Friday, August 21, 2009

Dixie State Women's Basketball Signs Seven to National Letters of Intent

(ST. GEORGE, Utah – June 15, 2009) – Dixie State College of Utah head women’s basketball coach Angela Kristensen announced Monday the signing of seven players, including three junior college transfers and four prep players, to National Letters of Intent. Na’Chelle Catron (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Amber Scruggs (Los Angeles, Calif.), Veronica Siqueros (Phoenix, Ariz.), Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, Nev.), Vajae Robinson (Las Vegas, Nev.), Gabrielle Rodriguez (West Jordan, Utah) and Chanel Maxey (Anaheim, Calif.) will join the Red Storm program for the 2009-10 season.
The signing of these seven players brings DSC’s recruiting class total to nine players overall. Dixie State inked Deanna Daniels, a 5-11 guard/forward, and Rashawnda Gray, a 5-8 guard, from Las Vegas’ Centennial High School during the early signing period last fall.
“I feel this was a great year as far as recruiting goes,” Coach Kristensen said. “We have laid a winning foundation over the last few years and now it is time for us to start building a program that competes for championships.
“With the additions we have brought in, along with our returners coming back, I am very excited about the upcoming season,” Kristensen added. “We have a lot of talent and now it’s just be a matter of putting it all together.”
Catron, a 6-0 forward, played one season at Pepperdine University before transferring to Mount San Antonio CC, where she averaged eight points and four rebounds, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor, in helping lead the Mounties to a 31-4 overall record last season. She scored in double figures in seven of her outings, including a career-high 22 points with a season-best nine rebounds in a win over San Jose CC Dec. 4. Catron was the 74th-ranked player in the country out of JW North High School prior to signing with Pepperdine.
“Na’Chelle is an extremely versatile player that has the ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint,” Kristensen said. “We feel very fortunate to sign a player with her abilities and experience and she’ll make an immediate impact on our team.”
Kristensen also signed Catron’s juco teammate in Scruggs, a 5-7 guard who averaged just under five points and three rebounds as a sophomore. During her two years at Mount SAC, she helped lead the Mounties to a 69-5 record and the California state title as a freshman in 2008.“
Amber is a guard that can play not only at the point, but the two-guard and small forward as well,” Kristensen noted. “She is an extremely quick guard who we expect to make immediate contributions on the defensive end for us.”
Siqueros, 5-5 point guard from the College of Eastern Utah, played a key reserve role in her two seasons in a Golden Eagle uniform. She averaged seven points, including a career-high 17 points in an 81-65 triumph at Colorado Northwestern last season, to go with two rebounds and nearly two assists in 58 career games. Siqueros prepped at Trevor G. Browne HS out of the Phoenix area.
“Veronica was able to gain valuable experience at the junior college level,” said Kristensen. “We felt it was important to bring in a point guard with her knowledge of the game and creativity on the court. She is a great passer that puts her teammates in the best positions to be successful. We look for Veronica to step in and be a leader for this team right away.”
Brown was a stand-out 6-0 guard/forward from Las Vegas’ Centennial HS, where she teamed with DSC early signees Deanna Daniels and Rashawnda Gray to lead the Bulldogs to a 32-2 overall record and the Nevada 4A state title this past season. Brown averaged 17.4 points, nine rebounds and five assists en route to being named the Las Vegas Review-Journal Player of the Year. In addition, Brown got it done in the classroom as she earned academic all-state honors. Brown was an all-state athlete in three sports, including volleyball and softball, and helped guide CHS to the state 4A softball title this past season. She will play both basketball and softball at Dixie State.
“Johnna can literally play every position on the floor. Her scoring and passing abilities make her dangerous on the offensive end,” Kristensen said. “Defensively, she is very mobile and makes great reads, which will make her very effective in our press coverage. She is an extremely talented athlete who was highly recruited by a number of Division I programs and we feel very fortunate that she chose to come to Dixie.”
Robinson was a first team all-region selection as a senior at Green Valley HS, where she averaged 8.0 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Gators last year. In addition, the 6-3 center led the region in blocks at 3.5 bpg, while her season rebounding average was the third-best in the region.
“Vajae is someone we consider a diamond in the rough. Her best basketball is ahead of her because of her height, athletic ability and work ethic,” noted Kristensen. “She is an absolute monster on the boards and her knack for the basketball is something that can’t be taught. It will be exciting to watch Vajae grow into a great college basketball player, the sky is the limit for her.”
Rodriguez, a 5-5 point guard, signed with DSC out of West Jordan HS, where she was a McDonald’s all-American nominee, a Utah 5A all-state honorable mention and an academic all-state selection as a senior. Last season she averaged 7.0 points, scoring in double figures in five of her final six games in a Jaguar uniform, along with seven assists, two rebounds and two steals in 21 games.“Gabby is someone who we feel slid under the radar as far as recruiting goes,” says Kristensen. “We saw her at our camp last summer and loved her game. She is an extremely heady point guard that sees the floor well. Along with her passing abilities, Gabby is a great outside shooter and can also get to the rim off the dribble.”
Maxey, a 5-9 guard out of Canyon HS in Orange County, was an all-Century League and all-CIF selection after averaging 11 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals a game last season. As team captain and MVP last season, she helped lead CHS to an 18-11 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF tournament.“
Chanel is an extremely long athlete that can play all three guard positions for us,” Kristensen stated. “She is very athletic and will create havoc on defense with her length and active hands. Chanel’s also a very good perimeter shooter and possesses the ability to get to the basket
.”