FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona women’s basketball team has received letters of intent from eight players to join the program for the 2013-14 season.
“We’re ecstatic,” NAU head coach Sue Darling said about her first recruiting class. “It’s a really solid class on the basketball floor and absolutely in the community and in the classroom. The people of NAU and Flagstaff are going to be so impressed with these young women because they will represent our school and our community to the highest level. They’re just great kids and wonderful students and on top of that they can play some basketball.”
The incoming class includes two players from Colorado and one each from Arizona, California, Oregon, Texas and Kansas, plus Bisera Peshkova from Bulgaria, who will begin school at NAU in January before becoming eligible to play for the Lumberjacks next season. The class includes three point guards, two post players and three wing players.
Darling offered the following assessment on each recruit:
Destiny Amezquita, 5-4 guard, San Antonio, Texas, John Jay HS. Four-year starter, two-year captain and first-team all-district as a junior, averaged 17 points and 7 assists.
Darling: “Destiny is kid that has got savvy written all over her. She’s not big in stature but she can absolutely play the game. She creates first for her teammates and then for herself and anybody would love playing with her. She has deep range and is a great floor general with unbelievable court vision.”
Rene’ Coggins, 5-7 guard, Mesa, Mountain View HS. Four-year letter winner, three-year captain, averaged 11 points per game while shooting 87 percent from free-throw line, ranks 12th in class of 718 students with 4.00 GPA.
Darling: “When it comes to work ethic there aren’t a lot of kids that could outwork Rene’. She has a high basketball IQ and she’s dynamic both offensively and defensively. She has tremendous basketball ability and her leadership skills are what really make her stand out.”
Bradlee Cotton, 6-1 center, Denver, Science & Technology HS. Second-team Class 3A all-state as a junior, averaged 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals for 25-2 team.
Darling: “Bradlee is very strong on the inside and very skilled on the outside and has a very high basketball IQ. She’s going to contribute both offensively and defensively and she definitely has basketball smarts.”
Taylor Leyva, 5-11 guard/forward, Pueblo, Colo., Pueblo West HS. Four-year starter, two-year captain, two-time All-South Central League, averaged 15.1 points as a junior.
Darling: “Taylor is a dynamic wing. She’s kind of a do-it-all player – she can shoot, she can pass, she can dribble. She plays great defense and can rebound so she’s a kid that’s hard to stop whether she’s playing on the wing or on the point or inside. She’s very athletic and can create for herself and her teammates.”
Brittani Lusain, 5-8 guard, San Diego, Mater Dei Catholic HS. Four-year starter, three-year captain, first-team all-conference, averaged 11 points, 9 rebounds and four assists as a junior.
Darling: “Brittani is a dynamic guard who can create for herself and others. She can hit a three but can also get them the old fashion way by driving to the hoop and scoring with contact. She can take a hit and still put the ball in the hoop and she’s an incredible rebounder from the guard position.”
Bisera Peshkova, 5-10 guard, Bulgaria, Barking Abbey Academy. Played in the FIBA Under-18 European Women’s Championship in 2010, played at Central Arizona College last year.
Darling: “Bisera is a lights-out shooter. If she has any opening at all she’s going to put the ball in the hole at distances even greater than the three-point line. She’s going to be a killer from the outside and she has a tremendous work ethic
Catelyn Preston, 5-11 guard/forward, Oregon City, Ore., HS. Three-year starter, two-year captain for team that twice finished third in state of Oregon, averaged 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as a junior for team that went 25-3.
Darling: “Caitlin is a savvy ball player. She is very good facing the hoop and with her back to the basket and she has a tremendous ability to find the open player as well as score herself. She is a great passer and really knows the game.”
Hunter Thomas, 6-1 forward, Stilwell, Kan., Blue Valley Southwest HS. Transferred to Blue Valley Southeast after three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas; won state championship as a sophomore and finished third as a junior.
Darling: “Hunter is absolutely blue collar. She’s big and strong and powerful and loves the physical game. She can get up and down the floor and has very good lateral quickness. She scores and rebounds and will be a real physical presence on the inside.”
