Graves Signs No. 6 Ranked Recruiting Class
11/11/15 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. - Head coach Kelly Graves has announced a six-member 2015-16 recruiting class, ranked No. 6 in the nation by ESPN.
The Ducks have signed guards Jayde Woods (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Morgan Yaeger (Adelaide, Australia) plus forwards Sierra Campisano (San Diego, Calif.), Mallory McGwire (Reno, Nevada), Ruthy Hebard (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Lydia Giomi (Seattle, Wash.).
"Today is a great day in the history of of the University of Oregon women's basketball program," said Graves.
"When my staff and I set out on this journey in the spring of 2014, we collectively felt the 2016 class could be a special class, one that would help define the program for years to come. Today, we are realizing the first step in making that a reality. We've gotten the right people for the right program. Character and class wins and this group is loaded with both qualities. Each one of these young women are 'team first' players, hard workers, dedicated to improving, goal driven and excited about helping the Ducks become one of the nation's elite programs. Each one of these young women are outstanding students, active participants in their communities and the kind of individuals that will be proud representatives of our university and basketball program."
The group features four ESPN top-100 players, four forwards all 6-foot-3 or taller and a pair of guards.
Campisano, the No. 14 ranked recruit in the nation, is the highest rated prospect to ever sign with the Ducks. Hebard (No. 41), McGwire (No. 59) and Woods (No. 96) are also ranked in the top-100 by ESPN.
Jayde Woods
6-foot-1 | Guard
Windward High School
Los Angeles, Calif.
HIGH SCHOOL
Plays for Vanessa Nygaard at Windward H.S….A consensus top-100 player and four-star recruit…Ranked No. 76 in the nation by Prospects Nation, No. 81 by ASGR and No. 97 by ESPN…Averaged 14.4 points, six rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.3 assists per game, leading Windward HS to an Alpha League and CIF D1 Championship…Named first team all-league as well as all-CIF D1…Selected to the Cal-Hi Sports All-Star team and was named to the Palisades All-Tournament team and the Nike Tournament of Champions all-tournament team. As a sophomore, she was named first team all-Trinity League playing at Mater Dei HS one of the best teams in the nation…Also named all-league in softball as a junior, even though it was her first year competing in the sport.
CLUB
Plays for Russ Davis with the prestigious Cal Swish Nike EYBL club team.
Kelly Graves - “Jayde is one of the most physically and mentally tough players in the country. Considered one of the nation's premiere defenders and most versatile players, Jayde has the ability to defend and play every position on the court which will make her a valuable piece to our basketball program. She has the ability to impact the game in ways other than just stats and that is valuable and rare. I love that Jayde is such a well-rounded person—an excellent student and very active in her community and school charitable events and programs. Jayde is such a humble person and a great teammate—we couldn't be more excited that she is part of our Duck family.”
Vanessa Nygaard - “Jayde is a fantastic basketball talent, a great leader, a gifted student, and a caring teammate. She is the most aggressive and disruptive on ball defender I have ever seen at the high school level, routinely making opponents break down and cry as a result of her suffocating pressure. The entire Windward community looks forward to seeing Jayde do great things at the University of Oregon and beyond!”
Sierra Campisano
6-foot-3 | Forward
Torrey Pines High School
San Diego, Calif.
HIGH SCHOOL
Plays for Denise Bennett at TPHS…Ranked the 14th best prospect in the nation by ESPNW…One of the most decorated players in California, averaged 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks per game…Named first team all-league and was a first team San Diego Section all-CIF selection…Picked as the Torrey Pines High School female athlete of the year…Shot 49 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range…Her 177 blocked shots were fourth-best in San Diego Section history…As a sophomore in 2014, named first team San Diego Section all-CIF and the Palomar League Player of the Year as she led her TPHS team to an undefeated league season and 24-6 overall record…Averaged 25 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and four steals…Also named to the San Diego Union Tribune all-academic team and given the I Am Torrey Pines Leadership Award
CLUB
Played for Spatticus Harris with the San Diego Sol basketball club.
Kelly Graves - “Sierra is perhaps the most skilled tall player in the country. Her ability to shoot with range, off the bounce, post up and finish with either hand inside makes her truly special. Her length, timing, and tenacity make her a force defensively too. She has a motor that never turns off and her willingness to work so hard is quite an example to her teammates. Truly a gym rat, she is constantly in the gym working to get better and I see an amazing future her in the college game and beyond. Sierra is the whole package too when it comes to being a great person—she's an elite student and is very involved in her school and community and her personality and friendliness is infectious. We are so thrilled to have Sierra as a Duck.”
Denise Bennett - “Sierra is a passionate, confident, aggressive and competitive player who is a real student of the game of basketball. Her desire to grow her knowledge and skill is truly one of a kind. She can handle the ball, attack the basket and has a great pull-up jump shot. She is a coachable player who leads by example and is an all-around team player.”
Mallory McGwire
6-foot-5 | Forward
Reno H.S.
Reno, Nev.
HIGH SCHOOL
Plays for Shane Foster at Reno HS…One of the most decorated and winningest athletes in Nevada high school history and considered one of the best centers in the country…Ranked No. 38 in the nation with a position rank of No. 6 by Prospects Nation…Enters her senior season as the two-time Nevada Gatorade State Player of the Year… Has career totals of 1,448 points, 1,018 rebounds and 428 blocked shots…Compiled an 81-8 record through her first three high school seasons that includes two regional and two state championships…A three-time first team all-region selection and was named State player of the year by several groups in each of the last two seasons…Averaged 21.8 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 6.9 blocks per game as a junior, shooting over 70 percent from the field…Averaged 15.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game.
CLUB
Played for Kelly Sopak with the Cal Stars club team, which won the Nike EYBL national championship in the summer of 2015… Averaged 10.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game over the summer.
PERSONAL
Daughter of 6-foot-8 former NFL quarterback Dan McGwire and niece of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire.
Kelly Graves - “Simply put, Mallory is an incredibly gifted basketball talent and person. She has great hands, great feet, and a big heart—the three most important things a post player can possess. She's so athletic and runs so well for a person of her size. Her potential as a basketball player is off the charts. She's incredibly accomplished yet I have no doubt her best basketball is ahead of her and when she puts it all together, watch out basketball world. I expect Mallory to have an impact in every phase of the game. Her soft touch is amazing and her ability to get a rebound, outlet quickly and run the floor reminds me of Kevin Love. She has an infectious personality, is a fun-loving person on and off the court. Mallory is going to be a great Duck and one of those players fans will fall in love with.”
Shane Foster - “Mallory has been a great team leader and player throughout her career here at Reno High School. She is our hardest worker and that has made her a very special player. She's a winner.”
Morgan Yaeger
5-foot-9 | Guard
St. John's Grammar School
Adelaide, Australia
HIGH SCHOOL
Currently playing for head coach Tracy York and the Adelaide Lightning of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) after finishing at St. John's Grammar School in Belair, South Australia…Has played extensively with the Australian National program…Was on the Australian U19 Basketball Squad in 2015 and played on the U17 Basketball Team that took fifth Place at the 2014 World Championships in the Czech Republic…Competing for Australia, she won Gold medals at the 2013 Oceania Championships and the 2012 Pacific Youth Games…In the championship game vs. New Zealand, Morgan was named MVP…Often competing as the youngest player, played on the South Australian Metro State Team (Australian National Junior Championships) in the U18s and U16s…Named MVP of her Forestville Basketball Club four times and in 2015 earned the Premier League (senior women's) club team Coaches Award…One of the top international prospects in the class by Prospects Nation.
Kelly Graves - “Morgan is such a competitor and has played at such a high level, having played in the highly competitive Australian National Team program (17U World Championships) as well as the WNBL, the 2nd best professional league in the world. She will be ready to for Division 1 college basketball from the day she steps on the Oregon campus because of her high basketball IQ and ability to play multiple positions. I love how aggressive she plays—she gets to the rim and can finish, gets to the FT line a lot, can shoot the 3-pt. She's a great defender and has great feet, excellent quickness and body control. Perhaps most important is that she is a tremendous leader, a hard worker and great teammate. She's a basketball junkie. Morgan is a great student with a fun personality who has a bright, bright future. I'm so glad that a person of her abilities and character will be part of our Duck family.”
Tracy York - “Morgan is a naturally talented and athletically strong basketball player. She has a maturity beyond her years. She has great determination, work ethic and an ability to listen and be coached. She is passionate about basketball and her development and is going to be a great asset to the Oregon program.”
Lydia Giomi
6-foot-6 | Forward
West Seattle High School
Seattle, Wash.
HIGH SCHOOL
Named the 2015 Seattle Metro League MVP for head coach her West Seattle HS team, leading her team to a Division title, a Metro League championship, and a state tournament berth where her team finished sixth…Averaged 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and three blocks per contest as she was named to the 2015 Seattle Times all-star team and the 2015 Washington all-state team…Also selected to the first team at Max Preps Holiday Classic...As a sophomore in 2013-14, averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and two blocks and helped her to team to a division title…An outstanding volleyball player, named 2015 Seattle Metro Valley Division Player of the Year…Ranked the No. 15 center in the country by ESPN.
CLUB
Plays for head coach Damian Young and the Tree of Hope Nike EYBL team…Took second at the 2015 national championships..
Kelly Graves - “Lydia has such an amazing future ahead of her. In my 29 years as a coach, I don't know if I've ever seen a player with her combination of length and athleticism and her desire to achieve at a high level. She runs the floor like a guard, shows a real understanding of defensive positioning and I love that she is so vocal on the floor. She's a very humble yet effective leader, liked by all her teammates and respected by her competitors. I think defensively she'll make a huge impact early and, as her offensive game develops, watch out! She has a nice mid-range touch and finishes well inside and in transition. We are truly blessed to have someone of Lydia's character and talents in our Oregon program.”
Damian Young - “Lydia has a high ceiling and bright future especially under Kelly's tutelage and his ability to develop post players. She is such a hard worker and will run through a wall for you. She is admired and respected by her teammates. No doubt Lydia is going to be a proud Duck and a tremendous representative of the University of Oregon and basketball program.”
Sonya Elliott - “Lydia helped lead our team to history-breaking heights with not only her skills on the court, but her unwavering work ethic, and her infectious positive attitude. Lydia is a joy to coach and full-heartedly believes in the power of team. I look forward to watching her continue to grow as a person and a player at the University of Oregon.”
Ruthy Hebard
6-foot-4 | Forward
West Valley H.S.
Fairbanks, Alaska
HIGH SCHOOL
Plays for head coach Jesse Craig at West Valley HS...Two-time Alaska Gatorade State Player of the Year, 2015 USA Today State Player of the Year and two-time AABC 4A State Player of the Year...Ranked No. 41 in the nation and No. 8 at her position by ESPN and Dan Olson's Collegiate Basketball Report and No. 40 by All Star Girls Report...A two-time first team all-state selection…Led her West Valley High School team to the Mid-Alaska Championship and second place finish in the 2015 state tournament….An extremely gifted and versatile player, averaged 24.5 points, 13.9 rebounds, three steals, 2.6 assists and two blocks per contest as a junior…As a sophomore, averaged 21.2 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 2.5 assists and four blocked shots per game in leading her team to the Mid-Alaska crown and state tournament…Name first team all-state as well as all-tournament at the Alaska State championships, an honor she has received three times...Going into her senior season, has amassed 1,475 points, 1,115 rebounds, 237 steals, 161 assists and 311 blocks in her high school career.
CLUB
Played for head coach Ryan Hales and the Alaska Lady Hoops Club.
Kelly Graves - “Ruthy is one of the most gifted athletes in the world. Her abilities are so untapped and upside so vast that she can become of the best players in all of college basketball. I'm excited to see where that future takes her. Ruthy is one of the nicest, most genuine people—a great fit for a program like ours that recruits character and class. Ruthy's versatility will allow her to play inside and out, and guard both posts and guards. Her length, athleticism, and tenacity will allow her to be an elite rebounder. I am so pumped that Ruthy is a Duck and I look forward to sharing a great journey with her.”
Jesse Craig - “Throughout the years Ruthy continues to amaze me with her work ethic and humble attitude. These attributes make her a natural leader, not only for our team, but also to her classmates and a role model for many of the youth in the Fairbanks community. I believe her character and athletic ability will fit well with the program and culture that coach Graves and his staff are building. I am excited to see what Ruthy will accomplish as she continues her basketball career at Oregon.”
Ryan Hales - “Ruthy is one of those kids you absolutely love having on your team. Her confident, committed character, along with a fun-loving and kind personality speak volumes about her. She has tremendous athletic ability, with a doubt a game changer in how she approaches basketball. I'm excited to see Oregon expand her abilities both on and off the court while she grows into a more confident young woman with the potential to dominate the NCAA.”
