WC Indiana News

Sycamore women’s basketball inks four newcomers

Indiana State head women's basketball coach Chad Killinger announced the addition of four newcomers to the program Tuesday morning. 

"We are extremely excited about the four young women we were able to add during the early signing period," Killinger said regarding the signing class. "As we were putting this class together we were focused on people who believed in what we are building here and who wanted to be a part of that process. These young ladies come from good families and are committed to being the best they can be as students and athletes. We are looking forward to working with them in the future and watching them continue to shine throughout their senior seasons."

Asia Donald, Jailah Pelly, Keslyn Secrist and Saige Stahl have all signed with the Blue and White and will join the team for the 2023-24 season. The incoming Sycamore signing class consists of three guards and one forward. Two of the four newcomers are Indiana natives, with Illinois and Virginia also represented in the signing class.
 
Asia Donald // G // 5-9 // Hobart, Ind. // Hobart HS
A dynamic scorer at all levels, Donald averaged a double-double last season at Hobart (Ind.) HS with 23.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. She had 14 double-doubles in 23 games played, ranking sixth in the state in double-doubles. Donald was fourth in the state in scoring and continued that trend into her senior season, scoring 30-plus points in each of her first two games this season. She also added 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game as a junior, and was a 2021-22 Indiana Junior All-Star selection.
 
Killinger's thoughts on Donald: "Asia can flat-out score. She's probably one of the best pure scorers in the state, but has flown a little under the radar as far as in-state recruits are concerned because she played for Example Sports over in the Chicago area. We got to watch her play quite a bit over the past two summers and came away impressed each time. She can play both guard spots and has the kind of speed and strength to create mismatch problems for her defender. She can shoot the three and attack the basket on the fast break in a manner that will allow her to fit into our style of play quickly."
 
Jailah Pelly // G // 5-9 // Belleville, Ill. // O'Fallon Township HS
Pelly comes in as the No. 247 recruit in the 2023 class, as ranked by the All-Star Girls Report, and adds another versatile player with playmaking ability to the Sycamore backcourt. She averaged double-digit scoring for an O'Fallon Township (Ill.) HS team that reached the sectional semifinals in 2021-22, showcasing her ability to score at all levels (44 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range). Pelly also added nearly four rebounds, along with 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
 
Killinger's thoughts on Pelly: "Jailah is someone that I first saw play over this past summer with Bradley Beal Elite and as soon as I watched her I knew that I wanted the opportunity to coach her. She is extremely athletic and can do a variety of things to put the ball in the basket. She can finish with strength or finesse around the rim, knock down the three, and is tremendous on the fast break. She's a little bit of a bigger guard, so she will be able to defend multiple positions, and she creates great scoring opportunities for her teammates with her ability to pass the ball. I'm excited to see how she continues to develop once we get her on campus."
 
Keslyn Secrist // G // 5-10 // Draper, Va. // Pulaski County HS
Secrist was a First Team All-State selection in Virginia, picking up region and district Player of the Year honors in the process. She averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for a Pulaski Country (Va.) HS team that reached the state semifinals. Secrist showcased her range last season, knocking down nearly 46 percent of her 3-point attempts. She also added 2.6 steals, 2.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.
 
Killinger's thoughts on Secrist: "Keslyn has a great feel for the game and can really shoot the ball. She played for the West Virginia Thunder, who won the Under Armour national championship this past summer, and was the first player off the bench for them. She made some big shots and defensive plays for them during that tournament. Her ability to finish in the paint has always impressed us, she just has that natural ability to finish with either hand and I believe our fans will enjoy her approach to the game and all the intangibles that she will bring to our program."
 
Saige Stahl // F // 6-1 // Seymour, Ind. // Columbus East HS
Stahl has the ability to impact the game in multiple ways, as she nearly averaged a double-double last season at Columbus East (Ind.) HS with 17.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. In addition, she also added 4.5 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. Stahl had 11 double-doubles in 23 games and was a 2021-22 Indiana Junior All-Star selection.
 
Killinger's thoughts on Stahl: "Saige was our first commitment in this class, as she made her decision towards the end of July, and is the type of forward that can help us stretch the floor. She's become more comfortable shooting the three just in the time that we began recruiting her, she runs the floor well, and finishes in the paint. She's a little bit of a late bloomer, as she was also an outstanding volleyball player, but her experience playing with the Lady Gym Rats program on the Nike EYBL circuit allowed her to accelerate her development as she chose to focus on basketball the past few years." 

Original source can be found here.