MUNCIE, Ind. ? Ball State women's basketball head coach Tracy Roller announced the signing of four high school standouts to national letters of intent on Wednesday afternoon, the first day of the early signing period. The Cardinals received letters of intent from Jade Barber (Louisville, Ky./Ballard), Amber Clark (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North), Suzanne Grossnickle (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) and Patrice King (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy).
“I truly believe that this class has the potential to be the best class we have ever signed,” Roller said. “As a whole, they have all of the characteristics of great college student-athletes ? smart, big, athletic, quick, hard working, team oriented and most importantly, winners. Our staff worked very hard to secure this exceptional class, competing against rival schools. I look forward to coaching them all and the immediate impact they can make in our program.”
Barber, a 6-2 forward from Louisville, Ky., is one of the top players in the state of Kentucky at Ballard High School. She averaged 12 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per contest as a junior. Her 10.3 rebounds per game were 18th best in the state last season. She played AAU basketball for the Louisville Legends and the Blue Chip All-Stars. She earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Rick Bolus Camp and was also listed as the fifth best prospect in the state of Kentucky by the Rick Bolus Report.
“Jade is a long, lanky and extremely athletic forward who continues to improve her skill set in the post and on the perimeter,” Roller said. “Her natural rebounding instincts and transition down the court are very hard to stop. She is a great leader whose potential is without limit and she will make an impact here at Ball State.”
Clark, a 6-3 center from Huntington, Ind., has spent the past three seasons at Huntington North where she guided the team to a 13-8 record. She averaged 18 points per game as a junior as she connected on 55 percent of her shots from the field. She finished eighth in the state in rebounds as she averaged 11.7 boards per game. She played AAU basketball for Indiana's Finest, the same team as five current Cardinals.
“Amber is a physical post presence on the court,” Roller said. “She has great hands and feet and her skill set is very good. She has the potential to give us something that not many MAC teams have in a great post finisher. She knew very early that Ball State was the place she could come in and dominate.”
Grossnickle, a 6-2 forward from Belleville, Ill., spent the previous three seasons at Marian Catholic in Chicago before transferring to Belleville East this past summer. She guided Marian Catholic to a 29-4 record as a junior as she averaged 12.4 points per game and eight rebounds per contest. She helped her team to a third place finish in the Class AA State Tournament last season as she connected on 70.1 percent (148-of-211) from the field. She led her team in scoring 20 out of 33 games last season.
“Suzanne is a very athletic post player who has a great work ethic,” Roller said. “She has the potential to play inside and out in our offensive system. She is extremely competitive and will bring a championship approach to Ball State. As Julie DeMuth did when she entered as a freshman, Suzanne has the potential to make us better immediately in practice, in games and in winning championships.”
King, a 5-6 point guard from St. Louis, Mo., was a teammate of Grossnickle's for the past three seasons at Marian Catholic in Chicago before transferring to St. Joseph's Academy this summer. She was the floor general of the Marian Catholic team that won 52 games over the past two seasons. She averaged 6.8 points per game as she connected on 98-of-159 (61.6 percent) of her shots from the field. She also was the team's top defensive player, regularly picking up the defensive assignment against the opponent's top player.
“Patrice is the type of combo guard that every head coach wants,” Roller said. “She can shoot the three, drive the paint, distribute the ball and is a defensive nightmare for all opponents. She really understands the game and makes everyone around her better. She will be a great leader immediately when she arrives on campus, and her winning mentality will be a big asset for our program.”
Ball State Women's Basketball Early Signings
Jade Barber ? Louisville, Ky./Ballard
Amber Clark ? Huntington, Ind./Huntington North
Suzanne Grossnickle ? Belleville, Ill./Belleville East
Patrice King ? St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy
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