Start's Blackman commits to Seton Hall

9/30/2009

Start senior Tiffani Blackman visited Seton Hall on Saturday and made a verbal commitment to the play women's basketball for the Pirates.

The 5-8 guard, a starter who helped the 22-4 Spartans to a Division I state runner-up finish, said she also had scholarship offers from Toledo, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Akron, Ohio, Indiana-Purdue (Indianapolis) and Youngstown State, and had visited several of those schools before selecting Seton Hall.

"I like where the program is going at Seton Hall," Blackman said, "with the players they have in there now, and the players they are bringing in. It's an up and coming program with a great coaching staff, and the chances of getting to the NCAA tournament are greater with the conference being so competitive."

Blackman is relieved to have completed her recruiting process.

"It feels good to have it out of the way," she said. "Now I can go into my senior year without having to worry about what school I'm going to. It's less pressure and you can relax more and just play."

Blackman is one of four players from last season's Start team to either move on to a college program, commit to a scholarship offer or receive one, all at the Division I level.

"It's great to be a part of this program," Blackman said of Start, "because you're with so many girls with the same goals and the same mind-set to get to the next level."

Blackman averaged six points and six rebounds in 12 games last season. She was forced to sit out the first 14 games after transferring from Bowsher the previous February. Because she already resided in the Start district while attending Bowsher on open enrollment, she was not granted immediate eligibility for sports after leaving Bowsher. Ohio High School Athletic Association rules require a one-year wait when a student does not move from one district of residence to another.

She averaged in double figures in both scoring and rebounding at Bowsher as a sophomore and was a standout starter for the Rebels her freshman season.