Christal Porter signs with Rice University

article from CommercialAppeal.com

A stellar highlight video -- and an academic record to match -- helped Germantown girls basketball standout Christal Porter land a scholarship with Rice University in Houston.

Porter, a 6-1 post player, signed with the Owls on the first day of the late signing period last Wednesday. And while most of the big names in all sports tend to sign early, the late period is perfect for ferreting out hidden gems. Porter fits the bill, said coach Kristen Reich, who added her star is only just now scratching the surface.

"I think she's going to do really well," Reich said.

"Her senior season was her best season, and she's worked so hard to improve. Especially for post players, it takes them longer to develop. She's only going to get better."

Porter was a versatile presence for Germantown, which finished the season with a 18-12 mark. She led her team in rebounding (10.9 per game) and steals, while finishing second in points (9.1) and assists.

That versatility was on display on the highlight video that Porter sent out to various schools. Rice was intrigued, and Porter's 3.7 grade point average and score of 27 on the ACT helped seal the deal. She signed after visiting the campus last weekend.

"They needed a post player, but they had almost given up because it was so late (in the recruiting process)," Reich said. "Their coach (Greg Williams) said it's hard sometimes for them to recruit to their academic standards."

While Rice will benefit from signing Porter, Reich said it's big accomplishment for her program as well.

"It's huge," she said. "It just shows how much our program has grown, especially in such a competitive district."