SU signs PG Brittany Groves, boost signing class to four.

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Groves boosts SU women’s signing class to 4

By WILLIAM WEATHERS
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Jun 17, 2006

Brittany Groves admitted the first thought that crossed her mind about visiting Southern University didn’t have anything to do with the school’s campus or successful women’s basketball program.

“I thought about hurricanes,” said Groves, a life-long resident of Los Angeles. “I didn’t think I would ever really go down to school there.”

However there was a change of heart following Groves’ official visit during Memorial Day weekend — enough so that the 5-foot-7 point guard committed and eventually signed a scholarship.

“My parents told me it didn’t hurt to give it a try and I didn’t want to ever regret it,” Groves said. “I went on the visit with an open mind, that it could be a school that I could possibly go to. When I got there it was nothing like I thought it would be. I just ended up really liking the school.

“I just felt like that was the school for me,” Groves said. “I felt very comfortable. It’s a really good school. It’s going to be a new experience for me. I think I’m mature enough to be away from home, to handle the college life and this experience. I’m just very excited.”

The signature of Groves, a two-time second-team All-City selection from Los Angeles’ Narbonne High, increases Southern’s signing class to four players — joining an in-state trio of guards Ashley Augurson of Wossman-Monroe and Aerica Hicks of Madison-Tallulah and forward Freda Allen of Lake Providence.

“She’s going to make a wonderful addition to our team,” said SU coach Sandy Pugh, who could add another post player to the class.

“I was so impressed with her as a person. Basketball-wise she comes from one of the top programs in California. I think we’re very fortunate to get a player of her caliber at this date.”

Pugh explained that Groves received a healthy dose of recruiting attention early in the process before suffering a foot injury, a development that forced some of her suitors to look elsewhere.

“I think a lot of people missed the boat,” Pugh said.

“After her injury a lot of people backed off, but now she’s 100 percent. It’s definitely their loss and our gain.”

Groves, a two-year starter at point guard, averaged 11.2 points, 8.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds during her senior season, helping Narbonne to within a game of reaching the California Interscholastic Federation state semifinals.
“She’s a great passer and great leader,’’ Pugh said. “We should be very solid at the point guard for quite some time.”

Groves is expected to contend for SU’s starting position along with senior Tiffany Jones, who started for the majority of the 2005-06 season before the team’s leading scorer Rolanda Monroe was moved to the point.

“I feel comfortable coming in and taking on the role of being a leader on the court,” Groves said. “It’s just whatever I can do to help the team.”

Groves, who is academically qualified with better than a 3.5 grade point average, chose SU over Loyola-Marymount and Pepperdine — in part because of her relationship with former high school teammate Indi Johnson, a junior forward with the Jaguars.

“It helped me lot,” she said. “We’re from the same background. Every time she talks about Southern she’s excited. It seems like just being there brightens her day and I just want to go to a school where I can feel the same way.”