La Jolla鈥檚 Paopao reminds Oregon head coach of Sabrina Ionescu
LA JOLLA, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� The top-ranked Oregon women鈥檚 basketball team had its remarkable 2019-20 season and 19-game winning streak ended short due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The premature conclusion meant the Ducks had to say goodbye to two of the nation鈥檚 top 10 players.
Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard, both seniors, earned Associated Press first-team All-America honors as the duo combined for 34.8 points per game in their final season in the green and yellow.
The loss of two of the program鈥檚 all-time greats won鈥檛 be easy to overcome, but Oregon is as well-positioned as any team to return to college basketball鈥檚 mountaintop.
Although the Ducks will look much different in the 2020-21 season, they鈥檒l replenish with ESPN鈥檚 No. 1 recruiting class. Sydney Parrish (ESPN No. 10), Kylee Watson (ESPN No. 15), Maddie Scherr (ESPN No. 19) and Angela Dugalic (ESPN No. 24) will join Oregon in the fall, but it鈥檚 a guard from La Jolla Country Day School who has head coach Kelly Graves drawing comparisons to Ionescu.
Te-Hina Paopao rounds out the Ducks鈥� top-ranked 2020 recruiting class and is the first Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from La Jolla. The 5-foot-10 senior follows in the footsteps of former California award winners like Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi.
Ranked No. 33 nationally by ESPN, Paopao averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.1 steals during her senior campaign in which she led the Torreys to a 30-1 record. The Coastal League Player of the Year, Paopao was also the MVP of the Nike Tournament of Champions and a finalist for the Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year award. If that鈥檚 not enough, the future Duck was chosen to play in both the McDonald鈥檚 All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Oregon Commit Te-Hina Paopao Highlights From The UAA Finals! @GirlsUAA
Full Video Link:
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms)
鈥淭e-Hina鈥檚 skillset is incredible,鈥� Graves said when the Ducks announced their 2020 signing class. 鈥淪he reminds me of Sabrina (Ionescu) in her ability to affect the game in so many ways.鈥�
Just like Ionescu, Paopao is not just a scorer or facilitator but a jack-of-all-trades and well-versed in every skill that makes a hooper standout. Paopao鈥檚 10 double-doubles during her senior season is evidence of that and her 19-10-10 triple-double she tallied in February paints a clear picture of her versatility.
The La Jolla star has not only warranted elite comparisons from Oregon鈥檚 leader, but praise from the head coach of an opponent.
鈥淭e-Hina is just something special,鈥� said Jackie Turpin, head coach at Cathedral Catholic High who Paopao scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against in February. 鈥淪he has a great stroke from mid-range and from deep, she鈥檚 very crafty getting to the rim and she makes everyone around her better. Her form after two ACL injuries is amazing; it鈥檚 like they never happened.鈥�
As Oregon looks to return to the Final Four like they did in 2019 and compete for a national championship, they鈥檒l do so with the nation鈥檚 top-ranked recruiting class, the program鈥檚 first-ever. The Ducks鈥� five players in the ESPN top 35 are the most in the country, with no other team signing more than three.
Even though Paopao will be surrounded by plenty of high-level talent, it鈥檒l come as a surprise to no one if the La Jolla graduate becomes the next face of the program, not even her future head coach.
鈥淪he is a strong rebounder, an uncanny passer and an elite three-point shooter,鈥� Graves said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 an unselfish teammate, a hard worker who always plays the game with a huge smile and a baller to the max with a really high basketball IQ.鈥�
