Smith turns down Rice, Vandy for shot at Penn

When their five seniors graduate at season's end, coach Pat Knapp and the Quakers will lose over seventy percent of their offensive production.

But Knapp is confident that his newest recruits have the ability to one day fill their shoes.

"I'm very happy," Knapp said. "I think it's an excellent class."

Four players - Kim Adams, Caroline Nicholson, Erin Power, and Jerin Smith - have committed and been accepted to the University, while a fifth is awaiting the results of the regular-decision process.

The Quakers are looking to increase the size of their backcourt. Current starters Lauren Pears, Anca Popovici and Joey Rhoads are 5-foot-8, 5-7, and 5-4. The two recruited guards are both significantly taller than the current crop - Power, for one, is over six feet.

But the biggest wild card could be Jerin Smith. Originally from Texas, Smith decided to attend Worcester Academy, a New England prep school, after her senior year of high school. She had been recruited by many local basketball powerhouses, including Rice, Texas Tech, Texas A&M;, and Vanderbilt, before deciding that she didn't want to remain in the south.

"There's not a player I have seen in New England that can do the things that Jerin can do," said Worcester coach Sherry Levin.

Smith played power forward in high school, but because she's only 5-10, she will have to adjust to a perimeter role at Penn.

Knapp compared her style of play to that of current senior Ashley Gray and Jewel Clark, who's second on Penn's all-time scoring list.

"Shes a very strong athlete: quick, fast and jumps aggressively," Knapp said of Smith. "She's going to have to grow, but she has a world of potential."

Down low, Nicholson, a 6-2 forward from Virginia, will look to help fill the void after Monica Naltner's departure. Knapp said Nicholson is "a talented post player, [and] offensively strong."

Knapp praised all his recruits' abilities, but would not speculate on roles in the upcoming years.

"They jump in, and they fight for jobs like everybody else," he said. "I don't promise anybody anything. The best players play."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.