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RECRUITING: Texas A&M felt "like home" for Village School's Jada Malone
HOUSTON - Since the fifth grade, Jada Malone has been accustomed to making the two hour trek up to College Station and settling into a seat inside Reed Arena to take in a Texas A&M women's basketball game.
Here first experience came when her older sister Micarah was going through her recruiting process. At the time, Micarah was being recruiting by Lamar and McNeese State but her father wanted to give her what a big college feel would be like. A few years later, Jada's cousin Courtney Williams suited up for the Aggies for four years.
Malone has always been around the Aggie women's basketball program. Now, she will be a part of it.
"It's felt like home for a long time," Malone told VYPE in a text. "I've been around the program since the fifth grade. I decided I wanted to stay close so I could play in front of family and have the chance to compete for a National Championship."
This past season, Malone helped guide The Village School to the TAPPS 6A Women's Basketball State Championship and was named the VYPE Private School Player of the Year.
Malone is the No.34-ranked player in the 2021 ESPN Hoopgurlz rankings.The Aggies signed three players out of ESPN's Top 100 for the 2020 recruiting class, including Summer Creek's Maliyah Johnson.
.@AggieWBB fans check out the newest commit to the Class of 2021 ... @JadaBball23 of @Villageteams | No. 36 recruit in country for 2021 | #GigEm @KPRC2RandyMc @CoachBrotherton @TimiCriswell11 @DunkingBeauty @emilydogbatse @CoachAJohnson @TexAgs @aggies pic.twitter.com/tXxRFCTHWP
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) April 22, 2020
Texas A&M is led by legendary coach Gary Blair.
Blair has led the Aggies to 14-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including winning the 2011 National Championship, since taking over the program in 2003.
"I've always been impressed with the way Coach Blair interacts with people," Malone said. "It let me know the way he would treat me. He's very personable, knowledgeable and has a lot of insight into everything."
With her junior season behind her and senior season on the horizon, Malone said she has had a lot of time to evaluate all the schools that had offered her, hence why she made her decision now.
As mentioned earlier, next year will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Aggies winning the national title, which is what Malone wants to help bring back to College Station.
"I believe it's very important to bring the national title back home to A&M because it's been too long," Malone said. "The A&M coaches want to experience another national title and so do I."
.@JadaBball23 commitment video announcement. Nice get for the Aggies. @Villageteams @TAPPSbasketball pic.twitter.com/b22qU3tmig
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) April 22, 2020
2020 All-VYPE Private School Girls Basketball
What a year it was for private school girls basketball!
In the end, VYPE's preseason No. 1 team The Village School climbed the mountain and won the TAPPS 6A Girls Basketball State Championship. Other teams that played for titles included the Second Baptist School, which played for the TAPPS 5A title. St. Agnes, Lutheran High North and Legacy Prep also made the Final Four.
In SPC, Houston Christian reached the title game, while Kinkaid and Episcopal made the SPC Semifinals.
Below, VYPE has named the 2020 All-VYPE Private School Girls Basketball Team.
Team of the Year: The Village School
Player of the Year: Jada Malone, The Village School
Coach of the Year: Doug Brotherton, Village School
1st Team
Amani Bartlett, Houston Christian
Rylee Grays, The Village School
Kaitlyn Kollmorgen, Second Baptist School
Nakeeya McCardell, The Kinkaid School
Kiersten Rich, Concordia Lutheran
Maddie Steed, Legacy Prep
2nd Team
Jaelyn Compton, Lutheran High North
Trinity Frias, Fort Bend Christian Academy
Gayle Henderson, Lutheran South Academy
Ajailah Ogiemwonyi, The John Cooper School
Victoria Ryan, Second Baptist School
Ella Smith, St. Agnes Academy
HONORABLE MENTION
Tymberlin Criswell, The Village School
Avery Davis, Legacy Prep
Brenna Fuller, First Baptist Christian Academy
Holland Guisler, Calvary Baptist School
Emily Jasek, The Woodlands Christian Academy
Elizabeth Joslin, Kingwood Covenant Preparatory
Alaina Landry, Lutheran South Academy
Anora Lee, Incarnate Word
Kayla Mackel, Houston Christian
Madeline Mueller, Concordia Lutheran
Kathryn Parker, Frassati Catholic
Emily Scruggs, Frassati Catholic
Madeline Stephens, Lutheran High North
Catherine Van Pelt, Duchesne Academy
Ka'Lyn Watson, Episcopal
Trinity Watts, Episcopal
Leann Wehring, Rosehill Christian
Nyah White, Fort Bend Christian Academy
Mary Wittmer, Legacy Prep