NEW LOCAL: 'Canes star Jaleesa Sams signs with North Carolina A&T
By Ron Poniewasz Jr.
New Castle News— The suspense is over for New Castle High girls basketball standout Jaleesa Sams.
On Thursday afternoon, Sams made it official, signing a national letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career at North Carolina A&T. The Lady Aggies are an NCAA Division I school competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
“It felt right; as soon as I got there, the vibe was right,” Sams said of the school, which is located in Greensboro. “I wasn’t going to be just another number there.”
Sams said Boston College, Miami (Fla.) and James Madison were in her final four, while Penn State, Michigan State, San Francisco and Xavier also expressed serious interest in her. The decision came down to Boston College and the Lady Aggies.
“The campus is beautiful,” Sams said. “There’s things to do and you can never be bored.
“The weight lifting facility is really nice; it’s top-notch and all brand new. The (Corbett Sports Center) is a nice gym to play in.”
Sams has registered 1,333 career points, with 843 rebounds, 457 steals and 505 assists. Though her numbers are solid, her game continues to evolve.
“All aspects of her game have gotten better, plus she’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger,” Lady ’Canes coach Luann Grybowski said. “She handles the ball a lot better than she did as a freshman and she has developed an outside shot and she can shoot the 3, too.
“She’s so versatile too. ... Offensively she’s a threat from anywhere on the floor. She’s truly an all-around player.”
Sams has remained focused despite all the attention she has received from recruiters.
“She’s always handled it well,” Grybowski said. “She never wanted all the attention on her. She’s always wanted it to be more on the team.
“We’re successful because she is team oriented. She more or less downplays it.”
Signing early will take a great load off of Sams’ shoulders this season.
“I’m glad I got it done now, it will help with the upcoming season,” she said.
Said Grybowski: “You don’t have to play with the thought of who’s here watching me, are they analyzing me, will I get hurt? Everything is done and she can go out and have fun and concentrate on the game.”
The attention Sams has received has spread throughout the team. Logan Hartman, a junior forward, is receiving Division I interest from such schools as Cornell, Monmouth, Penn State and Davidson.
“It helps the other girls too,” Grybowski said of Sams’ success. “It brings attention to all of our girls. I think it’s helped our program.”
Sams is a cousin of New Castle’s all-time leading scorer Lorri Johnson, who recorded 2,110 career points from 1982-1986. Johnson, who went on to a stellar career at the University of Pittsburgh, ranks second on the county’s all-time scoring list behind Anne Malkowiak of Ellwood City (2,370 points from 1985-89).
Grybowski coached both Johnson and Sams. However, she coached Johnson for just her senior year.
“It’s just natural athletic ability and that just comes from the genes and there’s no way you can deny that,” Grybowski said of the duo. “Lorri was a great scorer, but she wasn’t the defender that Jaleesa is.
“Johnson may have shot it as well from the outside, but Jaleesa is quicker and a little faster than Lorri.”
Sams, who plans on majoring in pharmacy, has already set some goals for her senior season in high school despite the first official day of practice still being a few days away.
“I don’t want to have more than two fouls going into halftime and I don’t want to foul out,” Sams said. “Our first goal as a team should be to win the section. You have to set goals that you can reach first and then build to the next one.”
Good job!
