Turney chooses San Jose State

Taylor Turney could have waited another year to improve her recruiting stock and make a college decision.

But the 5-foot-8-inch senior guard already had her dream school in mind. On Monday, she announced it to the Twitter world by committing to San Jose State.

"I wanted to do it before my senior season so I could focus on my game," said Turney, who said she will be transferring from Foothill to Liberty this year. "Get stronger, get my GPA up, even though it's a 3.5, and just focus on getting better.

"I really like the (San Jose State) coaches. They're really personable and the teammates were like family. They also play fast and that style fits me."

Turney, a member of the Review-Journal's all-state first team last winter, averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season while leading Foothill to a Southeast League championship.

"She was our Steve Nash," said Eric Kruger, who coached Turney at Foothill. "She brought a lot of offensive talent to the team and was just a great kid to be around.

"She'll bring a lot of positive energy to that program. She can see the whole floor better than most players — boy or girl — and she's not afraid to make the right pass or take the right shot. She'll excel at that level."

Though Turney had a standout junior season, it wasn't until she played on the AAU travel circuit this summer when colleges really started to take notice.

"It definitely (helped)," Turney said. "I played on the Fresno Heat because a lot of their kids were getting recruited and getting more exposure."

Turney, who was offered by San Jose State about two months ago, also had scholarship offers from Cal State Bakersfield, Portland, Southern Utah and UNLV.

Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson.