Fresh off their first trip to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament since 1993, coach Tricia Binford and her staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail in hopes of maintaining the program’s recent success. The MSU women are coming off back-to-back regular season championships.
Martha Kuderer and Claire Lundberg of Seton Hall University have both recently signed letters of intent to join the MSU program beginning in the 2017-18 season. However, due to NCAA transfer rules, neither will be eligible to play for the Lady ‘Cats until the 2018-19 season. Lundberg, a 6-1 forward from Andover, Minnesota, will have one year of eligibility remaining, while Kuderer, a 5-11 forward from Eden Prairie, Minnesota will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“We are thrilled to announce the additions of Claire and Martha to our Bobcat family,” Binford said. “They are a natural fit for our program and the direction we are heading. Next year, they’ll help make practices competitive and will bring championship experience to the gym. In addition, they’ll get a year to pick up the system and will be able to come in and make an impact right away.”
Lundberg played in 31 games last season for the Pirates, starting 27, and averaged 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds, while averaging 25 minutes per contest. Standing 6-1, Lundberg did most of her scoring damage from the three-point line, connecting on 56 triples last season, including six in a win over Marquette. She also shot 82 percent from the free throw line, and finished with seven double-digit scoring games in the 2016-17 season.
Kuderer was a highly recruited scorer out of Chanhassen High School in Eden Prairie, where she averaged 18.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game her senior season. However, illness limited her to just 17 games last season for Seton Hall. She reached double-digits twice against Butler and Georgetown, and hit on 54 percent of her shots from the field and 71 percent from the line.
Lundberg and Kuderer both played a role in Seton Hall reaching the NCAA tournament in 2016 after earning an at-large bid with at 23-9 record, including 12-6 in the Big East. They fell in the opening round to Duquesne.
“With the addition of Claire and Martha to our strong fall signing class we feel we have been able to strengthen the experience and future of our program,” Binford said.
Kuderer and Lundberg join four other signees in the 2016-17 recruiting class.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer, covering Bozeman Hawk and Montana State Bobcat athletics.