Coale Strikes Gold In California

NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma head women's basketball coach Sherri Coale signed two of the nation's top 10 recruits to national-letters-of-intent Wednesday, the first official day of the fall signing period. Ashley and Courtney Paris, the well-known Paris twins from Piedmont, Calif., have committed to play for Coale and the Sooners beginning in the 2005-06 academic year.

The Paris twins have been in the midst of one of the hottest recruiting battles in the nation. The highly-touted twins have appeared on every high school scouting report and on every coach's top five list.

Wednesday's signees are milestones for the OU women's basketball program. With the Paris twins, OU gets its first set of top 10 recruits and a pair of players who will complement Coale's style of play. The Paris twins will bring a dominant inside presence to OU and the Big 12 Conference. C. Paris is a true post player, while A. Paris is more of a combo forward.

“It really is a recruiting victory that puts us in a position to potentially vie for a National Championship year in and year out for the next four years,” said Coale. “There just aren't many players like Courtney and Ashley out there. They give us the inside power and presence which we have needed to complement our skill and speed.

“Undoubtedly, the twins will be freshmen who have a lot to learn. But, they will benefit from being surrounded by upperclassmen and experience when they roll in here next summer. I expect them to blossom quickly because of that. They can and should make an immediate impact within our program.”

They are coming off an impressive summer of competing for USA Basketball. Both participated on the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival West Team. C. Paris went on to assist the United States to a gold medal (5-0) at the Junior World Championship qualifying tournament in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. She started all five games and averaged a team-best 9.0 rebounds and ranked second in scoring with 15.8 points per game. That title qualified USA Basketball for the 2005 FIBA Women's Junior World Championships.

The Paris sisters have solid fundamental skills and a healthy bloodline of athletic ability. C. Paris has been rated as either the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in the country by various girls basketball scouting services, while A. Paris has consistently been in the top six.

C. Paris, a 6-4 center, has been tagged with the nickname of “Baby Shaq” and compared to Lisa Leslie, arguably the best post player in women's basketball history. Regardless of who she is paired up against, C. Paris will be a dominate frontcourt player for Oklahoma for the next four years. She averaged 27 points and 19 rebounds as a junior, earning her numerous postseason honors including the Student Sports National Junior Player of the Year, Northern California Player of the Year and Oakland City Player of the Year. C. Paris was also named to the USA Today's Top 10 Underclassmen list as well as first team Street & Smith's All-American and second team Parade Magazine All-American.

“Courtney is a true low block player,” Coale said. “She is strong and explosive but she's also extremely skilled. She has soft hands and excellent vision. She's the best high school big man' I've seen in the nine seasons I have been recruiting.”

With C. Paris patrolling the block, A. Paris will have the freedom to showcase her skills on the perimeter.

A. Paris, a 6-2 combo forward, has been just as successful as her sister, earning her own national ratings and honors. She enters her senior season rated as the sixth-best player among high school seniors. As a junior, she averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per game. With those numbers, she appeared on the top 10 USA Today's Underclassmen list, Street & Smith's All-American first team and was a first team selection to the All-San Francisco, All-Bay Area and All-Bay Shore Athletic League teams.

“Ashley Paris is an outstanding athlete,” said her future head coach. “She is explosive and skilled . . . I've seen her bring the ball down the floor and, within the same possession, jump over a 6-5 center to collect an offensive rebound before going back up to score. She is a dominant presence and a versatile athlete. We're excited about developing her wide ranging abilities.”

Coale feels both will have an enormous impact and are a college coach's dream. But whatever the positions, the Paris twins will enjoy being a part of OU and the Sooner Tradition.

“Signing the twins means a couple of things,” said Coale. “It means our reach has extendedthat our program is respected across this country among the nation's most talented kids. But maybe more importantly, it speaks volumes about Courtney and Ashley Paris. Their choosing Oklahoma sends a message that they believe in our program, our coaches, and our playersthat they believe in our collective abilities to compete for a national championship.

“Courtney and Ashley are extraordinary basketball players, but they are also extraordinary young women. We are incredibly fortunate to add them to our family.”

The Paris twins led Piedmont High School to the California Interscholastic Federation state championship in Division IV last season. The Highlanders finished the 2004 campaign with a remarkable 33-2 record and in two years the school has produced a 63-6 record.

The twins are the daughters of Lyn Harris and William “Bubba” Paris, former NFL lineman for the San Francisco 49ers. Their uncle, Leonard Gray, played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics. They have four brothers, Wayne (24), David (20), Austin (19) and Brandon (18). Their stepfather, Larry Harris, played football at Stanford. Wayne (Harris) played football at New Mexico State. David Paris, a 6-8 junior, is a member of Cal's basketball team, while Austin, 6-3, was a wide receiver at St. Mary's last season. The youngest brother, Brandon, is a 6-3 freshman fullback on the UCLA football team.

The Paris sisters took official recruiting trips to Oklahoma, Texas, Connecticut, UCLA and Syracuse, and an unofficial visit to Cal.

Notes:
This is the second set of twins Coale will coach. Coale inherited a pair when she took over the program in April, 1996. Michele and Kelley Workmen played for the Sooners from 1996-1999.

The Paris twins also mark just the fifth and sixth players from the state of California to sign with the Sooners. Former Sooners Shannon Hallahan (Fremont), Toni Eldridge (Cerritos) and Lee Brock (Ventura) each were from California.

At 6-4 Courtney Paris, ties two former players as the second-tallest players in Sooner history. LaNae Jones holds the record as the tallest Sooner at 6-5 (1993-96). Zuzana Krumlova (1998, 1999) and Malisa Daniel (1995) were 6-4.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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