Also ConsideredTennessee Lady Volunteers,
ESPN Player Evaluations
- Nov 7, 2011
- No. 8 Rachel Hollivay makes her choice, will sign Friday
- Rachel Hollivay of Columbus, Miss., told ESPN HoopGurlz she has verbally committed to Rutgers. The No. 8 prospect in the ESPNU HoopGurlz 100 chose the Scarlet Knights over finalist Tennessee.
"I feel really good about it," Hollivay said. "I talked with my mom and dad and we all felt good. I was crying and I called coach (C. Vivian) Stringer and she was screaming. She stopped practice and all the players were screaming too."
Hollivay, the 6-foot-4 post who has a five-star rating, is the second prospect to commit to Stringer's Scarlet Knights in the 2012 class. She joins another top 100 prospect, Precious Person of Rex, Ga., a 6-1 guard who is No. 69 in the class, committed Oct. 16.
"I think I'm going to be taken care of there," Hollivay added. "And I looked at the depth chart and it's going to be the best place for me."
Hollivay will sign a National Letter of Intent on Friday, Nov. 11.
- Oct 31, 2011
- No. 8 Rachel Hollivay cuts her list to just two
- Rachel Hollivay of Columbus, Miss., has cut her schools to a final two. The No. 8 ranked player in the 2012 class told ESPN HoopGurlz in a text message that she is down to Rutgers and Tennessee, thus eliminating Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Though Hollivay previously mentioned some difficulty in making the cuts, she is in much better spirits having made one step closer to her final decision.
"I'm excited. The hardest thing was letting the other schools know," Hollivay said.
Hollivay has made all her official visits and is poised to make her choice and sign a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period, Nov. 9-16.
- Oct 18, 2011
- No. 8 Rachel Hollivay completes her fifth official visit, clarifies her timeline
- Rachel Hollivay of Columbus, Miss., went on her final official visit this past weekend, to Rutgers. The 6-foot-4 post is feeling the pressure that many prospects feel in the recruiting process.
On Monday she posted a on her Twitter page, "I've made up my mind: ... IM NOT SIGNING [sic] TILL APRIL! ... MY decision is (too) hard! ..."
The latter part of the post is true, but the 5-star prospect told ESPN HoopGurlz that she is not waiting until the Spring. It was simply Hollivay expressing herself.
"I talked to her last night and basically we talked about it and the decision was still going to be hard in April," Kimberly Davis-Powell, her Essence club team coach, said. "She's just under a lot of pressure."
"I'm really confused," Hollivay said in a text message. "It seems like my decision is too hard but I did some thinking (and) I think I will sign in November."
Hollivay said she is planning on cutting her final five -- Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Rutgers and Tennessee -- down to just two finalists in the next couple of weeks, a plan that has the full support of Davis-Powell.
- Aug 19, 2011
- No. 8 Rachel Hollivay sets her five visits
- Rachel Hollivay, the 6-foot-4 post from Columbus, Miss., told ESPN HoopGurlz she has set dates for all five of her official visits. First up is Ole Miss on Sept. 3-4, then Mississippi State on Sept. 15-16, Oklahoma Sept. 23-24, Tennessee on Oct. 8-9 and finishing up at Rutgers on Oct. 14-15.
"I just want to see what the players that are going to be there with me, what the chemistry is like with them and the coaches," Hollivay said.
Hollivay knows current players or recruits on all the teams she is considering and has enjoyed regular talks with those players about their experience and of course projecting how good they could be playing together.
One thing that is difficult for Hollivay is uncertainty. Oklahoma, Mississippi State and Tennessee have players in the 2012 class already committed while Ole Miss and Rutgers are waiting to get their first.
"It kind of makes it tougher," Hollivay said. "I always think about what if I'm going by myself? I don't want to be the only freshman."
But Hollivay knows that other players are considering those schools and her commitment could impact those players. She certainly has plenty of experience being recruited by her peers.
Hollivay, the No. 8 ranked player in the ESPNU HoopGurlz 100, is looking forward to her senior year at Heritage Academy and although the Mississippi prep scene isn't known for being a pressure cooker, she knows her new head coach, Yolanda Moore, is going to prepare her for the next level.
"The high school coach I have now, she's hard. She's a good woman," Hollivay said. "I'm excited to get going and I think we're going to win the state championship."
Moore was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Mississippi in 1992 and Parade All American as a senior before going to Ole Miss and winning two WNBA championships with the Houston Comets.