Aggies sign two post players
You can never have enough post players — virtually every college basketball coach will tell you that.
And with Utah State needing to replace 6-foot-4 Lydia Whitehead and 6-2 Nicole Johnson, women’s coach Raegen Pebley found a pair of junior college players to step in.
Here’s the press release:
Utah State women’s basketball head coach Raegan Pebley announced Monday the signing of forwards Maddy Plunkett and Reyneisha Mays.
Plunkett, a native of Albury, New South Wales, Australia, is a 6-2 forward who will have two years of eligibility. She comes to USU from the College of Southern Idaho, where she was an honorable mention Region 18 selection in 2009-10 after averaging 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in helping the Golden Eagles to a 22-9 overall and a 14-6 Scenic West Athletic Conference record. Plunkett also earned NJCAA first-team All-American honors as a freshman.
“I chose Utah State because I feel like I have become very familiar with the program over the last three years and because of the relationship I have built with them and the genuineness of the players and coaches,” Plunkett said. “I also feel that it is a place I can be very successful both academically and athletically. I have high expectations for my experience and are excited to see what the future brings.”
As a freshman in 2007-08, Plunkett earned Region 18 Player of the Year honors after posting 14.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg. As a freshman, she was also named to the Region 18 Tournament all-tournament team for her efforts in leading CSI to a sixth-place finish. She had single-game highs of 31 points and 15 rebounds last season at CSI.
A day after being named a NJCAA Preseason All-American, Plunkett tore the ACL in her right knee in late October, 2008, during a scrimmage in Salt Lake City. She redshirted the 2008-09 season after the injury, returning as a sophomore for the 2009-10 season.
“I am very pleased that Maddy has chosen to accept a scholarship at Utah State,” said CSI head coach Randy Rogers. “I believe Maddy will make a tremendous impact for the Aggies. She is an extremely versatile basketball player that has the ability to score inside and out. She has made a great impact on Southern Idaho women’s basketball, our community and me personally.”
In Australia, Plunkett was a member of the Australian Under-19 Junior Olympic Team. She helped New South Wales to the bronze medal game of the Australian U-20 Tournament, netting the first 14 points in the game. Plunkett attended Xavier High School.
“I believe that Utah State is `the’ university and women’s basketball program for Maddy. I know that as much as she can help our program achieve our goals on the court, we can help her achieve her personal, academic, and athletic goals,” Pebley said.
Mays, a native of Granada Hills, Calif., is a 6-3 forward who will have two years of eligibility. She comes to USU from Moorpark College in Moorpark, Calif. As a freshman, she led the team in rebounds, averaging 8.9 per game. Mays was also second in scoring, averaging 12.7 ppg.
“Reyneisha is a great student-athlete. We are very fortunate to have her apart of our program and I believe she will one day be one of our more distinguished alumni due to her academic success and goals. Additionally, she will add athleticism, rebounding and size in the post position,” Pebley said.