UM women sign top 15 recruiting class, highest rated in Katie Meier’s 17-year tenure
It has been quite a week for Katie Meier. On Tuesday the University of Miami women’s basketball coach broke the record for all-time wins at the school (men and women) and on Wednesday she signed the highest-ranked recruiting class of her 17-year tenure with the Hurricanes.
Kyla Oldacre, a 6-6 five-star center from Cincinnati, Ohio, and 6-4 Lazaria “Zee” Spearman of Dacula, Georgia, signed with UM. The class was ranked seventh in the nation by JR All-Star Basketball and 12th by ASGR Basketball.
Both players rank in the top 30 among the nation’s best players and were named to the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy Underclassmen Girls Watch List.
“This is a huge day for Miami women’s basketball,” Meier said. “My staff worked their tails off to sign our top two targets and we got them both. The size, athleticism and presence of the Kyla and Zee combo will secure Miami’s spot as one of the nation’s top programs.”
Oldacre is rated the No. 7 prospect in the nation by ProspectsNation.com and No. 25 according to espnW HoopGurlz. Meier said she was impressed with Oldacre’s basketball IQ.
“Every game we watched, she made the right basketball play,” Meier said. “She beat people with the pass, she beat people with her scoring in the paint, she beat people with the 3-pointer. She just won a lot of games doing the right thing with the basketball.
Oldacre averaged 14.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks as a junior at William Mason High School and impressed at the Nike Nationals with four double-digit games. She chose Miami over Florida State, NC State and Tennessee.
Spearman is the No. 26 recruit in the country, according to ASGR Basketball, and ranked 30th by espnW HoopGurlz.
“We’ve known Zee for a long time and it’s a very good thing we did because she was the talk of the summer circuit,” Meier said. “Everybody in America wanted her and it’s because, the minute you see her on the basketball court, you can’t keep your eyes off of her.”
Spearman is a two-time Gwinnet Daily Post Super Six honoree and the second-best player from Georgia in the 2022 class, according to espnW HoopGurlz. The forward averaged 19.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.1 steals as a junior at Dacula High School and earned all-state and all-metro honors.
“Zee is athletic, she can shoot the three and she defends like it’s personal,” Meier said. “She doesn’t concede an inch of the basketball court to anyone. She’s a fearless player and a wonderful young lady.”
Spearman picked UM over Louisville and South Carolina.
“These are two players that we recruited for over three years and that takes a lot of work. Coach Fitz did a great job with both Kyla and Zee, identifying them early,” Meier said.
ESPN’s Jason Key said of Oldacre: “She is one of the top true posts in the 2022 national class. Oldacre’s combination of size, skill, and footwork make her a tough cover in the paint. Oldacre’s size and strength in the paint defensively project well for the Hurricanes.”
And on Spearman, Key said: “Lazaria Spearman is an elite, mobile forward who brings supreme athleticism and rebounding to the Hurricanes. Spearman’s ability to defend multiple positions and evolving offensive repertoire gives Miami an excellent and versatile player in the class.”