Aganae Boone might not be a familiar name to fans of Abington basketball.
It will be.
On Monday afternoon with her mother Cheryl and coach Dan Marsh looking on, Boone, a senior transfer from Cardinal Dougherty, inked her name on a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Rhode Island.
Talk to Dougherty assistant Steve Prescott, who was also at the signing, and it’s clear the Ghosts have inherited a special talent.
“She can really stick the ‘J,’” he said. “If you leave her open, there’s a 70 percent chance she’ll knock it down. She’s deadly from the outside.
“If she gets open looks, you can count it. She’s a clutch player at the foul line, and that’s very important.”
Marsh received word that a new player would be joining his squad back in August.
“They contacted the school and said they were moving into the district and wanted to get in touch with the basketball coach,” he said. “It’s amazing how well she’s fit in so far.
“It’s only been open gyms and a few summer tournaments, but even (senior) Jen Kelly said, ‘I feel like she’s been here the whole time.’ She’s a great kid. She has a great attitude, and she’s already working hard.”
The transition to a new school was a smooth one for Boone, who moved into the district with her mother and sister.
“It’s been pretty good,” she said. “They have kind of taken me under their wing.”
Boone chose URI over a final list that included Towson and Richmond.
“This was always a dream,” she said of receiving a scholarship to play a sport she loves. “Knowing my parents wouldn’t have to pay for college, and I’d be doing something I love.”
Boone, who plays shooting guard, averaged 12 points a game as a junior at Dougherty.
“She’s a great three-point shooter,” Marsh said. “She’s big for a guard. She helps with the ball handling and gives us another offensive weapon.
“She’ll be a tough kid to guard because she is 5-11. We can put her on the post if we have to. People will have to figure out what kind of person they’re going to put on her – are they going to put a big person or a guard? She drives to the basketball well too.”
Beyond her talent, Boone, according to her new coach, is a good person.
“The best thing about her is her attitude,” Marsh said. “She’s got a great attitude. She’s happy to be here, she jokes around, she’s a fun kid. She’s been a real pleasure.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about her.”
A veteran of the AAU circuit since she was 10 years old, Boone played for the Philadelphia Belles and Northeast Rockers. It was while playing in a tournament in Virginia that Boone caught the eye of the URI coaches.
“They sent me letters, and when the time came that they could make phone calls, they called me,” she said.
Boone made her official visit just this past weekend, but she was sold on URI long before that. An unofficial visit in May all but confirmed it was where she wanted to play collegiate hoops.
“I absolutely loved it,” she said. “Just the whole atmosphere of the school, seeing the actual students that go there, being around the team, and the coaching staff is great.”
URI, which competes in the Atlantic-10, makes regular trips to the Philadelphia area.
“It’s really exciting,” she said. “That’s another reason I chose URI. I knew I’d be coming home.”
For now, Boone is enjoying her new home on the court with Ghosts.
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