Whitney Jennings

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Butler women’s basketball announces Whitney Jennings will join the program for 2016-17 season

Last Updated on April 27, 2016 by cassnetwork

Whitney Jennings, Photo by Michelle Dials

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler women’s basketball head coach Kurt Godlevske is pleased to announce that Whitney Jennings and Kaela Hodges will both join the program for the start of the 2016-17 season. Jennings will join BU after starting her career at the University of Iowa, while Hodges will come in and play immediately after playing at Wabash Valley College for two seasons.

Jennings is a former Indiana Miss Basketball recipient from Logansport, Ind. The 5-5 guard was recognized as the Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2013-14 and was also named to the 2014 Parade All-America Girls Basketball Team. Her incredible high school career was capped off with 2,641 points which landed her fifth on the state’s career scoring list. Jennings name also appeared fourth in state history in assists (699) and seventh in steals (404).

Jennings averaged 32 points, eight rebounds, 7.4 assists and 5.1 steals per game as a senior at Logansport to go down as the school’s all-time leading scorer. She led the Berries to an 86-14 overall record during her four-year career including back-to-back undefeated conference championships. Individually, Jennings earned four-straight all-state honors by earning honorable mention as a freshman, second team as a sophomore and first team during both her junior and season seasons.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have Whitney join our Bulldog family,” Head Coach Kurt Godlevske stated. “Whitney comes from a wonderful basketball family and has a tremendous basketball background. Her ability to score and lead are going to be tremendous assets for our team!”

While at Iowa, Jennings competed in all 67 games over her first two years on campus while earning the start in 62 contests. She scored the third-most 3-pointers (36), dished out the fourth-most assists (92), recorded the fourth-most steals (35), and scored the 11th-most points (308) of all freshmen in Iowa basketball history.

Her sophomore campaign was more of the same with Jennings averaging 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. She knocked down 40 3-point field goals, shooting 30.1 percent from behind the arc. Jennings will sit out during the 2016-17 season due to the NCAA Transfer Rule, but the second addition to the roster will be ready immediately as BU welcomes Kaela Hodges from Wabash Valley College.

Hodges is a 6-0 forward originally from Odell, Ill. She led Wabash Valley in scoring last season averaging over 13 points per game. The two-year starter nearly averaged a double-double as she also led the program in rebounds during her sophomore season by pulling down nine per contest. Hodges was efficient from the field shooting 48.3 percent last season and was a respectable free throw shooter for the Warriors by connecting on 68 percent of her tries from the charity stripe.

“I am excited for Kaela to join our Butler family,” Godlevske stated. “She is a natural leader through her great communication skills and she will give us the much needed depth that we need inside. Kaela is a tremendous athlete who can defend, rebound, and score consistently.”

Before attending Wabash Valley College, Hodges attended Pontiac Township High School in Pontiac, Ill. where she averaged 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game during her senior season. She was a team captain that ended the year as an all-conference and all-area selection. Hodges left the program as the school record holder for most points in a single-game after dropping 45 against Olympia H.S.

SOURCE: News release from Butler University

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