Carlie Needles had done her homework on University of Florida women’s basketball. She’d read up on the program, talked to the Gators’ coaching staff for over a year, even taken virtual tours online. All that was left to do was visit the campus — and commit.
Needles, the ThunderRidge point guard who is a top-100 prospect nationally according to ESPN and Scout.com, did so Saturday.
“The last step really was to just go see it,” Needles said today. “It was awesome, the feel of the campus. The city is just such a college town and it really feels like a home away from home. They’re a real family. Obviously Florida is not right next door, and that’s really what I wanted, a group of people that … would be a second family to me.”
Needles averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.5 rebounds as a junior for ThunderRidge last season. She’s started for the Grizzlies since she was a freshman, but her commitment didn’t only come down to basketball. Needles hopes to go into broadcasting and came away impressed by Florida’s school of telecommunication.
“All that kind of stuff will help me with my future,” she said. “It wasn’t just basketball, it was everything.”
The distance to the campus in Gainesville did give Needles pause initially, but she talked to current Gators from far off places — Brittany Shine (Sacramento, Calif.) and Azania Stewart (England) — who alleviated her fears.
“It really wasn’t a big deal, but it would’ve been a big deal if the coaching staff wasn’t what they are and if the players weren’t what they are,” Needles said
Ryan Casey: 303-954-1983 or rcasey@denverpost.com
