The Kentucky women?s basketball team has signed the nation?s top power forward in the junior college rankings, Jackie Sanders, to a national letter-of-intent Coach Matthew Mitchell has announced. Sanders, a native of Birmingham, Ala., is currently a sophomore at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City Beach, Fla.

Sanders, 6-2, is considered the sixth-ranked player overall and the top junior college prospect at power forward by Brett McCormick of the All-Star Girl?s Report. As a freshman at Gulf Coast, she was named to the All-Panhandle Conference second team after averaging 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and helping GCCC chart an impressive 27-4 record and advance to the FCCAA state tournament championship. This season, she has helped lead the Lady Commodores to a No. 1 national ranking with a perfect 12-0 record. She is the team?s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 11.3 ppg and is tops on the team in rebounds, grabbing 7.7 rpg.

?I am thrilled that Jackie is the newest member of the Wildcat family,? Mitchell said. ?I think she sensed this was a special place and she is a special young woman who has lofty goals. We are excited about helping her achieve those goals. She is one of the top-ranked players in the country and has unbelievable skill set and great size and strength. She is extremely skilled for a post player as she shoots the ball well and has great range. She also has size and the ability to operate an inside-outside combination that will help make us a better basketball team. ?

?Jackie is a very good player and at 6-2 is really skilled,? McCormick of the All-Star Girl?s Report said. ?She has good fundamentals and is a good passer. She can shoot the three and has a solid inside-outside game. She is the type of player that has huge potential and could really help Kentucky.?

Prior to Gulf Coast, Sanders played high school basketball at Fairfield High School in Birmingham, Ala., for then-head coach Arnika Clements.

Sanders chose Kentucky over LSU and Louisiana Tech.