Tar Heels WBB signs top-rated guard Jamie Cherry

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina Tar Heels women’s basketball team signed high school senior Jamie Cherry to a National Letter of Intent (NLI) as announced by head coach Sylvia Hatchell on Wednesday.

Cherry, a 5-foot-7-inch point guard from West Craven High School, is a five-star prospect that is ranked the ninth best guard in her class by ESPN HoopGurlz, and will join the Tar Heels program in 2014-2015

“Not only is Jamie a great point guard that plays Carolina style basketball with her quickness and athletic ability, she’s also an outstanding person that comes from a wonderful family and is a terrific student-athlete,” Hatchell said.

“She can shoot the ball. She can pass the ball. Jamie has all the tools to be a point guard in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

A three-time all-state selection, Cherry was named Miss North Carolina basketball by NCPreps.com in 2012-13 and is a McDonald’s All-America nominee leading into her senior campaign at West Craven.

In 87 career high school games, Cherry has averaged 25.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 rebounds per game, scoring 2,245 career points in three seasons.

Cherry has led her team to back-to-back Coastal 3A Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

She was named the conference Player of the Year during her last two seasons and has been named All-Area by the New Bern Sun in each of her three seasons of high school basketball.

Cherry earned District 2 Player of the Year honors in both 2011-12 and 2012-13 by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.