STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
Wouldn't you know, Destini Hughes is a seafood lover. She has grown up with dogs, birds, a hamster and even a flying possum called a sugar glider, and wants to go to veterinary school. She also wants to help a school win its first national championship and, oh yeah, a career in the WNBA would be nice.
With all of that on her checklist, the college decision for the No. 2 point guard in the country was an easy one.
Hughes made the call on Tuesday - LSU.
"LSU really had the whole package," said Hughes, also ranked 17th overall in the HoopGurlz Hundred.
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| Van Chancellor's 2007 recruiting class by HoopGurlz Ranking
12. LaSondra Barrett, 6-1 forward, Mississippi |
It actually was not a simple decision as Baylor and Hughes' affection for Kim Mulkey weighed heavily in the process. Hughes also made official visits to Florida, Texas and Texas A&M. Florida and A&M do not have vet schools, but Hughes said she didn't eliminate either because they offered the courses required for entrance into a graduate school elsewhere. Her sister, Niqky, is a sophomore forward at Texas.
Hughes joins four other ranked prospects in LSU's 2008 class, all of whom also are from different states, making a powerful statement by Van Chancellor and his staff on their recruiting reach, particularly in the South. Preceding Hughes were LaSondra Barrett of Jackson, Miss., No. 12 in the HoopGurlz Hundred; Taylor Turnbow of Clarkston, Ga., No. 55; Crystal Riley of Memphis, Tenn., No. 59, and Courtney Jones of Midfield, Ala., No. 69. The four committed in about a red-hot month's time for the Tigers.
Chancellor is losing nine seniors after this season but, if need be, he could fashion an entire, thunder-and-lightning lineup with this class alone. Barrett, Jones and Turnbow would provide powerful and flexible inside play, while Hughes and Riley would offer up extreme speed, penetration and ballhandling. The unit would be a bit lacking in perimeter punch, but could be formidable at the defensive end, particularly with out-front disruption from Hughes and Riley.
Destini Hughes
A rangy 5-10, Hughes is thought by some as a combo guard, she just is too good at the point to play elsewhere. Her jump shot can be streaky, but she excells at distribution, with excellent vision off penetration. Hughes also is flexible and explosive enough to effectively finish her forays to the basket. She shines defensively, with perhaps the quickest pair of hands in her class to go along with her length and speed. Her ability to defend bigger guards, in fact, is the major factor that would allow her to be paired with the smaller Riley in the same backcourt.
If Hughes has a weakness, it is her perimeter shot, but she has been on a daily quest to change that. If she doesn't have homework, she uses her open period at Kennedale High School to practice and chart her progress.
"I didn't have the confidence to take it that much before," Hughes said. "Now I'm building that confidence and see myself getting better."
Tennessee technically was the first to five heralded recruits, but only four - No. 4 Amber Gray of Cincinnati, Ohio; No. 8 Shekinna Stricklen of Morrilton, Ark.; No. 15 Alicia Manning of Woodstock, Ga., and No. 20 Alyssia Brewer of Sapulpa, Okla. - are nationally ranked. The fifth, Briana Bass, is a highly regarded guard from Indiana.
With four highly ranked players, topped by No. 1 Elena Delle Donne of Wilmington, Del., Connecticut also has a strong case for the best 2008 recruiting class. The Huskies also have verbals from No. 10 Caroline Doty of Doylestown, Pa.; No. 11 Tiffany Hayes of Winter Haven, Fla., and No. 31 Heather Buck of Stonington, Conn.
With four more scholarships to use, LSU could end up with a class that surpasses UConn's or Tennessee's, particularly if two of those scholarships land April Sykes, the No. 2 prospect in 2008, and post Ayana Dunning, who is No. 14. That would be more than OK with Hughes, who said her club-circuit friendships with Barrett and Turnbow and desire to help deliver LSU first national title were major factors in her decision.
"Baylor already has a national championship," Hughes said. "I think it would be fun to be part of a team that would be the first to win it. Being first is always the best."
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Glenn Nelson is the founder and publisher of HoopGurlz.com. He is a member of the McDonald's All-American Selection Committee and SportsShooter.com (Click for Porfolio [1]), Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, National Press Photographers Association and Online News Association. Glenn also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams and previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). For more on Glenn's World, click here [1]. Glenn can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com [2].
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