ECU women’s basketball adds four transfers

GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU) – A quartet of transfers have signed national letters of intent to attend East Carolina University and compete for the women’s basketball team beginning in the fall of 2021, according to an announcement Wednesday by head coach Kim McNeill. 

Danae McNeal, 6-0, Guard, Swansea, SC (Clemson University)

• Arrives in Greenville after two seasons playing for the Clemson Tigers.
• Averaged 3.18 points and 1.12 rebounds in 33 career games for Clemson
• Scored a career-high 11 points in Clemson’s win over Virginia on Dec. 10, 2020
• Prior to heading to Clemson, McNeal averaged 24.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.7 steals, 4.0 assists and 3.4 blocks in her senior season at Swansea and she was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.
• Finished her Swansea career with 2,641 career points, the 10th most in South Carolina history and was a three-time Class 3A Player of the Year and four-time all-state selection.
• Ranked as the 47th best player in the class of 2019 by ESPNW rankings.
• Played for her mother, Swansea head coach Tamara Perdue in high school.

McNeill on McNeal: “Danae will be one of the most athletic players in the American Conference. She is a three-level scorer that can take you off the dribble or stop and pop. Her length and athleticism will fit into our defensive package perfectly. Her ability to get out and create in the open floor will have Pirate fans on their feet. I’m so excited for Danae’s future both on and off the court here at ECU!” 

Tylar Bennett, 6-4, Forward, Redford, MI (Clemson University)

• Comes to the Pirates after four seasons playing for the Clemson Tigers.
• Left Clemson ranked second in career blocks, with 173 rejections, as well as averaging 3.17 points and 4.04 rebounds in 116 career games.
• Shot 43.24% in her Clemson career, including 50% in her senior campaign.
• Scored in double-figures five times in her career and pulled in double-digit rebounds three times, including grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds against Illinois in her sophomore season.
• Helped lead Detroit Country Day to MHSAAA State Championships in both 2015 and 2017.
• Received a 90 scouts grade by ESPN coming out of high school and was named to the MLIVE Detroit and “BCAM’s BEST” All-State Teams.

McNeill on Bennett: “Tylar is a long, athletic post player that can run the floor like a guard. Her size will give us more of an interior scoring presence. She also has the ability to score from the high post. Tylar is a defensive-minded player with elite shot blocking ability. Her size allows her to excel at rebounding on both ends of the floor. Her experience will bring great leadership to our team. I’m so excited for Tyler’s future both on and off the court here at ECU!” 

Da’Ja Green, 5-6, Guard, Ellenwood, Ga. (Virginia Tech)

• Arrives in Greenville after one season suiting up for Virginia Tech.
• Played in all 25 games for the Hokies, making one start. Averaged 2.2 points, 1.7 assist and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 11-of-21 from three-point range.
• Prior to playing at Virginia Tech, she graduated from Wofford and enjoyed a three-year career with the Terriers, earning All-SoCon honors each season.
• Led the SoCon in assists in 2019-20 and set the Wofford single-season record with 162 assists as well as finishing in the Wofford top-10 in 3-point percentage (.354), free throw percentage (.734) and minutes (three times).
• Ranks third all-time at Wofford in career assists with 434 and leads the Terriers with a career average of 4.8 assists per game. Had seven career games with double-digit assists, including 12 on two occasions.
• Finished her Wofford career with 1,038 points, breaking the 30-point mark on a pair of occasions.

McNeill on Green: “Help me in welcoming Da’Ja to our family! Da’Ja is an explosive guard who will bring additional maturity and playmaking ability to our team. Her ability to play off ball screens will fit perfectly in our offense. She has a good midrange game, but is also a threat from the three-point line. Da’Ja is an outstanding student who takes her academics very seriously and she has the pedigree to be an ambassador to my program. I’m so excited for Da’Ja’s future both on and off the court here at ECU!” 

Brittany Franklin, 6-5, Center, Plymouth, N.C. (Kansas)

• Comes to East Carolina after four seasons at the University of Kansas.
• Injuries limited her to 31 games during her time as a Jayhawk.
• During her redshirt freshman season, appeared in 29 games and averaged 1.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 7.9 minutes.
• Blocked multiple shots eight times in her Kansas career.
• Was ranked as the No. 91 overall player in her high school class by Pass Scouting.
• Named the conference player of the year to close out her prep career and helped lead Plymouth to a conference and regional championship as well as a spot in the North Carolina 1A State Title game.

McNeill on Franklin: “Help me in welcoming Brittany to our family! Brittany is a long, athletic post player that will help add depth to this group. Her skill set allows her to score on the block as well as in the high post area. Her length will help us on the boards and continue our dominance on defense. I’m excited to be able to bring Brittany home closer to her family. I look forward to Brittany’s growth both on and off the court here at ECU!” McNeal, Bennett, Green and Franklin will join Laila Acox, Iycez Adams and Paige Lyons, who all signed their national letters of intent in the fall, as newcomers on the Pirate roster in 2021-22.  The Pirates are looking to improve on their 8-14 overall record and a 6-10 AAC ledger that placed them in sixth place in the league.

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