Deacs Add Four on National Signing Day
11/14/2018 8:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head coach Jen Hoover announced the addition of four scholarship student-athletes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest women's basketball coach Jen Hoover announced on Wednesday, Nov. 14, the addition of four student-athletes to the women's basketball family for the upcoming 2019-2020 season, as Kaia Harrison, Anaia Hoard, Alexandria Scruggs and Olivia Summiel all signed National Letters of Intent.
"We are thrilled to welcome Kaia, Anaia, Alex and Olivia into our Wake Forest women's basketball family," said Hoover. "The class fits our needs. They will bring a lot of athleticism, intensity, skill and character to our program. They're excellent student-athletes who understand the value of a Wake Forest degree and will represent our program and Wake Forest University in an unbelievable way."
"I want to commend my assistant coaches for their diligent work in identifying the best players and the brightest students that will continue to enhance the positive culture we have built with Wake Forest Women's Basketball. We could not be more excited for their arrival next summer."
Harrison, a native of Baldwin, New York, joins the Demon Deacons as the 27th-ranked guard in the country according to ESPN HoopGurlz. A 5-foot-7 guard, Harrison played on the Iexcel AAU team under Walter Welsh and helped guide the team to 2017 titles at the Philly FaceOff, Run for the Roses, Battle at the Bayou while also claiming a Nationals title in Atlanta.
While competing for Baldwin High School, Harrison earned five varsity letters in basketball. The Bruins are five-time Nassau County champions, three-time Long Island champions and two-time New York State champions while Harrison earned all-tournament honors at both New York State championships events. Additionally, she was the MVP of the 2018 New York State Federation championships, a title her team also won.
A multi-sport athlete, Harrison was a 2016-17 all-classification honoree in soccer while earning All-County distinctions in 2018-19. The daughter of Rodney and LaPrena Harrison, Kaia has two older sisters, Amber and Tyra. Amber played collegiately at Queens College while Tyra currently plays for Molloy College.
"Kaia is a talented point guard with great vision and court awareness," said Hoover. "She is a true leader on the floor that can dictate the tempo of the game with her quickness and defensive intensity. Kaia has the ability to not only set up her teammates, but to score equally as efficiently. She has a high basketball IQ and is unselfish player who will do whatever is necessary for her team to be successful. She loves to have the role of leading her team with the ball in her hands and will transition very nicely into our style of play."
Hoard, who currently lives in High Point, North Carolina, after growing up in France, is the younger sister of Jaylen Hoard, a freshman on the Wake Forest men's basketball team. A 5-foot-10 guard out of Wesleyan Christian Academy, Hoard is ranked 66th in the country according to the ASGR rankings. She has competed on the national level, leading her native France to gold at the U15 and U16 European Championships while finishing runner-up at the U17 World Cup.
Stateside, Hoard earned all-conference honors with the Trojans. She excelled in the classroom as well, earning a student-athlete award and an art award. The daughter of Katia and Antwon Hoard, Anaia has three siblings, Elijah, Jaylen and Amari. Antwon has played professional basketball for 15 years with stops in Finland, Poland, Italy, Israel and France, while Katia was a four-year member of the University of Washington women's basketball team. While there, she was a three-time captain and went on to earn titles with the French national team, including a runner-up finish in the European Championships.
"We are excited to be adding another member of the Hoard family to Wake Forest. Anaia will add athleticism and length to our perimeter allowing her to play multiple positions in our system. She has the quickness and skill set that allows her to attack on the offensive end and be very disruptive defensively. She can handle the ball, shoot the three, attack the rim and finish in transition. Anaia's international experience playing with her French national team will be invaluable in preparing her to compete in the best conference in the country," added Hoover.
Scruggs, a 5-foot-10 guard out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is ranked 68th nationally by Blue Star Basketball, 95th by the Olson rankings and 96th overall (26th positionally) by ESPN HoopGurlz. Scruggs began her high school career at Trinity Christian School, where the team won two titles in three trips to the State Championship finals. As an eighth grader, Scruggs scored 48 points in the championship game en route to the title before winning it again as a sophomore. She is spending her senior season at EE Smith High School, helping lead the Golden Bulls to the fourth round of the state playoffs. Scruggs was named Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season while being tabbed as an all-conference selection all four years.
Scruggs competed on the Carolina Flames AAU team, competing at Nike Nationals in each of the last four years, with the last three seasons coming at the U17 level. An honor roll student who also excels at volleyball, Scruggs is a member of National Honor Society and the Academy of Scholars.
The daughter of William and Cherie Scruggs, Alexandria has one older sibling, Jourdan. Her father played collegiately at Elgin Community College while her uncle, John Bagley, played 11 seasons in the NBA with Cleveland, New Jersey, Boston and Atlanta, averaging 8.7 points per game during his time in the league.
"Alex is a tremendous scorer that will be able to exploit defenses with her strength and explosiveness. She can beat you from the three-point line, attacking the basket or taking her game inside and punishing you while generating fouls and finishing with contact. Her versatility and toughness on the perimeter will be instrumental to our success in the future. What drew me to her from the beginning was her fierce drive to compete. Her work ethic and passion for the game are contagious. Alex is also an outstanding student, currently ranking third in her class," noted Hoover.
Summiel is a 6-foot-2 forward out of Dayville, Connecticut. While at Marianapolis Preparatory School, Summiel has averaged a double-double for her career with the Golden Knights. A two-time team captain, Summiel has been named a Class A All-Conference first team honoree three times and has earned the Outstanding Player Award for her team in each of the last two seasons. She helped guide her team to the 2016-17 NEPSAC Class A championship title as well as tournament MVP honors. Her 2017-18 team would go on to finish runner-up in the 2017-18 season.
On the AAU circuit, Summiel has competed for the New England Crusaders, with her team claiming the 2016 Blue Star Media title. She has also competed at the Boo Williams Tournament, Run for the Roses Tournament, Nike Invitational and National tournaments, the Summer Slam Camp Tournament, the USJN US Championships and USJN Jamfest events.
A two-time conference champion in the shot put, Summiel also competed in volleyball and strength & conditioning. She is a member of National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society and is a member of the Captains Council. The daughter of David and Tammy Summiel, Olivia has two older brothers, David and Devin, and a pair of younger siblings, sister Maya and brother Ty. Devin played collegiate football at Fitchburg State and is the program's all-time leading receiver.
"Olivia is a versatile forward that is hard-working and brings passion and great energy to the court. Her ability to play inside as well as stretch the defense with her three-point range will be a great asset to our team. Olivia is also an aggressive rebounder on both ends of the court, but I am most excited about her leadership and competitiveness. She makes everyone around her better and is a complete player," said Hoover.
"This group is refreshing, exciting and talented and it has been a pleasure for my staff and me to recruit them and get to know their families. The five of them already represent what Demon Deacons are all about. We want to especially thank their parents for entrusting us with their amazing daughters."
"I believe Wake Forest is a special place not only because of our beautiful campus and academic excellence, but more importantly it is the amazing people that inspire and invest in our players daily. I want to say thank you to every member of the Wake Forest community. Because of their time and support, we are able to attract, recruit and sign this caliber of student-athlete."
"We are thrilled to welcome Kaia, Anaia, Alex and Olivia into our Wake Forest women's basketball family," said Hoover. "The class fits our needs. They will bring a lot of athleticism, intensity, skill and character to our program. They're excellent student-athletes who understand the value of a Wake Forest degree and will represent our program and Wake Forest University in an unbelievable way."
"I want to commend my assistant coaches for their diligent work in identifying the best players and the brightest students that will continue to enhance the positive culture we have built with Wake Forest Women's Basketball. We could not be more excited for their arrival next summer."
Harrison, a native of Baldwin, New York, joins the Demon Deacons as the 27th-ranked guard in the country according to ESPN HoopGurlz. A 5-foot-7 guard, Harrison played on the Iexcel AAU team under Walter Welsh and helped guide the team to 2017 titles at the Philly FaceOff, Run for the Roses, Battle at the Bayou while also claiming a Nationals title in Atlanta.
While competing for Baldwin High School, Harrison earned five varsity letters in basketball. The Bruins are five-time Nassau County champions, three-time Long Island champions and two-time New York State champions while Harrison earned all-tournament honors at both New York State championships events. Additionally, she was the MVP of the 2018 New York State Federation championships, a title her team also won.
A multi-sport athlete, Harrison was a 2016-17 all-classification honoree in soccer while earning All-County distinctions in 2018-19. The daughter of Rodney and LaPrena Harrison, Kaia has two older sisters, Amber and Tyra. Amber played collegiately at Queens College while Tyra currently plays for Molloy College.
"Kaia is a talented point guard with great vision and court awareness," said Hoover. "She is a true leader on the floor that can dictate the tempo of the game with her quickness and defensive intensity. Kaia has the ability to not only set up her teammates, but to score equally as efficiently. She has a high basketball IQ and is unselfish player who will do whatever is necessary for her team to be successful. She loves to have the role of leading her team with the ball in her hands and will transition very nicely into our style of play."
Hoard, who currently lives in High Point, North Carolina, after growing up in France, is the younger sister of Jaylen Hoard, a freshman on the Wake Forest men's basketball team. A 5-foot-10 guard out of Wesleyan Christian Academy, Hoard is ranked 66th in the country according to the ASGR rankings. She has competed on the national level, leading her native France to gold at the U15 and U16 European Championships while finishing runner-up at the U17 World Cup.
Stateside, Hoard earned all-conference honors with the Trojans. She excelled in the classroom as well, earning a student-athlete award and an art award. The daughter of Katia and Antwon Hoard, Anaia has three siblings, Elijah, Jaylen and Amari. Antwon has played professional basketball for 15 years with stops in Finland, Poland, Italy, Israel and France, while Katia was a four-year member of the University of Washington women's basketball team. While there, she was a three-time captain and went on to earn titles with the French national team, including a runner-up finish in the European Championships.
"We are excited to be adding another member of the Hoard family to Wake Forest. Anaia will add athleticism and length to our perimeter allowing her to play multiple positions in our system. She has the quickness and skill set that allows her to attack on the offensive end and be very disruptive defensively. She can handle the ball, shoot the three, attack the rim and finish in transition. Anaia's international experience playing with her French national team will be invaluable in preparing her to compete in the best conference in the country," added Hoover.
Scruggs, a 5-foot-10 guard out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is ranked 68th nationally by Blue Star Basketball, 95th by the Olson rankings and 96th overall (26th positionally) by ESPN HoopGurlz. Scruggs began her high school career at Trinity Christian School, where the team won two titles in three trips to the State Championship finals. As an eighth grader, Scruggs scored 48 points in the championship game en route to the title before winning it again as a sophomore. She is spending her senior season at EE Smith High School, helping lead the Golden Bulls to the fourth round of the state playoffs. Scruggs was named Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season while being tabbed as an all-conference selection all four years.
Scruggs competed on the Carolina Flames AAU team, competing at Nike Nationals in each of the last four years, with the last three seasons coming at the U17 level. An honor roll student who also excels at volleyball, Scruggs is a member of National Honor Society and the Academy of Scholars.
The daughter of William and Cherie Scruggs, Alexandria has one older sibling, Jourdan. Her father played collegiately at Elgin Community College while her uncle, John Bagley, played 11 seasons in the NBA with Cleveland, New Jersey, Boston and Atlanta, averaging 8.7 points per game during his time in the league.
"Alex is a tremendous scorer that will be able to exploit defenses with her strength and explosiveness. She can beat you from the three-point line, attacking the basket or taking her game inside and punishing you while generating fouls and finishing with contact. Her versatility and toughness on the perimeter will be instrumental to our success in the future. What drew me to her from the beginning was her fierce drive to compete. Her work ethic and passion for the game are contagious. Alex is also an outstanding student, currently ranking third in her class," noted Hoover.
Summiel is a 6-foot-2 forward out of Dayville, Connecticut. While at Marianapolis Preparatory School, Summiel has averaged a double-double for her career with the Golden Knights. A two-time team captain, Summiel has been named a Class A All-Conference first team honoree three times and has earned the Outstanding Player Award for her team in each of the last two seasons. She helped guide her team to the 2016-17 NEPSAC Class A championship title as well as tournament MVP honors. Her 2017-18 team would go on to finish runner-up in the 2017-18 season.
On the AAU circuit, Summiel has competed for the New England Crusaders, with her team claiming the 2016 Blue Star Media title. She has also competed at the Boo Williams Tournament, Run for the Roses Tournament, Nike Invitational and National tournaments, the Summer Slam Camp Tournament, the USJN US Championships and USJN Jamfest events.
A two-time conference champion in the shot put, Summiel also competed in volleyball and strength & conditioning. She is a member of National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society and is a member of the Captains Council. The daughter of David and Tammy Summiel, Olivia has two older brothers, David and Devin, and a pair of younger siblings, sister Maya and brother Ty. Devin played collegiate football at Fitchburg State and is the program's all-time leading receiver.
"Olivia is a versatile forward that is hard-working and brings passion and great energy to the court. Her ability to play inside as well as stretch the defense with her three-point range will be a great asset to our team. Olivia is also an aggressive rebounder on both ends of the court, but I am most excited about her leadership and competitiveness. She makes everyone around her better and is a complete player," said Hoover.
"This group is refreshing, exciting and talented and it has been a pleasure for my staff and me to recruit them and get to know their families. The five of them already represent what Demon Deacons are all about. We want to especially thank their parents for entrusting us with their amazing daughters."
"I believe Wake Forest is a special place not only because of our beautiful campus and academic excellence, but more importantly it is the amazing people that inspire and invest in our players daily. I want to say thank you to every member of the Wake Forest community. Because of their time and support, we are able to attract, recruit and sign this caliber of student-athlete."
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