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Two 2022 four-star prospects list Kentucky WBB among finalists

By Zack Geoghegan | January 8, 2021 | 9:00pm |

Despite falling to Texas A&M on Thursday, 2021 has been off to a great start for Kentucky Women’s Basketball.

To begin the new year, the Wildcats program found themselves as finalists for two different 2022 four-star high school recruits: Acacia Hayes and Sa’Myah Smith. 

Hayes, rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, is a 5-foot-7 point guard from Murfreesboro, TN who announced on Jan. 1 that Kentucky was one of her eight finalists. Smith, also rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, is a 6-foot-4 forward out of DeSoto, TX who put Kentucky in her top five back on Jan. 4.

Here’s what you need to know about the two potential future Wildcats, starting with Hayes.

Hayes is also considering another top-tier SEC program in the Mississippi State Bulldogs, along with Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina, LSU, Georgia Tech, and Iowa. She’s ranked as the 13th best point guard in her class and is the youngest of four siblings who all play Divison I hoops. Hayes’ sisters, Anastasia and Aislynn, both play at Middle Tennessee State and Anastasia is currently the Division I leader in points per game at 28.6 per outing. The middle sister, Alasia, is a first-year player at Notre Dame and has played in eight games this season.

But as you might notice, neither MTSU nor Notre Dame are among her top eight schools. Hayes told Cecil Joyce of the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal that she wants to “get away and do my own thing. I’m very independent. Things turn out different sometimes.”

Hayes explained in the same article that she won’t narrow her list down to five until she has the opportunity to make on-campus visits, something that hasn’t been possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s still receiving interest from powerhouse programs such as Oregon and Baylor, too.

As for Smith, ESPN has her tabbed as the No. 44 player in the class of 2022 and the 10th best at her position. Along with Kentucky, she has Tennessee, Baylor, Arizona, and Texas Tech as her finalists.

She initially tore her ACL last December, but is finally healthy and ready to suit up for her high school junior year. Smith is a massive key to DeSoto High School’s success as the top-overall team in Texas a season ago and has been ever since she began her high school career as a freshman.

Smith is high school teammates with a familiar face, Tionna Herron, who recently announced her commitment to Kentucky last month. Herron is also 6-foot-4 and is ranked by ESPN as the No. 57 player in the class of 2022. One has to think that connection will play some sort of role in Smith’s decision. Kentucky has also extended an offer to another DeSoto star, four-star prospect Amina Muhammad, a 6-foot-3 forward who ESPN has ranked as the No. 49 player in 2022.

Despite falling to Texas A&M on Thursday, 2021 has been off to a great start for Kentucky Women’s Basketball.

 

As the coaching staff says: “Kentucky is the move.”

Article written by Zack Geoghegan

Covering all things NBA and UK Hoops. Follow me on Twitter: @ZGeogheganKSR

2 Comments for Two 2022 four-star prospects list Kentucky WBB among finalists



  1. stx1968
    9:07 pm January 8, 2021 Permalink

    4 star prospects really aren’t going to help them make the jump they need to make to be nationally relevant.



  2. neat1ky
    11:32 pm January 8, 2021 Permalink

    Size is what is hurting jump to next level. Check out the top teams and they have size like Conn and SC and mixing 4 with 5 is a better mix