“I was sitting next to the Vanderbilt coach at a game, and she started ‘Googling’ Andrea,” UD coach Jim Jabir said. “I didn’t say anything, and then she punches me in the arm and says, ‘She’s yours.’ ”
Hoover, a 5-foot-8 guard, made that commitment to UD official by signing a letter of intent Wednesday along with 6-3 forward Ally Malott of Middletown Madison, a consensus top-50 recruit nationally.
“Both are great. They’re very, very skilled, and they’re very, very tough,” Jabir said. “They’re just basketball players. They’re going to help us a lot.”
Hoover turned down offers from North Carolina State and others, while Malott had her pick of almost any big-time school. Even Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma made a recruiting trip to Middletown to scout the two-time first-team All-Ohio player.
“Ally is a Dayton kid. She’s a UD kid the way she plays because of her intelligence and skill level for her size,” Jabir said.
“She’ll help get us to the next level.”
Malott was picked last summer for the USA Women’s U-18 national team, which won the gold medal in the FIBA Americas Championship. She averaged 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists while helping Madison to a 27-1 record as a junior last season.
Malott is ranked as the seventh-best senior nationally in Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and 40th in ESPNU’s ratings.
Hoover averaged 17.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.5 steals and 4.0 assists as a junior for Spring Valley, which is located in Bellbrook, and has been named to the ESPNU Class of 2011 Super 60 Players.
“She’s got a toughness to her that I’ve not seen in a girl,” Jabir said. “She’s tough and smart and plays like a guy. She watches film and is always trying to learn. She’s a great addition to our team.”
The Flyers, who reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, have been locking up area recruits. Junior forward Justine Raterman, a preseason first-team All-Atlantic 10 pick, is from Versailles, while sophomore forward Cassie Sant, the lone recruit in the 2010 class, is from Fairmont High School.
Contact this writer at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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