By
Bryan Rosenbaum
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wildcats sign 4 in early signing period
After getting dominated on the boards and losing to Tennessee in the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament, head coach Joan Bonvicini decided the UA women's basketball team needed to get big and physical if they were going to compete at an elite level.
In the early signing period, which began Wednesday, Bonvicini hauled in one of the top recruiting classes in program history, featuring two powerful post players, a point guard and a swing forward.
Combined with the talent already on this year's team - which will lose one player, senior guard Reshea Bristol - and the Wildcats look set to compete for the Pacific 10 Conference championship and beyond for years to come.
"This is one of the best classes I've ever signed," Bonvicini said. "We didn't get a rebound in the first 10 minutes against Tennessee, and I don't like being pushed around.
"You put that group with the group coming back next season; we're going to be okay."
Leading the class is a pair of 6-4 post players, Danielle Adefoso and Shawntinice Polk.
Adefoso, out of California's Santa Monica High School, is ranked the 13th-best post/center in the country and No. 70 overall by the All-Star Girls Report. She averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, as Santa Monica finished with a school-best 22-5 record.
"Danielle's big, strong and a pretty good player," Bonvicini said. "She's got a pretty good up-side, and she's very excited about being a Wildcat."
Polk comes from Hanford High School in California, which finished 1999-2000 as the No. 8 team in the nation, according to USA Today. Bonvicini calls her "the prize" of the three players on that team who signed Division I scholarships.
Polk averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds per game last season. All-Star Girls Report ranks "Polkey" as the fourth-best post/center in America and the No. 17 player overall.
"She's a big presence and takes up the entire paint," Bonvicini said. "She's a great shooter and a great rebounder. We're very excited to have signed her."
Bonvicini and her coaching staff reached out towards the Midwest also, signing guard Dee Dee Wheeler out of Chicago's Dunbar High School.
"We're excited about being back in Chicago," Bonvicini said. "Dee Dee's got great quickness, she's well-coached and really knows the game."
Despite being 5-6, Wheeler grabbed 9.4 rebounds a game last season, on top of averaging 22.4 points and 8.3 assists. All-Star Girls Report ranks her as the eighth-best point guard in the country and No. 61 overall.
Rounding out the group is 6-foot swing forward Robin Robertson out of Berkeley High School, also in California.
Robertson averaged 18.7 points and nine rebounds per game in leading Berkeley to the California Interscholastic Federation championship game. She was first-team All-CIF and ranked the No. 37 guard/swing forward and No. 171 overall by All-Star Girls Report.
"Robin's an excellent three-point shooter," Bonvicini said. "She just has a knack for scoring and has been around the Wildcat program for a few years. She attended a couple camps we had and is excited to play here."
