ELON, N.C. - Head women’s basketball coach Karen Barefoot has announced the signing of three North Carolina standouts to the 2008-09 signing class. The class, which includes Eleisha “Lei Lei” Hairston, Ali Ford and Lisa Archie, is ranked among the top-125 recruiting classes in the country according to the All-Star Girls Report (ASGR), a national scouting service. The class, which ranks third in the Southern Conference behind Chattanooga and Davidson, marks the first class in program history that has ever been ranked nationally. It also is the highest ranked recruiting class in Elon history, according to the ASGR.
Hairston, a 6’1” forward and Reidsville, N.C. native, averaged 22 points per game, 15 rebounds per game, six blocks and six steals per game during her junior season. She was also named the North-State 2A Player of the Year. Hairston is ranked as the 46th best small forward in the country and is ranked among the top-300 players in the nation according to the ASGR. She is the highest-ranked player to ever sign for the Phoenix, according to the ASGR. Hairston carries a 4.44 GPA and is an International Baccalaureate student who plans to major in pre-med. Hairston is the daughter of Joyce Hairston.
Barefoot on Hairston: “Lei Lei has the potential to be an impact player in the Southern Conference with her ability to defend, rebound and score from the inside or out. She is a tremendous athlete who is extremely versatile and will bring confidence and dedication to our program.”
Brett McCormick, a national scout with the All-Star Girls Report, said of Hairston: “Lei Lei is very athletic with long arms and can play either the three or four position. She can post you up or take you off the dribble as well as shoot the pull-up jumper or three-pointer.”
Hailing from Morganton, N.C., Ford is a 5’4” point guard who averaged 22 points per game, four assists per game and three steals per game following her junior season. She also shot 40-percent from behind the arc and is an 85-percent free throw shooter. Ford also has scored over 1,800 points entering her senior season. Ford is a two-time Unifour Player of the Year, a three-time all-conference performer and was named Second-Team All-State. She was also named the Christmas Tournament MVP in 2006 and named to the All-Observer and All-Region teams. She has led Freedom High School to three NCHSAA playoffs as well as the NW 4A conference runner-up in 2007-08. She is ranked as a top-100 point guard by both the ASGR and the Collegiate Girls Basketball report. She is also ranked among the top-350 players in the nation by ASGR. Ford has maintained a 4.36 GPA as an honor roll student and plans to major in exercise science. She is the daughter of Rob and Paula Ford.
Barefoot on Ford: “Ali is definitely the complete package as a point guard. She has great court vision and is an outstanding shooter. I believe she is one of the top point guards in the country. She has the innate ability to make everyone around her better and her enthusiasm and passion for the game will bring excitement to the Elon community.”
Dan Olson, a national scout for the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report said of Ford: “Ali Ford is an explosive lead-guard with a scorer’s mentality and a high basketball I.Q. She possesses good handles as well as the ability to create for others.”
The final signee is Lisa Archie, a 6’3” center from Greensboro, N.C. As a junior, she averaged 13 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 3 blocks per game and shot 53-percent from the field. She was named her conference tournament MVP in 2007-08 after leading Ragsdale High School to a 25-4 record. As a member of the 2006-07 squad, she helped Ragsdale to a 24-5 record and a conference tournament championship. For her efforts during the season, she earned a spot on the all-conference team as a sophomore. Archie is ranked among the nation's top-100 centers, according to both the ASGR and the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, respectively. She is also ranked among the top-550 players in the nation by the ASGR. Archie is a solid student and plans to major in business with an emphasis on marketing. Her mother DeRita Craig, formerly DeRita Howells, played for legendary head coach Kay Yow at NC State.
Barefoot on Archie: “Lisa is a very athletic post presence who can defend, rebound and block shots. She is a big body that will bring an aggressive and physical style of play to our low-post game.”
Olson on Archie: “Lisa is a mobile insider who rebounds and defends. She is an outstanding shot blocker with huge upside.”
- ELON -
