Thanks to the magic of Twitter - thanks, @MatthewStoss and @NorfolkXpress14 - we learned of two 2012 verbal commitments over the weekend. Robert E. Lee's highly touted point guard Angela Mickens has decided to attend James Madison and Princess Anne High point guard Aisha Foy has agreed to join Radford.
Mickens, who is ranked No. 68 among 2012 players by ESPN, will represent the second player in as many years from the Worldwide Leader's Top 100 to choose JMU. Seton Keough forward Achiri Ade, who will be a Dukes freshman this fall, is No. 82 in ESPN's Class of 2011.
Mickens' decision was hardly a stretch given that, as the Staunton News-Leader points out, her brother Terrell and three cousins will also be playing sports at JMU. Still, Mickens clearly had options, so credit the JMU staff for not taking anything for granted and closing the deal.
"JMU has always made me feel welcome since my freshman year," Mickens said. "The academics are good, which is always the most important thing, and I love Coach (Kenny) Brooks, the coaching staff and the girls. I just love the program."
The early commitment also puts another JMU recruiter in the field - Mickens herself. Top players tend to want to play with each other - call it the AAU culture - and if JMU is good enough for Mickens, other elite players might find the program worth checking out, too.
Foy led Wilson in scoring (12.5 ppg) as a sophomore before transferring to perennial power Princess Anne. A preseason injury limited her playing time, but she still played a role in the Cavaliers' 31-1 season and Group AAA state title run.
This marks the second straight year Radford has gotten a guard from the reigning Group AAA state champions. Breshara Gordon signed with Radford after helping Lake Taylor claim the 2010 Group AAA crown.
Check out our 2012 verbal commitments page for pledges from all the state's Division I colleges.
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