Georgia prep standout Woodard inks with Clayton State women’s basketball

Well-rounded All-State small forward begins what should be a stellar recruiting class for Lakers

MORROW, Ga. – April 16, 2008 – As he has grown more familiar with girls prep basketball in the state of Georgia, Clayton State women’s basketball head coach Dennis Cox has begun to make in-roads in landing some of the state’s top prospects.

It started last spring when Cox signed standout combo guard Brittany Hall from Campbell High School in Smyrna. On Wednesday, Cox landed one of the top prospects in northwest Georgia with the signing of small forward Tanisha Woodard from Rome High School.

Woodard is the first signee for what could be a stellar recruiting class for Clayton State in the 2008-09 season. The Lakers are coming off a 20-11 mark this season, winning their third Peach Belt Conference regular season championship in the last four seasons and advancing to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

"Tanisha is a player that I have had my eye on for three years. She will be perfect for our system," said Cox, who is 99-30 in four seasons at Clayton State. "She is very long and athletic, can run like the wind, and will cover a lot of ground defensively in our press attack. She also played in a very good system for Coach (Kevin) Strickland at Rome High School that will transition well for us.

"We look forward to coaching Tanisha and feel that she has a chance to come in and make an immediate impact as a freshman in our program."

A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Rome, Woodard immediately gives the Lakers a dangerous athletic presence on the wing and at small forward. At 5-foot-10 and an explosive playmaker, she is starting to draw comparisons to two-time All-Peach Belt Conference forward Shantel Ragin, who recently completed her Laker career.

As a senior this season, Woodard averaged 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals a game in pacing Rome to an impressive 23-4 mark and the Region 7AAAA championship. The Lady Wolves advanced to the Class AAAA state tournament, losing to Hillgrove in the first round.

As a junior in 2006-07, Woodard averaged 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals in earning Region 7AAAA Most Valuable Player honors. She paced Rome to a 20-9 mark with the Region 7AAAA championship and the first round of the Class AAAA state tournament.

Overall, Woodard was a three-time All-Area selection by the Rome News-Tribune, in addition to being a two-time All-Region 7AAAA selection. This season, she was also a Class AAAA honorable mention All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.