If the hype is to be believed, then they are the biggest thing
to hit collegiate women’s basketball.
Literally.
Twin sisters Courtney and Ashley Paris from Piedmont, two of the
most sought-after recruits in the nation, will be making their
official visit to UCLA today.
The Bruins are reportedly one of five teams in the running for
the Paris twins’ services, competing against Oklahoma,
Syracuse, Texas and Connecticut.
The Paris twins are expected to make their decision as to which
school they will attend by mid-October.
But while UCLA may not be able to compete with some of the
aforementioned schools in terms of its recent success, it does hold
a few distinct advantages over its competitors.
For starters, one of the Paris twins’ brothers, Brandon
Paris, is currently enrolled at UCLA and walked on to the football
team as a running back a few weeks ago.
While it’s only natural for part of Brandon to want his
sisters to come join him in Westwood, he’s confident that
won’t be the primary factor in their decision.
“Me being here probably influences them a little
bit,” Brandon said. “I would actually really enjoy it
if they came here. I tell them it’s a good school and
everything, but they will make up their own minds.”
Though Brandon has not been with his sisters during the
recruiting process, he’s heard how the atmosphere back at
home has been circus-like.
“They’re having fun with it,” Brandon said.
“There are coaches in and out of the house every day.
It’s been pretty hectic for them.”
And considering just how good the Paris twins are, that
attention is rightly deserved.
Courtney, who is 6-foot-3, is widely considered a top-two
recruit in the nation. A true low-post player, Courtney would be
the dominating presence in the middle that the Bruins have lacked
for years. In her junior season in high school, Courtney averaged
27 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and five blocks per game while
leading her team to a No. 1 state ranking.
On the other hand, Ashley, who is 6-foot-2, is a combo forward
whose versatility perfectly complements her sister’s
game.
Together, they represent every college coach’s fantasy,
and they will indeed be making the jump to college together.
And with playing time factoring into their decision, UCLA would
be one of the most logical choices for the twins to see action
right away. While the Bruins have the “Triple Threat”
of Nikki Blue, Noelle Quinn and Lisa Willis patrolling the
perimeter, they’re still lacking an intimidating inside
presence. With the Paris twins on board, UCLA would seem to have
the pieces in place to challenge some of the sport’s elite
teams.
But a decision on that could potentially still be several weeks
away.
And according to their brother, one of the factors that could
have been perceived to give UCLA a definitive edge of landing the
Paris twins, the campus’ proximity to the Piedmont household,
will not make or break the decision.
“That’s not very important to them,” Brandon
said. “Your family is always a plane ride wherever you
go.”
In recent years, UCLA has missed out on several highly heralded
recruits from California, most notably Diana Taurasi and Charde
Houston, both of whom bolted for UConn.