GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University women's basketball coach Roger Hodge has announced that the Pioneers have signed four players to national letters of intent for the 2024-25 season.

Joining the Pioneers will be guard Gracie Shamblin of Mineral Wells, West Virginia, guard/forward Gracie-Jo Wilder of Williamsburg, Kentucky, center Josie Horner of Kodak, Tennessee and forward/center Jenna Sparks of Williamson, West Virginia.

The quartet of Shamblin, Wilder, Horner and Sparks will join a Tusculum roster assembled by Hodge following his hiring as Pioneer head coach in late April. 

Gracie Shamblin is a 5-7 guard from Parkersburg South High School who was honorable mention All-State in Class AAAA during the 2022-23 season as voted on by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. Shamblin averages 12.1 points, 1.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game, and has been ranked the second-best shooting guard in the state and 15th best overall by Prep Girls Hoops.

Shamblin's coach, Ed Davis, said that "Gracie is a relentless hard worker who puts in the time to improve every facet of her game. She is also the ultimate competitor who always gives her best each practice and game."

"I instantly could see how talented Gracie was from the moment that Coach Davis sent me her information," added Hodge. "There was no doubt that when I came to Tusculum that she was going to be at the top of my list of players that I wanted to be in our program. Athletically, Gracie is college-ready and has a tremendous motor. She is a strong guard that can shoot it from 3 and finish around the rim. I love watching her play defense as well."

Shamblin, the daughter of Mike and Alisha Shamblin, played for the OV Dragons AAU team and intends to major in pre-medicine at Tusculum.

Gracie-Jo Wilder is a 6-1 guard/forward from Bell County High School and was a first-team All-Region selection in 2022-23 and a second-team honoree in 2021-22. Wilder was the 52nd District Player of the Year each of the last two years, and scored a record 34 points in the 2A state quarterfinals last year. She has averaged 15 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Wilder is coached at Bell County by David Teague, who noted "Gracie-Jo is a very gifted athlete. She is long and extremely versatile. Gracie-Jo is a player that excels on both ends of the floor due to her length and basketball savvy. She can score in multiple ways and does a good job of affecting the game defensively. Tusculum is getting a good fit for their basketball program."

"In my opinion, Gracie-Jo is one of the best players in what I would consider our recruiting region," said Hodge. "Someone with the combination of her size, athleticism, ability to defend/rebound, and ability to score is unique at any level. Gracie-Jo is an outstanding student as well. She is not only a great fit for us on the floor, but is a person of strong character that matches well with the type of people we want in our program."

Wilder is the daughter of Billy Jo and Jessica Corder Wilder, and plans to major in occupational therapy.

Josie Horner is a 6-2 center from Northview Academy and has been All-District 3-AAA each of the last two seasons. Horner is also a two-time All-District tournament team member and was a member of the All-Region tournament team as a sophomore. Last season, Horner averaged 8.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game along with 2.4 blocked shots per contest. She is ranked by Prep Girls Hoops as the 32nd best player in Tennessee and the seventh-best center in the class of 2024.

Northview Academy head coach Brooke Shelley said "Josie has great footwork and touch around the basket. She is a big presence in the paint that can also step out and knock down open looks from the perimeter. Josie has a high basketball IQ and very good court vision for her position. She is not only an asset to any team on the court, but also in the classroom and community."

Hodge observed "I saw a publication describe Josie Horner as an 'old school, back to the basket post player.' I think that is accurate but an understatement. Josie has the strength to impact the game that might remind you of centers from the past. However, she also has the ability to shoot from mid and three point range. Josie also has impressive footwork that allows her to be much more versatile than others with her strength and stature. She is also a great student who keeps spirituality as a high priority."

Horner is the daughter of James and Connie Horner, and played for the Tennessee Flight Trotters (Maples) AAU team.

Jenna Sparks is a 6-3 forward/center from Belfry High School in Kentucky, and averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a junior. She led the 15th Region in rebounds and blocks as a sophomore and earned a spot on the KY-WV All-Mountain Team each of the last two seasons. Sparks was also second-team All-State as a junior according to Prep Girls Hoops, and is among their top 10 for the 2023-24 season.

Belfry head coach Kevin Deskins commented "Fortunately I get the opportunity to coach Jenna again for her senior year. She's a tremendous worker and student of the game. With Jenna you are also getting a great person, student and teammate, which are sometimes hard qualities to find these days."

"Sometimes, you know when God leads you to a player and that player to your program. Jenna has unbelievable potential as a college basketball player. More importantly however, she is a great fit with our institution from a spiritual and character aspect," said Hodge. "Jenna has a unique combination of skills. At 6'3", she runs well and has perimeter shooting range as well. Defensively, she impacts the game with her length. Jenna is already a very good player, but I believe her best basketball is ahead of her."

Jenna is the daughter of C. Michael and Jennifer Sparks, and played for Arctic Rush AAU. She intends to major in occupational therapy at Tusculum.