Two girls basketball players hoping to lead their teams to Seventh Region titles this season were expected to make their college choices official Wednesday.
Male’s I’Liyah Green signed with Cincinnati on Wednesday morning, and Manual’s Krys McCune is scheduled to sign with West Virginia at 1:45 p.m.
LIVE BLOG | Follow along for breaking news on Louisville-area college signings Wednesday
Green, a 6-foot-1 forward, was a second-team member of The Courier-Journal’s All-State team last season after averaging 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. A daughter of former University of Louisville football player Ibn Green, I’Liyah chose Cincinnati over Southern Illinois.
“I think the sky’s the limit for I’Liyah,” Male coach Champ Ligon Jr. said. “She has a great jump shot she hasn’t really shown in high school. When she gets to college I think she can move out on the floor and be a wing if she improves her ballhandling. She really shows some dominant flashes in practice these days. Cincinnati is really getting a great player for their future.”
Ibn Green said there was some confusion over his daughter’s status Wednesday because she was not planning to participate in a signing ceremony at Male.
“She wanted to wait and do that in the spring when some of her other friends will be signing,” Ibn Green said. “But she’s locked in. We faxed the stuff to Cincinnati this morning.”
The University of Cincinnati confirmed Green’s signing in a news release.
“I’Liyah is a very athletic low-block player,” Bearcats coach Jamelle Elliott said. “She is a tremendous rebounder and has great passing abilities. She runs well in transition and can catch and finish in traffic. On the defensive end, her long wingspan allows her to block and alter shots. I’Liyah will give us size and versatility.”
Ibn Green said his daughter is looking forward to playing for Elliott, a former player and assistant coach at national power Connecticut.
“She likes the closeness and that a lot of her family will be able to watch her play, but she really liked coach Elliott and her work ethic and pedigree,” Ibn Green said. “She knows her basketball. She coached at the mecca.”
McCune, a 6-foot-3 forward, chose West Virginia after also receiving interest from Florida, Tennessee and several others. She was a third-team All-State selection by The C-J last season after averaging 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds.
“I really liked West Virginia because I felt comfortable there,” McCune said. “I really liked the coaches … and felt like once I leave (Louisville) that they’re going to take care of me and I wouldn’t be too homesick.”
Here’s a look at other athletes from the Louisville area who signed Wednesday or are expected to sign later this week:
* Assumption – Blakeley Moorman (swimming, Vanderbilt); Sydney Larkin (cross country/track and field, Tennessee-Martin); Meghan Carrico (cross country/track and field, Louisville); Lee Ann Cunningham (volleyball, Rice); Olivia Grass (volleyball, Georgetown College); Allie Gregory (volleyball, Florida); Shelby Olsen (volleyball, Northern Kentucky); Kara Shacklette (volleyball, Wofford); Sydney Welch (volleyball, George Washington).
* Ballard – Sarah Shawver (lacrosse, Georgetown College); Keri O’Toole (soccer, Georgetown College); Merit Harris (field hockey, Bellarmine); Tyler Horsley (baseball, Murray State); Kalli Montgomery (volleyball, Wilmington).
* Christian Academy – Grace Jennings (tennis, Samford); Dana Joss (lacrosse, Longwood); Cameron Brown (swimming, Alabama); Dylan Sexton (baseball, Bellarmine); Caroline Rassenfoss (volleyball, Wake Forest); Hannah Howes (softball, Georgetown College).
* Fern Creek – Caroline Mefford (basketball, Rollins); Jennifer Leonhardt (softball, Southern Indiana).
* Male – Taylor Childress (softball, Western Kentucky); Alex Cook (basketball, Bellarmine); Claire Oyler (lacrosse, Georgetown College).
* Manual – China Brown (basketball/volleyball, Bellarmine); Emma Dryden (cross country, Navy); Chris Gambert (baseball, Bellarmine); Maeve Grady (lacrosse, Detroit Mercy).
* North Bullitt – Katie Downey (basketball, Bellarmine); Logan Wyatt (baseball, Louisville).
* North Oldham – Erin Parker (softball, Memphis); Casey Foote (volleyball, William & Mary); Grace Oglesby (swimming, Louisville);
* Oldham County – Kelsey Miller (volleyball, Virginia); Aspen Jarrett (tennis, Kennesaw State); Griffin McLarty (baseball, College of Charleston); Emma Skinner (swimming, Kentucky).
* Sacred Heart – Anna Zwiebel (volleyball, Louisiana State); Katie Esselman (field hockey, Northwestern); Zoey Miller (field hockey, Brown); Lisa Niblock (lacrosse, Furman); Kennedy Lohman (swimming, Arizona); Brooke Bauer (swimming, North Carolina); Emily LeClair (swimming, Louisville); Hannah Fuchs (swimming, Miami of Ohio); Asia Seidt (swimming, Kentucky).
* St. Xavier – Mike Sass (golf, College of Charleston); Matt Liston (golf, Kentucky); Allen Hamilton (golf, Kentucky); Billy Basham (golf, Eastern Kentucky); Adam Elliott (baseball, Louisville); Daniel Fischer (baseball, Louisville); Dalton Dedas (baseball, Lincoln Memorial); Clayton Forde (swimming, Georgia).
* South Oldham – Michael Higgins (baseball, Bellarmine); Storm Thompson (field hockey, Bellarmine); Tanner Dowdy (cross country, Kentucky); Cole Dowdy (cross country, Kentucky).
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.