Pack adds Castillo, Evans for 2010

PUEBLO, Colo. (April 15, 2010) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo women's basketball program has added two more signees to its 2010 signing class, expanding its signing class to four new student-athletes, head coach Kip Drown announced Thursday.

The ThunderWolves will welcome Taylor Castillo (Kiowa, Colo./Kiowa HS), a 6-foot-2 post who helped lead Kiowa Colorado 2A state semifinals, and Alex Evans (Louisville, Colo./Monarch HS), a point guard who was named the Boulder Daily Camera Regional Player of the Year in 2010.

Castillo was a dominant presence for Kiowa in 2009-10, leading the Indians to a 24-3 record and averaging 13.1 PPG and 8.0 RPG.  She was one of the state's block leaders, averaging 2.1 rejections per game, as well.  Castillo joins former high school teammate, Amanda Bartlett (Jr., Kiowa, Colo.) on the ThunderWolves in 2010-11.

“We are very excited to have Taylor joining our program,” Drown said.  “She is a young post player with a lot of potential that is going to continue to improve.  Her best basketball days are definitely in front of her.”

Evans joins the ThunderWolves after a very successful career at Monarch, where she led the Coyotes to two Colorado 5A final four appearances, including a state runner-up finish during her junior season.  She averaged 13 points and four assists per game for the Coyotes, shooting 50 percent from three and 86 percent from the foul line.  She was named to her third all-conference team this past season, earned the Boulder Daily Camera honor and played in “The Show” at Denver's Pepsi Center before a Denver Nuggets game.

“Alex is an aggressive point guard that will fit right into the mold of how we are wanting to play,” Drown said. “She comes to us from a very successful high school program that is used to winning and she possesses that type of mentality.  We are excited to have her join us and are looking forward to what she will bring to our team next year.”

Castillo and Evans joins the ThunderWolves previous signees, junior college post Katie Tomlinson (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson HS/Mesa C.C.) and Arizona high school three-point champion, Paige Ramm (Prescott, Ariz./Prescott HS). 

CSU-Pueblo, which achieved its highest level of postseason success in program history in 2009-10, winning the RMAC Shootout Championship for the third consecutive season as well as winning a first-round game at the NCAA Division II National Tournament, will return a team virtually identical to last year's squad.  CSU-Pueblo returns three starters – Rachel Espinoza (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.), Kendall Babler (So., Rifle, Colo.), and Bartlett – and loses only three players to graduation.