Anastasia Hayes, a 5-foot-7 point guard at Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tennessee), and the No. 9 senior prospect in the nation, has given a verbal commitment to Tennessee.
Hayes, who averaged 19.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists and won a state title as a junior at Riverdale, had also been considering Mississippi, South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Florida.
In addition to getting an elite guard with a quick first step, the commitment is also a symbolic win for coach Holly Warlick. A year ago, the top in-state prospect, point guard Crystal Dangerfield, signed with rival UConn.
Hayes' commitment also could be a sign of good things (players) to come for Tennessee. Hayes has three younger sisters -- Aislynn is a sophomore at Riverdale; Alasia is a freshman at Riverdale; and baby Acacia is 12 -- and has said she would love to play with her sisters in college.
"It's very important to me to play with my sisters," Anastasia said over the summer. "We're a close family. We have a great bond."
For now, the Volunteers can celebrate the addition of a player with speed, smarts and stellar defense.
"She has the quickest first step of any player I've ever coached, and I have more than 20 players in the pros right now," said Tom Insell, Anastasia's coach on her AAU team, the Tennessee Flight. "She's a little undersized, but she makes up for it with quickness and leaping."
Hayes is the first member of Warlick's 2017 class. The NCAA early signing period for women's basketball is Nov. 9-16.