Women's Basketball 11/14/2018 2:34:00 PM

THREE TALENTED PREP STARS SIGN WITH HIGHLANDER WOMEN'S HOOPS PROGRAM

RADFORD, Va.--- Radford women's basketball head coach Mike McGuire has announced that three outstanding prep student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Highlanders. 6-foot-3 Kinsley Lewis (Liberty/Sumerduck, Va.), 6-foot-5 Taiye Johnson (Meadowbrook/Chesterfield, Va.) and 5-foot-8 Diane Nicholson (Central Bucks West/Collegeville, Pa.) will all suit up for Radford beginning in 2019-2020.

"Today is a great day for Radford women's basketball," McGuire said. "We are excited to announce the signing of Diane Nicholson, Kinsley Lewis, and Taiye Johnson into our basketball program. We had specific needs with this class and these three will address those needs quickly. We are excited about their potential and impact on our basketball program. All three are outstanding young women of high character and we know they will bring a well-rounded impact to our program."

Lewis was a First Team Northwestern District selection last season as a junior playing for Quynn Nguyen at Liberty. The center, who was also a Second Team 4C All-Region pick, has already broken the school's rebound mark with 742 career carroms. As a sophomore, Lewis was a First Team Conference 22/Honorable Mention 4A West pick. She made an instant impact as a freshman and was recognized by being named to the Second Team Conference 22 squad. Lewis, who also won the EYBL Hampton Championships as a member of the Fairfax Stars U17 Team (AAU), is a member of the National Honor Society and intends on majoring in Athletic Training at Radford.

"Kinsley is a 6-foot-3 lefty post player with a huge upside, McGuire stated. "She is a skilled post that will provide versatility to our offense. Kinsley is comfortable playing on the perimeter or high post and will be able to score on the block as well. She has a determined attitude and a strong work ethic. That combination will allow her the opportunity to be successful at Radford. We look forward to working with Kinsley."

Johnson will be one of the tallest players to suit up for Radford in program history. An intimidating presence on the interior, she averaged 8.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game during her junior year for Daniel Conner at Meadowbrook. Johnson intends on studying Pre-Med at Radford and is a Beta Club and W.E.B. Dubois Honors Society student.

"Taiye is going to be a unique player for us," McGuire said. "She is a legit 6-foot-5 post player that can run the floor, alter shots, rebound and score on the block. Taiye has not been playing basketball for that long and she is starting to fall in love with the game. She knows her best basketball is in front of her and we are happy that she chose us to help her develop as a player. Her height, length, and athletic ability is exciting and will impact our program over the next four years."

Nicholson, who can play either backcourt position, averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game as a junior at Central Bucks West under head coach Terry Rakowsky. She helped lead her squad to the district championships in 2017 as a sophomore and earned Honorable Mention All-SOL Continental Conference honors that season. Last year, she was the MVP of the Blue Star Showcase. In addition to her basketball prowess, Nicholson owns a first degree black belt in Karate (Tang Soo Do) and won a National Championship in fighting. Nicholson will study Physical Therapy while attending Radford.

"Diane is a scoring combo guard who will bring immediate production to our backcourt," McGuire explained. "Diane can score at all three levels and has a great understanding of the game. We will need her playmaking ability to impact our program from day one. I also love the grit and competitive spirit that Diane plays with. She hates to lose and will bring that mindset to our program."

Radford Recruiting Class of 2023
Kinsley Lewis, Liberty H.S./Bealeton, Va., 6-3, Forward/Center
Taiye Johnson, Meadowbrook H.S./Richmond, Va., 6-5, Center
Diane Nicholson, Central Bucks West/Doylestown, Pa., 5-8, G

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