Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Joshua Thurston
Troy Women Sign Two Local Prep Stars, Top JUCO Talent
11/13/2014 9:46:00 AM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Alabama – The Troy women's basketball team and head coach Chanda Rigby announced the signing of two local high school stars and one of the top junior college talents in the nation on Thursday.
Rigby and the Trojans stayed close to home as they inked La'Tia Fils-Aime' from Daleville and Amanhi Upshaw from Brantley. The Trojans also added last year's top junior college prospect, Joymesia Howard, to their signing class.
"One of my original goals when I came to Troy was to win the recruiting war at home," Rigby said. "We have an inside-out approach to recruiting, meaning we want to build a strong foundation in our area, then branch out.
"Signing two of the best players in our area, and in the state as a whole, is a great step toward that goal."
Fils-Aime', a 6-foot-1 forward from Daleville High School, was an ASWA Class 3A All-State second team selection last season as a junior. She averaged 18.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per games and helped Daleville to a berth in the AHSAA South Regional Tournament.She was also selected to the Dothan Eagle's Super 12 last season as a junior and as a sophomore. Fils-Aime' was the South Team MVP in last summer's Alabama All-Star Sports Week North-South Basketball Game.
"This is a great sign for our basketball program," Rigby said. "Many times, when we sign an high school post player, we are looking to develop them for a couple of years before they are counted on to contribute in games. In this case, however, Tia is strong enough and skilled enough to help us immediately."
Upshaw, a 6-foot forward from Brantley High School, has led her team to AHSAA Class 1A state championships in each of the last two seasons and has twice been named the MVP of the AHSAA Class 1A state tournament.
She has also been an ASWA Class 1A All-State first team selection and runner-up for Class 1A Player of the Year. She also played on the South team at last summer's Alabama All-State Sports Week North-South Basketball Game.
"The two words that I would use to describe Amahni are 'versatile' and 'winner'," Rigby said. "I believe that she is versatile enough to play any position on the floor which can be an asset on any team. Her most valuable contribution, however, is that she is a proven winner. She has been a leader on multiple state championship teams, and she will bring the 'We are supposed to win' mentality to Troy."
Howard, a 6-foot-2 forward from East St. Louis, Ill., played last season at Central Arizona College where she was the No. 1 ranked junior college prospect in the nation by the Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.Howard was twice named an NJCAA All-American and twice led Central Arizona to the NJCAA Final Four. Last season she averaged 19.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as Central Arizona posted a 31-4 overall record.
"We are excited to have Joymesia sign to play at Troy," Rigby said. "She is one of the nation's most talented basketball players and we are eager to see her in a Trojan uniform in 2015-16."
Howard originally signed with Troy last April, but needed additional time to work towards NCAA and Troy University academic requirements, which is what she is striving for now as she prepares for the 2015-16 season at Troy University.
The 2014-15 Trojans open their season on Friday at Auburn at 6 p.m. The contest will air on SEC Network Plus, meaning it can be seen on ESPN3.com.
For more information on the Trojans, follow them on Twitter at @TroyWomensBBall and on Instagram at @TroyWBB.
For more information on all of Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube by searching for Troy Athletics.
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