Area teams attract several gifted players

The tree that represents Christmas in November for college basketball teams was graced with presents on Wednesday.

On the day that players could officially sign a letter of intent, the four area Division I women’s basketball teams announced the addition of 11 players.

The most high-profile player was 5-foot-11 guard Jami Bjorklund of University High School, one of three players to sign with Gonzaga.

“I am proud that someone of Jami’s character and ability chose to be part of our program,” GU coach Kelly Graves said of the two-time All-Greater Spokane League player. “She’s a coach’s and teammate’s dream, someone who is willing to do anything to help the team. She can rebound and defend as well as anyone in the nation and is a consistent mid-range shooter as you’ll find anywhere.”

Washington State and Eastern Washington also signed three players and Idaho two. The four teams combined to pick up five players from Washington.

GU also signed 6-2 forwards Maria Hassett from Beaverton, Ore., and Simone Santos, a native of Brazil playing at Western Nebraska Community College.

Bjorklund shared the GSL scoring title last year at 16.3 points per game and led U-Hi to a 23-6 record and berth in the State 4A tournament. She averaged 18 points as a sophomore. Last summer she was named to three all-tournament teams while playing for the Spokane Stars.

Hassett plays at Aloha High and is coached by former GU standout Ivy Safranski. She is a three-time, all-league selection who averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore and 15 points and 10 rebounds last year.

Santos is averaging 13.3 points and seven rebounds this season. As a freshman she started 30 games for a 30-7 team that finished sixth in the nation.

WSU picked up a top post from Western Washington in 6-4 Ebonee Coates of Curtis High in Tacoma. Two Californians, Katie Appleton, a 5-8 guard from Big Bear Lake, and Heather Molzen, a 6-3 post from Lakeside, also signed with WSU.

“This signing class represents the fulfillment of two critical needs for our program: size and a true point guard,” WSU coach Sherri Murrell said. “These players are extremely talented and very smart. They fit into our program both on and off the court.”

Coates, who has totaled 474 points and 484 rebounds in her three years with the Vikings, was a member of the USA West team that won every game at the 2004 USA Basketball Women’s Youth Development Festival in June.

Appleton averaged 11 points and six rebounds for Apple Valley High the last two years and has started three years, leading the team to a 63-20 record. Molzen has a career average of 15.7 points, 14.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks at El Capitan High.

EWU landed two in-state players from Snohomish County and Breana Olson, a 5-7 guard from Meridian, Idaho.

Sydney Benson, a 6-2 forward from Snohomish High, averaged seven points and seven rebounds in helping her team reached the State 4A semifinals. She holds the school record with 120 career blocks.

Tara Holgate, a 6-4 forward at Snohomish County Christian in Everett, averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks and was named to the State B All-Tournament team.

Olson averaged 14 points, six rebounds and three steals for Mountain View High last season.

“We are delighted with this recruiting class,” EWU coach Wendy Schuller said. “These three young ladies all have the entire package. They are great athletes, students of the game, have unlimited potential and love Eastern Washington women’s basketball. We feel like they are already part of the family.”

Idaho signed McKenzie Flynn, a 5-7 point guard from Redmond, Wash., and Jordyn Bowen, a 6-1 post from Centennial High in Las Vegas.

“We are very excited about this recruiting class as a whole,” Vandals coach Mike Divilbiss said. “It is not large in number, which is nice because that is a good indication the program is being built. These two players fit our team perfectly. They are hard-nosed, competitive and drive players who will handle the expectations of our program very well.”

Flynn averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 assists and 3.6 steals as a junior. Bowen helped lead Centennial to back-to-back state titles while averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

Two other high profile area players elected to go to out of state Division I programs although their schools released no information.

Briann January of Lewis and Clark said she would attend Arizona State, becoming the fourth player off the Spokane Stars elite summer program to join the Sun Devils. Angela Hartill of Riverside chose New Mexico.