After competing against each other for four years in high school and AAU basketball, Brittany Hunter and Alison Bales are happy to be joining forces on the Duke women's team this fall.
"I really like being teammates with Brittany better than playing against her," Bales said. "We didn't know each other very well personally in high school, but we played a lot during the regular season and in tournaments."
The two Ohio natives comprise the Blue Devils' top-ranked recruiting class in the nation, ahead of No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Connecticut.
Hunter, a 6-foot-2 power forward from Brookhaven High School in Columbus, is one of the most accomplished high school players that Duke has ever landed.
Her 23 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots per game as a senior earned her numerous post-season accolades. She was named Parade National Play of the Year and was a first-team All-American selection by nearly every major ranking service.
Hunter, who was a member of the National Honor Society in high school, believes that her versatile game can fill an immediate need for the Blue Devils on the basketball court.
"I'll bring a strong running game and more rebounding to the team," she said. "Those were two things that killed them last year when they lost to Tennessee [in the Final Four]."
Like Hunter, Bales had a stellar senior season and was named a Parade First Team All American. She averaged 18 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game and tallied over 500 blocked shots in her high school career, including an incredible 17 in one game alone.
Bales will bring one quality to the Blue Devils that cannot be coached-sheer size. Her father was an offensive lineman at Texas Christian University, and she undoubtedly inherited much of her physical gifts from him.
Her 6-foot-6 frame will make her one of the tallest players in women's college basketball and give Duke a true inside presence that it has lacked in recent years.
"I just want to do whatever I can to help the team," Bales said. "My strengths are defense and rebounding, but I want to get better at everything."
Bales and Hunter have begun their college academic careers early, living together and attending Duke's second summer session. Both are taking two classes, including a required freshman writing course.
The two are also currently recovering from injuries - Bales tore her meniscus and Hunter is waiting for heel spurs to mend - so their on-court activities have been limited this summer. However, both should be ready to contribute at full strength this season.
"The ultimate goal is to win a championship next year," Hunter said. "With what Ali and I bring to the team, I don't see why not. When I watched Duke lose to Tennessee last year, I kept thinking that there were things we could have done to help them win. There's no reason for us not to go all the way next year."
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