Dan Olson remembers Tan White being a “scoring machine” for the Mississippi State women’s basketball team.
Olson also recalls White, a WBCA All-American and four-time All-Southeastern Conference honoree, was a “freak athlete” who could wreak havoc on opponents in a variety of ways.
Olson doesn’t use an elite athlete like White, who played at MSU from 2001-05, to help paint of picture of the skills of very many players today because there aren’t many individuals who have the combination of aggressiveness, fearlessness, and toughness that White did as a college player.
But the director for espnW/HoopGurlz and the owner of the scouting service College Girls Basketball Report couldn’t help himself Thursday when he was asked about MSU’s latest commitment, Jacaira “Iggy” Allen.
“She is a strong, athletic, big guard,” Olson said of the 5-foot-9 guard from Pompano Beach, Florida (Dillard High School). “She is physical. She can exploit the mismatch. She can really cause problems on offense.”
MSU coach Vic Schaefer hopes Allen can become as dangerous as White. On Thursday, MSU moved a step closer to having Allen become a Bulldog when she announced on Twitter and Instagram her verbal commitment to play in Starkville.
Miguel Diaz, the program director and co-founder of the Miami Suns Amateur Athletic Union organization, has watched Allen play for one of the Suns’ teams for at least the past three years. He said Thursday that Allen wanted to make the announcement quietly and that she planned to make it official next week when the early signing period for National Letters of Intent begins.
Diaz didn’t mention White when describing Allen’s game, but it was easy to get the impression he believes MSU is going to be very happy when Allen signs her NLI.
“She is an extremely athletic and explosive wing player,” Diaz said. “She can play the one through the four (positions) and handle the ball. She can rebound really well and is an extreme competitor.”
Diaz said Allen took official visits to Ohio State, Miami, Georgia Tech, MSU, and Ole Miss. He said Georgia and Texas A&M also were interested. Diaz praised the efforts of MSU assistant coach Elena Lovato in Allen’s recruitment. He said Allen developed a good relationship with Lovato and that she likes the family atmosphere Schaefer and his staff have created in Starkville.
Diaz feels Allen’s skills will work well in Schaefer’s system.
“She is relentless attacking the basket in the half-court set,” Diaz said. “She is a really, really strong attacking guard. She can wear down a defense. Her energy level on the floor is extremely high.”
Allen likely will be the only freshman signee MSU adds in the Class of 2016. Point guard Roshunda Johnson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, already has joined the MSU program, but she will have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. She will be eligible to play in 2016, which makes her a member of that class. MSU loses only senior forward Sherise Williams to graduation after this season.
Olson has Allen as the No. 77 player in the Class of 2016. He said Allen is like White in that 3-point shooting isn’t her greatest asset. Instead, Olson said Allen is a good shooter who has the potential to develop that consistent perimeter stroke working with Schaefer and his staff. He said Allen “could be a handful” and a “really talented player” if she polishes her shooting from distance.
“She drives it and scores it and gets hit and finishes the play. That is kind of the mainstay of her game,” said Olson, a former college coach. “She is an elite player, an elite guard. She can easily have been the No. 50 player in the class instead of the No. 77, but I probably overanalyzed her because I have seen her so many times.
“She is a good rebounder from that position, and is someone who can handle the ball and attack the floor in an up-tempo setting. She is a tough kid.”
Bret McCormick, scouting director / publisher for All-Star Girls Report, another national scouting service, has Allen at No. 66 in his Class of 2016 rankings. He said Allen is a “great pickup” for the Bulldogs, and that she and Johnson should add “more icing on the cake for them.”
“Iggy is just an unbelievable athlete,” said McCormick, a former Division I coach. “She already has a college-ready body. She is really good in the open floor. Her outside shot is good. She has to work on her 3-point shot. She can post people up, she is good in the open floor, and she can really score. She should come in and be able to help out right away if that is what they need her to do.”
McCormick believes Allen will play the two (shooting guard) or the three (small forward) for the Bulldogs. He said Allen, like MSU sophomore standout Victoria Vivians, has a chance to be a pro player because she is so athletic.
“She can be a matchup problem because she can take people in and overpower them with her size,” McCormick said.
By signing Vivians and Parade All-American Teaira McCowan as members of the team’s last two recruiting classes, McCormick said Schaefer and his staff are starting to get top-tier kids in a more consistent fashion. He said that is a sign players are paying attention and they see how the Bulldogs have gone from 13 to 22 to 27 victories in Schaefer’s first three seasons as head coach at the school.
“What (MSU is) doing now is they’re getting impact players, kids who can come in and, if they need them to help out right away, they can,” McCormick said. “They’re winning and are a top-12 program (in this season’s preseason polls), so it is easier to get top-notch players than before because when they first got there they had to change the landscape. If there is a new coach, players don’t know if they’re going to want to go there. The first year was what I like to call a honeymoon period, where players see what is Vic going to do, what is his style, and then they decide where they are going to go. He is a great guy and has a great staff. Look at Mississippi State football, they have got it rock n’ rollin. I am sure (the MSU women) are going to get somebody big time in 2017, too.”
Verbal commitments are non-binding. The early signing period runs from Nov. 11-18. College coaches can’t comment about recruits until they have received a signed NLI from the player.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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