Cal women's basketball recruiting update: One commit, more to come?

Remember a week ago, when I fretted that Cal was going to enter the 2014-15 season with depth issues? Well, Coach G has perhaps taken a step to address the issue with the very sudden commitment and signing of New Zealand forward Penina Davidson. Davidson will be immediately eligible to play next season, and will likely have the opportunity for immediate playing time.

Cal will not be lacking for guards/wings next year with the signing of Gabby Green and Mikayla Cowling. But last week it looked like Cal would enter next year with just four true post players on the roster, two of which received very, very minimal playing time last year. Seniors Reshanda Gray and Justine Hartman are known quantities. Davidson will have the chance to compete with K.C. Waters and Kyra Dunn to back up the seniors.

Calbears.com's write-up is excellent, with various details about Davidson's basketball resume. Based on the description, she's the best young player in New Zealand, and is already a contributing member of the national team at age 17. Cal's article claims she's an impressive 6'3'', while the New Zealand National team has her at a more conservative 1.83 meters (basically, 6'0'' tall). I'm assuming the discrepancy means that Davidson has grown since the national team's website was last updated.

I'm glad that Cal hasn't let the transfer of Hind Ben Abdelkader frighten them off of foreign players. It's hard to add players this late in the game, and right now Cal simply needs players on the roster. If you're wondering if a New Zealand WBB player has succeeded in the USA before, you might remember Micaela Cocks, who averaged 15 points/game as a senior guard under Paul Westhead and still plays on the New Zealand national team. More recently, you almost certainly remember Fordham's Erin Rooney from Cal's narrow 1st round NCAA tournament victory. New Zealand isn't a WBB world power, but they've produced some solid players.

There are some youtube videos of Davidson in action with the New Zealand national team that I'll take a look at later in the off-season. A preliminary glance at various scouting reports indicate that Davidson is a very well-rounded post. Meanwhile, Cal is clearly still looking to add to the 2014 class, as they are in the running for at least one JC transfer who happens to be the national JC player of the year. We'll pass along any more recruiting news as it comes in - the Bears might not yet be done.