Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm women's basketball program has added Ashley Evans of Hammond, Indiana to the fold. The Gavit High School product has signed a national letter of intent to play for the RedStorm beginning in the 2010-11 season.

Evans, a 5'3" point guard, feels good about her college selection. "I'm very confident in Rio Grande," she said. 

She talked about what the deciding factors were in choosing Rio Grande. "One was that I will have a great education at Rio and I will be able to play basketball," Evans said. 

Rio Grande head coach David Smalley is pleased to have Evans in the fold. "She is a standout basketball player from Hammond, Indiana," he said. "We're extremely excited and pleased to have attracted Ashley to our institution."

"Ashley came down to our athletic recruiting event that we held back in April and just had a great experience," Smalley added. "She did a nice job on the floor. Ashley is very comparable, in speed and quickness and lateral movement and just straight ahead explosiveness, to (current point guard) Bre Davis."

"So anytime you can bring in a player that's got the same qualities as a returning senior, we're extremely pleased and happy to add them to our program."

Evans plans to major in Business Management.

Smalley discussed what attracted him to Evans. "No. 1, she's just business, she just gets after it. She's got great skills, she handles the ball well, she can get it to the glass and she has good defensive ability. She's just a good playmaker," Smalley said. "Above all she is a great individual and she has a good family support system."

"She liked our program and our university and our environment, we liked her and good things happened from that point on," Smalley added.

Evans talked about her best assets as a player and what she feels she needs to work on as she prepares to make the jump to the college game. "My best assets as a player are my ability to play and communicate with my team, and I can always work on my shooting more," she said.

Smalley explains where Evans will fit into the program. "We will redshirt Ashley the first year and that will give her an opportunity to understand and learn our system," he said. "She can get a good, solid foundation in the classroom and a year from now I think we're going to be extremely pleased and happy that Ashley Evans is in our system and on our roster."

"I think the future is very bright for this young lady," Smalley added. 

Evans said that she just wants to do her best while wearing the Rio Grande uniform. "My ultimate goal is to be the best I can be for my team and the university," she said.

Ashley is the daughter of Lateah Evans of Hammond, Ind. 

Evans is joined by South Point's Tinesha Taylor, Hailee Swain of South Gallia High School, Megan Barnes of Hillsboro High School, Kasey Turley of Reedsville Eastern High School, Ironton High School's Janie Morris, Brooke Shaw from Waynesfield-Goshen High School, Kate Hammond of Greenfield McClain High School and Chelsea Delong of Coal Grove as the current members of the 2010-11 recruiting class. 

Rio Grande finished the 2009-10 campaign with a 16-15 overall record and went 7-7 in the Mid-South Conference.