HOUSTON – HBU head women's basketball coach,
Donna Finnie, and her staff have announced the signing of local product Adriiana Jackson to a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at HBU in 2015-16.
"Adriiana choosing to become a Husky is a huge addition for us," said Finnie. "She comes from a winning program and has played four years for a great coach in Allison Campbell. She gives 100% every day. She is one of these players who makes her team better and that was key for us watching her during the recruiting process.
"Adriiana will add depth at the point guard position and allow us to pressure the ball more," continued Finnie. "Her defensive quickness is so impressive. Her ability to move laterally and maintain pressure is going to be very important for what we want to do."
Jackson, a 5-1 point guard, was a four-sport student-athlete from Houston's North Shore High School. She was a four-time team captain of the girls basketball team, and a three-time all-tournament selection of both the McDonald's Invitational and the Peggy Whitley Classic. She was named East Regional Female Athlete of the Year as a senior and ranks in the 3
rd percentile of her senior class (30
th of 975 students) with a 4.039 GPA.
Jackson was dominant on the basketball court from the moment she arrived at North Shore High School, earning a First Team All-District selection in basketball as a freshman, and continuing onto earn those honors in the subsequent three years as well. However, Jackson is more than just a basketball player; she earned Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year honors in volleyball as a freshman. She was also a key contributor to the track and field and softball teams as well.
"Adriiana has proven she can score in transition but also in the half court," stated Finnie. "Her ability to penetrate into the paint and find her posts will really help our returning bigs."
As a sophomore, Jackson led the district in points with 438 and was named to the Premier Basketball Report "30 In 30 Players to Watch" in addition to earning a Player of the Week nod in the
Houston Chronicle. She was nominated as Greatest Basketball Player of 2013 in
Vype Magazine as well. Jackson was named First Team All-District and First Team All-Region. In addition, she earned North Shore MVP and TABC All-Region honors, and was also accepted into the National Honor Society.
As a junior, Jackson was named District Defensive Player of the Year and TABC All-Region. As a senior, Jackson earned another
Houston Chronicle's Player of the Week nomination and was named MVP of the McDonald's Invitational Basketball Tournament Gold Division. She rounded out her high school career earning East Regional Female Athlete of the Year honors, another TABC All-Region selection, and a selection to the
Vype Magazine Second Team Greater Houston squad. She also participated in both the Houston All-Star Game and the state-wide All-Star Game.
"I'm excited with what Adriiana brings off the floor also," Finnie said. "She's a fantastic student and is very active in her schools community. She is an impressive young lady and is a perfect fit for HBU and what we expect of our women's basketball players. I'm very excited about this 2015 incoming class and Adrii is a great addition to it."
Jackson's resume is full of honors and awards earned both on and off the court, and she is looking forward to continued success at the college level. She plans to major in kinesiology: pre-physical therapy at HBU. She is the daughter of Andree' Jackson and Jamye Clark. Her father, Andree', played baseball for both Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern.
Women's Basketball signees:Charlotte Hodges; 6-0; F; Kingwood, Texas
Adriiana Jackson; 5-1; PG; Houston, Texas
Amanda Johnson; 6-1; G; Georgetown, Texas
Bria Johnson; 5-6; PG; Sunnyvale, Texas
Veronika Kirienko; 6-4; C; Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Brooklyn Moore; 5-11; F; Murphy, Texas
