Wednesday morning was National Signing Day for most college sports and the Arizona women's basketball program signed two players in forward Maya Nnaji and combo-guard Kailyn Gilbert to a highly-touted 2022 recruiting class.
Arizona is expected to sign one more recruit in guard Lemyah Hylton to the class to give coach Adia Barnes three players to the 2022 class.
"I think that the perception and attractiveness of the program and who's going there. I think that's just what makes it more desirable, which is the way it is. I was never like that as a player. I didn't care about this. But I think this generation is very different and it matters. So it's going only to help us recruit. And it just gives you more national exposure and it puts you in different positions with national media.
"It just gives us more respect nationally, which we deserve. And we've done some good work; we deserve it. But, now it's maintaining that, but these types of classes, you can sustain success," said Barnes on her recruiting class and what it means to the program.
Maya is a 6-foot-4 forward from Hopkins High School in Minnesota and is the sister of former Arizona men's basketball player Zeke Nnaji who played one season with the program.
When making her decision, Maya chose Arizona over offers from Oregon, UCLA, Stanford and South Carolina, among others.
"Maya is a player that I've had my eye on for so many years. Nothing to do with Zeke just being here, but because she's such a great player, very familiar with her high school, I love her high school coach.
"Maya is a 6-foot-4 versatile player. She can score in different ways and she can play inside and outside. She's going to be an immediate impact player. But more importantly, off the court. She is a phenomenal young woman," said Barnes on the potential of Maya.
Gilbert is a 5-foot-8 combo guard from Tampa Bay that chose Arizona over offers from Louisville, Georgia and Mississippi State, amongst other.
"Kailyn Gilbert is a phenomenal player and, I think, is very underrated. She can play the one; she can play the two. She can score in different ways.
"She's strong and a great passer, but she can shoot and she's good off, pick and roll. She's a good defender. So she's going to fit our system really well, another player that can make an immediate impact. She has a strong body and she's just scratched the surface," said Barnes on the potential of Gilbert.
Arizona is expected to sign Hylton, a 5-foot-11 guard from Canada, picking Arizona over offers from Maryland, North Carolina and Alabama, among others
"We can teach fundamentals, but you need good players to win and that's the reality. And it makes everything look different. You can run the same set and it looks a lot different with all-Americans on the floor than it does with one all-American. So it'll help the program," said Barnes on her 2022 class.
> DISCUSS the article with other Arizona fans Inside McKale
> WATCH the latest videos from GOAZCATS.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel
> FOLLOW us on Twitter (@goazcatscom, @MattGOAZCATS, @THutch1995, @AverieKlonowski)
> FOLLOW us on Instagram (@goazcats)
> LIKE us on Facebook
> SUBSCRIBE for all the latest Arizona Wildcats team and recruiting news (subscribe now)
