Tennessee has added the top-ranked point guard to its women’s basketball recruiting class for next season.
Ariel Massengale of Bolingbrook (Ill.) High committed to the Lady Vols Thursday night. She joined USA Basketball teammate and friend Cierra Burdick, who committed last fall.
“Tennessee has always been a dream of mine,’’ Massengale said.
She posted her decision on her Facebook page and called Burdick.
“I feel like I just committed,’’ Burdick said. “When she told me I screamed for a whole minute.”
The 5-foot-7 Massengale is the top-rated point guard in the Class of 2011 by at least two recruiting services. ESPN’s HoopGurlz has her ranked No. 6 in its top 100 prospects. Blue Star Basketball has Massengale ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the country.
Massengale was the point guard for the U.S. U17 women’s team, which stormed through the World Championships in France last month, winning eight consecutive games. Massengale amassed 43 assists while committing just 16 turnovers. She scored a team-high 20 points in a 92-62 championship victory over host France while adding six assists. Her performance was witnessed by UT coach Pat Summitt and assistant coach Mickie DeMoss. Massengale thinks that her play in France was a key factor in the recruiting process, which played out in rather uneven fashion with her and Tennessee.
“We had some differences, but we worked them out,” Massengale said. “I was hoping they would come back around.”
Massengale helped lead Bolingbrook to the Class 4A state championship in Illinois, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the championship game.
Massengale has Tennessee roots. Her father, Carvel, is from Shelbyville and her mother, Anita, is from Bell Buckle. Her uncle, Lendell, is a dentist in Knoxville.
Tennessee now has one scholarship left to offer for next season and will concentrate on two highly regarded post players. Elizabeth Williams, the nation’s No. 1-rated prospect by HoopGurlz and a fellow U17 player, will be making an unofficial campus visit today.
The Lady Vols also remain in the hunt for Kiah Stokes of Marion, Iowa, a top 20-rated prospect.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee 60, Connecticut 57 men's…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
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Comments » 61
8ball writes:
Great catching up on ucant for speed...
ladyvolcp3 writes:
congrats future lady vol
DRORANGELOVE writes:
you Go Girl. Glad to have you as a Lady Vol. Go Vols
marinevol writes:
Rebuilding the dynasty.
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncw/recrui...
LifetimeVolFan writes:
Fantastic news!!! Welcome to UT and get ready to count your championship rings--they will assuredly be coming. Great choice and again, welcome to the Volunteer Nation!
orangecountyvols writes:
Wow. Congratulations Ariel ( and Cierra ). This is great news. Should Williams join them.......Lady Vols recruiting will be off the charts !
Still remember Virginia believing they have Williams in the fold.
Hoping they are wrong. Seems intelligent thing would be to choose the legend over Debbie Ryan.
marinevol writes:
Now, if CPS can just land Elizabeth Williams this will look like some of the great classes in the past that went on to win National Championships.
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncw/recrui...
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Awesome!! The rich get richer!
huntined#565710 writes:
WILLIAMS,WILLIAMS,WILLIAMS!!!
My name too..
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
This class just keeps getting better!!! As another poster described it "off the charts"..
EAT YOUR HEART OUT UCONN!!
pammyvol1000 writes:
Welcome!!!!! Can't wait to see you in the orange!
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
I was hoping the lady vols could get her! I think she may bring Williams alone for the ride, hopefully so. Great day to be a vol! Great pickup to go along with all of the other great pickups. Pat is building another dynasty!
Fulton_Vol writes:
This gives us the #1 player at point and forward, if Williams joins them that will be the #1 post. Those three would make an awesome class! We're also in the hunt for the #3 and #5 post players so even if we're unable to pull Williams we should still end up with a great post player in this class. Go Lady Vols!
boogimn3 writes:
Love ro beat the French at anything...
This is starting to look real good...Coach Summitt is on her horse, now...
ridor9th writes:
This is not true at all. As a fan of Virginia Cavaliers, I do not recall seeing Debbie or UVa folks claiming that they believe that Elizabeth Williams is theirs.
She wanted to be a doctor -- UVa & Duke has the best programs for that field. Tennessee? Please.
Don't speak for Virginia when you do not know the truth.
R-
richvol writes:
The best recruit so far has been the resigning of Mickie DeMoss. Look at this year so far and if we get Williams then look out.
My only complaint with Pat the past few years is that she was getting outrecruited by UConn and Stanford. Mickie and Pat together again can quickly pull us right back to the top. Get that athletic post.
I would love to see what that conditioning coach that worked on Brian Williams could do with Lyssi Brewer. All she needs is conditioning.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Congrats LV's and welcome, young lady!
bigtimevol writes:
Another Lady Vol with Shelbyville roots...Woosley, Fuller, Massengale
nola_vol writes:
Just a note of caution...
Having the best recruiting class in a given year is NOT the same as signing that difference-maker like Candice Parker or Baylor's Brittney Griner. How do these recruits compare with the best at their position over the past 4 years? How do they compare with the girls coming along 1-3 years behind them?
I'm VERY excited about this news--I'm just leaving the trophy polish in the cabinet for now.
tonyvick#213307 writes:
You ain't never been righter. Great observation.
SummittsCourt writes:
Coach Summitt has this recruiting thing down "Pat" I guess. To all the naysayers out there, playing basketball for Pat Summitt is still something little girls dream about. Her name and her legacy still recruits the best of the best.
iowavol writes:
Wow, you know what every Virginia fan is saying? Incredible. Impressive that you know so much but I should expect that since you mention your school being the best medical schools. Too bad they don't focus too much on the basics like grammar.
AlpharettaVol writes:
Don't you understand that coaches or school officials cannot talk about specific recruits they are persuing? So of course you haven't heard anything from UVA.
orangecountyvols writes:
Well now Ms. Ridor
First of all you have strayed into SEC waters on this message board. Next, I don't believe you are the sole authority on Virginia athletics. Maybe you better check with Jerry Radcliffe about "the truth."
Finally, we yield to your accomplishments in the "major/for Virginia" sports...........Lacrosse,soccer, baseball, debate team etc.
But don't try getting into conversations with SEC people about basketball and especially football.
We know Va Tech has your number in sports, just don't
try to take it out on other people's sites. In the meantime, bring the girl's basketball team on down for another whipping from the Lady Vols and a real women's coach.
vol4gzus writes:
Just a little reminder who is back on Coach Summit's staff that was known as a strong recruiter. So as a tandem they are strong. Yes Coach Pat is probably enough on her , but with Ms. Demoss now back that is a major plus.
halloffamebowler writes:
You are right about DeMoss.She is and always has been the heart of all of our great recruites.Bring them on.Don't get too up in arms about the cheating Geno.He always lands the better players.That is why he has the best womens program in the nation right now.I hope that changes soon,even if it's not Teennessee that makes the change.
kazoo writes:
This is good news. It's nice to see Summitt getting serious about getting some really good guards--this has been a glaring weakness for several years, as she got in this habit of signing "heady" players who simply weren't athletic enough to be good. I would like to see Summitt start putting some up-tempo teams on the floor that can run and player together. I've been surprised that she hasn't come close, over the last 12 years, to putting together a team as good as the 98 squad. The coach still is offensively challenged--without a superstar like Parker, her teams tend to be ragged offensively. This is all the more reason to get up and down the floor, to press, etc.--create easier chances.
boroviathaochvolsfan writes:
Coach Summitt and Coach Demoss does it again!! Great News!! Lets go win another NC!!!!
DRORANGELOVE writes:
richvol, you are sooooo right. I have always said that Micki DeMoss was THE major ingredient in Pat Summits program when she had her winning formula down consistently, When Micki left the program started slowly deteriorating. Now it is back on track, it sure is good to have her and Pat back together. Look for more Nat Championships at UT in the near future. GBO
always_vol (Inactive) writes:
I have seen this girl play several times. She is solid, but NOT a game-changer. I've not seen Avant, but would think Massengale will make a capable sub for her.
As for Stokes/Williams...either would be a nice addition, but don't know that either would start or even earn big minutes for a while.
From what I know Stokes struggles when playing bigger girls, because her HS only plays against 1 or 2 per year. She is very athletic and strong. Williams has more of a rep, but that could be as much from where she is at as to her skills. If she was stuck in the middle of South Dakota, she might be just another 'big'.
These recruiting service rankings are complete bogus BS. What I trust is the experience eyes of the coaches who follow these kids.
What I'm more excited about is the quality of the 'wing ' players CPS has added. I think THOSE will get us back to the NC game.
VolunteerLifer writes:
We're accumulating alot of point guards on this squad. I wonder if that is a signal that Pat intends to run more and press more in the future.
Mobbdeep4life writes:
If the Lady Vols can land Williams, who is a very athletic post player, this class will be very good. You would think with Burdick and Williams having played AAU together that might be a factor in her decision.
ladyvolnc (Inactive) writes:
THANK GOODNESS,PAT FINALLY WOKE UP AND MADE HER A LV......WONDERED WHY PAT DIDN'T TAKE HER TO BEGIN WITH AFTER ALL SHE WAS #3 PLAYER,PLUS A USA PLAYER THAT DID A GREAT JOB....WONDER IF MICKIE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS????
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
As Always said, you don't go by recruiting services. #3....according to whom?? There are literally 1,000's of ball players out there. More than a few never see an AAU team, as they play year-round sports.
This girl will probably do just fine for us, but if Pat had to wait this long to offer her, that means Pat had reservations.
bobbylr01009 writes:
Pat did begin with her but Pat got a commitment from Andraya Carter a PG in the 2012 class so Pat stopped going after her but when Pat went to France to see the USA team play she saw how great she was so she offered.....her new rank is #4 and our other commit Cierra is #3..which gives us the #1 class for 2011
orangecountyvols writes:
Bobby,
Thanks for the updates. For quite a while, point guard was a position that was not up to standards, but now the future seems to be looking brighter and this may be one the strengths of the team.
bobbizee#247300 writes:
I felt strongly with Coach DeMoss coming aboard we would get better at recruiting, there is just so much a head coach can do. Pat & Mickie together again get your tickets for the NCAA Finals folks!!
SoddyVol writes:
Things looking great. I'm only a little bothered by the comment: “We had some differences, but we worked them out,” Massengale said. “I was hoping they would come back around.” I Just want everyone's attitude in the right place and all to be happy.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
I noticed that too...UT may have been trying for another girl whom they did not get. Or, they may have pressured Massengale early to make a decision, she did not, and they backed off. Really hard to say.
Recruiting is flat ugly for the star players...just imagine what it is like for the rest, the good-but-not-great players. It's like waiting for a huge pile of dominoes to fall.
Ariel's a good athlete, average or less shooter, and has huge upside. She knows how to play with other very good players.
IMHO, Pat is trying to build a versatile team, one that can compete with the bangers AND the runners. From my point of view, she has really stepped up her variety: Burdick and Massengale are as far from Spanil, Dupree, and Bass as you can get. Yet, each will be needed.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
That last paragraph is so, so true! However, I look for Spani to be a little bit better this year. She showed signs of being a pretty good player at times. Dupree is still a mystery to me! Bass, I am afraid to say, I think the way the league has gotten, she is a bit undersized. She is a pretty good ball handler, but her shooting is inconsistent, and she is too small to penetrate. She has a lot of heart though, and hopefully she will find her game this year and become a pretty good reserve player.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Agreed on all. Dupree may be a good offensive player, we just do not know. Spani has the potential to be a real matchup problem for other teams if she stays healthy.
Bass?? The kid needs just ONE shot to be good at...a runner, a step-back 10-footer, something like that...but just work on that one until she can nail it in her sleep. That way,when she penetrates, she has a weapon. Sometimes kids like her 'get it' their junior year....remember Bobbitt coming in?? She was okay, but not any where near what she was by her senior season. She improved a ton her junior year.
bobbizee#247300 writes:
FYI Bobbitt was a junior college player and one of the best she had started and played 2 years before arriving at UT.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
we are aware of that. She still had to work very hard to get her game to UT's needs.
98reax writes:
PLEASE. someone tell me about Baugh. How is she progressing? Her health and conditioning very well could be the key to a successful season. Did she stay in Ktown for rehab this summer? What's up with Vickie? If we don't have her on the court this season I will be sooooooo disappointed.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
JMHO, but she will be a 'bonus' if she is able to contribute. Two knee surgeries is rugged, plus just sitting out for two years. The LV's have moved on without her, but if she can play back into contributing, she would help with our depth.
These damn ACL injuries are just awful. It's gotten so bad for girls it almost seems like we will have to eliminate jumping from the game...there has to be a better solution.
I keep hoping someone will develop a device that can detect and redirect the energy that causes the tear.
Not what you asked, just my thoughts.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Maya Moore is a fine player....but she's no Diana or Candace.
Stanford basically choked and puked the game to UConn last season, and that was with Tina Charles playing. I think is was the worst in-game coaching job I have EVER seen from Stanford.
Anyway, I will be curious to see how Samarie Walker does for you. I say her in person, an absolutely dominant player. Very difficult to guard.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
Lewis is overrated! She is just a good shooter. I saw her in their championship game, and if you guard her, she can't create her own shot. She is out of shape and way too slow to beat you off the dribble. Comparing her to Moore, who is also overrated, big deal. Maya will not be able to carry that team alone this year. When you go to Stanford, you will see just how overrated Maya is. Oh, by the way, Ariel outplayed your number one recruit Lewis in the gold medal game.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
I agree! Tara did a horrible job coaching that night. She practically gave Uconn that game. That was the worst championship game I have ever seen on live television. Uconn had 12 points in the first half, with all of those so called superstars. Tara had that game, but she kept trying to run her offense through Jane Appel, who was injured, and a non-factor the whole game. She should have benched the injured Appel and ran her offense through Ogwumike, which is one tough player.
As far as Samarie Walker goes, when I saw her in the all-america game, she was a non-factor. She did nothing for me as a player. Maybe because she was matched up against players of equal or better skills. Time will tell!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Yep; it wasn't just Appel, either; they (stanford) made little effort to get Ogwumike the ball, and they had gave up fast breaks to pull the ball out and run the shotclock down. You could easily tell it was coach's game plan to 'run some clcck'. She never adjusted to the fact UConn was completely rattled and ready to fall.
Interesting on Samaire, and you could be right. When I saw her, she was on my daughter's team and they completely dominated the games, so really hard to judge. She was just so fluid to the basket and powerful, but as you say that could very much be a function of who is guarding her.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
mike, I think there are only so many 'game-changers' around, and unless someone is hiding, the 2011 and 2012 classes don't have them.
In my admittedly flawed logic, Diana, Candace, and Griner are players who, if brought into a program surrounded by good players, virtually guarantee you a championship.
When you don't have one of the those, well, that's when you get 'parity'. You can about tell when parity hits women's ball: it is when someone other than UT or UConn win the title!!!!
Imagine if either UConn or UT had Griner...heck, baylor made a run last year with her, and they had NOTHING in support.
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