Women’s Basketball signs No. 4 recruiting class in the nation

AUSTIN, Texas — A trio of Top 20 nationally-ranked high school recruits have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Vic Schaefer announced Wednesday. Rori Harmon (Houston, Texas), Kyndall Hunter (Houston, Texas) and Aaliyah Moore (Moore, Okla.) will join the Longhorns for the 2021-22 season.

The three-person class is currently No. 4 nationally in the espnW HoopGurlz team rankings. Two of UT's three signees in this class are rated in the top 10 nationally overall, and all three appear in the top 20 nationally by several recruiting services.

"Well it's a special day for Texas Women's Basketball," Schaefer said. "I'm so proud of my staff for their efforts in helping to put this incredible recruiting class together. We hit the ground running once we arrived here in Austin, and we may not be done."

"We not only signed a tremendous class, rated in the top five in the country as well as the most versatile player in the country in Aaliyah Moore, but we've also signed the best high school backcourt in the country in Rori and Kyndall," Schaefer continued. "We have addressed specific needs and have added three outstanding young ladies who are driven and motivated to win. All three are so excited about being Texas Longhorns! They will not only add to our team, but they will be tremendous young ladies in our campus community, the city of Austin and the great state of Texas."

Harmon, a point guard from Cypress Creek High School (Houston, Texas) who plays under coach Jennifer Alexander, is ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect in the nation by All Star Girls Report and No. 10 by espnW HoopGurlz. In her junior season at Cypress Creek, Harmon averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.7 steals per game while helping Cypress Creek to a 41-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 6A state tournament. She claimed District 17-6A Most Valuable Player honors last year and is a three-time Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) all-state selection. In her first three seasons at Cypress Creek, Harmon has registered career totals of 2,059 points, 565 rebounds, 552 assists and 528 steals in 113 games.

"We believe Rori is the best point guard in the country," Schaefer said. "I've been recruiting her for over two years. I've seen all of the top point guards in the country and I believe she is the best. Her presence on the floor and her tenacity on defense stand out as much as her skill set. It's very unusual to have scored 2,000-plus points in your high school career through three seasons and still have over 550 assists and 500-plus steals. She has the motor that will set the tone for our team on both ends of the floor. Rori's mother and father, Shemeya and Rodney, have been tremendous throughout the recruiting process. There have been some great point guards in the history of this university. Rori will have a chance to be one of the best ever."

Hunter, an explosive, scoring two-guard who plays alongside Harmon in the starting backcourt at Cypress Creek High School (Houston, Texas), is ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the nation by All Star Girls Report and No. 19 by Blue Star Basketball. Hunter averaged 20 points, 2.8 steals per game and 2.3 assists per game as a junior as Cypress Creek went 41-1 and advanced to the Class 6A state championship game. The All-Greater Houston Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle in 2019-20, she recorded four 30-point performances last year and posted a game-high 24 points in the state title contest against Duncanville. In her first three seasons at Cypress Creek, Hunter has registered career totals of 2,217 points, 351 steals, 338 assists and 286 rebounds in 115 games.

"Kyndall is an incredible scorer and explosive player who can finish at all three levels," Schaefer said. "Having already scored over 2,200 points in her high school career, she knows how to finish. She can create her own shot as well as create for others. I saw her score 30-plus one night with ease. We need difference players who can score the basketball. Her range is off the charts. Kyndall's father, Derrick, and mother, Keoka, have also been incredibly supportive throughout the process. Kyndall's smile is infectious. She will be great here on the Forty Acres."

Moore, a forward from Moore High School (Moore, Okla.) who plays under coach Brent Hodges, is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the nation by Blue Star Basketball and No. 6 by espnW HoopGurlz. In her junior year at Moore, she was named Gatorade's Oklahoma Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.1 blocks per game per game while converting 58-percent from the floor. Moore led her team to a 20-5 record and the Class 6A state tournament, the program's first state appearance in 22 years, prior to the cancelation of the tourney due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her first three seasons at Moore High School, she has registered career totals of 1,274 points, 698 rebounds, 102 assists and 91 blocks in 73 games. During the summer of 2019, Moore helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Chile.

"We are super excited about Aaliyah Moore, a very versatile player who can play multiple positions," Schaefer said. "She is ultra athletic and has a motor off the charts. Aaliyah pursues the basketball from a rebounding perspective with great effort. She is physical and will be a tough matchup for opponents due to her size, quickness, speed and athleticism. She too has a tremendous skill set and is the defending Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year. Her mom, Sho, and grandma, Carol, have been tremendous throughout the recruiting process. They are another wonderful family excited for their daughter to be on the Forty Acres."

2021-22 Texas Women's Basketball Recruiting Class (as of November 11, 2020)

Name	Yr	Pos	Ht	Hometown (High School)
Rori Harmon	Fr.	G	5-6	Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek)
Kyndall Hunter	Fr.	G	5-7	Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek)
Aaliyah Moore	Fr.	F	6-1	Moore, Okla. (Moore)

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

Women’s Basketball signs No. 4 recruiting class in the nation

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