Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Ink Two
11/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill.--Head coach Joe McKeown announced today the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent. This year's class will includes two highly sought-after prospects--Inga Orekhova (La Jolla, Calif./ The Bishops), ranked 40th overall by ESPN's Hoopgurlz.com and Dannielle Diamant (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman), ranked 20th at her position by Hoopgurlz.com. All-Star Girls Report (AGSR) tabbed this year's class the 24th-best in the nation.
"My staff did an outstanding job with our first recruiting class at Northwestern," McKeown said. "We brought in student-athletes we think will have a positive impact on our program over the next four years. I am looking forward to seeing both Dannielle and Inga in a Wildcat uniform."
Orekhova, a 6-foot-3 forward from La Jolla, Calif., is one of this year's most highly-touted recruits. The San Diego area standout is ranked 40th overall by ESPN's Hoopgurlz.com and 28th in the nation by AGSR. Despite missing more than half her junior season due to injury, Orekhova still averaged 15.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.2 apg, and is projected to be a top contributor to her team as a senior. The team captain was an All-Coastal League Selection in 2007 and led The Bishops to the Division IV CIF Sand Diego Finals. The native Austrian is a two-time Austrian champion (AWBL) and was an Austrian Cup winner and MVP in 2007.
"We are very excited about Inga's decision to come to Northwestern," McKeown said. "The international flavor of the Chicago metropolitan area was attractive to her as was the opportunity to play at a Big Ten school like Northwestern. She brings a lot of offensive firepower to the program and has the potential to be a top player in the Big Ten and in college basketball over the next four years.
Diamant, a 6-foot-4 forward from Las Vegas, Nev., is currently a student-athlete at Bishop Gorman High School. Last season, Diamant was a third-team all-state pick and is currently ranked 20th at her position by ESPN's Hoopgurlz.com. As a junior, she also averaged 12 ppg and 8 rpg, helping her team to a 32-4 season and ultimately a class 4A championship.
"Dannielle is a great addition to our program," McKeown said. "She is one of the top student-athletes in the country and Northwestern's academic reputation was very attractive to her and she wanted to play in a program where she gets to be a part of building something special. She has all the intangibles to be an outstanding college player. She's a great three-point shooter, she's physical and can play with her back to the basket and she brings a certain toughness that must have come from being around her grandfather (legendary basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian), which will truly help the program."
For complete bios, please see below.
Inga Orekhova
6-3 • Forward
La Jolla, Calif./The Bishops
High School: Two-year letterwinner and team captain at The Bishops ... Averaged 15.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.2 apg and 2.2 bpg her junior year ... All-Coastal League selection as a junior ... Led The Bishops to the Div. IV CIF San Diego Section Finals in 2007 ... Originally from Austria, where her team won the Austrian Cup Championships (AWBL) in 2006 and 2007 ... Named MVP in 2007 after tallying 36 points and pulling down seven rebounds in the title game ... Ranked 40th overall by ESPN's Hoopgurlz.com ... Ranked 28th in the nation by All Star Girls Report ... Adidas Phenom MVP, 2007 ... Plays for the EBO Adidas team in 2007-08.
Personal: Born Inga Orekhova on 11/10/89 Svetastopol, Ukraine ... Daughter of Svetlana Orekhova ... Mother was a two-time European Champion ... Plans to major in business institutions.
Dannielle Diamant
6-5 • Forward/Center
Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
High School: Four-year letter winner in basketball and volleyball at Bishop Gorman High School... Also lettered in track & field ... Helped Gorman win first state title as a freshman... Won the Nevada State Championship the following two years ... Ranked 20th in her position by ESPN's Hoopgurlz.com ... Named all-state her junior year... Sporting News All-America honorable mention her junior year...Gorman Ranked 50th nationally pre-season of her senior year...Averaged 12 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a junior...Played for the West Coast Premiere club team.
Personal: Born Dannielle Lois Diamant on 04/08/91 in Los Angeles... Daughter of Zafi and Jodie Diamant... Granddaughter of legendary men's basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian... Plans to major in sports psychology.
