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Cedar Hill guard coming to A&M

Collins orally commits to Ag women

By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Staff Writer

Cedar Hill shooting guard Skylar Collins, one of the nation's top girls basketball player, orally committed to play for Texas A&M on Monday night.

The 5-foot-9 senior is rated the nation's 44th best prospect by Mike T. White's All-Star Girls Basketball Report and 67th by Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

"The kid is a tremendous athlete," Olson said. "She's got one of the purest, best-looking shots you'll see in high school. She has a soft release. She can shoot it deep, and she can get it to the rim. She has a physical style but a finesse way about her."

Collins took her official visit to A&M last weekend, then decided not to look anywhere else.

"First of all, it was about academics," said Collins, who will major in sports medicine or sports management. "It's a great academic school. The basketball program is amazing. I really like how it's being developed and is still developing.

"When I'm down there, it's like a family atmosphere with all the traditions. And everyone is so embracing of the athletes. I like how the team is and the girls on the team. I love being around them."

A&M women's head coach Gary Blair can't talk about prospects by NCAA rules.

A&M was 25-7 last season, including a 13-3 Big 12 record that earned it a co-championship with Oklahoma.

The Aggies, a No. 9 preseason pick this season by Lindy's, have five seniors.

"She fits in ideally with the same girls [Blair has] recruited," said Olson, who watched her at Blair's Elite Camp this summer. "He seems to recruit the similar style player, and he's had great success at it."

Collins said she needs to improve on catching the basketball and shooting it.

"She'll be a great player," Cedar Hill head coach Andrea Robbins said. "She's already got the right type of tools to work with. She's very competitive, which is one of things I love about her. She can shoot and rebound, and she just loves to play the game."

Collins was the District 8-5A offensive player of the year last season, also earning all-state honors despite not playing her natural position.

"She had to play wing and even post for me, because we had a small team," Robbins said. "She's very versatile. This year, we're going to get to play her on the wing and No. 2 or No. 3. That will give her a chance to work on that part of her game."

Collins is the second A&M pledge for 2008, joining Kelsey Assarian, a 6-1 power forward from Barron Collier High in Naples, Fla.

Assarian is rated Florida's top player in the class of 2008 by Girls Basketball Report.

Assarian grew up in Grapevine, but before her freshman year she moved to Florida.

Alief Elsik small forward Adaora Elonu will make her official visit this weekend, according to an A&M fan-based Web site. She's the younger sister of Chinemelu Elonu Jr., who is on the A&M men's team.

NOTES - Collins plans to cancel next weekend's recruiting visit to Kansas. She also was talking to Illinois. ... Her twin brother, Jared, is a tight end on the Cedar Hill football team. ... Collins, who will graduate in the Top 10 percent of her 479-member senior class, likes to work with youth in her spare time. She also likes to help her teammates with school homework.