Erica Haynes-Overton is a freshman out of Nashville, Tennessee, where she began her basketball career.

(Photograph courtesy of ETSU Bucs)

“I really did not want to play basketball,” said Hayes-Overton. “I was just taller than everyone, so that’s how I started playing.”

In her high school career, she has been nothing but a winner at East Nashville Magnet High. In her four years of varsity basketball, she went a combined record of (102-12). During her junior year, she led her team to the state championship.

She followed that up with a final four appearance her senior year. In those four years, she scored over 2,000 points. Most impressively, her stat line was 23 points per game, nine rebounds, eight steals and two blocks per game.

With stats like that, she received accolades such as being named the District 10-AA MVP and named to the 2016 TSSAA All-Tournament Team. She also received TSWA Class AA All-State Honors in 2016 and received USA Today Second Team All-Mid-state Honors.

Coming out of high school, Haynes-Overton was ranked sixth as the best basketball player in the state of Tennessee.

So far in the Bucs 2017-2018 season, Haynes-Overton has not disappointed. Already this season, she has an 11 steal game, which is an ETSU single-game record. This season she is averaging 14 points per game and nearly five rebounds per game.

“My goal this season is to win the SoCon Championship,” said Haynes-Overton. “The biggest accomplishment of my career so far is winning that season opener over Cincinnati.”

Being a freshman at ETSU, Haynes-Overton is enjoying the process of being a student-athlete. She enjoys the company of her teammates, who she feels are the right kind of people she needs around her.

“I came to ETSU because the coaches made this school feel like it was family for me,” said Haynes-Overton. “I have a great group of teammates.”

Looking at her academic side, she hopes to be a teacher upon graduation. Luckily, ETSU will have her for three more years and three more basketball seasons.

Author

  • Edwin Nelson

    Edwin Nelson is a Sophomore from Chattanooga who moved to Johnson City to pursue a journalism degree at ETSU. His passion for writing about sports — especially basketball — is what led him to choose journalism as a major and join the East Tennessean staff. When he’s not watching the Bucs play, he’s watching his favorite professional basketball team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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