WS Chronicle

Making the transition from high school to college can be an intimidating endeavor. Lady Eagle basketball players Jaydn Hoover, Destiny Long and Monay Galloway all recently signed their letter of intent to play basketball at Bluefield State College in West Virginia, making their transition to the next level a little easier.

All three ladies were standout players for the Eagles for several years and were major contributors to their Central Piedmont 4-A conference tournament championship run. They ended their high school careers with a stellar 13-2 record and made it to the second round of the playoffs.

Bluefield College is a Historically Black College and University (HPCU) and with less than 1,500 students, it’s the perfect environment for Hoover, she said.  

“I am very reserved and I don’t do well with big crowds and a whole lot of people, so Bluefield is pretty small and I like that about them,” said Hoover. “They also have a pharmacy program, which is what I want to use in my major, which is biology and they gave me a pretty good scholarship.”

Hoover did not garner the attention from colleges she was hoping for during her junior season and she became somewhat discouraged. Once Bluefield began recruiting her, she and her family were “at a loss for words.”

Destiny Long said she was attracted to Bluefield because it felt like home for her. As a Kernersville native, the small town feel of the school was important to her. Having two of her high school teammates with her will make her less anxious, she said.

“I wasn’t as nervous going into it, because I will have people I know there with me,” said Long.  

Long, Hoover and Galloway all played on the Lady Eagles’ varsity team as freshmen. Long stated she knew way back then that she would one day earn a scholarship to play on the next level as long as she put in the necessary work.

“We were freshmen on varsity and it was tough because we didn’t have any leaders or anything like that, so we had to do our own thing and it really helped me get to where I am today,” Long said.

For Galloway, her connection with head coach Ryan Bailey played a pivotal role in her signing with Bluefield State. She felt he was sincere in his wanting to make her an important part of the program.

“The coach from the very start was a nice man and seemed very family oriented,” Galloway said about Bailey. “He seemed like he builds his foundation on family and me being from Winston going to West Virginia, I definitely wanted to feel like I am home when I am not at home. I just feel like going there, it would be a family-like atmosphere, which is something I’m used to. And then I also have my teammates Jadyn and Destiny coming with me.”

Being away from home for the first time can be tough for a lot of incoming freshmen. Hoover says because the three of them have been playing together since middle school, it will make the move to college a lot easier.

“We have chemistry on the court from like eighth grade and we have our own roles and we connect with each other,” she said.  

Long expects to continue progressing her game at the next level. Her expectations her first year are to just be herself and do the best job possible on and off the court.

“I plan on going to college and becoming a better player than I already am and working on things I need to work on,” she said.  

All three ladies credit head coach Aaron Grier and his staff for helping with the progression in their games. They stated the staff took a vested interest in making all the ladies on the team better each practice.

“Coach G and coach Davis definitely helped grow my game a lot,” said Galloway. “Coach Davis was really the guy who got me out there and networking with a lot of the coaches. Coach G was always making us work, but he made me a stronger individual as a point guard, and he taught me to have thicker skin and the work ethic that I need.”

Long added, “Coach G has pushed me to be the best player I can be, and he has always been there to make sure I am doing what I am supposed to do, and the same with coach Davis.”

Hoover said, “They have been wonderful and they have pushed me to my limits that I didn’t think I could reach. They have put me out there to be exposed to other colleges and they are great coaches all around, on and off the court.”