(11/13/96)
The TCU women's basketball team announced arguably its finest basketball recruiting class this morning. The Lady Frogs first year coach Mike Petersen signed Amy and Jill Sutton, identical twin guards from Gunter; Sally Spencer a forward from Hillsboro; Sally Burrows, a forward from Aledo, and Karen Clayton, a center from Southlake.
Amy Sutton and Jill Sutton, a pair of 5-9 twins from Gunter, were named 1995-96 co-MVP Area Players of the Year as juniors. They also earned 1995-96 first team all-State honors from the Texas Sportswriters Association as well as the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, Texas Association of Girls Coaches, and Texas Basketball Magazine. They were also listed as honorable mention All-Americans by USA Today. The talented duo led Gunter High to a 35-2 record last season as the Lady Tigers finished as the state runner-up in Class AA.
Amy Sutton, a 5-9 guard who is a member of Gunter's School Council and is in the top 5 percent of her senior class, averaged 20.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 steals, and 3.6 assists per game as a junior while shooting 53% from the floor and 40% beyond the three point line.
Jill Sutton, a 5-9 guard who is a member of Gunter's Honor Roll and is also in the top 5 percent of her senior class, averaged 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 3.7 assists per game last season while shooting 52 percent from the field.
"They are as talented a guard tandem as I have ever signed," TCU head coach Mike Petersen said. "They have excellent range and can handle the ball very well."
Sally Spencer, a 5-11 senior attending Hillsboro High, averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game last season. She is a three-time first team all-District honoree and was named Sophomore of the Year in 1995 and Newcomer of the Year in 1994.
"Sally is very tough and someone who plays very hard," Petersen said. "She has great hands and runs the floor very well. She has all the tools to be successful at this level."
Karen Clayton, a 6-2 forward/center, was named to Bob Springer's Texas Basketball Magazine all-State team. She was a member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches first team all-Region team and was named district 9-AAAA MVP. She was also a member of the Dallas Morning News and Ft Worth Star Telegram all-Area second team. Clayton was also named by Street & Smith magazine as a preseason honorable mention all-American.
Clayton, a District 9-AAAA academic all-District team member last season, finished her junior seasons averaging 19.6 points and 12 rebounds per game, both tops in the district. She attended MacArthur High her first two years at school.
"Karen is a quality person along with being a great basketball player," Petersen said. "She has great size and strength. She can pass and shoot out of the high post as well as facing the basket. We think she will be a tremendous player in the WAC."
Sally Burrows, a 6-3 center attending Aledo High, was named to the Texas Basketball Magazine all-State team after averaging 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. She earned class 3A all-state honorable mention last year and was tabbed by Street & Smith magazine as a preseason honorable mention all-American.
"She has all the tools to be a fine player at this level," Petersen said. "She runs well and will pose a serious post threat."
"This class immediately gives TCU instant credibility," Gordon Loucks, founder of the Texas Girls Basketball Report said. "The caliber of player that they brought in this year is just so much higher than in the past there."