SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA head women’s basketball coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair concluded her 2008-09 signing class on Friday when she announced the addition of Shacoria Cooper (Copperas Cove, Texas /Copperas Cove High School), Valencia Cottom (Gary, Indiana/Casper Junior College) and Shantel Nwanguma (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch High School).
“Overall we had a great recruiting class with the caliber of players we signed this spring,” Rippetoe-Blair said. “I think they are going to bring depth and athleticism at the post position, which was one area we really focused on this spring. This class will be versatile and be able to contribute to our program immediately.”
Cooper, a 6-foot-1 forward, averaged a double-double with 15.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Copperas Cove High School. She was named District 16-4A Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team all-district honors last season. Cooper also was named to the Region III-4A Texas Association of Basketball Coaches squad.
“Shacoria had great season as a senior, brings a lot of energy and is a rebounder," Rippetoe-Blair said. "She has the ability to play the center position and also compete at this level.”
Cottom, a 6-foot forward, played at Casper Junior College where current Roadrunner Ryba Pawlaczyk played before transferring to UTSA a year ago. The Gary, Ind., native ranked second on the team averaging 6.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. She also shot 43.3 percent in 29 games played and made 27 starts.
“Valencia is an excellent defender and rebounder," Rippetoe-Blair said. "I see her being one of our top post defenders. We really filled a void in this area with her signing.”
Nwanguma, a 6-0 forward, guided her team to a 30-8 overall record and perfect 14-0 mark in district play last season. The Katy native posted 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a senior and helped her squad capture the District 18-5A title and advance to the Region III-5A finals. Nwanguma collected first-team all-district honors and was selected to play at the 2008 Greater Houston Area Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game. Her team finished the season ranked fifth in the TABC poll and 44th nationally in the Rivals.com rankings.
“Shantel is very athletic that can play at either the small or power forward slot for us," Rippetoe-Blair said. "She’s a great player who can come in and gives valuable minutes.”
