June 2, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton added a junior college transfer to her 2006-07 recruiting class when Lincoln Land Community College forward Tamara Butler signed a national letter of intent to play for the Redbirds.
"A couple of things really attracted us to Tamara," Pingeton said. "One of the things that we're really excited about is the amount of game experience she has. She started almost every game (at her junior college) for the past two years, so she's coming in as a veteran player.
"Tamara has a tremendous understanding of the game and that's not something that's always easy to teach. We were really impressed with her versatility. She's got the ability to play with her back to the basketball or she can create for herself away from the basket. She's physically tough and will present match-up problems for our opponents."
Butler, a 6-foot power forward, was a two-time Big 12 Conference first team pick at Centennial High School in Champaign. This season she averaged 16 points and 14 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Lincoln Land CC, leading the team in both of those categories as well as in thefts. The 24-8 Loggers reached the finals of the 2006 Region 24 Tournament, but were eliminated by Illinois Central, which ultimately won the national crown. LLCC, an NJCAA Division II institution, was No. 20 in the final poll of the season.
"The coaching staff and the players really welcomed me when I went to visit the campus. They made me feel really comfortable," Butler said. "I'm excited about coming to Illinois State because they play well as a team, and I really like the fast-paced style of play. I feel like it's a perfect fit for me.
Butler joins three freshmen in Pingeton's third ISU recruiting class. Ashleen Bracey (Oak Park-River Forest HS), Maggie Krick (Washington HS) and Kenyatta Shelton (Chicago Crane HS) round out the class, which will join 11 returning letterwinners. The `Birds will be looking to improve on last season's 12-16 finish.
