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Couture Signs Highly-Touted Recruits
Nov. 13, 2002 INDIANAPOLIS - First year head coach Beth Couture took the first step in her attempt to renew the winning tradition of the Butler women's basketball program by signing three highly touted recruits. Ellen Hamilton and Jackie Closser, both Indiana Junior All-Stars, along with Ashley Brenden a prep standout from Bloomington, Minn., each signed the National Letters of Intent and will be the newest members of the 2003-04 roster. "We are extremely excited to have signed two Indiana Junior All-Stars and an outstanding post player from Minnesota during our first recruiting season," said Couture. "We feel like Ellen, Jackie and Ashley will help us renew the winning tradition here at Butler University." Hamilton, a 5-10 guard from Greenfield-Central High School, averaged 24 points, 5.6 assists, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals as a junior. Her current mark of 1,387 career points is just 300 shy of breaking the school's all-time record. Hamilton holds the school record for three-pointers made in a game, season and career as well as holding the record for career free-throw percentage (.840). The honor roll student also ranks in the top five all-time in career assists and steals. She is a three-time All-Hoosier Heritage Conference First Team selection, was named the Indianapolis Star's Metro East Player of the Year was a Street and Smith All-American Honorable Mention selection in 2002 and was named to the Hoosier Basketball Magazine First Team All-State. "Ellen brings to us a great understanding of the fundamentals of basketball growing up in a basketball-rich family. She is a great scorer with incredible versatility on the offensive end. We are excited about Ellen being a Bulldog for her collegiate career." Closser, a 5-5 point guard from Alexandria Monroe High School, enters into her senior season with 1,078 career points. She averaged 17.6 points, while shooting 61 percent from the field, and 5.8 assists as a junior. Closser is a two-time all-conference and all-area selection and was cited to the Madison County Coaches All-County team during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons. She was named to the Indianapolis Star All-Metro North Team during her sophomore and junior seasons and was a Hoosier Basketball Magazine First Team All-State selection in 2002. Closser holds school records for three-point field goals made in a season (65), single-season assists (151) and career steals (213). She also excels off the court, holding a perfect 4.0 grade point average while ranking first out of her class of 135. "We are excited to have a point guard of Jackie's caliber in our program for the next four years. She understands the game and knows what it takes to be successful. She has tremendous floor vision and is a extremely capable shooter from beyond the three-point line." Butler's third recruit, Ashley Brenden, possesses the talent and size, with her 6-3 frame, to be an immediate factor in the post. Brenden, a standout center at Thomas Jefferson High School, averaged 9.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a junior. She was an All-Lake Conference Honorable Mention during the 2001-02 season. "Ashley has outstanding potential at the post position. She possesses great shooting touch from inside and out. Her all-around play will be a welcome addition to our program over the next four years."
The Butler women's basketball team will begin its 2002-03 campaign on Monday (Nov. 18) when the Bulldogs host the Reebok Lady All-Stars in an exhibition game at 7:30 p.m. Butler's first home regular-season contest is slated for Friday (Nov. 22) against Bradley at 7 p.m.
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