Mountaineers Ink Three to 2017-18 Signing Class

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State women's basketball head coach Angel Elderkin and the coaching staff is excited to announce the signing of three future Mountaineers to the 2017-18 signing class. 

App State signs the trio of Brooke Bigott, Haile McDonald and A'Lea Gilbert. All three are eligible beginning in 2018-2019 and will look to contribute immediately. 

"It is with great excitement that we welcome our three signees to our Appalachian State program," coach Elderkin stated. "These young women are not only great players; they're incredible people who come from great families. During our recruiting process, it was important for us to not only identify talent but it was equally important to evaluate character. They fit in with our core values, and most of all believe in our vision for our program. I expect them to come in and have an immediate impact on our program."

Brooke Bigott | 5'10 | Point Guard | Katy, Texas | Seven Lakes High School
A multi-faceted point guard that can do it all, the 2018 signee has enjoyed copious amounts of success on and off the court. Going into her senior season, she improved her numbers the previous three seasons including an impressive stat line her junior campaign where she turned in 17 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 52 percent from beyond the arc and 74 percent from the line. Bigott has helped Seven Lakes capture three district and area championships en route to reaching the regional quarterfinals last season. She was named all-conference and all-division her first three seasons. That's not all as she landed on the all-tournament team at the College Station Nike Tournament three straight years, and was named to the Houston Chronicle's All-Greater Houston Area Team. The Texas native was recognized by Vype Magazine as a member of the All-Texas squad and was awarded the conference's Most Valuable Player Award. During her junior year, she was a Texas Girl's Association All-Star as well as putting work in the classroom, as she was all-district academic and all-regional academic. Her athleticism went beyond the court with four letters in track and field, including a regional qualifying appearance her junior year Bigott played her travel ball under her father, Scott Bigott, where her team collected a silver championship at the Adidas Gauntlet Tournament while recording a Premier Basketball title an unprecedented 10 times. Her numbers during travel ball were even more staggering, averaging a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals per contest. She also shot 56 percent from 3-point land and 82 percent from the charity stripe. Born on Jan. 11, 2000, Bigott is the daughter of Scott and Tammy Bigott. She has two siblings, Brittany and Braedon. She comes from a family with a rich basketball history. Her father played basketball and ran track at Houston Baptist University where he was a conference champion and played in the NCAA Tournament. Her grandfather, Wilbert, is a member of the Hall of Fame at Houston where he played basketball for the Cougars before playing professionally overseas, and her uncle, Kevin, was part of the national championship squad at Pace University. Bigott will major in Kinesiology when she arrives in Boone. Her hobbies include working out, Netflix, skiing and going to the beach. 

Elderkin on Bigott
"Brooke is a proven winner and comes to us from a tremendous high school program. She has great ball-handling ability, is a natural scorer and has great vision in the full court. It was important for us to bring her into our program. Not only is Brooke an "A" in talent, but she is also an "A" in mindset.

Haile McDonald | 6'0 | Power Forward | Winchester, Va. | Millbrook High School
A player that has put in a successful high school career under the tutelage of Erick Green, McDonald was named All-Conference 21 four-straight years while being named Group 4A All-State her junior season. She posted substantial numbers her junior campaign in which she averaged 14.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game en route to helping Millbrook earn a stellar 28-2 mark and an appearance in the 4A state semifinals. She was awarded a sportsmanship award and named the team's Most Valuable Player. Also, she is a part of the 1,000-point club at Millbrook. Last season was her best yet where she was named the Winchester Star All-Area Girls' Basketball Player of the Year,  4A West Region Girls' Basketball Player of the Year and the Conference 21 West Player of the Year. Born on Dec. 21, 1999, McDonald is the daughter of Easton and Julissa McDonald. She has three sisters, Leah, Elizabeth, and her late sister, Paloma.. Her hobbies include playing basketball. When she arrives at campus, she intends to major in criminal justice. 

Elderkin on McDonald
"Haile is a special kid, and I learned early in the recruiting process about her desire to attend Appalachian State and be a part of what we are building as a program. She is a competitor and has a constant commitment to getting better. Her versatility will allow us to stretch the floor as well as expose mismatches in the paint. Her passion for the game shines through her and will be contagious in our program."

A'Lea Gilbert | 5'10 | Power Forward | Charlotte, N.C. | South Meck High School
An all-around athlete that has a nose for the ball, Gilbert plays under head coach Cristie Mitchell at South Meck where she has posted career averages of 11.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Gilbert was named All-South Meck Conference and all-district her sophomore and junior seasons. Gilbert has scored in double figures in 48 of 78 career games including a career-high 36 points on 15-for-22 shooting her sophomore campaign. She put up her best numbers her sophomore year averaging 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest. The North Carolina native was named Most Valuable Player her junior season and Rookie of the Year in her debut year. Born on Aug. 8, 2000, Gilbert is the daughter of Sean and Nicole Gilbert. She has three older siblings, Deshaun, Alexus, and Zachaeuss. She intends to major in business and marketing. Her hobbies include singing, swimming and traveling. 

Elderkin on Gilbert
"It's important for us to continue to sign North Carolina talent, and we are excited about A'Lea. Her natural ability to rebound the basketball separated her in the recruiting process. She is another player that will provide versatility in our system with her skill set. A'Lea comes from an athletic family and understands the competitiveness and relentless work it takes to be successful."