The UTEP women’s basketball team has just shown what resources mean.
The Miners won’t be able to prove it on the court for five months, but after much talk that UTEP would be competitive in the Mountain West in terms of player payroll with with NIL and revenue sharing, they turned that into a knockout recruiting class that on paper looks like the best in recent memory.
UTEP, and every other team in the NCAA, doesn’t make the amount of money they pay players public (Adams indicated a transfer with a 19-points per game average said she was offered between $90,000 and $120,000), but Adams, who has spoken about this with other coaches, thinks her NIL budget puts UTEP competitively in the middle of the 10-team Mountain West.
They picked up a transfer guard from New Mexico State who bedeviled UTEP, they picked up one of the top, if not the top, junior college transfers in America and several more JUCOs who bring resumes that, at least before they take the court in El Paso, look strong.
This looks like what competitive money can buy.
“UTEP has stepped up and given me resources in the rev share area, and our community, our boosters and donors have given us money for our rev share,” coach Keitha Adams said. “This year’s roster we have a different deal than we have in the past. We’re not in the top (of the Mountain West), but I’d say we’re in the middle.
“You can look on paper, look at the players we’ve signed. Some of these young ladies, we beat out some good competition. We were able to offer and do more with this recruiting class than what we’ve been able to do in any of the classes since I’ve been back here.
“It felt good. I can’t say enough how I appreciate people donating into this for us. There’s a correlation.”
UTEP, like everyone, doesn’t disclose its player payroll but Adams has indicated it has gone from struggling in CUSA to competitive in the Mountain West.
The Miners have assembled a 12-player roster with three returners, one Division I transfer, five junior college players and three high schoolers. Their tallest player is 6-2, but they have an army of players either 6-1 or 6-2 and good size at guard.
This is as they look to dramatically improve from last season’s 13-17 mark (5-13 in conference) when they lost in the first round of the CUSA tournament.
Coaches always sound bullish on their recruiting class in May, but Adams clearly believes she nailed something.
“I really like who we’ve signed: I like the talent, I like the people,” she said. “We’re going to have to learn a lot about each other, it’s a new team, but we’re very athletic.
“Everybody we brought in is lengthy. I could see us have five players on the court and we could switch on defense with four of them. There’s a lot I need to learn about this team. But I like our talent. I like our athleticism, I like our ability to score and I like our ability to rebound. When I say those things it does make me excited. I’m excited.”
Here is the roster, which for the moment, appears what UTEP will take into its still unknown opener.
Division I transfer
Imani Warren, 5-10 Sr. G
Warren was a star last year in Conference USA for New Mexico State, averaging 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. In two games against the Miners she averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Junior college transfers
Isabel Joao, 6-1 Jr. F
Ranked as the No. 1 junior college player in the nation by some outlets, the Angolan Joao averaged 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game last year at South Plains. She can play all five positions on both ends of the floor.
As a foreign athletes she’s not eligible for NIL money but she is eligible for revenue sharing dividends. UTEP (and every other school) doesn’t release revenue sharing amounts.
“She’s a great get,” Adams said. “She’s got a great, great frame on her, a pro frame on her. One of the things I’m excited about, she’s extremely athletic and she’s showed she can really score and really rebound it.”
Armando Sindalawa, 5-10. Jr. G
A second-team NJCAA All-American and regional tournament MVP for No. 8 Clarendon College, the starting point guard Sindalawa averaged 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game for a 33-3 team.
Zainab “Lemon” Olalkan, 6-1 Jr. F
The pure rebounder Olalkan averaged 11.6 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for a 33-3 Clarendon team. She made the NJCAA all-tournament team in the postseason.
Dilangue Cruz, 6-2 Jr. F
The transfer from South Plains College Cruz averaged 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She can play anywhere from small forward to center. The Angolan committed to UTEP out of high school, then went to South Plains to gain Division I eligibility.
She is also not eligible for NIL funds but is eligible for revenue sharing money.
Arminda Joaquin, 6-2 Jr. F
A transfer from Odessa College, Joaquin averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds and can play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward.
High school recruits
Apostolic Zormpala, 5-10 Fr. G
The Greek national Zormpala is serving national team duty this summer. She averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals in Rising Stars Greece. That is the premier youth development league in Greece.
She is also not eligible for NIL funds but is eligible for revenue sharing money.
Kobe Johnson 6-0 Fr. G
The small forward Johnson from Houston North Shore High received all-district honors while averaging 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Charlotte Aldridge, 6-1 Fr. G
The big guard Aldridge averaged 10 points and 8.0 rebounds for Downingtown High in Pennsylvania while earning all-area honors.
Returning players
Mary Moses Amaniyo, 6-1 Jr. F
The Conference USA sixth player of the year last season, Amaniyo averaged 8.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She set a program record with 22 rebounds against Prairie View A&M in November and was the nation’s leading rebounder two weeks into the season.
Aolani Woldai, 5-7 So. G
Averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds as a freshman out of Fort Worth Brewer High. She scored 17 points in a win at Delaware, the start of a three-game stretch where she averaged 9.0 points per game.
Tatiana Collazo, 5-8 Sr. G
Dealt with an injury last year and was limited to 18 games where she averaged 1.7 points. She scored a season-high nine points in the season-ender against Jacksonville State.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP women use increased ‘resources’ to build knockout recruiting class
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
