The UCF women’s basketball team has added three rising juniors to its roster for the 2014-15 season, head coach Joi Williams announced Monday.
Kariel Hutt, of Johnson County Community College (Overland Park, Kan.), Erica Juarbe, of ASA College (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and Joslyn Massey, of Purdue, will join the Knights for this upcoming campaign.
The group will join freshmen Aliyah Gregory, Nyala Shuler and Ndeye “Fifi” Ndour when the Knights compete on the blacktop once again in the fall.
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Hutt earned all-conference recognition last season and finished her career at JCCC as one of the program’s all-time leading rebounders. She became the seventh player in team history to record more than 500 career points and 600 career rebounds after averaging 8.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
“We are very excited about Kariel,” Williams said. “She will definitely help our presence in the paint. She is a physical player that has a great knack for rebounding. Kariel also has a great basketball IQ, so we are looking forward to having her come aboard.”
Juarbe is a native of New York and was a regular starter for the Lady Avengers the past two seasons. She was an integral part of two teams that went on to win back-to-back Region XV and District C titles, and earned first round game wins at the NJCAA National Championships.
Her standout performance of 16 points and 15 rebounds against Monroe CC in this year’s District C final helped ASA to their second district title in two years.
“The first thing I noticed about Erica was her toughness,” Williams said. “She is a player who gives a great deal of effort every time she steps onto the floor. She is a very good rebounding guard and is also a good defensive player. Erica is a good all-around player and we’re excited to help her improve once she’s here.”
A native of Detroit, Mich., Massey has suited up sparingly for Purdue for the last two seasons and will be forced to sit out of game action due to NCAA transfer rules. She appeared in the Boilermakers’ 2013 NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against Liberty.
“Although she’ll have to sit out this year, we’re excited about what Joslyn will bring every day to practice,” Williams said. “She will play a key role in making our players better. Joslyn can play the three or four position, is a good ball handler for her size, and is very good in transition.”
Williams is set to serve her eighth season with the Knights, who return four starters, including All-Freshman selection Zykira Lewis.
“It’s a strong group. They will complement the players we already have,” Williams said of the entire incoming class. “One of the things we wanted to focus on this year was improving our depth. We’re excited about the players that we’ve added. Hopefully with them and the nucleus that we have, we will be an exciting team to watch.”