Women's Basketball: Top-Ranked Juco Signs
November 15, 2002 01:36 PM | General
By Phil Caskey for MSNsportsNET.com
November 15, 2002
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University women's basketball coach Mike Carey today announced the signing of junior college center Yelena Leuchanka for the 2003-04 season. It is the second signing in as many days for WVU.
A 6-foot-5 center at Wabash Valley Junior College, Leuchanka is rated the nation's No. 1 junior college player entering the 2002-03 season by All-Star Girl's Report, the nation's leading scouting service. Wabash is ranked as the nation's No. 2 team in the 2002-03 preseason NJCAA poll.
A Gomel, Belarus, native, Leuchanka averaged 22.0 points and 11.0 rebounds a game for Seminole Junior College in Sanford, Fla., last season. For her efforts, she was named to the WBCA/Kodak junior college All-American first team and garnered Mid-Conference Player of the Year and first team all-state Florida accolades. She was also named to the FCCAA all-region VIII team, the FCCAA all-state tournament team and the league's all-freshmen team.
The daughter of Stepan Vasilevich and Ludmila Pavlovna, Leuchanka also has extensive international playing experience as well. As a four-year member of the Belarus national team (1998-2001), she led her team to the qualifying round of the European Championships for young women last year, tallying 11 points and 11 rebounds. She also led the national team in the 1999 Cadette European Championships, averaging 16.2 points and 20.8 rebounds per game in the challenge round and 12.9 points and 14.6 rebounds per game in the final round.
She has been named to the International tournament all-star team twice (1999, 2000) in France and earned tournament MVP honors in 2000. In 1999, she received the top post player and rebounder awards at the 1999 European Championships and was named the Baltic League's youngest and most prospective player that same year. She led Team Moscow to a fourth-place finish at the 1999 World Games and was a Baltic League team champion in 1998.
"She's a great player with excellent post moves who plays hard," All-Star Girl's Report editor Bret McCormick said. "She's a major player who will immediately impact West Virginia next season."
"Yelena is a tremendous person and player," Wabash Valley head coach Stephanie Smith said. "She does a great job in the classroom as well as on the court. Her potential is unlimited. She's a joy to have and is a vocal leader who also leads by example."
"We're extremely fortunate to get a player of Yelena's stature and caliber," Carey said. "She will be a great addition to our program on and off the court. I look for her to make an immediate impact -- not just on the team -- but on the entire program."
Leuchanka joins Pittsburgh native Meg Bulger as the Mountaineers two early signing period recruits for the 2003-04 season.
