July 11, 2006
Without the big-time star Alabama State fans have come to expect, Freda Freeman-Jackson's Lady Hornets weren't touted as one of the favorites to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference last year. Still, when the season ended, they were back in a familiar position: competing for the SWAC title. Even though her team finished only 3 points from a conference championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament, Freeman-Jackson was far from satisfied.
"We had some definite needs going into the off-season, and we are excited about the ladies we are bringing in to fill them," Freeman-Jackson said as she announced her signing class for the upcoming season.
The nine student-athletes set to join the Hornet program hail from small and large, rural and urban schools in Alabama, Georgia and Illinois. Two players, Assunta Fulgham (6'2", Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Marie Dowdell (5'10", Notasulga, Ala.), led their teams to state championships.
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Three players, Fulgham, Candice Delaney (6'3", Rock Island, Ill.) and Shanice Merritt (6'2", Tuscaloosa, Ala.), have the ability to dominate in the paint. No fewer than six, Dowdell, Jasmine Sanford (5'9", Brewton, Ala.), Jasmon Hazley (5'7", Austell, Ga.), Ariel Anderson (6'1", Cartersville, Ga.), Daphne Williams (5'10", Smiths Station, Ala.) and Essence Butler (5'9", Huntsville, Ala.), have the ability to play Freeman-Jackson's furious end-to-end style. One, Jasmine Sanford, has personal ties to ASU: she is President Joe Lee's niece.
Despite their varying on-court talents, all of the signees have a few things in common.
"We only go after young ladies who are good students and who understand why they are coming to Alabama State: for a good education," said Freeman-Jackson, preparing for her 9th year as ASU's head coach. "Then they have to be our kind of players, aggressive, hardworking and team oriented. We worked hard to go out and find them."
The fruit of the coaching staff's labor is a bumper crop of recruits, littered with prolific scorers, powerful post players and flat-out athletes.
"This group reminds me of some the players we had when I first got here," Freeman-Jackson said. "They are athletic, rangy athletes, who can push the ball up and down the floor and really get after you on defense."
The players who will be joining the Lady Hornets this fall chose ASU over programs such as Alabama-Birmingham, Troy, Alabama A&M, Tulane and other Division I programs. Freeman-Jackson has a simple answer when asked how ASU does so well recruiting against teams from the so-called "power conferences."
"We have a great staff that works well together," said Freeman-Jackson. "When we talk to high school players and their parents, we let them know what we expect from them and what they can expect from us: namely, that we will take care of their student."
"If we can get them to visit us here, on our campus, we feel pretty confident that we'll get them back here as Hornets."
2006-07 Newcomers
Jasmine Sanford 5'9" Guard Brewton, Ala./T.R. Miller H.S.
• Last season she averaged 13.8 points per game and scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games. Sanford has scored more than 1000 points in her career and has attended Coach Freeman-Jackson's summer camp the last 4 years (2nd signee in as many years that is a camp alumnus, along with last year's Capri Taylor). She has connections to Alabama State: ASU President Joe Lee is her uncle.
Assunta Fulgham 6'2" Forward Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson H.S.
• Fulgham, an excellent post defender, helped lead the Jaguars to three straight state semifinals and the 2004 5-A state championship. Averaging 10 points per game and 9 rebounds per game, Fulgham is a long, rangy athlete who can run the floor. She chose ASU over Kennesaw State, Alabama A&M, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Tulane, Western Carolina and Eastern Carolina.
Jasmon Hazley 5'7" G Austell, Ga./ South Cobb H.S.
• A combo guard with blazing speed and quickness, Hazley transferred to South Cobb out of Holy Innocents and lead both teams to the Georgia State Tournament final four. She is an athletic guard who can handle, score and find the open lady, and she can play the point or shooting guard position. She sat out last season at ASU. Hazley will be a sophomore on the floor and a freshman in the classroom.
Candice Delaney 6'3" PF/C Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island H.S.
• A solid post player who can score, rebound and block shots, Delaney is able to score with her back to the basket as well as facing up and can run the floor very well for a big player. Ranked as a top senior by the Blue-Chip All Starts, she averaged 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks for Rock Island.
Ariel Anderson 6'1" G/F Cartersville, Ga./Cass H.S.
• Anderson is a long, rangy, athletic guard who can flat-out score. She handles the ball very well for someone her size and has great confidence in her game. A leader and the type of player who can take over a game, Anderson will be able to play multiple positions for the Lady Hornets. Averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds, she chose Alabama State University over Georgia Southern, Albany state, Clayton State and Troy University.
Marie Dowdell 5'10" G Notasulga, Ala./Notasulga H.S.
• Dowdell is a very athletic guard whose non-stop effort and tenacity have enabled her to excel throughout her high school career. A starter her whole career, she lead Notasulga to 2 state championships and a runner-up finish in 2006. Named to the State Finals All-Tournament Team, she has earned numerous MVP and all-tournament awards throughout her career. Dowdell has the ability to play the point, shooting guard and small forward positions. She averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.
Shanice Merritt 6'2" PF Tuscaloosa, Ala./Hillcrest H.S.
• Shanice is a very efficient post defender and shot blocker, though she has only been playing basketball for 3 years. A player with great potential, she averaged 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.
Daphnee Williams 5'10" F Smiths Station, Ala./Smiths Station H.S.
• Williams averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game playing for 3 different coaches in 4 years at Smiths Station. An athletic player who can run the floor, she has the ability to play guard or forward. She chose Alabama State over UAB.
Essence Butler 5'9" F Huntsville, Ala./Sparkman H.S.
• Averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, Butler is a strong, smart player who plays hard. She does an excellent job of taking the ball to the basket and has a good mid range jump shot. She chose Alabama State University over the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Jacksonville State University, Samford University, Alabama A&M University and the University of Southern Mississippi.
