Starter on 3 state champion teams signs with Nuggets
April 16, 2008

NEW ORLEANS — Jasmine Grant of Shreveport, La., has signed a scholarship to play women's basketball for Xavier University of Louisiana.

She is the fifth to sign with the Gold Nuggets for the 2008-09 academic year and the first of the spring signing period.

Grant, a 5-foot-8 guard, averaged 13.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 3-pointers, three assists and 2.7 steals a game for Shreveport's Southwood High School during the 2007-08 regular season and led the Lady Cowboys to their school-record 10th state championship. The four-year starter was a second-team Class 5A All-State selection this year and played for three state champions. Grant made two free throws with 18 seconds remaining for the final points in Southwood's 43-40 victory over Chapelle in the 5A state championship game Feb. 29.

"Jasmine always seemed to come up with big defensive plays," Southwood coach Steve McDowell said. "She's a straight-A student and a great kid. She picks up things quickly and retains it. She was like an assistant coach on the floor because she knew what's going on offensively and defensively all the time."

During the fall Xavier signed forward Hillary Dedeaux of Pass Christian, Miss., guard SiMon "Monee" Franklin of Baton Rouge, La., guard/forward Jazmone Kelly of Cincinnati and guard Brandi Young of Memphis, Tenn. Franklin earned honorable mention on the 5A All-State team, and Dedeaux made the Biloxi Sun Herald newspapers's All-South Mississippi team.

Xavier coach Bo Browder said he will announce probably three more signings during the spring. The Gold Nuggets had seven seniors on their 2007-08 roster.

Xavier, an NAIA Division I school, was 27-7 this past season and won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the national tournament for a school-record seventh consecutive time.