UTC Mocs logoWhitney Hartlage liked what she saw when she visited the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga two weeks ago. The shooting guard from Louisville, Ky., was very interested in joining the UTC women's basketball program, but it took a visit from Lady Mocs coach Wes Moore on Thursday to seal the deal.
The 5-foot-8 Hartlage, from Mercy Academy, committed to the Lady Mocs on Saturday.
"It was down to UTC and Lipscomb, in Nashville, and I really liked the players and coaches at UTC," Hartlage said. "I liked the whole campus and it just had the right feel for me."
Of Moore's visit Thursday, Hartlage said he "confirmed everything I wanted to hear."
Hartlage hit nine 3-pointers in a 33-point region tournament game last season -- the Jaguars went 27-6 after winning a state championship in 2010 -- and was called "the best shooter in the state" by an opposing coach in a Louisville Courier-Journal article.
Mercy coach Mark Evans said Hartlage is competitive and a "fighter." He also raved about her shooting ability.
"I've been coaching 25-30 years and I can't think of one we've had better than her," he said.
Hartlage is the Lady Mocs' fourth commitment, joining guard Moses Johnson of Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academic Center in Decatur, Ga., forward Arynna Gilbert of Columbia (Tenn.) Central and Dade County center Ansley Clifton.