The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Nation's top prep point guard signs with Women's Basketball
11.09.2016 | Women's Basketball
Chasity Patterson from Houston is the nation's No. 4 ranked player by ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas – Point guard Chasity Patterson, the No. 4 high school player in the class of 2017 according to ESPN.com, has signed to play basketball at the University of Texas beginning with the 2017-18 season, it was announced Wednesday.
Patterson, the nation's No. 1 point guard prospect, is a 5-foot-5 recruit out of North Shore High School in Houston. She was named to USA Today's Preseason All-America Team last month. Patterson is the third player ranked among the nation's top-six prospects to sign with the Longhorns in the last two years, joining current UT freshmen Joyner Holmes and Alecia Sutton.
Patterson enters her senior season at North Shore with more than 2,200 points in her prep career and has helped lead her team to a 96-12 (.889) record over the past three seasons. She is known for her floor leadership skills, her athleticism and her threat as a scorer.
"I am incredibly proud to bring Chasity to the Forty Acres and our program," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "She is not only a terrific basketball player, but more importantly a phenomenal young lady. Chaz brings a wealth of understanding of what it takes to win, coming from such quality high school and club programs. This will translate into her being able to impact our program quickly. What I love about her the most is her confidence in herself as a shooter. This comes from spending hours in the gym. She is an old school gym rat and will give us an added dimension to our guard depth. I'm so excited that she and her wonderful family chose to be part of the Longhorn family."
As a junior in 2015-16, Patterson averaged 24.5 points per game, 5.4 steals per game and 4.8 assists per game. She was a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-State selection and was the District 21-6A Most Valuable Player. Named to the All-Tournament Team of the state tournament, Patterson led her team to the state semifinals with a 36-2 overall record. She was named to the All-Greater Houston first team. In a game against West Brook on Jan. 26, 2016, Patterson impressively recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists and 11 steals.
As a sophomore, Patterson averaged 21.5 points per game, 4.1 steals per game and 3.9 assists per game. She was a District 21-6A first-team selection and led her team to the regional tournament. In her freshman season of 2013-14, she was named the District 21-6A Newcomer of the Year and a TABC All-State selection. Patterson averaged 15.7 points per game, 3.2 steals per game and 3.1 assists per game. Her squad tallied a 28-7 record and advanced to the regional quarterfinals.
"Words cannot adequately convey what Chasity has meant to our program," North Shore High School Head Coach Allison Campbell said. "I am blessed to have been able to coach her throughout her high school career, because she is the type of player that does not come around very often. She enters her senior season with more than 2,200 points and is a pass-first point guard. Her greatest attribute may be in making other players around her better through her leadership and the example she sets. On a daily basis, Chasity is a joy to be around and she brings fun into the gym every day because of the love she has for the game. We are so proud of Chasity and cannot wait to watch her grow at Texas."
CHASITY PATTERSON IN THE RECRUITING CLASS RANKINGS
ESPN Ranking: No. 4 overall; No. 1 point guard
Blue Star Report Ranking: No. 5 overall; No. 1 point guard
Prospects Nation Ranking: No. 8 overall; No. 4 point guard
