CJ senior commits to Vanderbilt

Raytea Long known for being a physical player in the paint.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Wayne boys win team track title
5/25/12
Bellbrook tennis duo advances to semifinals
5/25/12
Jefferson grad takes lessons from Miami Heat cousin
5/25/12
T-Bolts excited for state debut
5/25/12
> More high school headlines

By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer 1:58 AM Wednesday, October 12, 2011

DAYTON — Raytea Long doesn’t mind being an inside force for the Chaminade Julienne High School girls basketball team. That part of her game comes naturally.

“My strength would be, literally, my strength,” said Long, who verbally committed Tuesday to play at Vanderbilt University.

“I use my body well. That’s the biggest thing, making an inside presence in the paint. Just being strong and holding ground. That’s what I do best.”

The 6-foot senior power forward is the first of what could be several Division I recruits in CJ’s lineup. The Eagles return four starters from last season’s 17-8 team that lost to Carroll in a Division II regional final.

A three-year starter, Long averaged a team-high 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Besides a physical presence, she also is capable of driving off the dribble and is surprisingly nimble with her footwork. That kind of versatility was enticing to college recruiters.

“She has tremendous footwork inside and can be a really strong inside presence at the high school level,” said first-year CJ coach Mandy Myers.

“At the college level, she’s going to be an undersized post player, but her footwork and her ability to handle the basketball just makes her such a versatile player.”

Long excelled in AAU basketball the past four years. She most recently was a standout for the Ohio Glory from Columbus.

She hopes to pursue chemical engineering, medical school or forensics at Vanderbilt.

“I’m interested in the whole ‘CSI’ stuff,” she said.

She chose Vanderbilt over Akron, Houston, St. Francis (Ill.) and Hampton (Va.).

The Commodores were 20-12 last season, losing to Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals and Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@ DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article