By Andrew Zerman | Staff Writer
The Xavier women’s basketball team has undergone many changes during the offseason. This extends beyond the coaching staff changes and includes the players themselves.
The 2019-20 team welcomes two freshmen: guard Morgan Sharps and forward Courtney Prenger.
Sharps hails from a suburb outside Columbus. One major area of her playstyle revolves around shooting from distance. She holds the Newark High School record with 98 three-pointers made.
In addition, Sharps was the second-leading scorer in school history, having totaled nearly 1,500 points throughout her career. She was also a three-time All-OHSAA selection and a three-time All Ohio Capital Conference Honoree.
She holds the distinction of having been the first commit for new head coach Melanie Moore.
“We are thrilled to have Morgan join our Xavier family,” Moore told goxavier.com. “She is one of the best shooters in Ohio and will bring a highly competitive mentality to our program. We hit a home run with our first signee, and she will have an immediate impact on bringing the winning tradition back to Xavier.”
Sharps had a high school career that had a strong correlation between individual success and team success on the court. Her high school posted a 96-15 overall record during the four years that she was on the team. It also accumulated three conference titles, three district championships and one regional championship within that span.
Prenger had similar individual and team successes during her career, but it was marked by a different style of play. Prenger is a forward from Minster, Ohio, which is about two hours from Cincinnati.
She was a state champion track runner at Minster High School prior to her arrival at Xavier.
Prenger compiled more than 1,200 points in her high school career, which ranks second all-time at her school.
Additionally, she is the all-time leader in rebounds (673) and recorded 231 blocks in her four years. Her accolades are numerous, with four all-conference selections, four All-District 8 selections and the 2019 District 8 Player of the Year award.
Her team also thrived during this period, finishing with a 98-12 record in a four-year span along with two Division IV State Championships.
Her signing took place before the hiring of Moore, under former head coach Brian Neal. Even with the coaching change, Prenger elected to keep her pledge to Xavier.
Sharps and Prenger are both accustomed to successful high school careers. Now, they hope to use their individual talents and represent the promising future for the team in the long run.