Mens Hoops Signs One; Women Sign Three

Toledo men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk did not have a lot of scholarships open for the 2012 recruiting class. However, the one scholarship he had open was put to good use in getting a player that fits the programs biggest need; a big man.

The other day, Kowalczyk announced the signing of 6-9, 250 pound center Nathan Boothe. Boothe is from Warren Township High School in Gurnee, IL. He helped his high school team reach the Illinois Class 4A state championship game last year, while averaging 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Warren Township went 31-4 on the season, losing in that state championship game.

"Nathan is the perfect fit for our program and will give us exactly what we need; a physical presence," head basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk said when announcing the signing of Nathan Boothe. "He has great hands, a very good shooting touch, and he understands how to play. Nathan is also a good student who comes from a great family and possessed all the intangibles we were looking for."

The Rocket basketball team is a bit undersized, and Boothe will be a great addition to fill the void of size in the paint. He will enroll at Toledo at the start of the 2012-13 academic year.

The Toledo women's basketball program signed three recruits during the basketball early signing period. One local recruit, Cat Wells of Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, joined Michele Hayes (Southfield, MI) and Kendyl Nunn (Calumet City, IL) in signing with the Lady Rockets basketball program.

Cat Wells is a 5-5 guard who averaged 13.9 points and 5.7 assists per game last year as a junior at Notre Dame Academy. She shot 46% from three-point land, earning 1st Team All-City, 1st Team All-District, and 3rd Team All-State.

"Cat is an extremely quick, crafty, and an exciting player to watch," Toledo women's basketball coach Tricia Cullop said in announcing Wells as one of three signees. "Not only is she a terrific three-point shooter, but she also excels on the defensive end of the court. She utilizes her speed to hawk opposing point guards and wear them down. She also sees the court very well and does a great job of distributing the ball to her teammates offensively."

Michele Hayes is a 5-7 guard from Southfield, MI. She has made All-Oakland County and Detroit Public Schools All-Area each of her three seasons of high school basketball. She was also honorable mention All-State as a sophomore.

"Michele is a combo guard who is capable of playing either the point guard or shooting guard positions," Cullop said of the Southfield, MI recruit. "She has strong ball handling abilities, great court vision, and a quick first step. Her deep three-point range will extend our opposing team's defense and make it easier for her teammates to attack the basket."

The third signee is possibly the most heralded recruit to ever sign with the University of Toledo women's basketball program. Recognized by some scouting services as a four star prospect, Kendyl Nunn is a 5-10 guard from Morgan Park High School in Calumet City, IL. She averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as a junior last season. That garnered her honors for 2nd Team All-State, 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-Area, and 1st Team All-City. She is a three year starter and was also named honorable mention All-State as a sophomore.

"What I love most about Kendyl is her clutch three-point shooting ability," Cullop said of Kendyl Nunn. "Our staff witnessed her knocking down some game-winning shots or pulling her team within inches of a victory time after time over the past few seasons and summers. She is a strong competitor, and a player who wants the ball in her hands when the game is on the line. She has good size, strength, and sees the court extremely well. On top of all that, she is an excellent student in the classroom."

It is easy to see that the theme for Tricia Cullop and her staff was three-point shooting ability. All three signees can shoot the three-pointer with accuracy. They are all quick guards that can run the floor quickly as well. With this in mind, one has to think that the 2013 recruiting class will feature a couple of bigger recruits to play inside.

Segments of this story were compiled from the University of Toledo SID office.