head women’s basketball coach Dan Kriley has announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the recently-concluded early signing period to attend and join the women’s basketball program beginning in the 2008-09 academic year.
Carley Butcher, a 6’1” forward, averaged 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and three steals for last season. A native of , , she was part of the team at the 2006 Canadian U17 Women’s Basketball Championship held in .
“Carley Butcher is one of the best all-around athletes women’s basketball has ever signed. She runs the floor like a deer and has great touch around the basket. Look for Carley to do some very special things at ,” Kriley said.
Fellow Canadian Elle Kerfoot, a native of White Rock, British Columbia, averaged 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals per game last season at Elgin Park Secondary School. The 5’7” point guard has been a member of the provincial team since 2005 and has won various MVP and All-Star awards throughout her basketball career.
“Elle Kerfoot is one of the premier point guards in the Northwest. We just signed the perfect floor general for our program,” said Kriley. “She is a tremendous competitor and a great leader.”
Samantha Messersmith, a 5’11” forward from Herald, , averaged 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season for . A starter since her freshman season, she is a two-time all-conference player and helped her squad to the league title in her sophomore season by averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
“No one will outwork Sam. We evaluated a lot of players and she blew us away with her work ethic. She is a great rebounder and finishes everything in transition. Sam will be a great addition to our program,” said Kriley.
A 5’7” guard from Torrance, Calif., Bianca Williams led South Torrance High School to the Pioneer League title as a team co-captain. Williams averaged 13.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.2 steals per game, earning the team’s defensive player of the year award as well as first team all-league honors. Williams was also a sprinter during the track and field season, earning medalist honors in two events at the Long Beach Relays.
“Bianca Williams is an amazing basketball talent,” Kriley said. “We now have a guard who is capable of scoring off the dribble as well as coming off screens. She has tremendous body control and speed in the open court and is an exciting player to watch.”
Coming off an 18-9 season in 2006-07, the Seattle University women’s basketball team has gotten off to a 3-0 start this season, including two victories against West Region opponents. The 2008 season will be the final one for the program in Division II, as it joins the rest of the athletic department in making the transition to Division I.
“I could not be happier with the group of student-athletes we signed early this year. All four players are highly skilled position players who will immediately impact our program at ,” Kriley said.
Seattle University returns to action Saturday, Nov. 24, hosting Cascade College at the Connolly Center beginning at 7 p.m. The team will then host the Dave Cox Classic next weekend, facing Notre Dame de Namur Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. and Hawaii Pacific Saturday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m.