FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE http://NCCUEaglePride.com Contact: Reah Nicholson
December 2, 2009
Phone: 919.530.6892
NCCU LADY EAGLES SIGN THREE TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT
DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women’s basketball program and head coach Joli Robinson announced the signing of three North Carolina prospects to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Ebonie Bryant, ViViprici Emodi and Tenika Neely will join the Lady Eagles’ program for the 2010-11 season.A 5-9 guard from Burlington, N.C., Bryant will be the second player in Walter M. Williams High School history to sign to continue her basketball career at a Division I program. Bryant, a four-time member of the varsity squad finished last season averaging 15.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.
The Burlington native is a three-time All-Conference selection and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player during her junior campaign. She also set the school record for the most free throws made in a season. Last season, she shot 68 percent from the charity stripe and 52 percent from the field, while averaging 5.2 assists and 6.3 steals per game.
“Ebonie plays with a lot of heart and energy,” said Robinson. “She is a very aggressive basketball player that is able to get to the basket and finish. She is a hard worker and she works continuously to get better. We expect her to play a big role for us next season.”
Aside from playing at Williams, she is a member of the MERC Bulldawgs AAU team, where she was a six-time Most Valuable Player. Her team was named the 2006 Amateur Athletic Co-Champions. According to Hoop Scoop Online, Bryant was ranked the 15th power forward in the eighth division at the Adidas Junior Phenom Camp.
Emodi is a local standout, hailing from Raleigh, N.C., where she is a two-sport athlete at Word of God Christian Academy. Just recently, she was chosen to participate in the All-State All-Star Oasis Volleyball Senior Games in Charlotte, N.C. after being named the SEIC Conference Player of the Year.
The 6-1 post player earned the Pac-6 award for the most rebounds during her sophomore campaign and was named to the SEIC All-Conference Team during her junior season. She helped lead her team to the SEIC Championship game in 2009, where she received All-Tournament honors.
Last season, Emodi averaged 8.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest, while shooting 68 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, she averaged 1.5 blocks and 3.0 steals per game. She was also named captain of both her basketball and volleyball teams.
“ViVi is expected to make an impact immediately during her freshman year,” stated Robinson. “She brings speed, athleticism and aggression to our post position. She is an excellent rebounder, who knows how to crash the boards, and she is a very hard and aggressive defensive player.”
Emodi has a 3.82 grade point average and was named to Who’s Who Among High School Students, while also being inducted into the Beta Club. She was the 2008-09 recipient of the National Achievers Award and has earned a spot on numerous honor rolls.
Neely is a 5-10 guard from Charlotte, N.C., where she spent two seasons at Gaston Day School. She will spend her senior campaign at Fayetteville Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. During her junior season, she averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 assists and 6.0 steals per outing.
As a freshman at Olympic High School, Neely was selected as the Olympic High School Best Newcomer. The Charlotte native earned All-Conference and All-State honors during her sophomore and junior seasons at Gaston Day School, where she was named to the Holy Angels All-Tournament Team and was a two-time Coaches Award recipient.
“Tenika is going to be an ideal point guard for us and will get the ball to the student-athletes at the right moment,” added Robinson. “She is a very strong and aggressive player, who sees the floor very well. She is a player that enjoys doing what she does on the floor, as well as off. She is a happy, go-lucky student-athlete.”
So far this year, she has been named secretary of the National Honor Society at Fayetteville Christian Academy, while also being named the Cannon Classic Most Outstanding Player and the Cougar Tip-off Most Valuable Player. Neely is a Beta Club inductee and is a member of the National Art Honor Society, the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.
For more information on Lady Eagle basketball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at http://www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
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