Youngstown -- Devan Matkin, a 5-foot-10 guard from Tallahassee Community College, has signed a National Letter of Intent to become a member of the Youngstown State University women's basketball program, YSU head coach Bob Boldon announced.
Matkin, a native of Twin Falls, Idaho, is the fourth member of Boldon's first signing class that will join the program for the 2011-12 season. She joins Kelsea Fickiesen, Ashley Lawson and Melanie Poorman, who all signed NLI's as high school seniors in the fall.
"Devan fills needs that we wanted to address with recruiting, and that was to get skilled players and get better shooters," Boldon said. "Her size and athleticism will provide some versatility for us. We're really excited about adding Devan to our squad."
In her lone season at Tallahassee Community College in Florida, Matkin averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists as one of only four players to appear in all 25 games. She ranked second on the team with 30 treys, making 31.9 percent of her attempts, and she shot 81 percent from the free-throw line. She made three triples in five different games, and she scored in double figures in three of her last four contests.
Matkin played her first collegiate season at the College of Southern Idaho in her hometown. She averaged 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds while making a team-high 26 3-pointers. She had 77 assists against just 67 turnovers for the Lady Eagles, who went 22-9.
Matkin played her senior year of high school at Vallivue, Idaho, and earned regional all-star recognition. She helped lead the squad to a 20-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the state. She played her first three high school seasons at Twin Falls High and helped the Bruins to back-to-back fourth-place finishes at state. She was the Region Player of the Year and second-team all-state as a junior when she averaged 17.1 points and 5.4 assists.
The regular signing period extends until May 18.
"We have some kids visiting campus still, and we're going to move forward," Boldon said. "We're trying to make next year's team as good as we can. One of the ways we can do that is by adding some skill players and adding some athleticism. We're trying to meet both of those needs in this late signing period."
