Tyesha Fluker is considered the top girls' high school basketball player in the country, and yesterday she made a verbal commitment to what many consider the top women's college program -- Tennessee.
Fluker, a 6-foot-5 senior at John Muir High School in Pasadena, Calif., made her announcement during a news conference yesterday at the Wyndham Gardens Hotel in Oakland. She is in Pittsburgh this week as a part of the adidas Top Ten Girls' Basketball Camp at Pitt.
"The chance to play for a coach like Pat Summit is a dream come true," said Fluker, who donned an orange Vols cap and sweatshirt. "She cares about her players and develops them to the point where they can reach the next level. I know its far from home, and I'm a momma's girl, but I have to grow up sometime and this is the best opportunity for me to reach my goal of playing for a national championship and reaching the WNBA."
She chose Tennessee instead of Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, UCLA and Notre Dame. A post player, Fluker averaged 26 points and 19 rebounds last year, but said she didn't draw national attention or receive an offer from Tennessee until she began playing in a summer league.
Fluker is the second player from the adidas camp to commit to the Lady Vols. The other is Sade Wiley-Gatewood, a 5-9 point guard and sophomore from Lynwood High School in Los Angeles.
Summit, who visited the camp this week, said camps like adidas are a godsend for players and coaches. She also said they are another sign that opportunities for women in basketball are finally on par with those of men.
"The best part of this camp is you have a chance to see 200 of the best players in the country compete against each other," she said. "All of them are the best players on their [high school] teams, and all are superstars where they come from, so it is tough to evaluate them just by what they do in high school. Here, you see how they match up. You get a sense of who can play at what level and you get a sense of what regions have the strongest player. It is a win-win for everyone involved."
In only its second year, the invitation-only adidas camp already has developed a strong reputation. It attracted about 300 college coaches.
Some local players were invited, including Schenley's Carmen Bruce, Clairton's Kamela Gissendanner, Albert Gallatin's Loui Hall, Indiana's Nicole Sinclair, Ringgold's Brittany Warren, Ambridge's Kelly Calderone, Moon's Erin Wigley and Upper St. Clair's Leigh Sulkowski.
Bruce said the camp is an excellent opportunity for local girls to measure their skills against the nation's best players.
"You hear about freshman who are going to Tennessee and you know you are in elite company," she said. "It is great to go out and play against these girls because you don't see this level of competition anywhere else. Everyone here is an all star, so it makes you play your best and motivates you to work harder."
The camp concludes today with championship games running from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., and all-star games at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
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