The 2017 UIC freshman class will bring a Motor City influence to the Windy City.
UIC head women's basketball coach
Regina Miller announces the signing of two Detroit-area guards to National Letters of Intent to join the Flames next season.
Tia Tedford (Detroit, Mich. – Martin Luther King Jr. High School) and
Kara Wilson (Ann Arbor, Mich. – Huron High School) will join the UIC community next summer.
Tedford averaged 16.7 points, 6 rebounds, 5.4 steals, and 6 assists per game last season for the Michigan Class A State Runners-Up. King High has gone 26-1 in the Detroit Public School League in Tedford's three seasons, and won the League's Big D Championship all three years. They advanced all the way to the State Championship Game in 2016, losing by just two points to finish with a 23-2 record.
"Tia is a strong competitor who will bring toughness to our squad – as well as valuable experience from one of the best high schools and AAU teams in the Midwest," Miller said. "She has the mentality we're looking for – someone who loves to win but more importantly hates to lose."
Kara Wilson scored 10 points per game to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals her junior season. She was named first team all-conference, and led her team to the Class A quarterfinals (where they lost to Tedford's King squad, 58-54 in OT). Along the way, Huron won the district title, regional title, and SEC Red Division title.
Regina Miller said of Wilson, "Kara is a very good catch for us because I think she was a little under the radar during the recruiting process. She plays on a very balanced-scoring high school team, but is capable of carrying an offensive load."
Miller and her staff approached the recruiting cycle with an eye toward which current players will be graduating. "
Terri Bender will leave some big shoes to fill. Kara and Tia are both combo guards who will bring some versatility and can shoot threes as well as dribble-drive and create their own shots," she stated.
"Our guard play is currently solid, and we have signed two aces who will fill what we will lose."
With the Horizon League tournament taking up permanent residence in Detroit, Tedford and Wilson will work for successful homecomings at Motor City Madness the next four years.
