NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State women's basketball head coach Debra Clark announced the signings of a pair of junior college players on Monday to complete the 2012 recruiting class for the Spartan basketball program.
Teammates Kashay Barnes and Aivah Parham will join NSU after leading Monroe College in New York to the National Junior College Association of America (NJCAA) Division II national championship last season.
Barnes is a 5-7 combo guard who can play at both the point guard and two-guard positions, according to Clark. A long and lanky 5-foot-10, Parham will play the wing spot for NSU.
“We are very excited to have Kashay and Aivah join our program,” said Clark. “Kashay will be looked upon to add depth and experience at the point guard position as well as the two-guard spot. She's a very strong, athletic player who also shoots the 3 well. Her experience and decision making at the point-guard position will be a definite asset for us.
“Aivah is a very long, athletic wing player. Her greatest strength is her ability to score both from the 3 and inside.”
A native of Baltimore, Parham earned first-team All-America status after tallying 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game her sophomore year in 2011-12. The team captain earned Region 15 MVP honors and was a member of the all-tournament team in the NJCAA playoffs. Parham added 2.1 steals and 1.0 assists on the year while shooting 41 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line.
Barnes, meanwhile, was named MVP of the NJCAA tournament after averaging 18.3 points per game in four contests. The Frederick, Md., native finished the season with 10.3 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 37 percent from the field, including 38 percent (53-of-140) from 3-point range.
Barnes added 26 points and eight assists in the national championship game against Lake Michigan College. Parham tallied 22 points and six rebounds in the title contest and 18.5 points per game during the tournament.
Barnes also averaged 13.6 points, 2.6 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game her freshman year in 2010-11 at Potomac State College. Parham was a member of the 2010-11 national championship team squad at Monroe as well, averaging 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds during her freshman campaign.
In addition to Barnes and Parham, NSU will also welcome the services of transfer Kristian Parker, who sat out the 2011-12 season after playing the previous year for NJIT. During her one year there, Parker made 19 starts in 28 games as a freshman for the Highlanders, tallying 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game with 23 blocks.
“We're looking forward to Krissy's physical presence to add depth in the post,” stated Clark. “She's an extremely strong player with great hands who will be looked upon to contribute in the areas of scoring and rebounding.”
Clark's 2012 recruiting class also includes small forward Tamara Majette out of C.D. Hylton High School in Manassas, Va., who signed with NSU in the early period last November.
NSU finished the 2011-12 season 12-17 overall and 6-10 in MEAC play. The Spartans tied for the most wins in a season over the past 10 years and had more conference wins than the previous four years combined. NSU will return 11 letterwinners from that squad for the 2012-13 season.
