MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama women's basketball head coach Terry Fowler rounded out the 2014 recruiting class on Thursday with the additions of junior college transfers Amber Yelding (Daphne, Ala.), Amanda Hoover (Columbus, Ohio), Simonne Potts (Springfield, Va.) and prep standout LaNeetra Guillory (Pearland, Texas).

The four spring signees join Marquita Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.), Genesis Perrymond (Lilburn, Ga.), Charisma Matlock (Dallas, Texas) and Chyna Ellis (Cordova, Tenn.) who signed with USA during the fall.  

When the Jaguar women open up the 2014-15 season next season, the roster will feature 10 new faces with this year's recruiting class combined with two transfers – Juliann Miller and Grace Farnsworth – who redshirted and sat out last season.  

"It's just one of those things where we're going to be a new team (next season)," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "We have eight signees and two players that sat out and have a year in our system and understand what we want to do.  With our other returners, we hope that they can help the newcomers when they come in.  I feel that we got better at every position with these additions.  We added depth at every position one through five, but the biggest thing is that we're now able to create competition at every position.  That's something I really thought we lacked this past season.  There will be completion every single day in practice and competition only helps you get better."

Last season, South Alabama had just 10 available players and played the final month-plus with just eight after suffering a pair of injuries – Brittany Webb (ACL) and Colby Davis (leg).

With the graduation of leading rebounder Ronneka Robertson and fellow post players Jennifer Johnson and Olivia Mohler, USA returns just one post player from this past season's roster.  That area was addressed in recruiting in this year's class.

"You look at our roster and Taylor Jenkins is really the only returning post (player), because our plans are to move Rachel Cumbo back to the guard spot," Fowler said.  "We signed one post in the early signing period in Chyna Ellis, so  it was crucial for us to go out and sign three post players (in the spring).  We also wanted to get some experience as well and signing the two junior college players in Simone Potts and Amanda Hoover gives us gives us that experience.  We round the class out with a 6-1 true five player in LaNeetra Guillory.  I'm really pleased with what we did as far as shoring up our post position."

Amber Yelding – Guard – 5-6 – Daphne, Ala. – Shelton State Community College – Daphne High School
The first addition to the spring signee class for the Jags is Yelding who has lettered the past two seasons at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for head coach Madonna Thompson.  Shelton State is the same junior college that graduated senior guard Meghan Dunn came from.

This past season, Yelding averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 assists per game, while also grabbing 2.7 boards per outing for the Buccaneers in 22.2 minutes of action.  Yelding – a second-team all-Alabama Community College Conference North Division selection – was named the league tournament MVP after leading SSCC to its second-straight conference title this season with a 75-65 win over Gadsden State CC.  The Buccaneers finished the year with a 30-4 overall mark and an 8-2 record in conference action.

Yelding scored double figures 19 times throughout the 2013-14 campaign, including a season high 25 points in an 80-65 win at GSCC where she was 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from the three-point line.  The Daphne, Ala., native averaged 12.2 ppg in ACCC play this past season.  

With the 5-6 point guard directing the offense, Shelton State ranked 39th in the NJCAA in assists and was also 22nd in steals.  Yelding dished out 135 assists this past season and committed just 89 turnovers for a 1.52 assists-turnover ratio.  

Yelding has also been outstanding defensively as she has recorded 204 steals in her two seasons at Shelton State.  This past season she averaged 2.75 per contest and as a freshman ranked 20th nationally in the NJCAA with a 3.33 steals per game average.  She had 110 total steals that season and posted a season-best 10 versus Wallace Community College-Selma that same season.  She followed that performance up with nine more in her very next game.

Shelton State ended the 2012-13 season with a 33-1 overall record and a 21-0 mark in conference play, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA national tournament

Rated as a three-star player by ESPN coming out of high school, Yelding broke the 1,000 point mark as a junior at Daphne and consistently led the team in many categories both offensively and defensively throughout her four-year prep career. She helped lead the Lady Trojans to the 6A Area 3 title and the 6A Southwest Regional as a senior under first-year coach Tereance Pinkney.  For her play, she was named to the Southwest all-tournament team and ended her career with over 1,300 points.  She was also selected to play in the North/South All-Star Game in 2011.

If her name sounds familiar, it should to Jaguar fans as her father, Cedric, lettered for South Alabama from 1990-93.  He earned all-Sun Belt honors as a senior and set the program record for steals in a season with 84, which still stands today. While at USA, the elder Yelding led the Jags in both assists and steals three-straight years.

"First of all, Amber comes in with the name.  Her dad was a great player here at South Alabama," Fowler said.  "She's a young lady who wanted to be a Jaguar.  I think it's important to have kids who want to be in your program.  With our injuries at the point guard position, we needed to solidify that area to get some depth and insurance not knowing the time table that Brittany Webb and Colby Davis will be able to come back.  Amber handles the ball and shoots it well.  She just gets the ball up and down the floor and at the defensive end she is just really tenacious and really guards.  I'm really excited about having her in our program."

Amanda Hoover – Forward – 6-0 – Columbus, Ohio – Roxbury (Mass.) Community College – Centennial High School

Hoover – the second signee from the spring glass – brings versatility down low as she can play down in the post or extend the defense out from the basket with her mid-range game.  Hoover lettered for two seasons at Community College located near Boston, Mass., for head coach Mark Leszczyk and was named team captain for her squad.

"Amanda Hoover's a six-foot player that can play either the four or five position," Fowler said.  "She can play out on the perimeter, but she can also post up and create some mismatches.  She's a junior college All-American who plays hard and just loves the game.  She's really a super kid."

As a sophomore, Hoover averaged 18.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while knocking down 52.1 of her shot attempts.  She scored double figures in all but three of her games this past season and eclipsed the 20-point mark on 10 occasions, including two 30-point outings.  The Columbus, Ohio native had a career-high 32 points in her final game for Roxbury as she was 10-of-14 from the field and 12-of-16 at the foul line.  A force on the boards as well, Hoover also had nine games of 10 or more rebounds, and 16 or more three times.  

Earlier this month she as Third-Team NJCAA Division III All-American for her play this past season.  

As a freshman, Hoover was part of the Lady Tigers' squad which finished the regular season with a 19-7 mark and a Massachusetts Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) championship and Region XXI championship.  Roxbury also made an appearance at the NJCAA D-III Women's National Tournament, where they placed third.  She averaged 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds during her freshman campaign at Roxbury and pulled down 10 or more rebounds 11 times, narrowly missing out in three other outings as she finished with nine.  Hoover scored a season-high 27 points versus Bristol Community College where she was 12-for-21 from the field.

She also participated at the NJCAA JUCO Top 40 All Star Weekend at Northwest Florida State College last July.
Prior to arriving at Roxbury, Hoover earned honorable mention Division II AP all-Ohio accolades at Centennial High School in Columbus, Ohio, as a senior.  

Simonne Potts – 6-0 – Forward - Springfield, Va. – St. Petersburg Community College – Bellarmine Preparatory School

Potts signs with the Jags after playing the 2013-14 season at St. Petersburg Community College in St. Petersburg, Fla., for head coach Denisha Davidson.  This past season, Potts helped guide the Lady Titans to a 24-7 record and a 13-2 mark in the Southern Conference as she averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg.  She also shot 47.7 percent from the field and played in 30 of her team's 31 games, starting 24.  She scored double figures 17 times, including a season-best 21 versus Hillsborough CC, while also pulling down 10 rebounds in that same outing.  Potts was a defensive presence for St. Pete as she had 12 games or two or more blocks, including six in a 74-52 win over Miami-Dade.  

SPCC finished the season ranked 14th in the final NJCAA Division I poll, one spot ahead of Yelding's Shelton State club.

"Simonne Potts is a long, athletic, pogo stick player that can attack the glass," Fowler said.  "She can take it off the dribble and has a 17-, 18-foot shooting range.  She also brings a lot of energy to the floor.  She's going to get us up-and-down the floor."

Potts began her collegiate career at the United States Air Force Academy and played under current Jaguar assistant coach Yolisha Jackson.  After redshirting the 2011-12 season, Potts played in 12 games, starting seven during the 2012-13 season before leaving the program in December.

In her 12 games with Air Force, Potts averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field.  She also added 11 blocks during that time.

Potts played her prep career at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma Wash., where she was a four-year letterwinner for head coaches Kevin Meines and Buck Buchanan.   Potts was a three-time league champion with the Lions and earned first-team all-league honors as a senior after averaging 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game as a senior.  During her career, Bellarmine placed eighth in the state during her sophomore year, fourth during her junior year and sixth during her senior year.  Prior to the start of her final prep season, Potts was a McDonald's All-American nominee.  She was selected as the Narrows League MVP and first team all-state as a sophomore and attended the Nike Skills Academy in 2009.  

LaNeetra Guillory – Forward – 6-1 – Pearland, Texas – Pearland High School

Guillory – the fourth addition to this spring's signee class – comes to USA after lettering the past four seasons at Pearland High School in Houston, Texas for head coach Donna Vacek.  Over the last three seasons, Guillory has averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shot 41 percent, while also posting 130 blocks.  Guillory was also selected to the 2013 McDonald's Texas Invitational all-tournament team.  

"LaNeetra Guillory is another kid who's long and gets her hands on a lot of basketballs," Fowler said.  "She's a good defender.  She's going to have the opportunity to come in and play, while also having a chance to develop for us.  I'm excited about what she brings to the table."

As a senior, Guillory helped lead the Lady Oilers to a 29-7 overall record and a second-place finish in District 22-5A with a 12-2 record.  Both of those conference losses were to Manvel, then-ranked No. 2 in Texas.

This past season, Guillory averaged 9.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while also recording 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per outing.  She scored double figures 18 times, including a season-best 22 points against Sam Rayburn HS where she was 10-of-12 from the field.  Guillory shot 44 percent from the floor during the season and pulled down seven or more rebounds in 22 of her 35 outings.  

She was a participant in the 2014 Greater Houston Area Girls Basketball Association (GHAGBA) All-Star Game earlier this month.

Guillory earned University Interscholastic League (UIL) 22-5A girls' first-team all-district honors during her senior, junior and sophomore seasons, as well as being selected as the district's top defensive player this past season.  

She averaged 7.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg as a junior, while also recording 2.0 steals per game and 62 blocks for a 1.8 blocks per game average.   The 6-1 forward played one season of AAU ball for the Pearland Flames coached by Derrick Chizer.

2014 South Alabama Women's Basketball Recruiting Class
Marquita Daniels – Guard – 5-7 – Atlanta Ga. –  Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
Chyna Ellis – 6-2 – Center – Cordova, Tenn. – Arlington High School
LaNeetra Guillory – Forward – 6-1 – Pearland, Texas – Pearland High School
Amanda Hoover – Forward – 6-0 – Columbus, Ohio – Roxbury (Mass.) Community College – Centennial High School
Charisma Matlock – 5-10 – Forward - Dallas, Texas - Skyline High School
Genesis Perrymond – Guard – 5-8 – Lilburn, Ga. – Parkview High School
Simonne Potts – 6-0 – Forward - Springfield, Va. – St. Petersburg Community College – Bellarmine Preparatory School
Amber Yelding – Guard – 5-6 – Daphne, Ala. – Shelton State Community College – Daphne High School

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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