Windward Trio Sign The Dotted Line

Dave Keefer
CaliforniaPreps.com Publisher

Nick Stover, Paris Baird, Imani Stafford sign LOIs

Nick Stover (Loyola Marymount University), Imani Stafford (University of Texas), and Paris Baird (San Jose State) were the center of attention Monday at the Windward high school gym as family, students, and friends gathered to honor them for signing their letters of intent to play basketball at the next level.

There were several speakers and a few media folks on hand to join in on the celebration. Windward Athletic Director and girls basketball coach Steve Smith spoke about how all three of the honorees had been proficient at both basketball and academics.

Upper School Associate Director Dr. Kevin Newman also praised them as not only great student athletes but also as great leaders on campus, showing great character. Boys basketball coach Miguel Villegas spoke highly of Nick as both a person and a basketball player.

Stover's choice to play for Loyola Marymount University was an easy one. He was glad to stay close to home. "Los Angeles is an amazing place," he said. "I just had a great feel for the school when I stepped on campus and I loved it. I loved the family atmosphere and the coaching staff and the players and I'm excited to go there." He's good friends with point guard Bruce English who is a freshman at LMU and that factored in a little also.

His parents, Craig and Rena, are very pleased with his choice. Finding the right fit was much more important to them and to Nick than playing at a more high profile college just for prestige. Older brother Anthony plays at UCLA but they didn't push Nick to go there. Craig said, "The thing I tell Nick all the time is do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do - on and off the court." Nick has done certainly done that and we look forward to watching him excel at LMU.

Rena summed it up, telling the Mar Vista Patch, "My husband and I really felt throughout the recruiting process that LMU was the best place for Nick. He'll also be challenged academically. We really feel you have to go to the school that loves you the most and that was [LMU].">/p>

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