A long, strange road ended today for the top women's basketball recruit in Canada. Jeff Mittie announced the signing of Eternati Willock of Toronto's Saint John Paul II High School.
Willock, a 6'2" forward ranked 8th at her position, 33rd overall, sixth internationally, and first among all Canadian recruits, had originally signed her NLI with North Carolina in 2014. But NCAA clearinghouse issues -- which are not at all uncommon with international recruits, we'll remind you -- prevented her from being eligible, and North Carolina released her from her commitment. Willock reclassified herself to the class of 2016, and somehow found her way into Jeff Mittie's sights.
Willock, who's played a great deal of AAU ball with Toronto's A Game, has represented Canada internationally, as you'd expect from the nation's top recruit. She was a member of the 2011 and 2013 Canada U16 squads and the U17 team in 2014. As a senior at Saint John Paul II, she averaged a double-double -- just under 20 a game with 12 boards, plus six assists per outing.
Eternati's sister, Destoni, a year older, was a three-star recruit who landed at Tallahassee Community College, presumably as a placement on the part of Florida State. But as placements aren't binding in any way, that will be something to keep an eye on next year.