Published: May 16, 2007
QUEENS, N.Y.
A Parade Magazine All-American who was ranked as the
No. 10 overall recruit and No. 1 point guard by the All-Star
Girls Report prior to her senior high school season,
Carla Cortijo has decided to transfer from the
University of Texas and attend St. John’s University. Cortijo will
be eligible to play for women’s basketball head coach Kim
Barnes Arico beginning the 2008-09 season.
“We are ecstatic to add a tremendous talent like Carla to our
program,” Barnes Arico said. “She is a phenomenal basketball
player, an outstanding student and comes from a great family. I am
confident that Carla’s maturity, experience and ability will make
an immediate impact on our already talented team and mesh well with
our goal of continuing to take St. John’s women’s basketball to the
next level.”
Cortijo comes to Queens, N.Y., after spending two seasons (one
medical redshirt) with the Longhorns.
Despite missing her senior high school campaign and true
freshman season at Texas due to knee injuries, Cortijo burst onto
the national scene in 2006-07 and starred as a do-it-all guard for
UT. In her first full season, Cortijo started 20 games at point
guard and led the team with 147 assists (4.9 per game) as a
redshirt freshman. She added 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7
steals per game.
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cortijo moved to Houston,
Texas to attend Bellaire High School after playing for Auxiliadora
High School in Carolina, Puerto Rico. She finished her career at
Bellaire as one of the most decorated prep players in the state of
Texas, and was named one of the 10 Naismith High School Player of
the Year finalists, a Parade All-America third team and a
Street & Smith’s All-America honorable mention.
During her junior year at Bellaire, Cortijo averaged 17.0
points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game as she led the squad to
its first regional tournament en route to Orlando Sentinel
All-South Honorable Mention, Texas Association of Basketball
Coaches (TABC) All-Region, all-metro and all-district honors and an
invitation to the 2005 Puerto Rico National Team tryouts.
Prior to attending Bellaire, she attended the Elite adidas Top
Ten Camp where she gained All-America honors. On the AAU
level, Cortijo played for the Houston Elite, leading them to the
2004 AAU National Championship, where she garnered Most Valuable
Player honors.
Cortijo will practice with the Red Storm during the 2007-08
season, and will be eligible under NCAA transfer regulations for
the 2008-09 season.
The Red Storm returns all five starters, including All-BIG EAST
selection and fifth-year senior Kia Wright, from
last year’s team that earned a berth to its fourth-straight BIG
EAST Tournament. Barnes Arico, the 2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year
after leading the Red Storm to the Second Round of the 2006 NCAA
Tournament, returns for her sixth season in 2007-08.
– Red Storm –