Kansas State Athletics
UVA Women's Basketball Signs Kansas State Center Taylor Lauterbach
Coach Mox and the Cavaliers have landed their second transfer commitment of the offseason and it's a significant one as it addresses UVA's biggest roster need. The Virginia women's basketball program announced the signing of Taylor Lauterbach, a 6'7" center from Kansas State, on Thursday morning.
The biggest weakness of Virginia's roster in 2022-2023 was the lack of size at the center position. No Cavalier on the roster stood taller than 6'2", which caused problems for the Hoos as they tried to defend against the tall and athletic centers of the ACC. No longer.
At 6'7", Taylor Lauterbach provides the size and rim-protecting ability Virginia desperately needed and she also brings experience, having appeared in 75 games, including five starts for the Wildcats over the last three seasons. Lauterbach was not a focal point of the Kansas State offense in her time in Manhattan, but she showed flashes of potential as a post scorer and as a shooter in the mid-range and from beyond the arc.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Taylor into our family,” said Virginia head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. “Taylor is a high-academic student-athlete committed to the grind on and off the court. She is a hard-working high-character kid who is tall, long and mobile. She can block and alter shots in the paint. She also has great hands and can catch and score, as well as shoot the 15-foot/three-point shot. Her potential is off the charts! I am excited that she has two years to develop under our tutelage. Her future is bright!”
Lauterbach is earning her B.A. in Psychology this spring, finishing her degree in just three years, and comes to Virginia as a graduate transfer with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Originally from Appleton, Wisconsin, Lauterbach was a top-100 prospect in the high school recruiting class of 2020 and was ranked the No. 12 center in the country in ESPN's HoopGurlz rankings.
Lauterbach is the second player to transfer to the Virginia women's basketball program this offseason, joining Arizona guard Paris Clark, who signed with UVA on April 7th.
And if Coach Mox's Twitter feed is an indication, the Cavaliers aren't done in the transfer portal yet.
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