MACOMB, Ill. - First-year head coach JD Gravina announced the signing of two athletes for the women's basketball roster for the upcoming season. Karis Phillips (South Bend, Ind./North Dakota State College of Sciences) and Martyna Kudziela (Brisbane, Australia/Brisbane State) will join the Purple & Gold for the 2011-12 campaign.
Coach Gravina also announced that Lindsay Carroll (Roscoe, Ill./Rockton Hononegah), a 5-7 guard, will honor her commitment to the Leathernecks from early signing period in November and join Western Illinois in the fall to begin her college career.
"We are extremely lucky to find two more good players on such a limited timeline," said Gravina. "Karis and Martyna will fill some immediate voids and allow our staff to concentrate on recruiting high school seniors from around the region for our 2012 class."
Phillips, a 5-2 guard, will join the Purple & Gold after two seasons at North Dakota State College of Sciences. She attended South Bend Washington High School where she played with current Notre Dame standout and All-American Skylar Diggins. She will have two years of competition remaining.
While at NDSCS, Phillips averaged 13.7 points per game while dishing out 4.6 assists per game and shooting a 37 percent clip from behind the arc. In addition, the guard collected 142 assists to only 91 turnovers. She was named Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American.
"Karis will be a good two-year player at our point guard position," said Gravina. "She is a true point guard, she can shoot the three, attack the basket and distribute the basketball. Her assist-to-turnover ratio shows the type of decision maker she is. Her quickness will also allow her to hassle our opponents' ball handlers."
Kudziela, a 6-0 forward, will bring depth to the forward position. The incoming freshman played prep basketball for Brisbane State and has been a member of the Queensland Under-20 women's state team. Kudziela also played for the Brisbane Boomerangs, a traveling club team.
"Martyna is 6'0 forward who moves really well for her size," said Gravina. "She will fit into our system well because she has the ball-handling skills necessary to play on the perimeter but can also score, rebound and defend in the paint. She will force opposing defenders to guard her all the way out to the three-point line and can really play in transition."
