Alexis Morris and Didi Richards of Baylor women’s basketball’s 2017 recruiting class have been named to the 2017 Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday.
The guards, who signed with the Lady Bears in the early signing period, are two of 50 players on the watch list, which narrows to 25 players on Jan. 12, 2017.
Morris, a 5-6 guard from Legacy Christian Academy in Beaumont, Texas, is the nation's No. 6 ranked point guard and the No. 18 ranked player overall according to ESPN HoopGurlz. As a junior, Morris averaged 25.6 points, nine rebounds and 8.4 assists per game, leading her team to the TAPPS 3A state tournament final. The five-star recruit notched four 40-point performances and nine 30-point games that year alone.
A three-year letterwinner, Morris has earned three-straight Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 3A Player of the Year accolades (2014, 2015, 2016). She was also a 2016 USA Today All-Texas second team honoree and named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List previously in 2016. In her career, Morris has amassed 2,650 points, 852 rebounds, 545 assists, 599 steals and 191 blocked shots. She owns a single-game-high scoring effort of 53 points.
Richards, a 6-1 guard from Cypress Ranch High School in Houston, Texas, is the No. 4 ranked guard and No. 16 player overall in her class according to ESPN HoopGurlz. As a junior, Richards averaged 22.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game, leading the Mustangs to the regional quarterfinal of the 6A state playoffs and a 22-12 record. With one season remaining, Richards is the first player, male or female, in Cypress Ranch High School history to score over 1,000 points.
The three-year basketball letterwinner and all-time leading scorer at Cypress Ranch High School is a two-time All-District first-team honoree (2015, 2016). Richards was also named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List in 2016 and recently earned 2017 All USA Preseason Girls Basketball Team recognition. The five=star recruit has also been recognized as a McDonald's Invitational Most Valuable Player (2016), Newcomer of the Year (2014) and Nike National Champion (2013).
