Adia Barnes is a happy coach this week after picking up a pair of important 2021 commitments over the weekend. The Arizona head coach continues to push the program forward coming off an impressive season that had the Wildcats ranked for most of the year. The coronavirus pandemic took away UA's chance to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament, but it has not slowed down the recruiting process.
July is an important month for recruiting in a typical year. This year is not a typical year, but the UA coaching staff has been able to make progress with the addition of a couple more key pieces, including Oregon post Aaronette Vonleh and Estonian guard Anna Gret Asi.
They join in-state guard Madison Conner from Perry High School in Gilbert who committed to the Wildcats back in April to become the first member of the class.
Aaronette Vonleh (West Linn HS – West Linn, Oregon)
A 6-foot-3 post player from Oregon, Vonleh is a force inside and is considered one of the top prospects in the class. She had previously narrowed her choices down to Colorado, USC and Cal in addition to Arizona before picking the Wildcats on Saturday. Vonleh is the younger sister of one-time Arizona target and five-star power forward Noah Vonleh who ultimately ended up playing at Indiana before moving on to the NBA where he is now a member of the Denver Nuggets.
Like her older brother, Aaronette is a force inside who has impressive footwork in the post and can overpower opponents in the paint. She is also strong in transition and is an impact player on the defensive end of the floor as well. As a junior Vonleh averaged 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on her way to being named a first-team all-state player in Oregon, which she has done in the last two seasons.
She is certainly the jewel of the class so far for the Wildcats as one of the top players at her position in the class.
Anna Gret Asi (University of Tartu – Tartu, Estonia)
The Estonian combo guard gave Arizona her pledge on Sunday as well, but held off on announcing her decision until Monday. The 5-foot-10 combo guard is an impressive scorer at the position with a knack for making flashy plays in transition. She will give the Wildcats an impressive threat from the perimeter when she arrives to Tucson.
"I want to start this off by saying big thanks to all the college coaches who have recruited me!" she posted in a message on Instagram. "It was an interesting and eye-opening experience! I want to thank my mom for being there for me every step of the way, as well as my friends and teammates! I also want to thank coaches who have trained me in the national teams and different camps over the years! With that being said, I am announcing my verbal commitment to the University Of Arizona to continue my academic and basketball careers! Super excited about the future!! Can’t wait to be a Wildcat!"
Gret Asi has extensive international experience including a strong showing at the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championships where she averaged over 14 points per game. She averaged over 22 points per game with her club team last season.
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