Women’s Hoops Reels In One Of Nation's Top Signing Classes
November 08, 2017 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Last season's run to the national championship game paid off on the recruiting trail as Vic Schaefer's Mississippi State women's basketball team landed a Top 10 signing class on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs inked three of the Top 51 players in the Class of 2018, including two of the nation's premier post players and one of the country's top guards.
Mississippi State once again signed the top player in the state with the addition of Ocean Springs post Daphane White. The Bulldogs also added the one of the top interior players in Georgia with Waverly Hall native Jessika Carter and the top player in Virginia, guard Xaria Wiggins.
"I am just really proud of my staff and appreciate their hard work and diligence in putting together one of the top classes in the nation," Schaefer said. "So much goes into securing a class like this. It is an impactful class with three impact players, and three impactful young ladies. They are going to really leave a footprint here at Mississippi State. I love their competitive spirit, their skill set, and their character. I am very excited to be adding these three outstanding young ladies and their families to our Mississippi State family."
Daphane White – Center, 6-5, Ocean Springs, Miss. (St. Martin HS)
Daphane White enters her senior season under Gina Bell at St. Martin High School a 5-star prospect by ESPN, rating 48th nationally and seventh at her position after averaging 17.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.8 blocks in her career.
"Daphane is certainly the best player in the state, as well as the highest rated," Schaefer said. "She is a 6-5 player that can run the floor and has incredibly soft hands. She has a tremendous frame and will bring a physical presence in the paint, and she has a really competitive spirit. The sky is the limit for her, and I am excited about having her. Again, we have tried to consistently get the best player in the state of Mississippi, and we are glad to continue that with Daphane."
White was named to The Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen prior to the season following a standout junior campaign that saw her average a double-double of 22.6 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Lady Yellow Jackets. The 2017 Mississippi North/South All-Star Game selection also averaged seven blocks en route to claiming Fourth Team All-State accolades from The Clarion-Ledger.
"I'm excited to be able to play Division I basketball at Mississippi State because I feel like the coaching staff here is going to better me on and off the court, and they also make me feel like I'm part of the family here," White said. "I chose Mississippi State because I'm closer to home and all my family and friends can come support me.
"I also decided on Mississippi State because I have the opportunity to be able to play with a great set of girls who have a lot of talent and made me feel like I've been part of the family since Day 1. It feels great. I'm excited to get the chance to play at a top school in my home state in front of my family and friends. I know my years at Mississippi State will be great, and I can't wait to get the chance to play here."
She was named MVP of the 2016 South Mississippi All-Star Underclassmen Girls Game following a stellar sophomore campaign that saw her average 11.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 8.8 blocks.
Jessika Carter – Forward, 6-5, Waverly Hall, Ga. (Harris County HS)
Fellow post player Jessika Carter will join White in the MSU front court after she wraps her final campaign at Harris County High School in Georgia.
The 6-foot-5 Carter is rated 49th nationally by espnW, including the country's eighth-best post prospect, and has averaged 18.3 ppg, 14.3 rpg and 5.9 bpg in her career for head coach Steffanie Ramsey.
"Jessika is another great young lady with a tremendous family. I really love her skill set as well," Schaefer said. "She can run, has great hands, a soft touch, and a great face-up game. She is built in the mold of another A'ja Wilson, a 6-5 player that can face up, shoot the free-throw jumper and put it on the floor and attack the rim. She can just really do a lot of things, and will, again, be an impact person as well as player here at Mississippi State. We love Jessika's smile. She is a tremendous young person that we are excited to have joining our Mississippi State family."
The 5-star talent is coming off a stellar junior season that saw her score 18.3 points and grab 14.0 rebounds en route to garnering all-state honors for the second time. She also blocked 6.3 shots per contest to go along with 2.0 apg and 1.2 spg.
"I knew since the first day I met my future coaches that (Mississippi State) is where I wanted to be," Carter said. "It just feels as if it was meant to be. I can't wait until I finally get to go to college and officially be a part of the team."
Carter capped her junior season earning First Team All-State accolades from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and Second Team laurels from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She was invited to the USA Basketball 16 and Under national team camp after tallying 17.1 points, 15.2 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game as a sophomore for the Lady Tigers.
She broke onto the scene as a freshman, earning All-Bi-City Girls Player of the Year after tallying 19.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game.
Xaria Wiggins – Guard/Forward, 6-1, Virginia Beach, Va. (Princess Anne HS)
Xaria Wiggins emerged as the top player in Virginia, rating No. 54 overall and the eighth-best guard as a 4-star prospect by espnW. Prospects Nation ranked the Princess Anne High School standout the No. 51 player overall and 10th-best guard.
A two-year captain for Coach Darnell Dozier's Cavaliers, Wiggins was named the Virginia High School League 5A Player of the Year and All-Tidewater Player of the Year in 2017 after averaging 16.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 2.1 assists and 2.9 steals.
"Xaria is the big-time wing player that we had to have," Schaefer said. "We lose three wing players on the perimeter in Morgan (William), Victoria (Vivians), and Blair (Schaefer). She is more in the mold of Tori in that she is a big, long, athletic wing. Again, she has an unbelievably competitive spirit. She is tough, and she loves to win. We love her skill set as well. Being that she has such tremendous size on the perimeter, she is able to be a great passer, and it is also hard to get to her when she rises up to shoot a jump shot. She is at that big-time wing that we really needed to add to this class."
The Virginia Beach, Va., native tallied 19 points and 17 rebounds as she helped guide Princess Anne to a fourth-consecutive state 5A title and a 28-2 record. She was also named to the All-USA Virginia Girls Basketball Second Team.
"This is a dream come true," Wiggins said. "I've been curious my whole basketball career wondering where my talents were going to take me, and it happened to be the great Hail State! I'm very excited to be playing with one of the top women's basketball programs, and I am even more excited to be playing for the greatest coaching staff!"
The 6-foot-1 guard was also sensational in the 2016 state tournament, scoring at a 15.7 clip while grabbing 11.0 rpg in the Cavaliers' three victories.
Wiggins was invited to 2015 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team Trials along with fellow Bulldog signee Carter.
"We have basically added three impact players that are going to come in here much like the class that had Victoria (Vivians), Blair (Schaefer), and Morgan (William) in it," Schaefer said. "These kids are going to come in here with the idea that they are here to play, and quite frankly, we recruited them with the idea that they need to come in and play."
The Bulldogs inked three of the Top 51 players in the Class of 2018, including two of the nation's premier post players and one of the country's top guards.
Mississippi State once again signed the top player in the state with the addition of Ocean Springs post Daphane White. The Bulldogs also added the one of the top interior players in Georgia with Waverly Hall native Jessika Carter and the top player in Virginia, guard Xaria Wiggins.
"I am just really proud of my staff and appreciate their hard work and diligence in putting together one of the top classes in the nation," Schaefer said. "So much goes into securing a class like this. It is an impactful class with three impact players, and three impactful young ladies. They are going to really leave a footprint here at Mississippi State. I love their competitive spirit, their skill set, and their character. I am very excited to be adding these three outstanding young ladies and their families to our Mississippi State family."
Daphane White – Center, 6-5, Ocean Springs, Miss. (St. Martin HS)
Daphane White enters her senior season under Gina Bell at St. Martin High School a 5-star prospect by ESPN, rating 48th nationally and seventh at her position after averaging 17.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.8 blocks in her career.
"Daphane is certainly the best player in the state, as well as the highest rated," Schaefer said. "She is a 6-5 player that can run the floor and has incredibly soft hands. She has a tremendous frame and will bring a physical presence in the paint, and she has a really competitive spirit. The sky is the limit for her, and I am excited about having her. Again, we have tried to consistently get the best player in the state of Mississippi, and we are glad to continue that with Daphane."
White was named to The Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen prior to the season following a standout junior campaign that saw her average a double-double of 22.6 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Lady Yellow Jackets. The 2017 Mississippi North/South All-Star Game selection also averaged seven blocks en route to claiming Fourth Team All-State accolades from The Clarion-Ledger.
"I'm excited to be able to play Division I basketball at Mississippi State because I feel like the coaching staff here is going to better me on and off the court, and they also make me feel like I'm part of the family here," White said. "I chose Mississippi State because I'm closer to home and all my family and friends can come support me.
"I also decided on Mississippi State because I have the opportunity to be able to play with a great set of girls who have a lot of talent and made me feel like I've been part of the family since Day 1. It feels great. I'm excited to get the chance to play at a top school in my home state in front of my family and friends. I know my years at Mississippi State will be great, and I can't wait to get the chance to play here."
She was named MVP of the 2016 South Mississippi All-Star Underclassmen Girls Game following a stellar sophomore campaign that saw her average 11.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 8.8 blocks.
Jessika Carter – Forward, 6-5, Waverly Hall, Ga. (Harris County HS)
Fellow post player Jessika Carter will join White in the MSU front court after she wraps her final campaign at Harris County High School in Georgia.
The 6-foot-5 Carter is rated 49th nationally by espnW, including the country's eighth-best post prospect, and has averaged 18.3 ppg, 14.3 rpg and 5.9 bpg in her career for head coach Steffanie Ramsey.
"Jessika is another great young lady with a tremendous family. I really love her skill set as well," Schaefer said. "She can run, has great hands, a soft touch, and a great face-up game. She is built in the mold of another A'ja Wilson, a 6-5 player that can face up, shoot the free-throw jumper and put it on the floor and attack the rim. She can just really do a lot of things, and will, again, be an impact person as well as player here at Mississippi State. We love Jessika's smile. She is a tremendous young person that we are excited to have joining our Mississippi State family."
The 5-star talent is coming off a stellar junior season that saw her score 18.3 points and grab 14.0 rebounds en route to garnering all-state honors for the second time. She also blocked 6.3 shots per contest to go along with 2.0 apg and 1.2 spg.
"I knew since the first day I met my future coaches that (Mississippi State) is where I wanted to be," Carter said. "It just feels as if it was meant to be. I can't wait until I finally get to go to college and officially be a part of the team."
Carter capped her junior season earning First Team All-State accolades from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and Second Team laurels from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She was invited to the USA Basketball 16 and Under national team camp after tallying 17.1 points, 15.2 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game as a sophomore for the Lady Tigers.
She broke onto the scene as a freshman, earning All-Bi-City Girls Player of the Year after tallying 19.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game.
Xaria Wiggins – Guard/Forward, 6-1, Virginia Beach, Va. (Princess Anne HS)
Xaria Wiggins emerged as the top player in Virginia, rating No. 54 overall and the eighth-best guard as a 4-star prospect by espnW. Prospects Nation ranked the Princess Anne High School standout the No. 51 player overall and 10th-best guard.
A two-year captain for Coach Darnell Dozier's Cavaliers, Wiggins was named the Virginia High School League 5A Player of the Year and All-Tidewater Player of the Year in 2017 after averaging 16.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 2.1 assists and 2.9 steals.
"Xaria is the big-time wing player that we had to have," Schaefer said. "We lose three wing players on the perimeter in Morgan (William), Victoria (Vivians), and Blair (Schaefer). She is more in the mold of Tori in that she is a big, long, athletic wing. Again, she has an unbelievably competitive spirit. She is tough, and she loves to win. We love her skill set as well. Being that she has such tremendous size on the perimeter, she is able to be a great passer, and it is also hard to get to her when she rises up to shoot a jump shot. She is at that big-time wing that we really needed to add to this class."
The Virginia Beach, Va., native tallied 19 points and 17 rebounds as she helped guide Princess Anne to a fourth-consecutive state 5A title and a 28-2 record. She was also named to the All-USA Virginia Girls Basketball Second Team.
"This is a dream come true," Wiggins said. "I've been curious my whole basketball career wondering where my talents were going to take me, and it happened to be the great Hail State! I'm very excited to be playing with one of the top women's basketball programs, and I am even more excited to be playing for the greatest coaching staff!"
The 6-foot-1 guard was also sensational in the 2016 state tournament, scoring at a 15.7 clip while grabbing 11.0 rpg in the Cavaliers' three victories.
Wiggins was invited to 2015 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team Trials along with fellow Bulldog signee Carter.
"We have basically added three impact players that are going to come in here much like the class that had Victoria (Vivians), Blair (Schaefer), and Morgan (William) in it," Schaefer said. "These kids are going to come in here with the idea that they are here to play, and quite frankly, we recruited them with the idea that they need to come in and play."
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