Northwestern University Athletics
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McKeown Announces Five 'Cats in Class of 2025
11/11/2020 2:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Head Coach Joe McKeown announced the signing of five new Wildcats of the class of 2025 on Wednesday as part of National Signing Day.
The new 'Cats include guards Hailey Weaver, Jillian Brown and Mel Daley, post Caileigh Walsh and forward Mercy Ademusayo. The class was ranked No. 10 in the country in ESPN's latest rankings, the second highest ranking in the Big Ten. From ESPN:
"This could be coach Joe McKeown's deepest class ever. Weaver and No. 50 Jillian Brown are two quality perimeter players whose skill sets complement each other. No. 56 Caileigh Walsh is a stretch 4 player who is learning the value of physicality in the paint. The Wildcats have two four-star prospects: Anu Ademusayo, who has elite height and length, and Melannie Daley, an under-the-radar prospect who has serious game as a three-level scorer."
"First, appreciate all the support that went into this class, and the hard work of our coaching staff and recruiting coordinator, Kate Popovec," said McKeown. "With great work ethic from Tangela Smith and Preston Reid, this class will go down as one of the best in the country and we feel will help us compete at a Big Ten Championship and national level. All five student-athletes are unique, but are unselfish and really embrace the student-athlete concept at Northwestern."
Bios and information on each of the signees can be found below, as well as quotes from McKeown.
Hailey Weaver
5-11 * Guard
Solon, Ohio/Solon High School
McKeown on Weaver: "Hailey is one of the most explosive players in the country. She's also an outstanding student-athlete, and will be a great addition to Northwestern. We are really excited she chose us, as she was one of the most highly recruited players in the Midwest and had many choices. She is unselfish, can play in any system, especially in transition. I love her attitude, energy, and her family. She brings all the values that we look for in our program. Will be a great addition for the Wildcats."
High School: Named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith National High School Girls Trophy Watch List ... Ranked the No. 16 recruit at her position and No. 35 recruit overall by ESPN… Played for eight years with the SMAC Lady Ballers club team… 2018 Sixth Man of the Year… First Team All Conference, Northeastern Ohio All District First Team and team MVP in 2019 and 2020… Run for the Roses championship winners in 2018 (15U) and 2020 (17U)...
Personal: Born Hailey Elizabeth Weaver… Parents Kevin and Stephanie Weaver… Honor roll in 2019 and 2020… Also ran varsity track… Chose Northwestern over Michigan, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Kentucky and University of Miami… Anticipated major is undecided
Jillian Brown
5-10 * Guard
Grand Rapids, Michigan/East Grand Rapids High School
McKeown on Brown: "We are really excited that Jillian Brown has become a member of the Northwestern family. She is one of the most versatile players in her class, and can play almost any position on the court. She brings a winning attitude, as well as an exceptional commitment to the classroom. Her ability to run a team, as well as her unlimited range, makes her such a valuable player. She comes from a great family, and will be a great fit for Northwestern."
High School: Named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith National High School Girls Trophy Watch List ... Ranked the No. 44 overall recruit in her class by Prospects Nation, No. 50 by ESPN … Averaged 22.4 points, 8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3 steals per game during her junior season, while shooting 35% from three … Prep Girls Hoops Player of the Year … MLive Player of the Year … State Champs Net Player of the Year … All-State and All-Conference First Teams … Over 1,000 career points … Helped team to 63-6 overall record during her three-seasons … Junior season cut short and senior season canceled due to COVID-19 … Played on club team Michigan Basketball Academy.
Personal: Born Jillian Noelle Brown … Daughter of Noelle and Spencer Brown … Academic All-State … Honor Roll … Older sister Olivia plays basketball at St. Bonaventure … Chose Northwestern over Michigan, Penn State and Rutgers … Anticipated major is psychology.
Mel Daley
5-11 * Guard
Hastings, New York/Hastings High School
McKeown on Daley: "We were so excited when she decided to come to Northwestern, because we feel her quickness, speed, and basketball IQ would make us, or anybody, instantly better. She will be fun to watch for our fans, and hard to guard for our opponents. Incredible speed and quickness, and plays with a flare and a chip on her shoulder. Was so impressed with her family and their commitment to the student-athlete concept. It embodies everything that we do at Northwestern both on and off the court."
High School: Averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game in her junior season while recording 85 steals… Undefeated league champions for the 2019-2020 season… Earned All-League honors from 2016-2020, All-Conference honors from 2017-2020 and All-Section honors from 2018-2020… Also earned league MVP in 2020… Played eight years with the Empire State AAU team, earning various All-Tournament team accolades.
Personal: Born Melannie Daley… Daughter of Sonia and Kirk Daley… Father played soccer and basketball at Alfred University… Chose Northwestern over Kansas State, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Butler, Boston College, Temple, Providence, East Carolina, George Washington and Boston University… Anticipated major is biomedical engineering
Caileigh Walsh
6-3 * Forward
Sparta, New Jersey/Gill St. Bernards
McKeown on Walsh: "Caileigh is one of the top players in the country and in her class. Her size and her ability to shoot the ball from anywhere make her a difficult matchup. Her toughness and basketball IQ separated her in the class of 2021. I feel like she brings an ability to play both inside and out, and comes from a wonderful family that embraces the student-athlete concept that is the focal point of Northwestern Women's Basketball."
High School: Ranked the No. 4 recruit at her position by ESPN … Averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks per game her junior year … All-Conference and All-Area First Teams … All-State Second Team … Jersey Sports Zone Top-50 players … Team captain … Senior season canceled due to COVID-19 … Played seven years on club team Exodus NYC.
Personal: Born Caileigh Ann Walsh … Parents Laurie and Tim Walsh … High Honor Roll … Chose Northwestern over offers from UCLA and Vanderbilt among others … Anticipated major is political science.
Mercy Ademusayo
6-4 * Forward
Ode Irele, Nigeria/Linden Hall School for Girls
McKeown on Ademusayo: "Mercy brings and instant presence to our program and has incredible potential as a student-athlete. From a basketball perspective, we're excited about her ability to block shots, run the floor, and finish at the other end. She has incredible work ethic and wants to be a great player. Her size will help us in the Big Ten and nationally, and will bring a defensive presence to the floor that we feel will be a great asset. Her journey to Northwestern from Nigeria is an amazing story."
High School: Averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game in her junior season… Earned all-state second team honors in 2020… District champions in 2019 and 2020… Made it to the Final Eight in the 2020 State Championship before cancellations due to COVID-19.
Personal: Born Anu Mercy Ademusayo… Daughter of Julius and Rita Ademusayo… Honor roll student for five quarters… Anticipated major at Northwestern is Psychology.
The new 'Cats include guards Hailey Weaver, Jillian Brown and Mel Daley, post Caileigh Walsh and forward Mercy Ademusayo. The class was ranked No. 10 in the country in ESPN's latest rankings, the second highest ranking in the Big Ten. From ESPN:
"This could be coach Joe McKeown's deepest class ever. Weaver and No. 50 Jillian Brown are two quality perimeter players whose skill sets complement each other. No. 56 Caileigh Walsh is a stretch 4 player who is learning the value of physicality in the paint. The Wildcats have two four-star prospects: Anu Ademusayo, who has elite height and length, and Melannie Daley, an under-the-radar prospect who has serious game as a three-level scorer."
"First, appreciate all the support that went into this class, and the hard work of our coaching staff and recruiting coordinator, Kate Popovec," said McKeown. "With great work ethic from Tangela Smith and Preston Reid, this class will go down as one of the best in the country and we feel will help us compete at a Big Ten Championship and national level. All five student-athletes are unique, but are unselfish and really embrace the student-athlete concept at Northwestern."
Bios and information on each of the signees can be found below, as well as quotes from McKeown.
Hailey Weaver
5-11 * Guard
Solon, Ohio/Solon High School
McKeown on Weaver: "Hailey is one of the most explosive players in the country. She's also an outstanding student-athlete, and will be a great addition to Northwestern. We are really excited she chose us, as she was one of the most highly recruited players in the Midwest and had many choices. She is unselfish, can play in any system, especially in transition. I love her attitude, energy, and her family. She brings all the values that we look for in our program. Will be a great addition for the Wildcats."
High School: Named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith National High School Girls Trophy Watch List ... Ranked the No. 16 recruit at her position and No. 35 recruit overall by ESPN… Played for eight years with the SMAC Lady Ballers club team… 2018 Sixth Man of the Year… First Team All Conference, Northeastern Ohio All District First Team and team MVP in 2019 and 2020… Run for the Roses championship winners in 2018 (15U) and 2020 (17U)...
Personal: Born Hailey Elizabeth Weaver… Parents Kevin and Stephanie Weaver… Honor roll in 2019 and 2020… Also ran varsity track… Chose Northwestern over Michigan, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Kentucky and University of Miami… Anticipated major is undecided
Jillian Brown
5-10 * Guard
Grand Rapids, Michigan/East Grand Rapids High School
McKeown on Brown: "We are really excited that Jillian Brown has become a member of the Northwestern family. She is one of the most versatile players in her class, and can play almost any position on the court. She brings a winning attitude, as well as an exceptional commitment to the classroom. Her ability to run a team, as well as her unlimited range, makes her such a valuable player. She comes from a great family, and will be a great fit for Northwestern."
High School: Named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith National High School Girls Trophy Watch List ... Ranked the No. 44 overall recruit in her class by Prospects Nation, No. 50 by ESPN … Averaged 22.4 points, 8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3 steals per game during her junior season, while shooting 35% from three … Prep Girls Hoops Player of the Year … MLive Player of the Year … State Champs Net Player of the Year … All-State and All-Conference First Teams … Over 1,000 career points … Helped team to 63-6 overall record during her three-seasons … Junior season cut short and senior season canceled due to COVID-19 … Played on club team Michigan Basketball Academy.
Personal: Born Jillian Noelle Brown … Daughter of Noelle and Spencer Brown … Academic All-State … Honor Roll … Older sister Olivia plays basketball at St. Bonaventure … Chose Northwestern over Michigan, Penn State and Rutgers … Anticipated major is psychology.
Mel Daley
5-11 * Guard
Hastings, New York/Hastings High School
McKeown on Daley: "We were so excited when she decided to come to Northwestern, because we feel her quickness, speed, and basketball IQ would make us, or anybody, instantly better. She will be fun to watch for our fans, and hard to guard for our opponents. Incredible speed and quickness, and plays with a flare and a chip on her shoulder. Was so impressed with her family and their commitment to the student-athlete concept. It embodies everything that we do at Northwestern both on and off the court."
High School: Averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game in her junior season while recording 85 steals… Undefeated league champions for the 2019-2020 season… Earned All-League honors from 2016-2020, All-Conference honors from 2017-2020 and All-Section honors from 2018-2020… Also earned league MVP in 2020… Played eight years with the Empire State AAU team, earning various All-Tournament team accolades.
Personal: Born Melannie Daley… Daughter of Sonia and Kirk Daley… Father played soccer and basketball at Alfred University… Chose Northwestern over Kansas State, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Butler, Boston College, Temple, Providence, East Carolina, George Washington and Boston University… Anticipated major is biomedical engineering
Caileigh Walsh
6-3 * Forward
Sparta, New Jersey/Gill St. Bernards
McKeown on Walsh: "Caileigh is one of the top players in the country and in her class. Her size and her ability to shoot the ball from anywhere make her a difficult matchup. Her toughness and basketball IQ separated her in the class of 2021. I feel like she brings an ability to play both inside and out, and comes from a wonderful family that embraces the student-athlete concept that is the focal point of Northwestern Women's Basketball."
High School: Ranked the No. 4 recruit at her position by ESPN … Averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks per game her junior year … All-Conference and All-Area First Teams … All-State Second Team … Jersey Sports Zone Top-50 players … Team captain … Senior season canceled due to COVID-19 … Played seven years on club team Exodus NYC.
Personal: Born Caileigh Ann Walsh … Parents Laurie and Tim Walsh … High Honor Roll … Chose Northwestern over offers from UCLA and Vanderbilt among others … Anticipated major is political science.
Mercy Ademusayo
6-4 * Forward
Ode Irele, Nigeria/Linden Hall School for Girls
McKeown on Ademusayo: "Mercy brings and instant presence to our program and has incredible potential as a student-athlete. From a basketball perspective, we're excited about her ability to block shots, run the floor, and finish at the other end. She has incredible work ethic and wants to be a great player. Her size will help us in the Big Ten and nationally, and will bring a defensive presence to the floor that we feel will be a great asset. Her journey to Northwestern from Nigeria is an amazing story."
High School: Averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game in her junior season… Earned all-state second team honors in 2020… District champions in 2019 and 2020… Made it to the Final Eight in the 2020 State Championship before cancellations due to COVID-19.
Personal: Born Anu Mercy Ademusayo… Daughter of Julius and Rita Ademusayo… Honor roll student for five quarters… Anticipated major at Northwestern is Psychology.
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