INDIANAPOLIS - The women's basketball season is still monthsaway, but an incoming freshman is enjoying success over thesummer.
Ball State recruit Julie DeMuth helped the Indiana All-Stargirls basketball team complete a two-game sweep of the KentuckyAll-Stars with a 66-60 win on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse.
During the first game held a week ago in Kentucky, DeMuth heldKentucky Miss Basketball Crystal Kelly to seven points. In thesecond game she held her to 11 points and also slowed down 6-foot-6Sarah Elliott, only allowing her to get seven points.
"She's a kid that plays like she's 6-3," head Indiana All-Starcoach Jodie Whitaker said. "Julie will go up against anybody andJulie will bang with anybody."
DeMuth is really 5 feet 11 inches tall and her work ethic iswhat attracted Ball State head coach Tracy Roller.
"I think the X-factor is what made me love her game the most,"Roller said. "She's diving for every loss ball, she's gettingrebounds that are difficult to get.
"She's just a hard nosed blue-collar worker and hercompetitiveness is top-notch."
When the game was on the line in the final minutes, DeMuth dovefor the ball on the defensive end and came up with a steal as shefell to the court. It was one of three steals she had along withseven points and three rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
DeMuth said her experience with the All-Star team should helpher adjust to the college game because of the style, differentteammates and busy schedule.
"In theory you would think that somebody who's playing as muchbasketball and as talented as she is, is going to have a great shotto get some minutes," Roller said. "[However] I know there's a lotof players on our team that are going to challenger her forthat."
Both senior Kate Endress and junior Dana Collins, who watchedDeMuth at the North/South Indiana All-Star Classic, think she willbe able to make the adjustment as well as a quick impact.
"We could definitely use her body, especially on the boards,"Collins said. "We're losing [Jessica Reiter], which needs to bereplaced bad."
"I thought she was fantastic, I'm very excited about her cominghere," Endress said. "She's a big body and she likes to bang and Ithink that's what we need."
During high school she was part of two teams that compiled an89-9 record, which included three straight trips to semi-state. Shetransferred to Merrillville High School after three years ofcompeting at Highland High School.
Chris Huppenthal who coached DeMuth at Highland said herphysical play will help her adjust to the college game.
"She's a very physical player," Huppenthal said. "She's going togo ahead and test some people as far as how strong they arementally, if somebody's not mentally and physically able to standup to her, she'll really go after them.
"Talking to some of the kids I've had play at the collegiatelevel they say one of the biggest differences is how physical thekids are. I don't think that's going to be a problem for her atall."
Huppenthal knew when DeMuth was a freshman that she would be aDivision One player.
The hard part for Roller was getting DeMuth to Ball State.Roller originally recruited her sister, Jenny DeMuth, but lost outto Indiana, so Roller said she wanted to make sure she got JulieDeMuth here.
"It was a battle, she was heavily recruited," Roller said. "Ithink a lot of people thought she would go to Indiana and play withher sister."
For DeMuth it was the coaches that attracted her.
"They recruited me hard," DeMuth said. "They really brought me[to Ball State], it was one of the big reasons I went there."
When she does arrive in the fall she'll be looked upon to helpthe Cardinals' inside game, Roller said.
"One thing that she'll be able to do here I think immediately israise the intensity level of practices," Huppenthal said. "When shesteps on the floor she's all business, she doesn't want to just wina game, she wants to win in practice."
DeMuth is looking forward to getting to know the team and seeingwhere they are at.
"I just want to get out there and play hard," DeMuth said. "I'mgoing to do my best, whatever I can do, if they need it inside thenI'm going to try and give them that."
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