Jade Rogers begins her Hawkeye career (with nerves)
Posted onNovember 8, 2010byJim Ecker
Former Kennedy prep star Jade Rogers (with ball) makes a move toward the basket during Iowa's exhibition game Sunday against Concordia-St. Paul at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Rogers had six points in the Hawkeyes' 101-59 win. (Photo by Darren Miller)
By Jim Ecker
Metro Sports Report
IOWA CITY — Jade Rogers got into Iowa’s exhibition basketball game against Concordia Sunday afternoon with 8 minutes and 12 seconds left in the first half. Three seconds later, she missed an easy layup.
“I was really nervous,” she confessed. “Overwhelming, kind of.”
Jade Rogers (32) hauls down one of her four rebounds during Iowa's 101-59 exhibition win over Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye-Arena. (Photo by Darren Miller)
Rogers enjoyed a magnificent career at Kennedy High School, making the all-state team four straight years, but even prep stars need time to adjust to big-time college basketball.
Rogers is the only freshman on the UI women’s basketball team, which returns all five starters and is ranked 22nd in the country in the Associated Press preseason poll. The Hawkeyes dressed only nine players Sunday, and Rogers was the ninth and final Hawk to get in the game.
She’s gone from superstar to rookie.
“When you’re the only freshman, it’s such a hard situation coming into, because there’s nobody else at the same level that you’re at, there’s nobody else to compare yourself to,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “You think you’re the only one going through all the correctiveness. You know, you think you’re the only one who’s being corrected all the time by coaches.”
College is a learning experience, both in the classroom and on the court.
“Her learning curve is a little bit steeper than everybody else,” Bluder said. “But Jade is so positive, she’s extremely coachable, she’s working hard to get better and I thought she did a couple of nice things out there today.”
Rogers played only two minutes in the first half of Iowa’s 101-59 victory. She missed that layup, committed two turnovers and took a seat for the rest of the first half, but the second half was much better. She played nine minutes in the second half, scored four points, grabbed three rebounds and received some applause from the crowd.
Iowa High School Center Stokes Picks Huskies
STORRS — Kiah Stokes, a 6-foot-3 senior center from Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa, announced Thursday that she will attend UConn.
Stokes made the announcement at a press conference at her high school. She passed over Tennessee, Iowa, Maryland and Georgia.
"The recruiting process has been long and drawn out and filled with many emotions, from excitement to stress," Stokes said at the press conference. "It was tough and made much harder by telling coaches that I had developed relationships with 'no.'
"The decision seems like the right one for me. I'm looking forward to the next step in my career and the challenges. I feel like the weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Coach Auriemma is a great coach and I am excited about having the chance to play for him."
Stokes' father, Greg, a former NBA player and the No. 3 career scorer at Iowa, praised the recruiting process.
"Although it's an exciting day, it's also very bittersweet," Stokes said. "Obviously, Kiah could only choose one school. Throughout the process, we developed a tremendous relationship with the coaches. Our rapport with them was phenomenal.
"In a way, I wish there were five Kiahs. Well, maybe not. Those who have seen her eat will know what I'm talking about. … I wish all of the coaches who wanted her could have the chance to coach not only a terrific basketball player, but a terrific young lady."
Stokes' decision brings UConn's freshman class for 2011 to three — Stokes and guards Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Brianna Banks. Mosqueda-Lewis, a guard from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is considered the top player in the senior class by many scouting services.
"All the schools I looked at were great, but obviously UConn was the best," Kiah Stokes said.
In her first three varsity seasons at Linn-Mar, Stokes started 52 of 76 games and compiled 1,079 points, 867 rebounds and 374 blocks. She holds state sophomore and school records with 160 blocks in 2008-09, the school single-season record for rebounds (218) and single-game records for rebounds (21) and blocks (10).
Last season, she averaged 19.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks to help Linn-Mar to a 26-0 record and the Iowa 4A state title.
STORRS — Kiah Stokes, a 6-foot-3 senior center from Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa, announced Thursday that she will attend UConn.
Stokes made the announcement at a press conference at her high school. She passed over Tennessee, Iowa, Maryland and Georgia.
"The recruiting process has been long and drawn out and filled with many emotions, from excitement to stress," Stokes said at the press conference. "It was tough and made much harder by telling coaches that I had developed relationships with 'no.'
"The decision seems like the right one for me. I'm looking forward to the next step in my career and the challenges. I feel like the weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Coach Auriemma is a great coach and I am excited about having the chance to play for him."
Stokes' father, Greg, a former NBA player and the No. 3 career scorer at Iowa, praised the recruiting process.
"Although it's an exciting day, it's also very bittersweet," Stokes said. "Obviously, Kiah could only choose one school. Throughout the process, we developed a tremendous relationship with the coaches. Our rapport with them was phenomenal.
"In a way, I wish there were five Kiahs. Well, maybe not. Those who have seen her eat will know what I'm talking about. … I wish all of the coaches who wanted her could have the chance to coach not only a terrific basketball player, but a terrific young lady."
Stokes' decision brings UConn's freshman class for 2011 to three — Stokes and guards Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Brianna Banks. Mosqueda-Lewis, a guard from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is considered the top player in the senior class by many scouting services.
"All the schools I looked at were great, but obviously UConn was the best," Kiah Stokes said.
In her first three varsity seasons at Linn-Mar, Stokes started 52 of 76 games and compiled 1,079 points, 867 rebounds and 374 blocks. She holds state sophomore and school records with 160 blocks in 2008-09, the school single-season record for rebounds (218) and single-game records for rebounds (21) and blocks (10).
Last season, she averaged 19.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks to help Linn-Mar to a 26-0 record and the Iowa 4A state title.
West's Johnston commits to Denver
WATERLOO - A combination of success in academics and athletics had Waterloo West junior Jordan Johnston considering schools from Dartmouth on the East Coast to the University of California-Irvine on the West Coast. In the end, the Rocky Mountains won out. Johnston, a 5-foot-10 point guard and 4.0 student, announced this week that she has verbally committed to continue her basketball career at the University of Denver. "I really liked the school," Johnston said. "They're really high in academics. ... The basketball program is up-and-coming and they have a good chance of being really good pretty soon." Denver University is an NCAA Division I school and member of the Sun Belt Conference, which includes a perennial Top 20 team in Middle Tennessee State. The Pioneers are coming off back-to-back winning seasons in Erik Johnson's first two years as head coach. Denver finished its 2010 campaign at 18-13. Johnson's coaching success also factored into Johnston's decision. "It wasn't that great of a program but he just built it up," Johnston said. "He pushes the girls hard, but also makes sure that they have a close bond, and that's one of the things that really got me interested. The girls are just like a family." Johnston is a three-year starter for the Wahawks. She made the move to point guard and averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season. The West standout also played club basketball for Team Iowa coached by James Moses. Her club teammates included first-team all-staters Kiah Stoakes and Virginia Johnson. "I'm very happy for Jordan and her family," West coach Tony Pappas noted. "She really likes the University of Denver and I think she'll have a great career there."
UW women's basketball: Lindsay Smith to join Iowa prep rival in Class of 2011
Lindsay Smith couldn't beat Morgan Paige, so she decided to join her. Smith, a 5-foot-10 guard from Central DeWitt High School in Iowa, has made a verbal commitment to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin beginning in 2011. Smith will get a chance to play alongside Paige, her high school rival from nearby Marion, Iowa, who will be a freshman with the Badgers this season. They were both first team Class 3A All-State selections this past season. Smith, who earlier eliminated Iowa, Vanderbilt and Stanford from consideration, had narrowed her options to Wisconsin and Michigan State. A phone call to her former rival helped her make her decision. "I talked to Morgan (Monday) and she gave me her opinion of why she chose Wisconsin and she talked about the girls on the team," Smith said. "It just seemed like that's where I belonged. "Morgan and I played in the same conference, so we played each other every year and it got pretty competitive. Her team always seemed to beat mine, but it will be fun to actually be on the same team together." Smith averaged about 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game last season in leading Central DeWitt to a 20-4 record. She has played point guard in high school but sees herself as a combo guard in college. In addition to her basketball exploits, Smith also competed in cross country in the fall, track and field in the spring and softball in the summer. She plans to maintain the four-sport approach her senior year before turning her attention strictly to basketball. "I think once I focus on basketball I can reach my full potential," she said. "But I think in high school it's better to play a bunch of sports so you don't get burned out." Smith's diverse athletic pursuits may have limited her basketball exposure. But she attracted some attention with her performance at the high-profile Boo Williams tournament in Virginia in April. That led to an article about her on ESPN HoopGurlz — a website that covers girls basketball — and calls from schools like Michigan State. "I got a lot more calls after that," she said. But her connections with the Wisconsin program run deep. She attended coach Lisa Stone's basketball camp at UW as an eighth grader. And long before that, her parents Mike and Sharon were students at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, when Stone was the coach of the women's basketball team there. "I always knew Wisconsin would be one of my top choices," said Smith, who has a 3.9 grade-point average and plans to major in business. Ultimately, she would like to become a college basketball coach. Smith is the second player to commit to Wisconsin for the 2011 class, joining 5-8 point guard Lacia Gorman of Fort Wayne, Ind. Gorman committed in August 2009 after making an unofficial visit to UW, and is highly regarded among recruiting analysts such as Dan Olson of Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. "Even though she’s a point guard, that kid can score," Olson told Madison.com sports in February 2010 as part of an evaluation of the Badgers' top recruiting targets for the 2011 class. "Wisconsin beat out a lot of its counterparts that wanted to get that kid."
DeWitt’s Keitel commits to play at UNI (April 2010)
13 April 2010 - Iowa Prep Sports
DeWitt Central High School junior Jennifer Keitel has verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Northern Iowa, accepting Tonya Warren’s scholarship offer to join the Panthers in the fall of 2011.
A three-year starter at Central, Keitel picked UNI over Creighton, Northern Illinois and Illinois-Chicago.
“I chose UNI for a variety of reasons. It’s a great basketball program. I felt an immediate connection to Coach Warren and the whole staff,” she said. “(UNI) has a great academic reputation, the campus is a perfect size for me and it’s relatively close to home.”
Keitel averaged 14.8 points and 8 rebounds per game as a junior, leading Central to a 20-4 overall record and a Wamac Conference East Division title.
City's Johnson commits to Iowa basketball (January 2010)
Susan Harman
Iowa City Press-Citizen
A little home cooking, access to laundry facilities and the belief that she was joining a program that played the game the way she wanted to play it convinced City High forward Virginia Johnson to give her commitment to the Iowa women's basketball team on Sunday.
Johnson will join former Little Hawk teammate Kelly Krei as a Hawkeye. Krei is starting for Iowa as a sophomore.
Although she was recruited by many Division I schools, the 6-foot-1 junior picked Iowa over Rutgers, which is coached by former Iowa coach Vivian Stringer.
"I love it here," Johnson said. "My mom is a big Hawkeye fan. It must be in the genes, I don't know. It's just the way they play. I really like their style. Coach (Lisa) Bluder, I think she's an excellent coach.
"I was kind of on the edge," she said. "I just needed something to push me one way or the other. Watching them play, I don't know, I just enjoyed watching them."
Johnson is a two-time all-state selection despite her youth and currently is averaging 23.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. She leads the Mississippi Valley Conference with a 24.4-point average in league games, is third in field-goal percentage at 56.3 percent and is fourth in rebounding (10.6).
Johnson scored the winning basket in City High's state championship game as a freshman, hauling in a three-quarter court pass from Kim Rickels and driving in for a layup as time expired. She also is an accomplished softball player and high jumper for the City High track team.
"Family is the main component," Johnson said. "I couldn't move to New Jersey. I just like it in Iowa because you're close to home and you can come do your laundry and get home-cooked meals. I like it here."
Johnson likely will play the small forward spot in college. She has played inside and out for City High. She sometimes has to bring the ball up court against pressure. She has developed a reliable mid-range jump shot this season and she can run the court all night long. A natural athlete, Johnson even played some football in junior high.
Recently Johnson's mother sent a letter to Iowa indicating that her daughter would not make a decision on recruiting for at least two months. That seemed to relieve the pressure that Johnson was feeling to make a decision.
"I think at the moment that I realized it really was my decision, that I really could do whatever I wanted, then I realized Iowa would be the best decision," Johnson said. "Once the pressure was gone it just clicked that, 'Hey this is where I want to go.'"
Duke commits to SFCC
Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Mariah Duke has committed to play basketball at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO.
Rogers signs with Iowa (November 2009)
IOWA CITY - University of Iowa Head Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Bluder has announced that Jade Rogers has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa next fall.
"We are eager to have Jade Rogers join our team," Bluder said. "Jade is a tremendous kid that loves the game, and has grown up as a Hawkeye fan. Jade will be a versatile player that can play a number of positions. She can post up or she can shoot the long ball. She is also a good rebounder. Jade has had a great career at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, and is looking forward to continuing her career as a Hawkeye."
Rogers, a 5-11 forward, is from nearby Hiawatha, IA, and attends Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School. She led the state in scoring (22.3) and rebounding (13.4) as a sophomore, and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. She also earned first team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference honors.
Rogers suffered an ACL injury during the summer of the 2008, but returned to the court and helped lead Kennedy to the semifinal round of the state tournament. Rogers played in 17 games as a junior and averaged 17.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. She was named first team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference, along with being named to the state tournament all-tournament team.
As a freshman, Rogers earned second team all-state honors, along with first team all-district, all-metro and all-conference recognition.
Rogers currently has 1,089 points (18.5 per game average), which is fourth on the all-time scoring list at Kennedy. She also holds school records for single-game rebounds (20), single-season rebounds per game (12.6) and is on pace to become Kennedy's career rebounding leader. Rogers is also a three-time team captain.
Rogers has also lettered in volleyball. She helped lead the Kennedy volleyball team to a state tournament appearance this year.
Klopfenstein signs with Truman State (November 2009)
Nov. 16, 2009 – Truman women’s basketball head coach Michael Smith has announced the signing of four student-athletes who will be joining the Bulldog squad for the 2010-2011 season. Smith inked two guards and two forwards during the early signing period.
“We are excited about this early signing class, as these individuals fill some needs that we were looking for to continue to move this program forward,” Smith said. “The thing that stands out to me the most is that they all come from winning programs. They’ve tasted success and will bring that to campus next fall.”
Kayla Klopfenstein, a 5-foot-9 guard from Marion, Iowa, connected at a 38% clip from three-point range on the way to averaging eight points, three rebounds and three assists per game as a junior. She was a second-team all conference and was an all-metro selection at Linn Mar High School, starting on back-to-back state tournament semifinal teams in 2008 and 2009.
“As a coach, you always try to find a player that does all the little things, and that is Kayla,” Smith said. “Her work ethic and desire to win is what stood out most to me during the recruiting process. Her best basketball is ahead of her and we’re excited that it will be as part of the Truman program.”
Hogg and Orton sign letters
Megan Hogg and Kiersten Orton both signed letters to play women’s basketball. Hogg will go to Northwest Missouri State and Maryville, while Orton will go to the University of Central Missouri.
Hogg was the Warriors’ top scorer last season with 269 points, while Orton scored 267. They shot 47.1 and 45.0 percent from the floor, respectively. Orton led the Warriors with 126 total rebounds, while Hogg was second with 108.
Hogg had 28 assists, 11 blocks and 29 steals for Waukee last year. Orton had 38 assists, 4 blocks and 36 steals for the Warriors in 2008-09.
Paige commits to Wisconsin (May 2009)
MARION — Morgan Paige didn’t expect to make a decision so quickly. But, she figured after a visit to the University of Wisconsin last week, why wait?
“I just didn’t feel the need to wait,” Paige said Monday in announcing her verbal commitment to play women’s basketball at Wisconsin, beginning in the 2010-11 season.
Paige, a junior at Marion High School, took an unofficial visit to Madison last week. “We went last Wednesday, and I went to class and watched the girls go through individual workouts,” Paige said. “I got to hang out with the team, and after I saw the way they interacted with the coaches, I felt it all kind of clicked.” By Friday, Paige had made up her mind. Wisconsin had won out over Drake. She also turned down Northern Iowa and Creighton.
“She told me (Wisconsin) had everything she wanted,” said Sherryl Gaffney-Paige, Morgan’s mother and coach. “I asked her if she was sure. She said she was sure. I’m excited for her. You know when you have the fit, and she said Wisconsin just fit for her.” Paige is a two-time first-team all-state selection. She helped lead the Indians to the state semifinals as a sophomore. Last season, Marion finished 22-2, with both losses coming to Dubuque Wahlert, including one in the regional finals.
She was the starting setter for the 3A state-championship volleyball team last fall.
A 5-foot-9 guard, Paige averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season. She is one of three current female Metro girls that have committed to the Big Ten. Jaime Printy (senior, Linn-Mar) has signed to play at Iowa; Jade Rogers (junior, Cedar Rapids Kennedy) has committed to the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin was 19-15 last season, 6-12 in the Big Ten, and reached the third round of the WNIT. “They’re starting to switch their offense toward a running, motion offense,” Paige said. “They graduate two or three of their guards between now and the time I’ll get up there, so I should have an opportunity to go up there and make an impact.”
Other Iowa girls that have figured prominently in the UW women’s program include Robin Threatt (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), Barb Franke (Cedar Falls) and Stephanie Rich (Washington, Iowa).
WATERLOO - A combination of success in academics and athletics had Waterloo West junior Jordan Johnston considering schools from Dartmouth on the East Coast to the University of California-Irvine on the West Coast. In the end, the Rocky Mountains won out. Johnston, a 5-foot-10 point guard and 4.0 student, announced this week that she has verbally committed to continue her basketball career at the University of Denver. "I really liked the school," Johnston said. "They're really high in academics. ... The basketball program is up-and-coming and they have a good chance of being really good pretty soon." Denver University is an NCAA Division I school and member of the Sun Belt Conference, which includes a perennial Top 20 team in Middle Tennessee State. The Pioneers are coming off back-to-back winning seasons in Erik Johnson's first two years as head coach. Denver finished its 2010 campaign at 18-13. Johnson's coaching success also factored into Johnston's decision. "It wasn't that great of a program but he just built it up," Johnston said. "He pushes the girls hard, but also makes sure that they have a close bond, and that's one of the things that really got me interested. The girls are just like a family." Johnston is a three-year starter for the Wahawks. She made the move to point guard and averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season. The West standout also played club basketball for Team Iowa coached by James Moses. Her club teammates included first-team all-staters Kiah Stoakes and Virginia Johnson. "I'm very happy for Jordan and her family," West coach Tony Pappas noted. "She really likes the University of Denver and I think she'll have a great career there."
UW women's basketball: Lindsay Smith to join Iowa prep rival in Class of 2011
Lindsay Smith couldn't beat Morgan Paige, so she decided to join her. Smith, a 5-foot-10 guard from Central DeWitt High School in Iowa, has made a verbal commitment to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin beginning in 2011. Smith will get a chance to play alongside Paige, her high school rival from nearby Marion, Iowa, who will be a freshman with the Badgers this season. They were both first team Class 3A All-State selections this past season. Smith, who earlier eliminated Iowa, Vanderbilt and Stanford from consideration, had narrowed her options to Wisconsin and Michigan State. A phone call to her former rival helped her make her decision. "I talked to Morgan (Monday) and she gave me her opinion of why she chose Wisconsin and she talked about the girls on the team," Smith said. "It just seemed like that's where I belonged. "Morgan and I played in the same conference, so we played each other every year and it got pretty competitive. Her team always seemed to beat mine, but it will be fun to actually be on the same team together." Smith averaged about 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game last season in leading Central DeWitt to a 20-4 record. She has played point guard in high school but sees herself as a combo guard in college. In addition to her basketball exploits, Smith also competed in cross country in the fall, track and field in the spring and softball in the summer. She plans to maintain the four-sport approach her senior year before turning her attention strictly to basketball. "I think once I focus on basketball I can reach my full potential," she said. "But I think in high school it's better to play a bunch of sports so you don't get burned out." Smith's diverse athletic pursuits may have limited her basketball exposure. But she attracted some attention with her performance at the high-profile Boo Williams tournament in Virginia in April. That led to an article about her on ESPN HoopGurlz — a website that covers girls basketball — and calls from schools like Michigan State. "I got a lot more calls after that," she said. But her connections with the Wisconsin program run deep. She attended coach Lisa Stone's basketball camp at UW as an eighth grader. And long before that, her parents Mike and Sharon were students at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, when Stone was the coach of the women's basketball team there. "I always knew Wisconsin would be one of my top choices," said Smith, who has a 3.9 grade-point average and plans to major in business. Ultimately, she would like to become a college basketball coach. Smith is the second player to commit to Wisconsin for the 2011 class, joining 5-8 point guard Lacia Gorman of Fort Wayne, Ind. Gorman committed in August 2009 after making an unofficial visit to UW, and is highly regarded among recruiting analysts such as Dan Olson of Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. "Even though she’s a point guard, that kid can score," Olson told Madison.com sports in February 2010 as part of an evaluation of the Badgers' top recruiting targets for the 2011 class. "Wisconsin beat out a lot of its counterparts that wanted to get that kid."
DeWitt’s Keitel commits to play at UNI (April 2010)
13 April 2010 - Iowa Prep Sports
DeWitt Central High School junior Jennifer Keitel has verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Northern Iowa, accepting Tonya Warren’s scholarship offer to join the Panthers in the fall of 2011.
A three-year starter at Central, Keitel picked UNI over Creighton, Northern Illinois and Illinois-Chicago.
“I chose UNI for a variety of reasons. It’s a great basketball program. I felt an immediate connection to Coach Warren and the whole staff,” she said. “(UNI) has a great academic reputation, the campus is a perfect size for me and it’s relatively close to home.”
Keitel averaged 14.8 points and 8 rebounds per game as a junior, leading Central to a 20-4 overall record and a Wamac Conference East Division title.
City's Johnson commits to Iowa basketball (January 2010)
Susan Harman
Iowa City Press-Citizen
A little home cooking, access to laundry facilities and the belief that she was joining a program that played the game the way she wanted to play it convinced City High forward Virginia Johnson to give her commitment to the Iowa women's basketball team on Sunday.
Johnson will join former Little Hawk teammate Kelly Krei as a Hawkeye. Krei is starting for Iowa as a sophomore.
Although she was recruited by many Division I schools, the 6-foot-1 junior picked Iowa over Rutgers, which is coached by former Iowa coach Vivian Stringer.
"I love it here," Johnson said. "My mom is a big Hawkeye fan. It must be in the genes, I don't know. It's just the way they play. I really like their style. Coach (Lisa) Bluder, I think she's an excellent coach.
"I was kind of on the edge," she said. "I just needed something to push me one way or the other. Watching them play, I don't know, I just enjoyed watching them."
Johnson is a two-time all-state selection despite her youth and currently is averaging 23.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. She leads the Mississippi Valley Conference with a 24.4-point average in league games, is third in field-goal percentage at 56.3 percent and is fourth in rebounding (10.6).
Johnson scored the winning basket in City High's state championship game as a freshman, hauling in a three-quarter court pass from Kim Rickels and driving in for a layup as time expired. She also is an accomplished softball player and high jumper for the City High track team.
"Family is the main component," Johnson said. "I couldn't move to New Jersey. I just like it in Iowa because you're close to home and you can come do your laundry and get home-cooked meals. I like it here."
Johnson likely will play the small forward spot in college. She has played inside and out for City High. She sometimes has to bring the ball up court against pressure. She has developed a reliable mid-range jump shot this season and she can run the court all night long. A natural athlete, Johnson even played some football in junior high.
Recently Johnson's mother sent a letter to Iowa indicating that her daughter would not make a decision on recruiting for at least two months. That seemed to relieve the pressure that Johnson was feeling to make a decision.
"I think at the moment that I realized it really was my decision, that I really could do whatever I wanted, then I realized Iowa would be the best decision," Johnson said. "Once the pressure was gone it just clicked that, 'Hey this is where I want to go.'"
Duke commits to SFCC
Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Mariah Duke has committed to play basketball at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO.
Rogers signs with Iowa (November 2009)
IOWA CITY - University of Iowa Head Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Bluder has announced that Jade Rogers has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa next fall.
"We are eager to have Jade Rogers join our team," Bluder said. "Jade is a tremendous kid that loves the game, and has grown up as a Hawkeye fan. Jade will be a versatile player that can play a number of positions. She can post up or she can shoot the long ball. She is also a good rebounder. Jade has had a great career at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, and is looking forward to continuing her career as a Hawkeye."
Rogers, a 5-11 forward, is from nearby Hiawatha, IA, and attends Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School. She led the state in scoring (22.3) and rebounding (13.4) as a sophomore, and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. She also earned first team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference honors.
Rogers suffered an ACL injury during the summer of the 2008, but returned to the court and helped lead Kennedy to the semifinal round of the state tournament. Rogers played in 17 games as a junior and averaged 17.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. She was named first team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference, along with being named to the state tournament all-tournament team.
As a freshman, Rogers earned second team all-state honors, along with first team all-district, all-metro and all-conference recognition.
Rogers currently has 1,089 points (18.5 per game average), which is fourth on the all-time scoring list at Kennedy. She also holds school records for single-game rebounds (20), single-season rebounds per game (12.6) and is on pace to become Kennedy's career rebounding leader. Rogers is also a three-time team captain.
Rogers has also lettered in volleyball. She helped lead the Kennedy volleyball team to a state tournament appearance this year.
Klopfenstein signs with Truman State (November 2009)
Nov. 16, 2009 – Truman women’s basketball head coach Michael Smith has announced the signing of four student-athletes who will be joining the Bulldog squad for the 2010-2011 season. Smith inked two guards and two forwards during the early signing period.
“We are excited about this early signing class, as these individuals fill some needs that we were looking for to continue to move this program forward,” Smith said. “The thing that stands out to me the most is that they all come from winning programs. They’ve tasted success and will bring that to campus next fall.”
Kayla Klopfenstein, a 5-foot-9 guard from Marion, Iowa, connected at a 38% clip from three-point range on the way to averaging eight points, three rebounds and three assists per game as a junior. She was a second-team all conference and was an all-metro selection at Linn Mar High School, starting on back-to-back state tournament semifinal teams in 2008 and 2009.
“As a coach, you always try to find a player that does all the little things, and that is Kayla,” Smith said. “Her work ethic and desire to win is what stood out most to me during the recruiting process. Her best basketball is ahead of her and we’re excited that it will be as part of the Truman program.”
Hogg and Orton sign letters
Megan Hogg and Kiersten Orton both signed letters to play women’s basketball. Hogg will go to Northwest Missouri State and Maryville, while Orton will go to the University of Central Missouri.
Hogg was the Warriors’ top scorer last season with 269 points, while Orton scored 267. They shot 47.1 and 45.0 percent from the floor, respectively. Orton led the Warriors with 126 total rebounds, while Hogg was second with 108.
Hogg had 28 assists, 11 blocks and 29 steals for Waukee last year. Orton had 38 assists, 4 blocks and 36 steals for the Warriors in 2008-09.
Paige commits to Wisconsin (May 2009)
MARION — Morgan Paige didn’t expect to make a decision so quickly. But, she figured after a visit to the University of Wisconsin last week, why wait?
“I just didn’t feel the need to wait,” Paige said Monday in announcing her verbal commitment to play women’s basketball at Wisconsin, beginning in the 2010-11 season.
Paige, a junior at Marion High School, took an unofficial visit to Madison last week. “We went last Wednesday, and I went to class and watched the girls go through individual workouts,” Paige said. “I got to hang out with the team, and after I saw the way they interacted with the coaches, I felt it all kind of clicked.” By Friday, Paige had made up her mind. Wisconsin had won out over Drake. She also turned down Northern Iowa and Creighton.
“She told me (Wisconsin) had everything she wanted,” said Sherryl Gaffney-Paige, Morgan’s mother and coach. “I asked her if she was sure. She said she was sure. I’m excited for her. You know when you have the fit, and she said Wisconsin just fit for her.” Paige is a two-time first-team all-state selection. She helped lead the Indians to the state semifinals as a sophomore. Last season, Marion finished 22-2, with both losses coming to Dubuque Wahlert, including one in the regional finals.
She was the starting setter for the 3A state-championship volleyball team last fall.
A 5-foot-9 guard, Paige averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season. She is one of three current female Metro girls that have committed to the Big Ten. Jaime Printy (senior, Linn-Mar) has signed to play at Iowa; Jade Rogers (junior, Cedar Rapids Kennedy) has committed to the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin was 19-15 last season, 6-12 in the Big Ten, and reached the third round of the WNIT. “They’re starting to switch their offense toward a running, motion offense,” Paige said. “They graduate two or three of their guards between now and the time I’ll get up there, so I should have an opportunity to go up there and make an impact.”
Other Iowa girls that have figured prominently in the UW women’s program include Robin Threatt (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), Barb Franke (Cedar Falls) and Stephanie Rich (Washington, Iowa).