John Brown University women's basketball coach Jeff Soderquist announced on Wednesday the signing of eight players for the 2020-21 season, including five athletes from Northwest Arkansas.
The Golden Eagles signed Emily Sanders and Natalie Smith from Class 6A state champion Bentonville, while Josie Sisk of Huntsville, Megan Holloway of Eureka Springs and Ariel Nix of Gentry also signed.
Leah Anderson (Rush, Colo.), Elise Cone (Bartlesville, Okla.) and Grace Latham (Martindale, Texas) also signed with the Golden Eagles, who went 9-20 overall and 5-15 in the Sooner Athletic Conference during the 2019-20 season.
"I am very excited about this class," Soderquist said in a press release. "It is a big class, but a very important one that is filled with talent at key positions. Most of all, they are wonderful young ladies that will represent Christ and JBU."
Sanders and Smith helped Bentonville go 27-1 this season and reach the Class 6A state finals for the second consecutive season, where it was supposed to face Fayetteville. However the covid-19 pandemic canceled the game and both teams were awarded state championships. Bentonville also won the 6A-West Conference the last two seasons.
Sanders, an all 6A-West Conference and all-state guard battled injuries as a senior after leading the Lady Tigers in assists as a sophomore and junior, while shooting nearly 50 percent from behind the arc and 80 percent from the charity stripe in 2018-19.
"Emily is a tall point guard that can control the game and is a good three-point shooter," Soderquist said.
Smith, a 5-8 guard, also earned all-conference and all-state honors and is a career 43 percent shooter from behind the 3-point line. She had a career high of 25 points on 10 of 11 shooting from the field as a junior for her single-game career best mark.
"Natalie is a great wing player and very good three-point shooter that will also take opponents off the dribble," Soderquist said.
Sisk, a 5-11 forward, earned all-conference honors at Huntsville and will give the Golden Eagles options on the post.
Sisk topped out at 23 points and 10 rebounds as single-game highs in her senior season and landed an All-4A West selection. Sisk also paced the Eagles in blocks and free-throw efficiency as a junior.
"Josie is a very strong forward that plays very hard and possesses the ability to play multiple positions," Soderquist said.
Holloway, a 6-2 forward, helped lead Eureka Springs to a conference championship in 2019. She also played volleyball for the Highlanders.
"Megan is a very athletic post player that can run the floor and also play outside the three-point line," Soderquist said.
Nix, a 5-7 guard, signed with JBU last week. Over her career, the 5-foot-7 guard shot over 43 percent from the floor and behind the arc, notching a career-best 23 points against Huntsville High School as a junior.
She was a two-time all-conference selection at Gentry and also played soccer and volleyball.
"Ariel is a talented guard that can shoot the triple, and make it from long distance," Soderquist said.
Anderson, a 5-7 guard, earned all-league recognition at Edison High School, where she averaged more than 24 points and 15 rebounds per game. She helped her team to four state tournament appearances and also played volleyball.
Anderson was a four-time scholar-athlete and helped guide the Eagles to four consecutive state tournament district appearances. The two-sport athlete also suited up for a quartet of seasons on the volleyball team, landing three All-Black Forest League selections.
"Leah has the ability to score around the basket for her size and plays super hard on both ends," Soderquist said.
Cone, a 5-7 guard, was a two-year starter at Bartlesville and she also competed in track.
Cone was an Academic All-State selection and helped lead the Bruins to a 2017 6A conference title and regional championship. Also a four-year track athlete, Cone averaged a 32 percent career clip from behind the three-point arc and paced all Bruins with 59 triples over the past two seasons, including a 26 of 84 mark in her senior season.
"Elise is a talented wing player that can shoot the three-pointer and drive to the basket," Soderquist said.
Latham started for four years at San Marcos High School and was an all-district honorable mention selection along with her team's most valuable player. The team captain posted single-game career highs with 19 points, 11 rebounds and an impressive nine blocks in her junior season.
"Grace is a strong post player that can score around the basket and block shots," Soderquist said.
Sports on 05/31/2020