MIDWEST RECRUITING: Hartland basketball star Whitney Sollom commits to Michigan
Hartland fans won’t have to go far to watch girls basketball star Whitney Sollom play in college — just jump on US-23 South, and cruise 29 miles down to Crisler Center.
A rising senior for the Eagles, Sollom committed to the University of Michigan over the weekend, announcing her choice with a post on Twitter. She follows in the footsteps of her father, who played football at U-M in the late 1980s, early 1990s.
“I cannot convey this enough to everyone who has helped me throughout the recruiting process. A big thank you to my parents, family, friends, teammates and coaches who have helped me become the person and player I am today,” Sollom tweeted. “I have been very blessed to have been recruited by great schools and coaches! With that being said, I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to the University of Michigan to further my academic and athletic career. GO BLUE.”
Sollom isn’t the only member of her family who was a highly recruited athlete, however.
Her father, Ken, was a much sought-after quarterback from Canyon Country, Calif., who came to Ann Arbor in the same recruiting class as Dean Dingman, Greg Skrepanek and Tripp Welbourne in 1987, and was a backup to Elvis Grbac and others in his four-year career. Her mother, the former Dianne Hall, starred at Walled Lake Western, before going on to Michigan State in the early 1990s.
ESPNW rates Sollom as a four-star recruit, the No. 97 player in the nation and a top-20 forward in the 2020 class.
Sollom missed time at the start of her junior season recovering from offseason knee surgery, but was full strength when the playoffs rolled around, helping lead the Eagles to their third quarterfinal appearance in five seasons. The 6-foot-4 center for the Eagles posted three double-doubles and a triple-double in six playoff games.
Sollom averaged 10.9 points per game and 8.8 rebounds, blocking 67 shots in 20 games, before the Eagles lost to eventual back-to-back state champ Saginaw Heritage.
In other recruiting news:
• The Wolverines loaded up on in-state front court players in the last month, getting a commitment from 6-foot-1 Charlevoix wing/forward Elise Stuck.
• Sollom’s Hartland teammate Gracey Metz, received her first Division 1 offer in early July, from North Dakota.
• Detroit Edison’s Gabby Elliott, the top-ranked player in the 2020 class in Michigan (No. 47 overall by ESPNW and the No. 6 wing), announced her top six teams last week: Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina and Pitt.
• Elliott’s Edison teammate, rising senior Shaulana Wagner, committed to Xavier.
• Aaliyah McQueen of Flint Carman-Ainsworth committed to Illinois, where she’ll join Wayne Memorial’s Jeanae Terry.
• McQueen’s FCA teammate, Chenelle King, announced her commitment to Wayne State.
• Mt. Pleasant’s Mackenzie Egger committed to Yale.
• Michigan Center rising senior Teagan Haynes committed to Aquinas.
• Lake Fenton rising senior Morgan Furey committed to Siena Heights.
• Escanaba’s Nicole Kamin — a two-sport star who helped the Eskymos to a softball repeat in the spring — announced her commitment to play basketball at Grand Valley State.
• Freeland rising senior Kadyn Blanchard announced her commitment to Ferris State.
• East Lansing rising senior Sanaya Gregory announced her commitment to Rochester College.
Offers:
• Birmingham Marian rising sophomore Sarah Sylvester picked up offers from Bradley, Eastern Michigan, Detroit Mercy and Niagara.
• Ypsilanti Arbor Prep rising sophomore Mya Petticord picked up offers from Vanderbilt, Wichita State and Xavier.
• Adrian Lenawee Christian rising junior Bree Salenbien picked up offers from Xavier, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Cal State Fullerton, Kentucky, Maryland, Duke and Florida.
• Kent City rising junior Kenzie Bowers picked offers from Kent State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Toledo and Bradley
• Edison rising sophomore Madisen Wardell was offered by Michigan State.
Edison’s rising senior, Daija Tyson, was offered by Bradley.
• Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central rising sophomore Theryn Hallock was offered by the University of Detroit Mercy, Oakland and Miami (Ohio) University.
• East Grand Rapids rising junior Jillian Brown was offered by St. Bonaventure and Providence.
• Auburn Hills Avondale’s Raigan Lawrence was offered by University of Detroit Mercy.
• Detroit Renaissance rising junior Nika Dorsey was offered by Bradley.
• Williamston rising senior Evey Peplowski picked up an offer from University of Denver.
• East Kentwood rising junior Kaybriana Hallaman picked up an offer from Long Island University.
• Wayne Memorial rising junior Alana Micheaux picked up an offer from Syracuse.
Transfers:
• Former Wayne Memorial Miss Basketball candidate Camree Clegg is transferring from Clemson to St. John’s University.
• Former Detroit Country Day star Maxine Moore is transferring from Western Michigan to University of Detroit Mercy.
