Mike Bradbury wasted no time filling his two newly vacated scholarships, replacing guards Madi Washington and Quincy Noble with graduate transfer Ciani Cryor and freshman Celine Dupont.
Cryor will wear her third Division I jersey when she suits up for the Lobos in the fall, joining the program after a season at Georgia Tech and the last two at Rutgers. Last year for Rutgers she averaged 8.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Cryor will provide the Lobos with extra insurance at point guard. Aisia Robertson is expected to miss at least the first half of the season recovering from a torn ACL she suffered in the regular season final.
"(Cryor) is an elite competitor and was the starting point guard for a Top-25 team," Bradbury said in a release. "That experience and her lock-down defensive mindset will help us immediately. She'll be just as quick and tough as Robertson. We expect CiCi to step right in and make a major impact not only on our team, but in the Mountain West Conference."
Dupont comes to UNM from the Netherlands with plenty of international experience and has ties to former Lobo Richelle van der Keijl. She has been representing her country on the international stage since she was 13, playing in two FIBA Women's Championships. She's another big post player for the Lobos as they look to replace Jaisa Nunn and Nike McClure.
"Celine will bring us size and skill in the post at 6-foot-4. Her ability to score inside and on the perimeter make her a great fit in our system," Bradbury said. "She has had tremendous experience playing against some of the best players in the world while playing for her country's national team. Celine has a really big upside and we expect her to be a big part of the present and the future of this program."
She averaged a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Under-20 Women's League last year.
They join the four players who signed in the fall, Andriana Avent, Autumn Watts, Corina Carter and Azaria Robinson and comprised the first unanimous Top-30 class in program history.
The team will prepare for the upcoming season with a trip to Europe this August before things really get underway.
Cameron Goeldner is a senior reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and the Albuquerque Isotopes, but also contributes content for all other sports. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @goeldfinger.
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