Troy women sign local recruits

Published 3:00 am Saturday, November 15, 2014

Troy women’s basketball inked two Troy-area recruits, head coach Chandra Rigby announced Thursday.

The Trojans signed Daleville High’s La’Tia Fils-Aime’ and Brantley High’s Amanhi Upshaw.

“One of my original goals when I came to Troy was to win the recruiting war at home,” Rigby said Thursday in a university press release. “We have an inside-out approach to recruiting, meaning we want to build a strong foundation in our area, then branch out. Signing two of the best players in our area, and in the state as a whole, is a great step toward that goal.”

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Fils-Aime’, a 6-foot-1 forward, was an ASWA Class 3A All-State second team selection last season as a junior. She averaged 18.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game en route to a berth in the AHSAA South Regional Tournament for Daleville.

Upshaw, a 6-foot forward, has led her team to AHSAA Class 1A state championships in each of the last two seasons and has twice been named the MVP of the AHSAA Class 1A state tournament.

The Trojans also got a commitment from junior college prospect in Joymesia Howard.

Howard, a a 6-foot-2 forward from East St. Louis, Ill., played last season at Central Arizona College.

She was the No. 1 ranked junior college prospect according to Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

Howard originally signed with Troy last April, but needed additional time to work towards NCAA and Troy University academic requirements, which is what she is striving for now as she prepares for the 2015-16 season at Troy University, per the university.

“We are excited to have Joymesia sign to play at Troy,” Rigby said. “She is one of the nation’s most talented basketball players and we are eager to see her in a Trojan uniform in 2015-16.”