By ROBERT CESSNAHouston Galena Park North Shore's Courtney Williams would love to have Charles Barkley's job. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair is just hopeful Williams has a Barkley-like college career after the 6-foot-1 guard pledged to the Aggies on Monday.
Williams, who will be a junior this fall, returned from A&M's Elite Camp on Sunday and called A&M assistant coach Johnnie Harris on Monday to commit.
"It's close to home and I like the coaching staff and the academics," Williams said. "I also like the players' personalities."
Williams has been a two-year starter at North Shore. She was District 21-5A's newcomer of the year as a freshman and earned all-district honors as a sophomore, helping the 28-6 Mustangs reach the regional quarterfinals.
She was the lone sophomore on the Houston Chronicle's five-player All-Greater Houston team. She is ranked 20th in the country in the Class of 2012 by ESPN/HoopGurlz.com.
"I think she has all the necessary tools to be really great," North Shore head coach Allison Campbell said. "I also think her potential hasn't even been touched in her first two years with me, like it will be. She has the perfect body -- she has long arms, and she's a long kid. She is a great ballhandler. Offensively, she has a complete game from the 3-point ball all the way to the rim."
Williams averaged 14-15 points and nine rebounds per game last season. She wants to improve her defensive game to prepare for college, and hopefully to play for her country.
Williams tried out for the United States' Women's Under 16 Team last summer but missed the cut. Campbell said Williams does play good defense when she uses her length.
"She is phenomenal when she does use her body," Campbell said. "I think it will come. She just needs to learn how to use her arms."
Williams has played AAU basketball for Houston Elite along with A&M incoming freshman Karla Gilbert, 2011 commitment Rachel Mitchell of Humble Atascocita and South Carolina transfer Kelsey Bone, who starred at Sugar Land Dulles.
Blair, per NCAA rules, can't comment on commitments.
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NOTES -- Baylor, Stanford, Tennessee and Texas were others recruiting Williams, who wants to major in communications. ... Williams thinks Barkley is funny, but besides being a commentator, she's also looking at becoming a college coach. ... Williams is A&M's first commitment for 2012, which will be a class of four or five players. ... Williams said she's created a strong relationship with Harris, who she considers "like my other mom." ... Williams and North Shore played Bone during Bone's senior season at Dulles. "I really wanted to win that game," Williams said. ... Campbell is an Aggie, Class of 1992. ... A&M's Class of 2011 includes Bone, Mitchell and Colleyville Heritage's Alexia Standish.
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