2008-09 Media Guide
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Guilford Tech’s Tillman becomes third signee for Clayton State women’s basketball
Standout guard/forward was NJCAA All-Region X performer

MORROW, Ga. – April 22, 2009 – The impressive 2009-10 Clayton State Laker women’s basketball recruiting class continued to get stronger on Tuesday as head coach Dennis Cox announced the signing of standout guard/forward Teshymia Tillman from Guilford Tech in Jamestown, N.C.

A 5-foot-10 native of High Point, N.C., Tillman is the third signee so far in Clayton State’s upcoming recruiting class. She joins post Breanna Fort from Central Florida Community College and guard Latonda Bruce from Daytona State. They will become part of a Clayton State program that went 26-7 this season, advancing to the NCAA Division II "Elite Eight" for the second time in the last three seasons.

"We are thrilled that Teshymia has chosen to be a member of our Laker family, and we are excited about the assets that she will bring to our team," said Cox, 125-37 in five seasons at Clayton State. "She is extremely athletic and very strong, a great rebounder for her size with a strong finish and can pull up for a soft jump shot as well. We see her as a natural small forward, but expect her to contribute at the two guard and power forward positions as well."

Tillman is the ideal player for Cox’s system that is up-tempo and uses the full-court pressure defense. She has the size, strength and athleticism and comes from the same mold as former Clayton State two-time All-Peach Belt Conference forward Shantel Ragin.

Playing under head coach Treka McMillian at Guilford Tech, Tillman averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists a game, while shooting 52 percent from the field this season. She garnered NJCAA All-Region X honors in the process in pacing Guilford Tech - a first-year program - to the NJCAA Region X championship.

"With us being a first-year program, she was a solid leader for our younger kids and a tremendous player that was very coachable," said McMillian. "We put a lot of responsibility on her shoulders and she really stepped up. We think she will do will in her transition and make some big contributions at Clayton State."

Prior to her sophomore season at Guilford Tech, Tillman started her collegiate career at Division I Western Carolina under head coach Kellie Harper in the 2005-06 season. She played in 27 games with 16 starts for the Catamounts, averaging eight points and four rebounds a game. Tillman scored in double-figures in seven games, including 20 points against Furman, 16 points against Wofford and 15 points against UNC-Greensboro.

Tillman was a four-year standout at High Point Central High School under head coach Kenny Carter. She scored more than 1,800 career points and averaged double-digit scoring and more than five assists per game in each of her four seasons. She paced the Bison to four straight conference championships, a North Carolina State championship during her freshman season and the state finals during her senior season.

Tillman was a four-time All-Tri-County 3-A performer at High Point Central, garnering Player of the Year honors during her senior season.