The Top 2011 Montana Girls Basketball Prospects (part 1)

Every time a post an article on Montana State and Montana recruiting lists I feel guilty about not publishing recruiting list for either Montana State Women’s or the Lady Griz basketball teams. The truth is it is much more difficult to follow these schools recruiting let along come up with list of their possible recruits. If I did produce a list it would end up being a list of the top Montana athletes and then maybe one or two out of state athletes. That got me thinking about just publishing a list of the top girls basketball players and rumors I have heard about their recruitment.

About a year ago I talked to about a handful of Montana girls basketball experts (at least by my standards) about the girls basketball recruiting. To a person every single one of them, while liking the 2009 and 2012 classes, really thought the 2011 prospect class was one of the weakest in recent history. I even had one predicted that none of this years class would sign with a D-1 program. Twelve or so months later things have changed.

While there is clearly a not big time recruit like a Jos Tinkle or a Kristen Tilleman in the class so far five athletes have committed to D-1 programs, with a couple of other who may or could have signed. Here are the girls’ basketball players who have committed to D-1 programs.

Kayla Dewit 6-1 Columbia Falls – power forward / center
She never played any AAU ball so was not well known out side the northwest, still she received recruiting attention from D-1 programs like Idaho, Montana and Gonzaga. Montana State was on her early and she committed to them early

Up to speed w/ Bobcat WBB recruiting

This is the third part getting everyone up to speed with the recruiting of the four Montana D-1 basketball program. This post will look at Tricia Binford’s Montana State Women’s basketball program.

The Montana State women have only 2 seniors this year but additionally currently have three open scholarships on their current roster.
As a result the Bobcat Women should have a total of five scholarships to offer this year. That said though, in Binford’s tenure at Montana State she has never filled all 15 scholarships in any given year.

The Bobcats are well on their way to filling out their scholarships with three Montana players already committed to the program. The Montana Class A trio of 5-8 guard Kalli Durham of Miles City, 6-0 guard Jackie Elliot of Billings Senior and 6-2 post Kayla DeWit of Columbia Falls all committed to Binford’s program over the summer. which should leave two spots still to be filled.

MSU WBB Commit: Kayla Dewit Update

Last month the Montana State Bobcat Women’s Basketball team got their first recruiting commit for the 2011 recruiting season when Columbia Falls 6-2 post Kayla Dewit told Tricia Binford’s program. The Bobcats had been recruiting Dewit for quite some time and was one of their top targets in the 2011 class, and her commitment got the Bobcat’s recruiting class off to a great start

Dewit averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds last season for Columbia Falls and was named First Team Class A All State. As a sophomore she averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds and was a second team all state selection. For the last three season Kayla has played along side her older sister 6-0 Kelsey Dewitt who has signed to play for Montana Tech next season. Kelsey was also a double digit scorer and rebounder for Columbia Falls.

Kayla Dewit will play the Power forward and center spot in college, and is expected to be a very good rebounder at the D-1 level. She is a very athletic 6-2 girl who can run the court and gets off her feet really well, which makes her the prototypical “Big” that Binford covets in her system. Binford prefers athletic and mobile big girls over the larger and lumbering post players, and is willing to give up a little height for speed.