Neighbors signs nationally-ranked recruiting class for Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors and his staff announced the addition of four players for the 2019-20 season.

The staff’s second recruiting class includes Makayla Daniels, Marquesha Davis, Destinee Oberg and Ginger Reece. Neighbors also adds the services of Amber Ramirez who is redshirting the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

The Class

The recruiting class is ranked No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference behind powerhouses South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi State by All Star Girls Report.

The class ranks 15th in the nation by the same service.

From Coach Mike Neighbors

“Signing day is a special day for every student-athlete and “the village” who helped them achieve what it takes to earn a Division I scholarship. We welcome these four freshmen, one transfer and their villages to our Razorback family. Each student-athlete was selected for her unique basketball talents on the court and specific character qualities off the court.”

The Players

• The five players in this class …
• Represent five different states | Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma & Texas
• Range in height from 5-8 (Daniels) to 6-3 (Oberg)
• Play four different positions (G, C, PG, WF)
• Average 4.2 stars (ESPN)

Makayla Daniels

Daniels comes to Fayetteville from Frederick High School in Frederick, Maryland. The 5-8 point guard is the all-time leading scorer (boy or girl) for the Cadets and earned Maryland Basketball Coaches Association All-State First-Team honors as a junior.

Daniels paced the Cadets to the Class 3A state titles as a sophomore and junior going 26-2 last season. Daniels scored 47 points in the championship game as a sophomore and dropped in 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the final game in 2018.

Daniels is finishing her high school basketball career under the leadership of Ashley Bush at Frederick High School. She finished her club career this summer with club coach Joe McAleer.

Marquesha Davis

Neighbors adds Arkansas native Davis to the lineup from nearby Springdale High School. Born in McGehee, Arkansas, Davis was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps second team and the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette first team after averaging 21 points, 10.2 rebounds and three steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.

She eclipsed 1,000 career points as a junior and broke Springdale High’s single-season scoring and rebounding records in 2017-18.

She averaged 15 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals as a sophomore. Davis was also named an Adidas Uprising All-American Camp selection in 2017-18.

Davis is finishing her high school basketball career under the leadership of Heather Hunsucker at Springdale High School. She finished her club career this summer with club coaches Nathan Sadler and Brian Morgan.

Destinee Oberg

Burnsville, Minnesota, native Oberg returns to the court as a senior after a year away due to an injury. Despite missing a season, Prospects Nation rates Oberg a 4.5-star prospect, the No. 6 post player and No. 38 overall recruit in the nation for the 2019 class.

As a sophomore, Oberg and the Academy of Holy Angels played to a third-place finish at the state tournament.

She averaged 16.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game that season.

Oberg is finishing her high school basketball career under the leadership of Quentin Johnson at Bloomington Kennedy High School. She finished her club career this summer with club coaches Jamal Guy, W.H. Nelson and Tracy Martin.

Ginger Reece

Reece is considered a versatile perimeter prospect with a quick first step at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Rated the No. 59 prospect in the nation when she committed, Reece was an honorable mention all-district selection as a sophomore and a second-team pick as a junior.

She has guided the Eagles to back-to-back state tournament appearances and averaged 14 points per game last season.

Reece is finishing her high school basketball career under the leadership of Danny Wall at Eisenhower High School. She finished her club career this summer with club coaches Earl Allen and Robert Foreman.

Amber Ramirez

Ramirez transferred to Arkansas after two seasons at TCU. She will redshirt the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

At TCU, Ramirez was third on the team with 10.4 points per game and she led the team from distance. She scored in double figures in 18 games as a sophomore and broke the TCU and Big 12 single game records with 11 made 3-point shots last season.

The five-star McDonald’s All-American won two medals with USA Basketball in the summer of 2016 and gold with the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

Ramirez was the No. 10-ranked prospect as a senior in high school and had a 4.5-star rating.

Ramirez played high school basketball under the leadership of Christina Camacho at Wagner High School. She finished her club career with coach Ray Caldwell.

Club Teams

Makayla Daniels | Maryland Belles
Marquesha Davis |Arkansas Banshees
Destinee Oberg | Minnesota Stars
Amber Ramirez | San Antonio’s Finest
Ginger Reece | Cy-Fair EYBL / OK Swish

Chose Arkansas Over …

• Makayla Daniels | Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Marshall, Delaware, Richmond, Saint Joseph
• Marquesha Davis | Kentucky, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Houston, Georgia Tech
• Destinee Oberg | Florida State, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Dakota, Purdue, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin among others
• Amber Ramirez | Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech
Ginger Reese | Texas Christian, Washington