After adding six new players to next season’s roster through a freshman class, most thought Ball State women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee was finished adding players for the future.
It turned out to not be the case, as the team announced Wednesday afternoon that Indiana sophomore Candyce Ussery would be transferring to Ball State this season.
Ussery is a 5-foot-8 combo guard. She played in all 30 games for Indiana during her freshman year with the team, averaging 3.1 points per game. She also started four games for the Hoosiers.
“There’s a combination of Big Ten experience with her skill level with the versatility that she brings to the table that I’m excited about,” Sallee said. “She’s a kid that can give us some time at the point, she can give us time at the 2. She’ll hopefully bring some Big Ten toughness with her.”
Sallee also praised Ussery’s character.
“She’s a great character kid, good student, just the total package,” he said. “We were really looking for the right fit when it came to the transfer if we were going to take them. We feel like we got it.”
Ussery played in eight games this season for Indiana, but didn’t score a point in 22 minutes of action.
After adding Ussery, Ball State will have three players on its roster from St. Louis: Brittany Carter, Jazmin Hitchens and now Ussery. Sallee said the St. Louis connection didn’t have an impact on bringing her in.
“For us it was way more just the fit,” Sallee said. “If she would’ve been from Timbuktu or the North Pole I didn’t care.”
Sallee said he doesn’t think Ussery will be able to redshirt for her year off because of the number of games she played at Indiana this season. She will sit for the remainder of the spring semester, and for the full fall 2013 semester. At the start of the spring semester of 2014, Ussery will be able to join the team in games.
Ussery will be a junior by the time she takes the court for Ball State.
Ball State had a similar situation with another transfer player this season. Forward Lyzz Smith transferred from Indiana Wesleyan early in the spring semester in 2011. Smith sat for two semesters, and has now played in four games, and has averaged four points per game this season.
Sallee also said that getting a player with experience was important when bringing in a transfer, due to having six new freshmen next season.
“We’re really excited about her coming in here and being able to start practice and learn the system,” Sallee said. “At mid-year next year, we’re going to get a kid that’s seasoned and can help us in the backcourt and competes pretty well in our league. I think Candyce is exactly what we’re looking for and we’re just thrilled to death to get her.”
