TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University head women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne today announced that student-athletes Eva Rubin and Bre'yanna Sanders have signed national letters of intent to join the Sun Devil women's basketball program.
"We are excited to announce that Eva and Bre will be joining our Sun Devil women's basketball family," Turner Thorne said. "Both of these young women come from great families and will not only excel on the court but in the classroom and our community.
"We also want to highlight that we have (UConn transfer Courtney Ekmark) redshirting and she will begin her ASU career next year. Courtney will provide consistent scoring, as well as invaluable toughness and leadership."
A 6-5 post, Rubin will be coming to ASU from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois, where she averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as a junior in 2016. Ranked No. 14 at her position by ESPN.com, Rubin earned Class 3A/4A All-State recognition from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association last season in addition to also being named to the All-Area and All-Conference teams. As a sophomore in 2015, Rubin helped lead her squad to a fourth-place finish in the IHSA 4A state tournament. During Homewood-Flossmoor's run in the tournament, Rubin tied a Class 4A single-game record with five blocked shots.
"We are simply ecstatic about what Eva will bring to our program," Turner Thorne said. "She is a skilled, tough, hardworking center who will immediately contribute to our team as we graduate (senior post players) Quinn (Dornstauder), Sara (Hattis), and Sophie (Brunner). Her rebounding, low block scoring and shot blocking are exceptional.
"While we loved Eva's game on the court, we were also tremendously impressed with her maturity and leadership qualities. She has great passion for the game and an intense, competitive spirit."
Added Homewood-Flossmoor coach Tony Smith, "Eva has the ability to become a dominant post player. She is an old-fashioned, back-to-the-basket post with good hands and touch. I am looking forward to her leading us to a state championship and continued success at ASU."
A 6-0 forward, Sanders will be joining the Sun Devils from Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, where she has earned first-team All-Valley recognition in addition to being named the team's defensive player of the year each of the last two seasons. In 2016 Sanders averaged 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks in helping lead her team to 30-4 record and the semifinals of the Southern California Regional Open Division. She would go on to be named the league co-player of the year. In 2015 Sanders had a big role on a team that posted a 26-5 record, its third straight Central Section Division I title and reached the second round of the Southern California Open Division regional.
"Bre Sanders is a versatile, dynamic forward who will be able to play multiple positions and impact the game on both sides of the ball," Turner Thorne said. "She is an excellent shooter, elite rebounder and relentless defender. As great as Bre is as a basketball player, she is an even better teammate and leader. We are so excited for all that she will bring to our Sun Devil family."
Added Clovis West girls basketball coach Craig Campbell, "I've had the pleasure of having Bre'yanna in our program for a total of nine years as she began playing in our AAU program in the fourth grade. Bre'yanna is a selfless teammate with tremendous defensive anticipation and instincts. She is such a versatile athlete that she can defend all five positions on the floor. She's a good vocal leader and is excellent at holding teammates accountable. Her presence in practice and the weight room is going to be greatly missed."
In addition to Rubin and Sanders, another new contributor to the Sun Devil women's basketball team next season will be Ekmark, who transferred to ASU from UConn earlier this year. Per NCAA transfer rules Ekmark has to sit out this season, but will be eligible to play next season and will have two years of eligibility. A Valley native, Ekmark starred previously at St. Mary's where she helped lead the Knights to an 87-3 record and three-straight Division I State Titles.
"Adding Courtney Ekmark with true freshman Bre and Eva, we feel this class will provide outstanding play and allow our program to continue to be one of the best in the country," Turner Thorne said.
This year's Sun Devil squad returns three senior starters – posts Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos – from the 2015-16 team that captured a share of the Pac-12 regular season title, won 26 games (tied for third-highest win total in program history) and went on to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest placement in program history. In addition to the aforementioned senior starters, 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Charli Turner Thorne will also welcome a five-member freshman class – Sydney Goodson, Reili Richardson, Jamie Ruden, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan – that was ranked among the nation's top 10 signing classes when it was announced last fall, and Sara Hattis, a graduate post who will be eligible to play this season after transferring to ASU from the University of Texas in May.
Season and single-game tickets are now on sale for the Sun Devil women's basketball team's 2016-17 home slate. Click here for more information or contact a Sun Devil ticket office representative at 480-965-5812.
The Sun Devils, ranked No. 16 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 18 in the AP poll, open their season on Friday (4 p.m.) when they host Illinois State as part of the University's Salute to Service Weekend. They will then close out the weekend on Sunday when they host San Jose State at 2 p.m. in the program's annual #KeepTheBeat game for Heart Health Awareness.
Fans are invited to arrive at noon on Sunday for 'Taste of Tempe,' a free food-tasting event featuring heart healthy food that will take place in the arboretum outside Wells Fargo Arena. Then at 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the game) fans can make their way into Wells Fargo Arena for a Heart Health Expo that will offer various health screenings in addition to several organizations providing information about heart healthy living.
"We are excited to announce that Eva and Bre will be joining our Sun Devil women's basketball family," Turner Thorne said. "Both of these young women come from great families and will not only excel on the court but in the classroom and our community.
"We also want to highlight that we have (UConn transfer Courtney Ekmark) redshirting and she will begin her ASU career next year. Courtney will provide consistent scoring, as well as invaluable toughness and leadership."
A 6-5 post, Rubin will be coming to ASU from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois, where she averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as a junior in 2016. Ranked No. 14 at her position by ESPN.com, Rubin earned Class 3A/4A All-State recognition from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association last season in addition to also being named to the All-Area and All-Conference teams. As a sophomore in 2015, Rubin helped lead her squad to a fourth-place finish in the IHSA 4A state tournament. During Homewood-Flossmoor's run in the tournament, Rubin tied a Class 4A single-game record with five blocked shots.
"We are simply ecstatic about what Eva will bring to our program," Turner Thorne said. "She is a skilled, tough, hardworking center who will immediately contribute to our team as we graduate (senior post players) Quinn (Dornstauder), Sara (Hattis), and Sophie (Brunner). Her rebounding, low block scoring and shot blocking are exceptional.
"While we loved Eva's game on the court, we were also tremendously impressed with her maturity and leadership qualities. She has great passion for the game and an intense, competitive spirit."
Added Homewood-Flossmoor coach Tony Smith, "Eva has the ability to become a dominant post player. She is an old-fashioned, back-to-the-basket post with good hands and touch. I am looking forward to her leading us to a state championship and continued success at ASU."
A 6-0 forward, Sanders will be joining the Sun Devils from Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, where she has earned first-team All-Valley recognition in addition to being named the team's defensive player of the year each of the last two seasons. In 2016 Sanders averaged 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks in helping lead her team to 30-4 record and the semifinals of the Southern California Regional Open Division. She would go on to be named the league co-player of the year. In 2015 Sanders had a big role on a team that posted a 26-5 record, its third straight Central Section Division I title and reached the second round of the Southern California Open Division regional.
"Bre Sanders is a versatile, dynamic forward who will be able to play multiple positions and impact the game on both sides of the ball," Turner Thorne said. "She is an excellent shooter, elite rebounder and relentless defender. As great as Bre is as a basketball player, she is an even better teammate and leader. We are so excited for all that she will bring to our Sun Devil family."
Added Clovis West girls basketball coach Craig Campbell, "I've had the pleasure of having Bre'yanna in our program for a total of nine years as she began playing in our AAU program in the fourth grade. Bre'yanna is a selfless teammate with tremendous defensive anticipation and instincts. She is such a versatile athlete that she can defend all five positions on the floor. She's a good vocal leader and is excellent at holding teammates accountable. Her presence in practice and the weight room is going to be greatly missed."
In addition to Rubin and Sanders, another new contributor to the Sun Devil women's basketball team next season will be Ekmark, who transferred to ASU from UConn earlier this year. Per NCAA transfer rules Ekmark has to sit out this season, but will be eligible to play next season and will have two years of eligibility. A Valley native, Ekmark starred previously at St. Mary's where she helped lead the Knights to an 87-3 record and three-straight Division I State Titles.
"Adding Courtney Ekmark with true freshman Bre and Eva, we feel this class will provide outstanding play and allow our program to continue to be one of the best in the country," Turner Thorne said.
This year's Sun Devil squad returns three senior starters – posts Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos – from the 2015-16 team that captured a share of the Pac-12 regular season title, won 26 games (tied for third-highest win total in program history) and went on to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest placement in program history. In addition to the aforementioned senior starters, 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Charli Turner Thorne will also welcome a five-member freshman class – Sydney Goodson, Reili Richardson, Jamie Ruden, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan – that was ranked among the nation's top 10 signing classes when it was announced last fall, and Sara Hattis, a graduate post who will be eligible to play this season after transferring to ASU from the University of Texas in May.
Season and single-game tickets are now on sale for the Sun Devil women's basketball team's 2016-17 home slate. Click here for more information or contact a Sun Devil ticket office representative at 480-965-5812.
The Sun Devils, ranked No. 16 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 18 in the AP poll, open their season on Friday (4 p.m.) when they host Illinois State as part of the University's Salute to Service Weekend. They will then close out the weekend on Sunday when they host San Jose State at 2 p.m. in the program's annual #KeepTheBeat game for Heart Health Awareness.
Fans are invited to arrive at noon on Sunday for 'Taste of Tempe,' a free food-tasting event featuring heart healthy food that will take place in the arboretum outside Wells Fargo Arena. Then at 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the game) fans can make their way into Wells Fargo Arena for a Heart Health Expo that will offer various health screenings in addition to several organizations providing information about heart healthy living.