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Viewmont star Mercedes Staples receives partial release from Clemson

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Viewmont High forward Mercedes Staples helped lead the Vikings to the Class 5A state quarterfinals.

Viewmont High basketball star Mercedes Staples is back to spending her evenings on the porch, returning recruiting call after call. She thought she was done with that in August when she committed to Clemson, but now she’s been thrust back into it during the spring of her senior year.

Staples has reopened her recruiting following the firing of Clemson coach Audra Smith. Staples has received a partial release from the school, her father Darin Staples told The Salt Lake Tribune, allowing her to visit other programs.

“Lost, kind of,” Mercedes Staples said of how she felt about re-entering the recruitment process just months before the end of the school year. “I don’t know what to do yet.”

Smith and her staff were a major draw for Staples when she first committed to the Tigers. Clemson is still in the picture, but Staples said she has set up several visits to other schools, including LSU, Missouri and Kansas State. Clemson hired former Florida coach Amanda Butler as its new coach Thursday.

Staples led her team in scoring (22 points per game) and assists (four per game) this season as the Vikings made their way to the Class 5A state quarterfinals.