The six members of head coach Renee Ladner’s highly touted signing class come from a variety of locations from across the country, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee. 

“This is the best signing class we’ve had at Ole Miss since I’ve been here,” Ladner said.  “We have always had really good players at certain positions, but this particular class we have solid players at each and every position.  This year we focused on keeping the best talent in the state of Mississippi at home, but we also made it a high priority to bring in some of the top players across the nation, and we feel like we have accomplished our goal and that is something we are very proud of. 

“My staff did a tremendous job this year of targeting our needs and filling those voids with some of the best players in the country.  Because of their hard work and dedication, we were able to sign some of the best players in our region, but we also signed two of the top players in the state of Ohio.  Ohio has a very rich tradition and history of basketball and we plan on continuing to recruit there in the future.”

Listed below are the members of the 2009 Ole Miss women’s basketball signing class. 

Pasonna Hope (Cleveland, Ohio)

One of the top post players in the state of Ohio, Hope currently plays at traditional powerhouse Regina High School under legendary head coach Pat Diulus.  With more than 500 career victories and more than 65 Division I scholarship athletes in the last 16 years, Diulus is also the only coach in Ohio with nine state championships, boys or girls.  Last season, Hope averaged 13.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 blocks per game on her way to being named to the all-district team.  She was also an All-Ohio honorable mention after helping Regina High School to the Ohio Division IV State Championship in 2009. 

“Pasonna is a long forward who runs the floor extremely well, but the thing that I like most about her is that she is instinctual around the basket,” Ladner said.  “When the ball goes up, she goes and gets the basketball.  She has got such a tremendous upside and we are really excited about what she can bring to our team.”

Kenyotta Jenkins (Potts Camp, Miss.)

A 6-foot-1 forward at Potts Camp High School under head coach Tana Miller, Jenkins was recently named as a member of the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen after averaging 19 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, six blocks and four steals last year as a junior.  As a sophomore, Jenkins tallied 23 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and six blocks.

In each of her three seasons at Potts Camp High School, Jenkins was selected all-division and was named the MVP of her team in each of the last two years.  Jenkins was also tabbed as an All-American honorable mention by the The Sporting News. 

“I think Kenyotta Jenkins is a sleeper because a lot of people don’t know about her,” Ladner said.  “She is pretty athletic and has a solid mid-range game.  As she gets some weight on her through our strength and conditioning program, I think she will be very productive in the SEC.  I think she is going to continue to get better and I feel like her best basketball is ahead of her.”

Valencia McFarland (Edwards, Miss.)

A 5-foot-4 senior at Raymond High School under head coach Shay Jackson, McFarland is one of the top point guards in the country.  She is ranked as the No. 38 overall player in the nation by ESPNU HoopGurlz, while the publication also lists her as the No. 14 point guard in the country.  In addition, she is ranked as the No. 29 player in the nation by Blue Star Basketball.

McFarland was selected as the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year and earned Miss Basketball honors in 2009 after averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.2 steals per game.  She was also selected as an All-America honorable mention by The Sporting News.  Entering her fourth and final year of high school, McFarland owns career averages of 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 5.2 steals per game. 

She led the Lady Rangers to a 33-3 overall record and the Mississippi 3A State Championship last season, where she was selected as the tournament MVP.  During her three years at Raymond High School, McFarland has compiled an impressive overall record of 98-13 and has helped the Lady Rangers to three straight district championships. 

McFarland has also been named to the all-state, all-south state and all-district teams in each of her three seasons at Raymond High School.  She was also selected as a member of the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen team each of the last two years. 

“My best description of Valencia McFarland is a winner,” Ladner said.  “She is a true point guard who understands angles and sees the floor extremely well and she makes everyone around her better.  She does whatever her team needs – she can make the game-winning shot or she can distribute the ball so somebody else can.  She has a mind for the game and she is a great team player.”

Shae Nelson (Memphis, Tenn.)

A 6-foot-1 forward at Cordova High School under head coach Rhonda Kendall, Nelson is rated as the No. 71 wing in the nation by ESPNU HoopGurlz.  Nelson led Cordova High School in both scoring and rebounding each of the last two seasons and was voted as her team’s best offensive player in each of her three years in high school.  Last season as a junior, Nelson averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals per game. 

She was named to the Tennessee 14-AAA All-District Team three straight years and was a member of the Tennessee 14-AAA All-Region Team as a freshman and sophomore.  In addition, Nelson was a Pepsi Best of the Preps Nominee from 2006-09 and was a Blue Star Fall Showcase first team selection in 2008.  Nelson was also named an All-American honorable mention by The Sporting News. 

Nelson is no stranger to all-star games either, as she was a member of the Mid-South Basketball Academy Spring Show-Off Camp All-Star team in 2009.  She was also an all-star in the Platinum Division of the Southern Premier Spring Hoops Classic in 2009. 

“Shae is a forward with guard skills,” Ladner said.  “She is going to be a really good trail player from the four position because she has the ability to shoot the three.  What I really like about her is the fact that she wants the ball because she is going to find a way to score.  You always want a player who wants to score.”

Ja’Monica Orton (Dayton, Ohio)

A 6-foot forward at Walter E. Stebbins High School, Orton averaged 17.1 points, 14.3 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 6.3 blocked shots per game under head coach Suzanne Loudner en route to being named an All-American honorable mention by The Sporting News.  She was selected to the All-Central Buckeye Conference team each of the last two seasons and also won the District 15 Basketball Underclass All-Star award in 2009.  In addition, Orton was also named as her team’s MVP last season as a junior. 

“Ja’Monica Orton is a very versatile athlete who has her best basketball ahead of her,” Ladner said.  She comes from a great high school basketball program and has great bloodlines – her brother was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals and her cousin is a freshman on the men’s basketball team at Kentucky.  She is a very hard worker and has a great work ethic, and I think she is going to be a very nice player for us.”

Jasmine Trotter (Marion, Ark.)

A 6-foot-3 post player at Marion High School under head coach Darryl Long, Trotter averaged 10 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots per game.  She is a two-time 6A East All-Conference selection and was a 2009 McDonald’s All-American nominee.  In addition, Trotter was tabbed as an All-American honorable mention by The Sporting News.  

“Jasmine in long and lean and runs the floor extremely well,” Ladner said.  “I think of her as a true competitor.  She is very tough and she likes to play hard and doesn’t mind being physical.”