Lauren Hassell, the No. 10 recruit and one of the top forwards in the girls’ SC Next class of 2027, has committed to Vanderbilt, she announced Friday, giving coach Shea Ralph her first commitment in the 2027 cycle.
Hassell is the third top-10 player to come off the board; No. 3 Caroline Bradley chose LSU and No. 5 Eve Long picked Notre Dame.
The Vanderbilt recruit, whose father is former NBA player Trenton Hassell, selected the Commodores over Louisville and North Carolina.
“Everything happens for a reason,” she told ESPN. “I chose Vanderbilt because it feels like home and they are building something special that I want to be a part of.”
The 6-foot-3 Hassell is the highest-rated recruit to commit to Vanderbilt since Mikayla Blakes in 2024. Hassell is coming off a stellar campaign as a high school junior, averaging 25.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 60% shooting from the field for Clarksville Christian in Tennessee.
Hassell has not played since she injured an ankle Feb. 12 and subsequently underwent surgery, which will force her to miss the summer club circuit. During the 2025 adidas 3SSB Championships last summer, she averaged 18.9 points and 7.4 rebounds and shot just shy of 80% from the free throw line.
She has been a highly recruited prospect since middle school. She displayed an all-around fundamental game early on, and as she continued to grow taller and longer, worked through the challenges those physical changes can bring. As she has matured, gained strength and grew into the size, she began to show again why she was identified early as a coveted recruit. She has developed a high-quality face-up game and proven her defensive versatility as well. With the ability to shoot the 3 and facilitate, she can continue to develop into the stretch forward and offensive hub that high octane offenses find so valuable.
Ralph’s No. 11-ranked recruiting class from 2026 features No. 16 Olivia Jones, No. 37 Jhai Johnson and three-star forward Sther Ubaka. That group will join Blakes and backcourt teammate Aubrey Galvan as the group tries to top last season’s Sweet 16 run.
