Versatile would be a good word to describe Three Rivers College’s newest recruit. Dexter senior Hannah Thurmon signed a letter of intent recently to play basketball for the Lady Raiders. “Hannah’s a real versatile basketball player,” Dexter assistant coach Eric Sitze said. “She can step out and shoot it. She can score inside. She can pass the ball. She can handle the ball. She’s got great length defensively. She’s got a lot of good positives to her game.” Three Rivers head coach Jeff Walk said that Thurmon checks all the boxes that put smiles on coaches’ faces at the next level. “I like her court awareness and presence out on the floor, how well she passes the basketball,” said Walk, who also likes her rebounding ability. “She can block shots. She’s got a great mid-range game. She’s expanded all the way out to the 3-point line this year. She can handle the ball for a 6-foot, 6 - f o o t - 1 kid.” Walk said that Thurmon, who averages around a double-double in points and rebounds for the Bearcats, will cause matchup problems for opponents right away in college. “She’s not a back-to-the basket post player,” Walk said. “She can step out 12 feet and hit (that shot) and she can guard a post. Her passing, she sees things that most kids aren’t even aware of out on the floor. Those (kids) are diamonds in the rough.” Thurmon said that her college decision came down to Three Rivers and Arkansas State. One of the deciding factors was having a chance to contribute right away.

“I didn’t want to go to practice every day and sit on the bench in the games,” Thurmon said. “This way, I’ll get my chance to be out there on the court.” The coaching staff and the chance to stay close to home also figured into her decision. “It’s great that she’s close to family, and everybody from the community can go and watch her play,” Sitze said. “That’s a great thing for her, a great thing for Three Rivers. I know they’re glad to get her. She’s going to do great in college.” Thurmon has seen a lot of success in high school. During her three full seasons with the Bearcats, they have compiled a 63-25 record that included three district titles and last year’s trip the final four. “She’s been a four-year varsity player, and she was an impact player for us as a starter as a freshman,” Sitze said. “She had to sit out with a knee injury (her sophomore year). She was missed greatly.” Walk said that the No. 1 thing in recruiting is mining winning programs. “If you get kids out of programs that know how to win, know how to play, know how to work hard, that makes our job easier when we get them into college,” Walk said. “We don’t teach that. It’s already instilled.”

Kyle Smith - Daily American Republic