MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama women's basketball head coach Terry Fowler announced Wednesday that a pair transfers – Juliann Miller from the University of Evansville and Grace Farnsworth from Weber State University – will the Jaguar program this upcoming season.
Both players will have to sit out the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but Miller will have two years of eligibility remaining, while Farnsworth will have three.
"Juliann is a fiery competitor and just plays so hard," Fowler stated. "Her biggest asset is her passing ability. She's a great passer with a great assists-turnover ratio and makes really good decisions. She's going to make the game easier for her teammates. She also has the ability to get to the basket and shoot the three and just plays at an unbelievable effort level."
Miller lettered the past two seasons at Evansville in Evansville, Ind. As a sophomore, Miller started four games for the Purple Aces and saw time on the court in 21 contests. She averaged 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. The Louisville, Ky., native knocked down 78.4 percent of her attempts (29-of-37) at the foul line and recorded 47 assists, 10 steals and two blocks. Twice during the season she dished out a career-high six assists – vs. San Jose State (11/17) and at Bradley (1/31).
As a freshman, Miller also played in 21 games for Evansville, earning three starts and averaging 2.9 ppg and 1.3 rpg. Her best game in her first collegiate season came in her first start where she posted a career-high 14 points and seven rebounds versus Illinois State. She scored double figures twice that season after missing six games at the start of the Missouri Valley Conference season due to illness.
The 5-8 guard signed with Evansville after prepping at Mercy Academy (Ky.) where she was the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Seventh Region Player of the Year Runner Up. She averaged 13 points per game both as a senior and as a junior. Miller recorded 23 points in the state championship game to lead Mercy to the state title as a senior and also earned a Kentucky junior all-star selection during her high school career.
USA is also adding some versatility with the addition of Farnsworth.
"Grace can play at either the three or the four spot and is a really good athlete," Fowler said. "She plays well around the basket and has a good mid-range game. With her ability to play at both the three and the four, she brings us some versatility. As a sophomore (in high school) she committed to Utah. With her skill set, I'm real excited to have her in our program."
Farnsworth comes to USA after spending her freshman season Weber State in Ogden, Utah. Last season, the 5-11 guard/forward averaged 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in 16.9 minutes of action for the Wildcats. She played in 26 games for Weber State during the 2012-13 season and also added 21 steals, 18 assists and five blocks off the bench.
She scored a season-high eight points three times – vs. Utah (11/24), at Utah Valley State (12/4) and at Sacramento State (1/19), while also pulling down five rebounds and dishing out three assists versus the Utes. Farnsworth also pulled down a season-best six rebounds against Eastern Washington on Dec. 20.
Farnsworth is a native of the southeast as she played her high school ball at Milton High School in Milton, Ga. During her prep career, she earned all-region first-team honors and named to the Metro-Atlanta second team as a senior after averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. She was also a two-time all-state selection in Utah, playing for American Fork High School in American Fork, Utah, prior to moving with her family to Georgia. Farnsworth was rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz.com out of high school.
If her last name sounds familiar, it should as her uncle is Major League Baseball pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.
Miller and Farnsworth join fall signee Colby Davis (Wylie High School – Plano, Texas) as new addition to the 2013-14 South Alabama women's basketball roster.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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