Aug. 14, 2007
SAN DIEGO - Jerica Williams (San Diego, Calif.), who led Mount Miguel High School to three CIF titles and was named the San Diego section player of the year in 2005, has joined the Aztec women's basketball team, San Diego State head coach Beth Burns announced Tuesday. Williams, a 5-8 guard, is transferring after one season at UCLA, and will have three years of eligibility remaining, starting with the 2008-09 campaign.
"We are pleased to announce the addition of local standout Jerica Williams to our Aztec basketball team," Burns said. "We aspire to have the best and the brightest in Red and Black. San Diego State on your uniform means a little something extra when San Diego is your hometown."
Williams signed with UCLA after an outstanding career at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, Calif. She led the Matadors to three CIF titles from 2003-05, garnering section player-of-the-year honors as a junior when she averaged 18.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.0 steals per outing. Williams was also a first-team all-state Division II pick and a second-team all-state honoree overall in 2005. A two-time team captain, she received first-team all-CIF honors her final two years and was a three-time first-team all-league selection.
"Jerica is a terrific long-range shooter, and, as both an athlete and a teammate, is an extremely competitive person," Burns said. "She will have a year to work on her game, and will hit the ground running in 2008."
Williams, who intends to major in communications with a minor in sociology, will begin classes at San Diego State on Aug. 27.
"I'm excited about being an Aztec and coming back home to play in front of my family and the San Diego community," Williams said. "I've been familiar with Coach Burns since I was in the ninth grade and I admire how passionate she is about the game and the coaching staff's ability to develop players."
With the addition of Williams, the current Aztec roster now includes each of the last three San Diego-Union Tribune section players of the year and four San Diego-area natives in Allison Duffy (Lakeside/El Capitan HS), Paris Johnson (San Diego/San Diego HS) and Tamika Lipford (Oceanside/Bishop's HS).
"I couldn't be more excited to add Jerica Williams at shooting guard to complement our inside tandem of Paris Johnson at 6-4 and Allison Duffy at 6-2," Burns said. "County-wide, we trust that all basketball fans will be eager to follow the development of these three great San Diego prep stars."