May 25, 2004
LAS VEGAS - Lauren Ervin, a 2003 McDonald's High School All-American and a freshman at Kansas this past season, has signed to play for the UNLV women's basketball team starting in the fall of 2005-06, head coach Regina Miller announced on Tuesday. Ervin will sit out the 2004-05 season due to NCAA transfer eligibility rules.
A 6-4 forward and native of Inglewood, Calif., Ervin was one of the top high school prospects while playing for Inglewood High. Ranked as high as the No. 2 prospect by several top recruiting analysts, Ervin was a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year, while also earning McDonald's All-American, WBCA All-American, Nike All-American, and second team Parade All-American honors. She averaged a double-double both her sophomore and senior seasons, including 24 points and 18 rebounds per game her senior year.
Ervin also shinned in AAU competition, along with current Lady Rebel players Kameca Simmons and Tiffani Burries, as she helped the West Coast All Stars to a runner-up finish at the 2001 AAU national tournament while earning AAU All-American honors. Other honors received by Ervin include being named a Street & Smith All-American, CIF III-A Player of the Year, All-Area First Team, and she was a member of the USA Youth Development Festival in 2002.
While at Kansas, she played in 24 games with one start, and led the Jayhawks in both rebounding (6.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (51.5 percent), was second in blocks (1.2 bpg), and sixth in scoring (6.8 ppg). A Dallas Morning News Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, Ervin was also named to the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 12 points and 8.5 rebounds over two games.
"We're ecstatic about being able to attract a player of Lauren's caliber and to bring her into our program," said Miller. "This upcoming season will be very important in her development. Though she will have to sit out the season, the opportunity to practice with the team will help ease her transition into our style of play. She has the ability to score in the post and is a very good rebounder. With our three post players graduating after this upcoming season, Lauren will be in a great position to help fill that void and make an immediate impact on the court."
Ervin is the third signee for Miller this year, joining Sequoia Holmes and Brittney Thomas. Holmes, a 6-1 forward and Las Vegas native, is a three-sport standout at Mojave High, and led the city in scoring this past season with 20.9 ppg, while adding 8.5 rpg and 4.2 apg. She was also named Sunset North Division MVP. Holmes also recently won her second straight Nevada state championship in the long jump for the Mojave track team, while finishing second in both the high jump and the 100m dash. Thomas, a 5-7 point guard of Lakewood, Calif., will be a junior for UNLV this fall after playing this past season for Cerritos College, where she was named South Coast Conference Player of the Year after averaging 17 points and 4.5 assists per game. Thomas, a graduate of Artesia High, played her freshman season at Xavier, helping them to a 20-10 record and a NCAA tournament appearance.
UNLV returns four starters and 12 players for the 2004-05 season, after finishing 2003-04 with a 26-8 record, tied for the third-most wins in school history, and a first-ever appearance in the WNIT championship game.
