By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editorr
They have been a big key to each other's success on the court. With that in mind, it was appropriate T.R. Miller girls basketball standouts Joy McCorvey and Jasmine Sanford chose Thursday to simultaneously sign with Division I programs.
McCorvey, a 6-0 senior center, will be taking her skills to New York City and St. John's University. Sanford, a 5-9 senior guard, has chosen Alabama State for her next stop.
Both players decided to go ahead and make their decisions official curing college basketball's early signing period.
McCorvey, who currently is T.R. Miller's fourth all-time career scoring leader with 1,605 points, was a Class 3A All-State First Team choice last year when she averaged 18.3 points and 12 rebounds a game.
McCorvey said getting a chance to compete in one of the nation's most prolific women's basketball conferences, the Big East Conference, was one she could not pass up.
In addition to a huge step up in competition, McCorvey admits she is also in for a huge culture and climate shock.
McCorvey anticipates being moved from the center spot to probably a small forward position in college.
McCorvey has won state championships in various sprinting events in track while at T.R. Miller. She also became a key hitting force in her first and only volleyball season this fall with the Lady Tigers.
While Sanford has not received quite the accolades McCorvey has, she has developed into a key cog in the T.R. Miller lineup. Last season she averaged 13.8 points a game and scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games. Sanford enters this season with 814 career points and should easily join the 1,000 points club.
Sanford has moved around the T.R. Miller lineup. Last season she played a small forward role. This year she has been switched to point guard. Sanford anticipates probably moving to a shooting guard role next year.
Sanford has connections to Alabama State. Her uncle is the school president, but that is not the main reason why she chose that school.
Like McCorvey, Sanford has enjoyed success in track at T.R. Miller. In fact, she set the Class 3A record in the triple jump in both her freshmen and sophomore years (since broken last year). Unlike McCorvey, Sanford thinks she may also give track a try at Alabama State.