USU Women’s Basketball Adds Three More to 2011-12 Signing Class
Utah State head women’s basketball coach Jerry Finkbeiner announced the signing of three more players to the 2011-12 class; it was announced Monday. Freshman forward Stephanie Bairstow, sophomore forward Kelsey Corcoran and junior forward Jasmine Porter will all join the Aggies.
“They are three of the new recruits of the new era with players and philosophy. We have two transfers in Kelsey Corcoran and Jasmine Porter who will have to sit this year, but it will be good for them to continue to develop and learn our system. Stephanie Bairstow will come in as a 6-1 freshman, who is only 17 years old, but we are looking for Stephanie to be a big part of this year’s team. We are excited about this year’s group. They are good people and good players with a great future ahead at Utah State,” said first-year head coach Jerry Finkbeiner.
Bairstow, a 6-1 freshman, comes to Utah State from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She will continue the Australian tradition at Utah State, following former Aggies Maddy Plunkett, Alice Coddington and Stacey Howard in recent years. The incoming freshman played at Mansfield State High School.
Playing for the West Brisbane Falcons, Bairstow averaged 21.3 points per game to lead the league. In 2011, she was part of the U-18 state team that finished third. She also played for the South East Australian Basketball League for the Brisbane Spartans. Bairstow also spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where she was on scholarship.
Corcoran is a 6-2 forward from Middletown, Va., who will come to Utah State as a sophomore. After transferring from Winthrop University, Corcoran will have to sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Corcoran helped lead the Eagles to a 18-13 record and a strong 12-6 record in the Big South Conference.
In high school at The Miller School, she was the VISAA D3 State Tournament MVP in 2011. She was also a McDonald’s All-American nominee. She earned all-district honors during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. As a junior at The Miller School, Corcoran averaged a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds a game. She scored over 1,000 points in her high school career.
Porter is 6-1 forward from Layton, Utah, who will come to Utah State as a junior from San Diego State. Porter will also have to sit out the 2012-13 season due to the NCAA’s transfer rules.
Last season at SDSU, Porter helped the Aztecs end the season with a 25-7 record and a stellar 12-2 Mountain West Conference mark. As a freshman, she logged minutes in 10 games. She played in six in MW games.
Porter was the all-time leading scorer at Layton Christian Academy in Layton, Utah. She was chosen for Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in February of 2010 after setting a single-game state record for points in a game with 51 in a win against Maeser Prep. Porter was first-team all-state and 2A state all-tournament team in 2010. As a junior, she averaged 19.7 points per game, highlighted by a 37-point effort, and was the state’s fourth-leading scorer.
Her dad, Bobby, is the head boys basketball coach at Layton Christian Academy.
Utah State has already signed two players for the 2012-13 season. Haylee Thompson, a 6-0 forward from Hailey, Idaho, will be a freshman next season. Makenlee Williams, a 5-11 forward/guard, from Syracuse, Utah, will also be a freshman.
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2011-12 Utah State Women’s Basketball Signing Class
Stephanie Bairstow (Bear-stow), 6-1, F, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Mansfield State HS)
Kelsey Corcoran (Core-core-an), 6-2, F, Middletown, Va. (The Miller School/Winthrop)*
Jasmine Porter, 6-1, F, Layton, Utah (Layton Christian Academy/San Diego State)*
Haylee Thompson, 6-0, F, Hailey, Idaho (Wood River HS)
Makenlee Williams, 5-11, F/G, Syracuse, Utah (Syracuse HS)
*Will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules