State Fair Community College Lady Roadrunners Head Basketball Coach Kevin Bucher has announced the final four student-athletes to his 2019-2020 recruiting class. Connor Watkins, Aleah Bell, Chaunta Thomas, and Laterrani Thomas have all signed National Letters of Intent.
Connor Watkins is a 6'0'' guard transfer from Mineral Area College. She played basketball at Charleston High School for Head Coach Dollette Jones. Watkins earned all-conference and all-district honors in basketball four times. As a senior, she averaged 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots per game. Watkins also earned all-state honors in track and field three times.
"Connor is a strong, athletic guard who can hit the three-point shot," said Bucher. "She has been working very hard this summer."
Watkins was valedictorian of her high school class. She also earned High Honor Roll recognition and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Aleah Bell is a 5'5'' guard from Coral Springs, Florida. She played basketball at Coral Springs High School for Head Coach Brenton Hankerson. As a senior, Bell averaged 14 points, six assists, and five steals per game.
"Aleah was one of the top-rated high school point guards out of Florida this year," said Bucher. "She can handle the basketball, as well as pass and shoot. I think she started all four years in high school. She knows how to run a team. She is a good defender and highly regarded."
Chaunta Thomas is a 5'7'' guard from Missouri City, Texas. She played basketball at Stafford High School for Head Coach Mark Spivey.
Thomas averaged 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, five steals, and 2.3 assists per game as a senior. She was named the District Most Valuable Player and the Offensive Most Valuable Player for her team. Thomas also earned Honor Roll recognition throughout high school.
"Chaunta is a very solid and athletic player," said Bucher. "She also competed in the Texas state track meet in six different events and is a member of the 2,000 Point Club at her high school. She played a similar style of basketball to what we play here, very up-tempo style. She is going to be fun to watch."
Laterrani Thomas is a 6'1'' power forward from Dallas, Texas. She played basketball at The Colony High School for Head Coach Colby Pastusek. During her senior year, she averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds.
"Laterrani played on the same AAU team with the daughter of one of my fraternity buddies," said Bucher. "She played for Texas Elite-Ultra Boost, which is one of the best programs in Dallas. Laterrani was one of the top-rated post players in Texas and highly recruited. I can't wait to have her on campus."
Coach Bucher is very happy with the recruiting class that he and Assistant Coach Jade Perry have put together for SFCC.
"We have players with speed and good shooting skills this year," said Bucher. "I like the post players we have recruited in to our program. Several members of this recruiting class have scored over 2,000 points in their high school careers. We also have point guards who have experienced success at high levels. We are excited, and they are working very hard this summer."
David Rohrbach
SFCC Athletics