Nov. 12, 2008
RUSTON -- Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long announced the signing of two high school standouts and one of the top junior college players in the country Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period.
The Lady Techsters signed 6-foot-3-inch post player Lenita Sanford from Chipola Junior College in Florida, 6-foot-3 post player Tavasha Anderson from Grenada High School in Mississippi and 5-foot-11-inch guard Sha'kayla Caples from Warren Central High School in Mississippi.
"I'm very, very pleased with this class," Long said. "A lot of hard work by our staff has gone into making this a great signing class. Each coach contributed. This class is just what the Lady Techster program needed. Each of the signees will make major contributions to our basketball team."
Sanford, who will have three years of eligibility remaining, was a McDonald's All-American coming out of Lynwood High School in California.
After originally signing with California, Sanford enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College before suffering an injury that sidelined her. She transferred to Chipola where she will play this season.
"Lenita is a huge signee for us," Long said. "She is an incredible player and will make a very big impact on our program. She can do it all. She not only has size, but is a powerful presence.
"She is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers I've seen. But what makes her special is she can really score on the low block and by running the floor. Once she fully recovers from her injury, the sky will be the limit."
Sanford averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a senior at Lynwood High School while leading the team to two California Interscholastic Federation section titles. She was ranked as the ninth best player in the country coming out of high school by All-Star Girls Report.
"She is a tremendous rebounder," said Chipola head coach David Lane. "If she gets her hands on the ball, she doesn't give it up. She has a nice jumper from about 15 feet and obviously can finish around the basket.
"Louisiana Tech is getting a very, very good player. Coach Long, Coach (LaRita) Wilcher and Coach (Teresa) Weatherspoon did a tremendous job recruiting her. She will be a steal for them. I think she will take off this year and a lot of people will wish they had stuck with her through her injury."
Sanford chose Louisiana Tech over Arizona and Rutgers.
"I want to go to Louisiana Tech because Coach Long is a tremendous coach, and I want to play for him," Sanford said. "Tech has produced a lot of post players in the WNBA, and Coach Long has worked with them. Coach Weatherspoon was also a big influence in my decision. She is just a great person."
Anderson signed with Louisiana Tech out of Grenada High School in Mississippi after lettering the past two years for coach Ken Ross. Anderson has been described by her high school coach as having "big-time potential."
"She is just now coming into her own as a basketball player," Ross said. "She is going to be a big-time player. People don't know about her yet, but look out because she doesn't know how good she can be. She just hasn't played much. She didn't play much as a sophomore so she is still learning how to play the game.
"She just got better and better as last season progressed and even this summer at camps. She is just really now finding out how good a player she can be. She is really athletic for a big girl. She has the entire package."
Long said he feels she is going to be a very productive player for Tech during her four year career.
"Tavasha's decision to be a Lady Techster really excites me," Long said. "She is 6-foot-3 and has huge hands and an athletic body. She catches well, can run, rebound and her offensive game is going to get better and better. She is a super young lady that has her priorities in order. She is a great student and a really hard worker in the gym.
"Tavasha is dealing with a frustrating injury that will keep her out of action for the next six weeks but I'm sure she will come back with a lot of motivation. I knew within minutes of watching her practice that we were going to offer her a scholarship. She has a lot of upside with her size, length and improving footwork."
As a junior, Anderson averaged 9.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and recording a dozen games of 10 or more rebounds. She is a very good student who has already made a 22 on the ACT.
"I fell in love with the school, the coaches and the community support from the beginning," Anderson said. "The players made it like a family atmosphere and I loved that. I'm looking forward to playing for coach Long. I'm working on doing a better job with my footwork."
She chose Tech over Ole Miss and UALR.
Caples is an explosive guard who has an opportunity this year to be the first four-time winner of the Vicksburg Posts Area Player of the Year Award. Warren Central High School coach Donny Fuller, who coached Chris Long in high school, said the Lady Techsters are landing a talented young lady.
"Louisiana Tech is getting a great player," Fuller said. "We have had a lot of great players at Warren Central High School, but she is the best in my 18 years and probably the best ever. She shoots the ball well, rebounds, jumps and can really run the floor. She is a complete player."
Caples averaged 22.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game as a junior while shooting 53 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line. She scored 20-plus points 18 times and 30-plus points three times, including a season-high 39 points in a win over Natchez.
"In my opinion, Sha'kayla is one of the top two or three talents to come out of Mississippi in the past 10 years," Long said. "She is a smooth scoring machine. She can shoot the three, has cat-like quickness at getting to the basket and can handle the ball. She is a great leaper.
"Sha'kayla is the perfect illustration of an explosive player. She is physically strong and has rare body control the enables her to dominate games. If she played AAU on the national level, there is no doubt in my mind she would be a Top 25 player. I watched her score 38 points last week against very good competition and she actually had an off-night shooting. She's that good."
Caples, who is averaging 29.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.1 steals through three games this year for the ninth ranked Vikings, chose Tech over Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Louisville.
"I'm excited about signing with Louisiana Tech," Caples said. "I chose Tech over the other schools because I like the coaching staff. They were the first ones to start recruiting me and the first ones to offer me. I want to go to Louisiana Tech and help them win another national championship."
Sha'kayla Caples
5-11, Guard
(Warren Central HS, Vicksburg, Miss.)
High School: Started for four years for coach Donny Fuller at Warren Central High School in Mississippi ... Averaged 22.6 points and 13.3 rebounds, 3 1 steals and 2.2 assists per game as a junior while shooting 53 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line for the Vikings ... Scored 20-plus points 18 times and 30-plus points three times, including a season-high 39 points in a win over Natchez ... Averaged 20.6 points and 13.0 rebounds as a sophomore ... Pulled down 21 rebounds in one game ... Named the Vicksburg Post Area Player of the Year for three straight years ... Was named to the Clarion Ledger's Dandy Dozen the past two years ... Played in the Mississippi North-South Junior All-Star game last year ... Named first team All-District 6-5A for three straight years ... Was named the MVP at the State Games of Mississippi in the summer of 2007 ...
Coach Donny Fuller
Warren Central High School
"Louisiana Tech is getting a great player. We have had a lot of great players at Warren Central High School, but she is the best in my 18 years and probably the best ever. She shoots the ball well, rebounds, jumps and can really run the floor. She is a complete player."
Coach Chris Long
Louisiana Tech
"In my opinion, Sha'kayla is one of the top two or three talents to come out of Mississippi in the past 10 years. She is a smooth scoring machine. She can shoot the three, has cat-like quickness at getting to the basket and can handle the ball. She is a great leaper. Sha'kayla is the perfect illustration of an explosive player. She is physically strong and has rare body control the enables her to dominate games. If she played AAU on the national level, there is no doubt in my mind she would be a Top 25 player. I watcher her score 38 points last week against very good competition and she actually had an off-night shooting. She's that good."
Sha'kayla Caples
"I'm excited about signing with Louisiana Tech. I chose Tech over the other schools because I like the coaching staff. They were the first ones to start recruiting me and the first ones to offer me. I want to go to Louisiana Tech and help them win another national championship."
Tavasha Anderson
6-3, Center
(Grenada High School, Grenada, Miss.)
High School: Has lettered for coach Ken Ross at Grenada High School in Mississippi for two years ... Averaged 9.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a junior ... Shot 56 percent from the field as a junior ... Recorded 12 games of double digit rebounds ... Also a member of the Grenada High School track and field team ... Competes in the shot put and the discus ...
Coach Ken Ross
Grenada High School
"She is just now coming into her own as a basketball player. She is going to be a big-time player. People don't know about her yet, but look out because she doesn't know how good she can be. She just hasn't played much. She didn't play much as a sophomore so she is still learning how to play the game. She just got better and better as last season progressed and even this summer at camps. She is just really now finding out how good a player she can be. She is really athletic for a big girl. She has the entire package."
Coach Chris Long
Louisiana Tech
"Tavasha's decision to be a Lady Techster really excites me. She is 6-foot-3 and has huge hands and an athletic body. She catches well, can run, rebound and her offensive game is going to get better and better. She is a super young lady that has her priorities in order. She is a great student and a really hard worker in the gym. Tavasha is dealing with a frustrating injury that will keep her out of action for the next six weeks but I'm sure she will come back with a lot of motivation. I knew within minutes of watching her practice that we were going to offer her a scholarship. She has a lot of upside with her size, length and improving footwork."
Tavasha Anderson
"I fell in love with the school, the coaches and the community support from the beginning. The players made it like a family atmosphere and I loved that. I'm looking forward to playing for coach Long. I'm working on doing a better job with my footwork."
Lenita Sanford
6-3, Center
(Chipola Junior College, Lynwood HS, Lynwood, Calif.)
Junior College: Signed with California out of high school but then enrolled at Trinity Valley Junior College ... Suffered an injury at TVCC and then decided to transfer to Chipola Junior College in Florida ... Will play for coach David Lane at Chipola this season ... Has helped Chipola get off to a 4-0 start and a No. 9 national ranking ... Will have three years of eligibility remaining ... High School: Lettered for coach Ellis Barfield at Lynwood High School in California ... Led Lynwood to two California Interscholastic Federation Section titles ... Averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a senior ... Named McDonald's All-American as a senior .... Named Adidas All-American ... Named Parade All-American (4th team) ... Was on the USA Today 2006-07 Preseason Top 25 list ... Named first team all-state ... Named the CIF-SS Division I-AA Player of the Year ... Ranked as the ninth best player in the country by All-Star Girls Report ... Ranked as the 24th best player in the country by Hoopgurlz ...
Coach David Lane
Chipola Junior College
"I never saw her before she got here to be honest, and when she got here she was rehabbing from her injury. I didn't see her play until the middle of July, and it really wasn't until September that she took off. There have been games already this year where we were trailing late and she really took over. She is a tremendous rebounder. If she gets her hands on the ball, she doesn't give it up. She has a nice jumper from about 15 feet and obviously can finish around the basket. Louisiana Tech is getting a very, very good player. Coach Long, Coach Wilcher and Coach Weatherspoon did a tremendous job recruiting her. She will be a steal for them. I think she will take off this year and a lot of people will wish they had stuck with her through her injury."
Lenita Sanford
"I want to go to Louisiana Tech because Coach Long is a tremendous coach, and I want to play for him. Tech has produced a lot of post players in the WNBA, and coach Long has worked with them. Coach (Teresa) Weatherspoon was also a big influence in my decision. She is just a great person."
Coach Chris Long
Louisiana Tech
"Lenita is a huge signee for us. She is an incredible player and will make a very big impact on our program. She can do it all. She not only has size, but is a powerful presence. She is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers I've seen. But what makes her special is she can really score on the low block and by running the floor. Once she fully recovers from her injury, the sky will be the limit."
