Indiana All-State guard Catherine Graham and 6-foot-5 Canadian Katie Ward have signed National Letters of Intent for basketball at Illinois State University.
Graham, a 5-foot-8 sharpshooting point guard, led Hanovers Southwestern High School to the 2002 Indiana Class 2A State Championship. Ward will join current Redbird sophomore Katie Donovan to give Illinois State a pair of Canadians and a total of four international players. Ward matches current 6-foot-5 Redbird junior Zora Skrabalova as the tallest players in Illinois State womens basketball history.
Redbird coach Jenny Yopp is excited about what the two players will bring to Illinois State.
The opportunity to sign another exceptional point guard and true center speaks volumes for the future of Redbird basketball as we continue to build a team capable of competing at the next level, said Yopp.
The Redbirds open the regular season Nov. 23 at Western Michigan and play their first home game at 7:05 p.m. Nov. 25 vs. Butler in Redbird Arena.
-- 30 --
2002-03 ILLINOIS STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
FALL, 2002: Catherine Graham, 5-8, Fr., G, Hanover, Ind. (Southwestern High School)
Katie Ward, 6-5, Fr., C, Calgary, Alberta (St. Marys High School)
CATHERINE GRAHAM, 5-8, G
Southwestern H.S., Hanover, Ind.
GRAHAM NOTES: 2002-03 Preseason Hoosier Basketball Top 26 (13 girls, 13 boys) ... Most Valuable Player of the 2002 Indiana Class 2A Championship Game, leading her team to the title with a 25-2 record ... 2002 Honorable Mention All-State ... 2002 All-Regional Team ... 2001 & 2002 All-Sectional Team ... 2000, 2001 & 2002 all-conference ... led team to 25-2 record as a junior, 19-3 as a sophomore ... career prep averages for first three seasons: 14.7 points, 4.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 steals, .487 field goal percentage, .361 three-point percentage, .806 free throw percentage ... junior season averaged 18.8 ppg and shot .503 from the field ... prep coach is Donna Cheatham, Indianas all-time career wins leader ... goes by the nickname Cat ... plans to major in pre-medicine, planning a career in sports medicine ... National Honor Society member ... daughter of Robert and Susan Graham, with brothers Nicholas and Matthew ... full name is Catherine Marie Graham, born Jan. 16, 1985 in Charlotte, N.C.
QUOTING CATHERINE: "Im looking forward to playing at Illinois State because it will be an intense level of play against great opponents. The coaching staff and players really impressed me during my visit. You can see that coach Yopp really loves the game and really loves coaching. I was particularly impressed with Redbird Arena. Its a great facility--not just the court, but the locker rooms and other facilities as well."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON CATHERINE:
"Cat is a solid point guard/shooting guard combo who is a winner on and off the court. Our staff refers to Cat as having a running-back mentality and athleticism. She goes for it in every situation. She is the product of the winningest high school basketball coach in Indiana history (Donna Cheatham) and helped turn a struggling program into an Indiana State high school champion. Cats blue-collar, hard-work ethic epitomizes our vision of Redbird basketball.
KATIE WARD, 6-5, C
St. Marys H.S., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
WARD NOTES: Led her team with 16.7 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks per game ... her high schools 2002 Athlete of the Year for basketball and volleyball ... MVP of Alberta All-Star team ... two-year player with Calgary Shooting Stars elite team ... won 2002 World Youth Basketball Tournament Free Throw contest (90 percent) and team championship played at Maui ... an accomplished equestrian, she is the Alberta Junior Amateur Show Jumping Champion ... prep coach is Brian Utley ... plans to major in business ... parents are Bob Ward , Mary Lou and Paul Little, with sister Alexis ... full name is Kaitlin Anne Ward, born June 1, 1985.
QUOTING KATIE: "I first heard about Illinois State at the Nike Camp in Toronto. I was intrigued by the quality of the university and the excellent coaching staff. When I made my visit to Illinois State, I found out that the players are great. They are such a committed team. They have fun together off the court, but work very hard on the court. Im looking forward to learning a lot and improving my skills. The fact that Zora is there and she is my size, but more experienced, will definitely help me become better."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON KATIE:
"Katie is a true 6-foot-5 center. She will add valuable size and mobility to our program. She runs the floor well, is a strong leaper who can grab the rim and her soft touch around the basket will help us to build one of the stronger front-courts in the Missouri Valley Conference. Katie will have a fantastic mentor in Zora Skrabalova during her first year on a daily basis. We look forward to seeing her fulfill her potential in a Redbird uniform."
