Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
Good get for Illini women Played with Cori Allen in HS at Montverde
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Green loves agile bigs that can run up and down the courtCan't wait to see what Coach Cat can do with her because she clearly has the talent.
I love that we added the height and the traits for our center position with Hayven and Leti .I just hope for a rapid transition for both of these bigs ,and if so this middle of the pack projection will be blown out of the water…Or my orange and blue koolaid might be a tad too sweet right now…I’m really happy for Shauna Green and the Illini family…Height is no longer an issue. The 6th ranked center in the class of 2023 and 36 overall. Yeah, I'll take that. Can't wait to see what Coach Cat can do with her because she clearly has the talent
Sure looks like it.Spain?
That seems really good.Another center and one that can pop from outside. Illini women are putting together a much improved set of talent. Looking forward to seeing how they pan out. https://play.fiba3x3.com/players/4d62094b-3642-4759-bfe5-facee6d4260a
Well we have that spot covered now…with potential…Come on down Divine for next year’s run at he B1G title ..
That seems really good.
Seems like a really good add. Both young centers/frontcourt players. Flexibility in lineups. UW and SG seem to be comparing notes.
Thanks for all of the intereting info. I really don't know what to think of the 2 latest additions. Neither have very impressive stats. Lety looks very raw and unskilled from the very very little I have seen but she was rated high. She definitely has size. Irene seems to have some talent and skill and moves well. Not crazy about that 40 FT%. I am confident in this coaching staffs ability to evaluate and develop talent though. Lets get those 2025 recruits now!Yes, interesting that Underwood (Jakucionis) and Green (Noya Catoira) both found their most recent signees in Barcelona!
Not jumping out of my chair for the signing of Irene Noya Catoira, but won’t complain about adding depth. She’s a 6’3” forward/center that based on the little info I have gathered (so take this for what it’s worth–I’m just a fan with an internet connection) isn’t especially powerful or explosive athletically, played for Spain’s U17 3x3 team but not its full court U17 5x5 team, and wasn’t a dominant performer with her academy/club team in Barcelona. You could see her playing the 4 or the 5, though perhaps is a tad undersized as a 5. I suspect her success in college will hinge on her developing elite skills and feel for the game. I will guess that she fills the Samantha Dewey role this coming year, but look forward to actually finding out!
Still, it doesn’t hurt to add one first-year player at the 4 position behind seniors Bostic and Schoup-Hill, and junior Bollin, and develop a connection to a leading basketball academy in Spain.
Sharing what I found...
There’s full game video on YouTube of Noya Catoira in the 2023 3x3 U17 Europe Cup events, as well as videos on the academy she played for in Barcelona, Segle XXI.
Segle XXI (“21st Century”) is similar to American basketball academies such as Montverde and IMG, hosting high school-age female basketball players in dorms and filling their days with school and a professional-style training environment. The academy aims to develop the next generation of Spanish basketball stars, with many participating on age-grade national teams and a number of them heading to D1 American college programs. Catoira’s teammates Maria Rodriguez, Marta Alsina, and Daviane Mindoudi, for example, signed with Oklahoma State, Washington State, and James Madison. Former teammates playing this past year in the US included: Marina Mata (BYU), Laia Conesa (Kansas), Cristina Sanchez (Arkansas), Ariadna Termis (Georgia Tech), Blau Tor (Columbia), and Silvia Gonzalez (Bryant). None of them starred in their first year of college basketball.
Unlike American basketball academies, Segle XXI plays in a second-tier professional women’s league, Liga Feminina 2 de Baloncestro, rather than against other high school teams. Segle XXI mopped up in the league this year, winning 25 of 26 games by an average margin of 24 points. Apparently they are not eligible for promotion to the top division of Spanish pro women’s basketball, possibly due to their unique status as a vehicle for youth development that graduates players annually. Minutes were shared pretty equally among most of the players on the squad, like we see in AAU ball.
Noya Catoira’s stats from the 2023-24 season:
6.5 points/game (5th on team)
4.8 rebounds/game (5th on team)
1.1 assists/game (9th on team)
0.4 blocks/game (1st on team)
2pt field goal pct: 46%
3pt field goal pct: 26%
Free throw pct: 40%
Eurobasket player page already lists her as an Illini: https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Irene-Noya/665196?Women=1
Nice in depth dive! Seems like this is a longer term, developmental prospect but with good size and outlook.Yes, interesting that Underwood (Jakucionis) and Green (Noya Catoira) both found their most recent signees in Barcelona!
Not jumping out of my chair for the signing of Irene Noya Catoira, but won’t complain about adding depth. She’s a 6’3” forward/center that based on the little info I have gathered (so take this for what it’s worth–I’m just a fan with an internet connection) isn’t especially powerful or explosive athletically, played for Spain’s U17 3x3 team but not its full court U17 5x5 team, and wasn’t a dominant performer with her academy/club team in Barcelona. You could see her playing the 4 or the 5, though perhaps is a tad undersized as a 5. I suspect her success in college will hinge on her developing elite skills and feel for the game. I will guess that she fills the Samantha Dewey role this coming year, but look forward to actually finding out!
Still, it doesn’t hurt to add one first-year player at the 4 position behind seniors Bostic and Schoup-Hill, and junior Bollin, and develop a connection to a leading basketball academy in Spain.
Sharing what I found...
There’s full game video on YouTube of Noya Catoira in the 2023 3x3 U17 Europe Cup events, as well as videos on the academy she played for in Barcelona, Segle XXI.
Segle XXI (“21st Century”) is similar to American basketball academies such as Montverde and IMG, hosting high school-age female basketball players in dorms and filling their days with school and a professional-style training environment. The academy aims to develop the next generation of Spanish basketball stars, with many participating on age-grade national teams and a number of them heading to D1 American college programs. Catoira’s teammates Maria Rodriguez, Marta Alsina, and Daviane Mindoudi, for example, signed with Oklahoma State, Washington State, and James Madison. Former teammates playing this past year in the US included: Marina Mata (BYU), Laia Conesa (Kansas), Cristina Sanchez (Arkansas), Ariadna Termis (Georgia Tech), Blau Tor (Columbia), and Silvia Gonzalez (Bryant). None of them starred in their first year of college basketball.
Unlike American basketball academies, Segle XXI plays in a second-tier professional women’s league, Liga Feminina 2 de Baloncestro, rather than against other high school teams. Segle XXI mopped up in the league this year, winning 25 of 26 games by an average margin of 24 points. Apparently they are not eligible for promotion to the top division of Spanish pro women’s basketball, possibly due to their unique status as a vehicle for youth development that graduates players annually. Minutes were shared pretty equally among most of the players on the squad, like we see in AAU ball.
Noya Catoira’s stats from the 2023-24 season:
6.5 points/game (5th on team)
4.8 rebounds/game (5th on team)
1.1 assists/game (9th on team)
0.4 blocks/game (1st on team)
2pt field goal pct: 46%
3pt field goal pct: 26%
Free throw pct: 40%
Eurobasket player page already lists her as an Illini: https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Irene-Noya/665196?Women=1
Wow I didn’t know we were in the hunt for a Kamren Kitchens as well..She once had Iowa in her picture but now from what I saw on her options she seems to like Va. or Tech.even Penn State all sort of regional.Having The Illini in that mix is definitely a plus because we are the only team out of that time zone.I hope we have some Kitchens cookin on the State Farm..lol.