The 2010-11 season was a disappointment for the Oregon women’s basketball program. The Ducks endured a rash of injuries and underachieved to the tune of a 13-17 record. Despite an end-of-the-year downturn in which Oregon lost 12 of its final 14 games, the Ducks enter the 2011-12 season with an abundance of hope and optimism, in part due to a banner five-person incoming freshman class that should make critical contributions to this year’s squad.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205034590&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Here’s a quick look at the five newcomers to the women’s basketball program.
Amanda Delgado — The Nevada Gatorade High School Player of the Year as a senior, Delgado is best described as a fearless gunner. Delgado first caught the eye of Oregon’s coaches with a strong showing on the AAU circuit the summer before her senior year. She continued her hot shooting into her senior season, in which she averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4305&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205181736&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Coach Paul Westhead’s assessment: “Anything she catches, she’s firing. She’s going to shoot that ball. We’re trying to get players who can play like Taylor Lilley did two years ago for me and I found out last year that it’s hard to play without them and I found out going forward it’s hard to replace them. Amanda Delgado has a good chance of being that.”
Janitah Iamaleava — A four-year starter at center for Californian powerhouse Carson High, Iamaleava is a well-rounded player who is as effective playing on the perimeter as she is in the paint. The 31st ranked post player in the class of 2011 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz, Iamaleava averaged 13.3 points and 9 rebounds per game as a high school senior.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205181052@@
Westhead: “Janitah is a shooting big, that’s why we recruited her, the further away she gets from the basket the better she is. For a 6-foot-2 young lady, usually it’s the other way around. She’s a good perimeter player.”
Lexi Petersen — A brilliant all-around athlete from Seattle Christian High School in Seattle, Wash., Petersen helped guide her basketball team to four straight conference titles and a state championship in 2009. Petersen impressed in track and field as well — she competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and triple jump, in which she finished second in the state meet in 2009 with a mark of 35’4’’. Unfortunately for Petersen and the Ducks, she’s still recovering from a torn ACL that cut her senior year short and may not be at full strength when the season begins.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4305&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205181669&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Westhead: “Lexi Petersen we brought in as hopefully the fastest player that we’ve ever recruited. However, I can’t announce that’s so with her coming off the injury.”
Megan Carpenter — The tallest member of Oregon’s freshman class at 6-foot-4, Carpenter is also the group’s only true post player. The Colorado native was a dominant force on the interior as a high school senior, averaging 15.2 points, 13 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game. Carpenter garnered the Denver Post’s First-Team All-State honors after her junior year and second team all-state after her senior campaign.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4305&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205181059&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Westhead: “She is a legit post player. She just gravitates towards playing in the low post, she feels that’s where she belongs. She’s very comfortable in the post and that’s something we haven’t had too much of.”
Jordan Loera — Perhaps the most highly touted member of Oregon’s freshman class, Loera was a four-year starter for Moses Lake High School in Moses Lake, Wash. She left her mark on the record books, setting school marks in points scored, assists and steals. Along the way, Loera garnered Seattle Times All-State First Team honors in her sophomore and senior years. She was Oregon’s only four-star recruit according to the recruiting to ESPN’s HoopGurlz.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4305&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205183493&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Westhead: “Every day she practices, I like her more. She’s a very good player. She’s going to play well to spite me. I’ll say ‘do this’ and she’ll do something opposite. She’s just a smart, tough, young lady.”