Coach Mox strikes again, lands commit from ’24 star Missouri forward Hurd

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Posted on Tuesday, Jul. 5, 2022, 12:47 am

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: twitter.com/BreonaHurd

Only days after adding 4-star guard Olivia McGhee of nearby Louisa to Virginia’s 2023 recruiting class, Cavaliers coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton started building her Class of 2024.

Breona ‘Bre’ Hurd, a 3-star guard and a rising junior at Waynesville High School, announced on her Twitter account Sunday night that she had committed to UVA. She is a 6-foot-2 forward, who recruiting analysts claim has an unlimited ceiling.

Hurd, who was offered by Virginia (the first), Missouri and Missouri State, also took visits to Vanderbilt and Iowa, but liked everything about UVA. The No. 1 prospect in the state of Missouri in her class, according to Prep Girls Hoops, she averaged 22.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a sophomore en route to being named a Class 6 all-state selection. She averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds as a freshman.

Hurd is the second Missouri high schooler to commit to UVA under “Coach Mox,” the nickname of Agugua-Hamilton. Previously, Cady Pauley, a high-scoring guard from the Class of 2023, committed to Virginia.

Hurd’s best basketball is ahead of her. As a freshman, she teamed with all-state guard Naudia Evans (then a senior), who drew most of the attention and the defense. When Evans departed, Hurd was consistently double- and triple-teamed as a sophomore, but she worked her way through it and finished with a remarkable season.

“It was very frustrating at the beginning because we were just getting into the groove of things, but we worked hard and figured how to work on things to make us a better team, but also make us individually better,” Hurd told Dave Roberts of PhelpsCountyFocus.com. “I had to learn how to move without the ball, but also as the season went on we learned how to go through different players.”

Hurd’s coach, Brittany Matlock, was pleased to watch her team improve through that challenging transition.

“We knew going in [Hurd] would be the only player with any real varsity minutes,” Matlock said. “It was a big growth year for her. Also, mentally. Not many sophomores go through what she’s gone through.”

Hurd’s game grew on the perimeter and also running the floor. She learned how to take on pressure bringing the ball up the court, how to set up offenses and to play better defense. She also improved in her dribble drives and not avoiding contact, but fighting past it.

“She had to learn more moving without the ball,” Coach Matlock said about defenses double-teaming Hurd. “Once she made the pass, she had to work to get back open with two or three people on her. She’s very coachable and very eager to learn. She’s put in a lot of time.”

Hurd also is a hurdler and sprinter on the Waynesville track team and plays forward in soccer.