, which may have caused bigger programs to back off.

Southeast's other four signees are not as highly rated, but Olson said the other three junior college signees are solid.

Lesley Adams is a 6-2 forward/center from Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo.; Trevonna Cannon is a 6-1 forward/center from State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo.; and Daumonique Lenhardt is a 5-9 guard from Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Olson rates all three as capable of playing in top-100 type programs.

"They can all help him," Olson said. "Adams fills a void with her rebounding. Lenhardt is built for speed, long and athletic. Cannon is a very athletic inside/out player."

Olson said he is not familiar with one of Southeast's signees, 6-2 high school center Amber Holmes from San Antonio.