University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Signs Pair of Nationally Ranked Recruits
11/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Rachel Banham of Lakeville, Minn. (Lakeville North HS), a 5-9 point guard who has been ranked as high as 18th nationally by various scouting services, and Kayla Hirt of Bemidji, Minn. (Bemidji HS), a 6-2 forward ranked as high as 25th nationally, will join Minnesota's program as freshmen for the 2011-12 season.
As a junior in 2009-10, Banham led her Lakeville North team to a perfect 32-0 record and the Minnesota State High School League's Class AAAA state championship. Banham scored 25 points in the state title game, and averaged 14.8 points per game during the Panthers' unblemished season.
Banham earned all-state honors from the Associated Press and the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association (MGBCA), and was named the 2010 Player of the Year by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Basketball News, and Breakdown Magazine.
"I've always wanted to play for the Gophers," Banham said. "Seeing (former All-American) Lindsay Whalen play so well there makes me want to do the same. Playing for (a school) where I've grown up was also a big influence, and staying nice and close to home. I also love the atmosphere, and the awesome coaches and players. It's just an all-around good, and fun, place to be."
"Rachel is one of those players that every program dreams of having," Borton said. "She is a playmaker, a winner, a competitor - one who makes everyone on the court better. Rachel has developed into one of the best point guards in the nation over the past year. There isn't anything that she can't do on the court, and we will be excited to have a player with Rachel's talents on the floor."
Hirt is coming off a junior season in which she averaged 26.0 points and 14.1 rebounds per game to help her Bemidji team finish with a record of 25-2 and reach the Class AAA state quarterfinals. A two-time first-team all-state selection by the MGBCA, and also a standout on the volleyball court, Hirt becomes the first girls basketball player from Bemidji to sign with the Golden Gophers.
"I'm most excited to go to Minnesota because my family can watch and support me, as I represent my home state," Hirt said. "I'm looking forward to being able to play with a great teammate in Rachel Banham. We work really well together, and I believe we will help Minnesota accomplish great things. I picked Minnesota because I foresee us getting back to the Final Four, and I have aspirations of Minnesota winning a national championship."
"Kayla's work ethic and drive are amazing and the reason she is one of the best players in the nation," Borton said. "Her versatility, heart and passion will make her very successful at the next level. Kayla has a unique blend of size, speed, strength and skill that make her special. I am really looking forward to coaching her, and excited to see the impact she will have on our program."
When not playing hoops for their respective prep programs, Banham and Hirt have been teammates for one of the top AAU programs in the nation - North Tartan Nike Elite. This past spring and summer, the two future Gophers made their mark by leading the team to impressive finishes at the prestigious Boo Williams Invitational and at the NIKE Nationals. Banham earned all-tournament honors at both events, pushing her national recruiting ranking to No. 18 by BlueStar Basketball and No. 19 by ESPN's HoopGurlz. Hirt is listed at No. 25 by Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
"I have a lot of kids in a lot of programs throughout the Big Ten, but with these two individuals, teams are going to have to figure out ways to keep the ball out of their hands," North Tartan director Bill Larson said. "And, by playing in our program, they've already played against kids who are going to the ACC or the SEC, and they've already played against kids who are Big Ten caliber players for the past couple summers."
With the addition of Banham and Hirt to the Minnesota roster, the Gophers will have a total of six former North Tartan players. Larson proudly pointed out that, "The last time we had this many North Tartan players on the Gophers' roster, they went to the Final Four."
"Our vision for this program is to return to the Final Four and contend for a national title," Borton said. "These two players share that vision and they are committed to becoming an integral part of this mission."
For now, though, Banham is going to focus on making another run at a state title for her Lakeville North Panthers, coached by Andy Berkvam.
"Rachel gets better every year, and she seems to take her game to a new level each time I see her play," Berkvam said. "The thing now is, she's physically strong. She's really matured into her body. She's almost 5-foot-10, and she's just amazing. She makes everybody around her better."
Meanwhile, Hirt will look to help Bemidji get back to the state tournament, but she'll have new responsibilities this year. Over the summer, Hirt suffered a partial tear of her ACL, and she had surgery to repair the injury in early September. She'll miss her senior season, but will still serve as a team captain, as well as taking on some assistant coaching duties.
"Kayla's meant the world to our program over the last three or four years, but not just with her play" Bemidji head coach Rick Kehoe said. "She's a tremendous athlete, and she's got tremendous skills, but her work ethic, just how she carries herself, what she does during the season, out of season, how she's a leader on the team. It's everything. There are a lot of good basketball players, but Kayla has so much more going for her other than just her basketball skills. The impact she's had on my youth teams and my kids is amazing."
"Kayla and Rachel are both exciting players to watch, and we are thrilled that our fans will be able to see them play in 'The Barn'" Borton said. "The sky is the limit for them as student-athletes at Minnesota and years beyond that. They both played for great high school coaches and a very successful AAU program. They will be a big part of bringing the magic back to Minnesota basketball, and we are very excited about the future."
--Athletic Communications Assistant Michael Molde
