CONWAY — Central Arkansas women's basketball head coach Sandra Rushing announced the addition of a pair of high school prospects for the 2018-19 recruiting class on Friday, as Brionna Budgetts of Kansas City, Mo. and Terri Crawford of Birmingham, Ala. have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Sugar Bears next season.
"I'm excited that Brionna and Terri will be joining our program," said Rushing, in her 7th season at Central Arkansas, where she has guided the Sugar Bears to three straight 25-win seasons and three straight national postseason tournament berths, including NCAA trips in 2016 & 2017. "We have filled two positions of need for our program next year. They are very talented and have a love for the game. Their best basketball is certainly ahead of them, and I'm excited about their future here at UCA."
Budgetts, a 5-foot-7 guard from Lincoln Prep Academy, is rated as a 4-star athlete and ranked the No. 22 point guard and No. 120 prospect overall in the country by Prospects Nation; and No. 176 player overall and 53rd-ranked shooting guard by ESPN Hoopgurlz . A Missouri all-state selection in 2017-18 and three-time 1st team all-conference selection, Budgetts led her team to a Class 4 District 14 championship and advanced to the state tournament quarterfinals – finishing the season as the state's 5th-ranked team.
"We're ecstatic to have Brionna join our program," Rushing said. "She is a great young lady with a great work ethic and is passionate about the game. She is going to be an excellent player for us. She has the ability to play more than one position, and her length and versatility will add another dimension for us in the backcourt. She sees the floor well and will help us with an uptempo game. She is also a great rebounder who can run the floor, and has the ability to create her own shot. She has a chance to come in and really make an impact on our team next season."
Crawford is a 6-foot forward out of Ramsay High School in Birmingham, where she led her team to a 24-5 record and came just shy of a state championship last season as her Ramsay squad fell by two in overtime in the 6A title game. She also helped lead her All Alabama Roadrunners AAU team to a championship at the 2018 Boo Williams Nike Invitational. She averages 12.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, and holds a 3.5 grade point average and a 26 ACT score.
"We're so happy to have Terri join the Sugar Bear family," Rushing said. "She's a tremendous young lady who will represent our program well on and off the floor. She comes in with a great work ethic. She's capable of guarding multiple positions and has the ability to score with her back to the basket; and is a strong rebounder with great instincts and the ability to create her own shots. And I really like her toughness – her toughness is going to be a great asset to our program."
The Sugar Bears resume play on Saturday in the Farris Center when they host South Alabama at 2:00pm.
