Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Basketball Announces 2021 Signing Class
11/11/2020 8:13:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Eagles signed four high school seniors to NLI's
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Fifth-year Eastern Michigan University women's basketball head coach Fred Castro announced the signing of four high school seniors to National Letters of Intent Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Eagles inked Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich.-Wayne Memorial), Kyndal Lewis (Belton, Mo.-Belton), Peyton Pinkney (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Woodland Hills), and Madisyn Tillman (Kentwood, Mich.-East Kentwood).
"Although this year's pandemic created some recruiting obstacles, my staff has done a great job of finding a way to identify, evaluate, and recruit four top-notch student-athletes," offered Castro. "These young ladies will fit in perfectly with our culture of family, academics, and basketball. As players on the court, these four certainly fit our mold of athletic, defensive-minded players, which will help us on both ends of the court. Players like these allow us to play fast offensively while constantly putting pressure on defenses. The ceiling for Lachelle, Madisyn, Kyndal, and Peyton is very high, and I'm excited to watch them grow together these next four years."
Hailing from nearby Redford, Mich., Lachelle Austin is set to join the Eagles next summer after what will be three years as a member of the Wayne Memorial High School varsity lineup. Austin is set to join fellow WMHS alum Makailah Griggs-Zeigler (Detroit, Mich.-Wayne Memorial) at Eastern following her prep career. Griggs-Zeigler is a freshman on this year's squad. A two-time captain for the Zebras, Austin has helped lead WMHS to a Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship and first-place district finish in her time with the team. An all-around asset, she has averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, and 3.3 steals per game during her high school career.
"Lachelle is an offensively gifted basketball player that can score at all three levels," said Castro. "She is a natural scorer that we identified early and had the opportunity to watch grow from her freshman year until now. Lachelle can get hot from deep with the ability to make multiple threes in-a-row and carry her team. She has learned to use her shooting threat in order to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Lachelle has great court vision and is a willing passer. She will thrive in our dribble-drive offense because of the spacing and talent around her. Her final two seasons at Wayne Memorial with Jarvis Mitchell will have her well prepared for division 1 basketball in the MAC."
Making the farthest trek from home when she arrives on campus will be Belton, Mo. native Kyndal Lewis. Lewis will, however, be reuniting with her sister, Courtnie Lewis (Belton, Mo.-Belton), who is a fourth-year player at EMU and one of just 23 1,000-point scorers in program history. An impressive player in her own right, Kyndal Lewis is a three-time letterwinner and two-time team captain for Brad Batchelder's Pirates. A First Team All-District and All-Kansas City Metro Conference athlete in 2019-20, Lewis has led Belton High School to consecutive district runner-up finishes. Last season, she averaged 17.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and scored 447 points on the season, better than doubling her sophomore season production.
"We have known Kyndal Lewis for five years with her older sister Courtnie coming to EMU four years ago," noted Castro. "As a freshman, she will come in with the physical attributes of a seasoned Division I athlete. She has strength, power, and explosiveness, which all immediately jumps out at you as you watch her compete. The combination of strength and speed allows her to get to the rim at will, with the ability to finish through contact. Kyndal is also a knock-down shooter from behind the arc, which should be no surprise to anyone that follows our program. Having known the Lewis family for so long, I take great comfort in knowing the cut of cloth she comes from and the dedication she will bring on a daily basis. Gary Brown and the MoKan Eclipse rave about Kyndal's growth these past two years. I'm looking forward to having her on campus."
Making the move from the Steel City, Peyton Pinkney rounds out the out-of-state portion of Eastern's 2021 class. A three-time letterwinner for the Woodland Hills Wolverines, Pinkney has already put together an impressive resume in just three seasons on Von Pitts' team. A captain each of her first three years on the squad, Pinkney has helped lead WHHS to an undefeated season and its first section title in school history, while earning individual all-state accolades twice. Pinkney was named second-team all-state in Class 5A following the 2019-20 season after averaging 13.7 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. She helped Woodland Hills go 20-6 and advance to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League semifinals for the first time since 1997.
"Peyton is a six-foot guard that plays with an edge that I love," emphasized Castro. "Her size and speed allows her to guard any position and disrupt opponents' offensive schemes. Her ability to create offense from her defense and play in the open floor will compliment our overall style of play. Peyton has a good handle for her size and shoots the three when they are available. What is most exciting about Peyton is she has barely scratched the surface of her potential. Although the recruiting process was quick it was clear it was a good fit and there was great chemistry from day one. Peyton's experience on the AAU circuit with the WPA Bruins and John Tate has exposed her to high level basketball and coaching which will benefit her as she arrives on campus."
From East Kentwood High School, 6-3 center Madisyn Tillman rounds out the impressive 2021 class. An All-Conference first team honoree in her junior season for the Falcons and head coach Eric Large, Tillman averaged a double-double in 2019-20, scoring 12 points and averaging 10 rebounds per contest. A defensive force in the paint, she also averaged two blocks per game in her junior campaign. She continued her progression as a member of the Michigan Crossover, playing for coach Emez Oliver, in the summer of 2020. Tillman is the seventh-best prospect at her position in the State of Michigan, according to MaxPreps.com.
"Madisyn Tillman is a true power post player that you rarely see in this age of basketball," said Castro. "At 6-3, she has great hands and is light on her feet. The combination of her size, skill, and desire, give her a chance to be a difference maker in the MAC. She immediately gives us a presence in the paint defensively as a shot blocker and rebounder. Coming from a basketball family, she fully understands the work ethic and dedication required of a Division I athlete. Coming from East Kentwood High School and the Michigan Crossover program, I am ecstatic to sign another Michigan talent."
Castro and the current Eastern Michigan squad are back on campus preparing for the 2020-21 season. The team is set to open its 25-game slate on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with a Thanksgiving Eve bout against Southern Illinois. Tipoff time and broadcast information for the game will be announced at a later date. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU women's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at @EMUWBB.
"Although this year's pandemic created some recruiting obstacles, my staff has done a great job of finding a way to identify, evaluate, and recruit four top-notch student-athletes," offered Castro. "These young ladies will fit in perfectly with our culture of family, academics, and basketball. As players on the court, these four certainly fit our mold of athletic, defensive-minded players, which will help us on both ends of the court. Players like these allow us to play fast offensively while constantly putting pressure on defenses. The ceiling for Lachelle, Madisyn, Kyndal, and Peyton is very high, and I'm excited to watch them grow together these next four years."
Hailing from nearby Redford, Mich., Lachelle Austin is set to join the Eagles next summer after what will be three years as a member of the Wayne Memorial High School varsity lineup. Austin is set to join fellow WMHS alum Makailah Griggs-Zeigler (Detroit, Mich.-Wayne Memorial) at Eastern following her prep career. Griggs-Zeigler is a freshman on this year's squad. A two-time captain for the Zebras, Austin has helped lead WMHS to a Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship and first-place district finish in her time with the team. An all-around asset, she has averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, and 3.3 steals per game during her high school career.
"Lachelle is an offensively gifted basketball player that can score at all three levels," said Castro. "She is a natural scorer that we identified early and had the opportunity to watch grow from her freshman year until now. Lachelle can get hot from deep with the ability to make multiple threes in-a-row and carry her team. She has learned to use her shooting threat in order to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Lachelle has great court vision and is a willing passer. She will thrive in our dribble-drive offense because of the spacing and talent around her. Her final two seasons at Wayne Memorial with Jarvis Mitchell will have her well prepared for division 1 basketball in the MAC."
Making the farthest trek from home when she arrives on campus will be Belton, Mo. native Kyndal Lewis. Lewis will, however, be reuniting with her sister, Courtnie Lewis (Belton, Mo.-Belton), who is a fourth-year player at EMU and one of just 23 1,000-point scorers in program history. An impressive player in her own right, Kyndal Lewis is a three-time letterwinner and two-time team captain for Brad Batchelder's Pirates. A First Team All-District and All-Kansas City Metro Conference athlete in 2019-20, Lewis has led Belton High School to consecutive district runner-up finishes. Last season, she averaged 17.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and scored 447 points on the season, better than doubling her sophomore season production.
"We have known Kyndal Lewis for five years with her older sister Courtnie coming to EMU four years ago," noted Castro. "As a freshman, she will come in with the physical attributes of a seasoned Division I athlete. She has strength, power, and explosiveness, which all immediately jumps out at you as you watch her compete. The combination of strength and speed allows her to get to the rim at will, with the ability to finish through contact. Kyndal is also a knock-down shooter from behind the arc, which should be no surprise to anyone that follows our program. Having known the Lewis family for so long, I take great comfort in knowing the cut of cloth she comes from and the dedication she will bring on a daily basis. Gary Brown and the MoKan Eclipse rave about Kyndal's growth these past two years. I'm looking forward to having her on campus."
Making the move from the Steel City, Peyton Pinkney rounds out the out-of-state portion of Eastern's 2021 class. A three-time letterwinner for the Woodland Hills Wolverines, Pinkney has already put together an impressive resume in just three seasons on Von Pitts' team. A captain each of her first three years on the squad, Pinkney has helped lead WHHS to an undefeated season and its first section title in school history, while earning individual all-state accolades twice. Pinkney was named second-team all-state in Class 5A following the 2019-20 season after averaging 13.7 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. She helped Woodland Hills go 20-6 and advance to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League semifinals for the first time since 1997.
"Peyton is a six-foot guard that plays with an edge that I love," emphasized Castro. "Her size and speed allows her to guard any position and disrupt opponents' offensive schemes. Her ability to create offense from her defense and play in the open floor will compliment our overall style of play. Peyton has a good handle for her size and shoots the three when they are available. What is most exciting about Peyton is she has barely scratched the surface of her potential. Although the recruiting process was quick it was clear it was a good fit and there was great chemistry from day one. Peyton's experience on the AAU circuit with the WPA Bruins and John Tate has exposed her to high level basketball and coaching which will benefit her as she arrives on campus."
From East Kentwood High School, 6-3 center Madisyn Tillman rounds out the impressive 2021 class. An All-Conference first team honoree in her junior season for the Falcons and head coach Eric Large, Tillman averaged a double-double in 2019-20, scoring 12 points and averaging 10 rebounds per contest. A defensive force in the paint, she also averaged two blocks per game in her junior campaign. She continued her progression as a member of the Michigan Crossover, playing for coach Emez Oliver, in the summer of 2020. Tillman is the seventh-best prospect at her position in the State of Michigan, according to MaxPreps.com.
"Madisyn Tillman is a true power post player that you rarely see in this age of basketball," said Castro. "At 6-3, she has great hands and is light on her feet. The combination of her size, skill, and desire, give her a chance to be a difference maker in the MAC. She immediately gives us a presence in the paint defensively as a shot blocker and rebounder. Coming from a basketball family, she fully understands the work ethic and dedication required of a Division I athlete. Coming from East Kentwood High School and the Michigan Crossover program, I am ecstatic to sign another Michigan talent."
Castro and the current Eastern Michigan squad are back on campus preparing for the 2020-21 season. The team is set to open its 25-game slate on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with a Thanksgiving Eve bout against Southern Illinois. Tipoff time and broadcast information for the game will be announced at a later date. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU women's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at @EMUWBB.
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