Utah Women's Basketball Inks Two

The University of Utah women's basketball team announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. California point guard Erika Bean and Texas wing Jordanna Porter will join the Utes for the 2015-16 season.

"Once again, we have signed a quality group of young people to help continue the tradition here at the University of Utah," Head Coach Anthony Levrets said. "I'd like to give the coaching staff a ton of credit for the amount of time that they put in toward building relationships and finding the right kind of person who can play here at the `U'. This class would not be possible without the work of our staff. Both of these kids are good players, but they're even better people."

Bean is a 5-8 point from Sacramento's Bradshaw Christian High School, while Porter is a 5-11 versatile wing from Ellison High School in Killeen, Texas.

Erika Bean:

Bean averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 7.2 steals during her junior season. Bean earned All-Conference MVP, All-District and San-Joaquin Section honors. During her sophomore season, Bean led her team to the Sac-Joaquin section title. She plays club ball for one of California's premier AAU programs, Cal Sparks NorCal and coach Michele Massari. Bean intends to major in Sports Medicine at the University of Utah and is an early academic qualifier as well a three-year Honor Roll student.

"In trusting Coach Levrets, I bought into his vision for me as a basketball player and beyond that," Bean said. "After visiting Utah, it felt like a place of familiarity, a family."

Dan Olson of ESPNW says Bean "is an athletic lead guard with a scorer's mentality. She is smooth off the bounce, recognizes and splits double-teams, passes in transition. She has a mid-range game and is a creator who extends to the arc. She is an anticipator on defense, active in passing lanes and converts in pressure."

"She is a tremendous young person first and foremost with incredible character," Levrets said. "She is a long, athletic point guard who can shoot the basketball, pass the basketball, and does a great job of running her team. We expect her to make a huge impact on this program and in this conference full of great point guards."

Jordanna Porter:

Porter earned All-District and All-Area honors her sophomore and junior seasons. She averaged 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game as a junior, while shooting 47% from the field. She plays AAU ball for Team Xpress, one of the nation's top teams coached by Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil.

"I like Coach Levrets because he knows a lot about the game of basketball, and he cares about his players," Porter said. "Family is important to him. I love Utah because it made me feel like I was at home all over again. I loved everything about it, and I cannot wait to start college."

"[Porter] is a 5-11 class of 2015 jack-of-all-trades do-it-all type of player," Davis-Wrightsil said. "That's why we call her 'Swiss,' like a Swiss Army knife. She can play any position we need her to play from 2 through 5. She shoots the ball from deep, is a crafty finisher around the basket with both hands, can pull up the mid-range jump shot. She has a strong body, a high IQ, and is hardworking player."

Olson (ESPNW) says Porter "has a college-ready frame and is a perimeter performer who stretches the defense to the arc. She finishes in transition, rebounds, and is a versatile defender."

"She is a multi-dimensional wing player who has the ability to shoot the basketball and play inside," Levrets said. "She handles the ball well enough to be a matchup problem both inside and out from the wing position. Like all of the kids in our program, she's an ever better kid than she is a player."