Aiming Toward the Future

The Boston University women's basketball team may only be halfway done with its season, but it is already looking toward next year. Over the winter break, BU coach Kelly Greenberg announced that two student athletes signed letters of intent to play for the Terriers beginning in the 2007-08 season.

Kerry Cashman (Exeter, N.H.) and Kathryn Briggs (Georgetown, Texas) have both excelled in high school, and Greenberg is excited about their potential to perform at the next level.

"There is no question that Kerry and Kathryn will be wonderful additions to the entire BU community," Greenberg said. "I believe they are going to bring a lot of the intangibles to the team."

Cashman, standing at 6-feet-2-inches tall, has collected both team and personal accolades in her four years in New Hampshire. Exeter High School made it to the State Quarterfinals in 2005-06, and Cashman was ranked seventh in the state by Varsity Magazine and received All-State Honorable Mention at the end of the season.

"Kerry Cashman has great size," Greenberg said. "She's very physical, and she is not afraid to be big. She runs the floor and is very confident."

Cashman's physical presence was coveted by many schools, including some of BU's America East foes. According to Cashman, she was recruited by the University of New Hampshire, James Madison University, the College of the Holy Cross, Towson University and the University of Maine. However, it was the location and family dynamic of a Greenberg-coached team that made her choice an easy one.

"I liked BU because it was close to home, has an excellent academic program, and is a big school in the city," Cashman said. "Meeting the girls and coaches made up my mind that BU was definitely the place where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life."

Briggs, who played in the same hometown as current senior tri-captain Erica Kovach, will give the Terriers more depth at the guard position. Briggs is in her fourth year as Georgetown High School's starting point guard. She was named to the Texas Basketball Magazine All-State First Team for a second consecutive year and was also selected as an All-Williamson County First Team honoree for a second time. As a junior, she averaged 10.1 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game for GHS.

"We've been recruiting Kathryn since she was a freshman, so I feel like I've known her forever," Greenberg said. "Kat is a tough scoring point guard who has a tremendous feel for the game. Her competitive nature will mesh very well with our returning group of guards."

The two new additions will have big shoes to fill when they join the team next year. The Terriers will return 11 of 13 players from this season, but two of BU's three captains -- Kovach and Katie Meinhardt -- are both in their last seasons of eligibility. Kovach has averaged 7.4 ppg in her career and 11.7 this season. Meinhardt has contributed 14.9 points per game this season and scored her one-thousandth point last month against the University of Dayton. Both have been staples of the Terriers' offense for the past four years and lead the team in scoring this season.

Greenberg's track record at BU has shown her ability to fill gaps left by player graduation. Last year, the Terriers lost their leading scorer Rachel Vanderwal but were able to bring in Aly Hinton, who has had an immediate impact on the team, scoring 7.1 ppg. And if Greenberg's recruiting history is any indication, Cashman and Briggs will fit in just fine.