University of Hawai‘i Wahine basketball head coach Vince Goo announced the commitment of four players during the first day of the early signing period. Center Callie Spooner, forward Penny Jones, wing Amy Sanders and point guard Trisha Nishimoto all will join the Wahine next fall after each signing a national letter-of-intent today.
"This is the best early signing period we’ve ever had,” Goo said. “We got four players—two posts, a wing and a point guard—to fill four needs our needs. Not only are they good players, but they are excellent students as well.”
Jones, a 6-2 forward, averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds a game last season for Cyprus High School in West Valley City, Utah. She earned all-state and all-region honors, while leading her team to a third place finish in the state. She was also recruited by Oregon State, UNLV, and Air Force.
Spooner, a 6-3 center, averaged 12 points and eight rebounds for Prairie High School in Vancouver, Wash. Her team also finished third in the state. Spooner chose UH over San Diego State, San Francisco and UNLV.
Goo expects Jones and Spooner to be a formidable post tandem in the years to come.
“We project the two to come in next year and play behind Christen (Roper) and Natasja (Allen), then become the heir apparents after our seniors graduate,” Goo said.
The Wahine also nabbed one of the best high school players in California. Sanders is a two-time all-league, all-county and all-California Interscholastic Federation wing player from Santa Ana, Calif. The 5-11 Sanders averaged 20.8 ppg, 13.9 rpg and 5.5 apg her junior season for Huntington Beach High School. She will play her senior season for Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. She was also recruited by Wyoming, San Francisco, San Diego State and UCLA.
“Amy is one of the best wing players we’ve ever recruited," Goo said. “She’s very versatile and has a solid work ethic. She’s just a really good all-around player.”
UH also received any early in-state commitment. Nishimoto, a 5-5 point guard from Iolani School in Honolulu, earned first team all-Interscholastic League of Honolulu and second team all-state honors last year. She was the league’s second-leading scorer at 16 points and also averaged three assists and six steals a game as a junior.
Nishimoto reminds Goo of former Iolani and UH standout BJ Itoman.
“She has the same kind of quickness, speed and determination as BJ,” Goo noted. “With those kind of qualities we know she’s going to be a success here.”
