Delgado joins hoops team

FAYETTEVILLE — Tom Collen announced the signing of Yashira Delgado to a National Letter of Intent joining the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team for the 2010-11 season.

Delgado checks in from Kissimmee, Fla., where she finished her prep career with the West Oaks Academy Flames.

“We’re very excited about Yashira’s decision to attend Arkansas,” Collen said. “She flew a little under the radar in the early signing period and we were fortunate to pick up such a good player at this time.”

Delgado recently added summer hoops to her resumé playing organized basketball with the Orlando Comets and the exposure late in her career made a difference in recruiting.

Scout.com named Delgado, a 5-5 point guard, as a “2010 Breakout Player” and noted that while she may have been a “relative unknown, she was one of the most polished point guards in the state.” They predicted her “stock would rise” and it did with the guard getting looks from several other regional and national schools before choosing Arkansas.

“Yashira was listed as the third-best unsigned point guard in the 2010 class,” Collen noted. “She is a high-energy type of player. She will push it hard in transition and create a lot of scoring opportunities for her teammates. She has great court vision and is one of the best passers in the 2010 point guard class.”

Delgado played high school ball at Poinciana High before transferring to West Oaks. She paced her prep teams to a pair of district runner-up finishes and a second-place showing at the Division I Nationals as a senior.

Her numerous honors include four-time team MVP, two all-conference selections and three player of the year awards. She scored her 1,000th career point as a junior and holds the county record for assists.

“We played the entire season without a backup for C’eira Ricketts and at times it just wore her down,” Collen added, “especially after she tore her thumb ligament in the preseason and played injured all year. With the addition of Yashira and early signee Christassia Walters, a first-team Arkansas Democrat Gazette selection, we feel we have addressed our need for additional ball handlers and created both competition and support for Ceira.

“We hope to have Yashira here this summer to start working out with the team,” said Collen.

In addition to Delgado and Walter, Arkansas added Darshae Burnside for the 2010-11 class.