PEORIA, Ill. -- Second-year Bradley women's basketball head coach Michael Brooks and his coaching staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail and the work has paid off with Monday's announcement that the Braves received five National Letters of Intent during the Fall Signing Period.
Joining Bradley for the 2014-15 season will be 5-10 forward Danielle Brewer (Coatesville, Ind.), 5-8 guard Shareece Burrell (Des Moines, Iowa/East), 5-6 guard Madison Dellamuth (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie), 6-2 forward Tamya Sims (Milwaukee, Wis./Oak Creek) and 6-2 forward Haley Van Cleave (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead).
The first Bradley player from the state of Indiana since Amanda Reash finished her career in 2000-01, Brewer was home schooled and played her high school basketball for the Indiana Trailblazers. A two-time Home School All-American, she averaged 22.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game for her AAU team Indiana Flight last summer. She scored 51 points in a game and has scored more than 2,000 career points during her high school career, in addition to helping the Trailblazers to the Home School 5A national championship in 2009-10. She helped the Trailblazers to top-20 national rankings each of her four seasons, a 92-39 overall record and three state titles.
“Dani brings to our team a relentless pursuit of perfection,” said Brooks. “The true definition of a gym rat, she is a player with a true scorer's mentality and has never seen a shot that she cannot make. Her desire and work ethic will challenge her teammates to rise to her level.”
A second-team all-state selection as a junior, Burrell is a two-time all-conference honoree. She helped Des Moines East to a state championship as a freshman and three consecutive conference titles. The leading scorer for the Scarlets each of the last two seasons, Burrell averaged 13 points per game in 2012-13. In addition, she was her squad's top rebounder as a sophomore and junior, averaging 5.0 boards per game last year to go with two assists and three steals per outing.
“Shareece is a dynamic player,” stated Brooks. “She has made great efforts to develop her game throughout her high school and AAU careers. She has the ability to post-up, step out and knock down the three, in addition to use her physicality to get to the rim when the opportunity presents itself. She will consistently create tough match-ups for opposing defenders.”
Dellamuth averaged 11.6 points, 4.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game as a junior, helping the Hawks to a Mississippi Valley Conference division title and 15-7 record. A three-time all-conference selection, she was a third-team all-state selection in Class 5A according to the Iowa Newspaper Association after shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range in 2012-13.
“Madison is a true leader on the floor,” added Brooks. “She directed and controlled the tempo every time we saw her play. She can attack, shoot and distribute the basketball. Madison fits perfectly into our style with her aggressiveness and should be able to set the tone for our team in a lead guard role.”
The Southeast Conference Player of the Year in 2012-13, Sims helped the Knights to a 23-2 record last season and was a First-Team WBCA Division I all-state selection. She averaged 15 points on 66 percent shooting from the field and also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest. A first-team all-conference selection, she helped Oak Creek to a conference title last season.
“The sky is the limit for Tamya,” said Brooks. “She is one of the top athletic forwards in the Midwest. Her ability to rebound, run and block shots will give our team a dynamic unlike we have ever seen. The ability for Tamya to play on the perimeter will create pressure on opponents' defenses and her defensive play will allow us to extend further out onto the court.”
Van Cleave took home honorable mention Mississippi Valley Conference all-league honors for the third consecutive year in 2012-13, after averaging 8.3 points and 5.5 boards per outing. As a sophomore, she averaged 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and went on to earn the Mustangs' Defensive Player of the Year award. Van Cleave scored 7.2 points per contest as a freshman and was voted the squad's most improved player.
“Haley is a blue-collar, energetic post player,” Brooks added. “She has had to play multiple positions, which fits perfectly into our style and system. Haley can step out and hit the three as well as bang and finish possessions inside the paint. Her mobility and versatility, combined with a great knowledge of the game will make her a great addition to our squad.”
Bradley opens a two-game road swing Thursday with a 7 p.m. game at Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill.
