Terrific Trio Signs With Beavers
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The No. 20/21 Oregon State women’s basketball team announced an outstanding 2014 recruiting class Wednesday, as the Beavers welcomed in a trio of signees.
Katie McWilliams of Salem Ore., Taylor Kalmer from Chandler, Ariz. and Tarea Green of Hillsboro, Ore. will all join the Beavers for the 2015-16 campaign.
“We are so excited to welcome this class to Oregon State,” said Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck. “They are outstanding individuals who come from incredible families. Each has impeccable character, excels academically, and will be outstanding ambassadors for OSU on the court and in our community. I am excited for Beaver Nation to get to know and fall in love with each of them. Collectively this class brings a wealth of talent to our roster and directly addresses our program needs.”
McWilliams highlights the exciting group, coming to the Beavers with a five-star rating from ESPN. The 6-foot-2 guard is the No. 40 ranked player overall and is eighth in ESPN’s guard rankings.
ESPN scout on McWilliams:
“Agile perimeter prospect with versatility; length with mid-range game creativity to the arc; handles in uptempo, breaks down defender, finishes in traffic; consistent offensive producer with next-level backcourt size.”
McWilliams, a longtime Beaver fan, made first team all-state last season, while competing for South Salem High School. She has earned All-Greater Valley Conference honors in all three of her high school seasons, and serves as a team captain. McWilliams also earned league MVP honors in her junior year, and was named the MVP of the Nike Insterstate Shootout in 2013. Over the course of her high school career, McWilliams has averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. She has also proven to be a force in the classroom, earning Academic All-Star honors three times.
“I have been watching Katie play as often as I could since the day I arrived at OSU and am delighted that she chose to stay in-state and play for the Beavers,” Rueck said. “She is a long and athletic highly skilled guard who can play all three perimeter positions and possibly even slide to the four on occasion. Katie is a coach's daughter who plays the game with a sixth sense that you can't coach. She is by nature a distributor and facilitator but has the skills and ability to take a game over as a scorer.”
Kalmer will join McWilliams in the back-court. The 5-foot-7 point guard received a three-star rating from ESPN, and is listed as the No. 31 point guard in this year’s recruiting class.
ESPN scout on Kalmer:
“Fundamental combo-guard with consistent mid-range game; superb shooter to the arc complemented by solid floor game.”
Kalmer has proven to be a consistent scorer for Corona Del Sol High School, averaging 20 points per game in her junior season, to go along with 3.1 assists and 2.3 steals. For her efforts, she has made the Tempe, Ariz. All-City Team three times, and was a 2014 Adidas 3-Stripe All-American. The point guard was also a First-Team All-Section honoree in her junior campaign.
“In Taylor, we are adding another talented guard out of Phoenix,” Rueck said. “She can play both the point and off-guard, and has an elite work ethic. Taylor is a threat to score from anywhere on the court with deep range behind the arc, and has the ability to score off the dribble at an elite level. She is a dynamic floor leader who excels in the open court, where she distributes the ball with next-level vision.”
Green is a 6-foot-4 post player, with a three-star rating from ESPN, and is listed as the No. 45 post player in this year’s class.
ESPN’s scouting report on Green says:
“Physical low-post prospect with developing footwork, back-to-basket game; post defender, shot blocking presence; mobile in transition game.”
Green is entering her second season at Hillsboro High School, after starting her career at Jesuit High School. She holds the Hillsboro High School record for both points and defensive rebounds in a season. Green was the third-highest scorer in Oregon’s 6A classification last year, and holds the school record for points in a game.
“Tarea is another talented in-state student-athlete that I have watched since the fall of my first year at OSU,” Rueck said. “She is a post player who is as comfortable shooting the three as she is scoring inside, with an incredible touch around the basket. Tarea provides our program with a unique skill set as she is an outstanding passer, is a tough match-up offensively, and has the ability to defend both post positions.”
The Beavers host their season opener Friday, when they take on Portland at 4 p.m. Season tickets for Oregon State women's basketball are now on sale by calling 1-800-GO BEAVS or logging onto beavertickets.com. Season tickets are $99 reserved and $64 general admission.
Fans possessing tickets for either the men’s or women’s basketball game this Friday may attend both without purchasing a separate ticket. Reserved seat tickets holders will be honored for both contests. Women’s basketball fans wishing to stay for the men’s game are asked to vacate reserved seats and move to general admission seating located in the upper concourse of Gill Coliseum. More details for this special offer will be announced tomorrow online at osubeavers.com, and via social and local media.