Name: Tina Charles
Height: 6'4"
Position: Center
Class: Senior
School: Connecticut
Player Bio
A number of names come to mind when asked about the top centers to ever don the UConn Huskie jersey: Rebecca Lobo, Asjha Jones and Kara Walters. In that conversation has to be current Huskies center and National Player of the Year candidate Tina Charles. Perhaps Charles' breakout game came on April 7, 2009 when the UConn standout posted 25 points and 19 rebounds in the 2009 NCAA National Championship win over Louisville, good enough to earn her Most Outstanding Player of 2009 NCAA Final Four honors.
Charles has continued that dominance into her senior season, one in which the Huskies have stretched their winning streak to a mind-blowing 71 games. Through 22 games, the 6-4 center was averaging a career-high 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
A rare of combination of size and athletic ability, Charles figures to be the first pick in the 2010 draft.
Coach Reeve's Thoughts
"Tina is a very efficient post player; most effective when around the basket, scoring off of offensive rebounds and has a developed a little bit of a face up game." An Insider's Look
Roger Cleveland, Waterbury Republic American"I think that right now Tina Charles is clearly the best senior in the country, because she is playing with the perfect blend of athleticism, the desire to dominate and the mind set that she wants to be great. She has all the physical tools in terms of strength, length and the ability to run the floor, and she's learned to play consistently hard."
Graham Hays, Women's Basketball Contributor for ESPN
"Named one of the 10 players on the State Farm All-America team during Final Four weekend, Charles is emblematic of why the Huskies didn't really have -- nor really need -- a bench beyond post Kaili McLaren. One of the best players in the nation in her own right, Charles still has been overshadowed at times by Montgomery and Moore."
To read full article, click here.
In The News
Tina Charles, Maya Moore On Brink of History, Hartford Courant Charles helps keep UConn's win streak going, The Sports Network Charles Takes Command, Tulsa World Paris twins still covet a national title, The New Britain Herald UConn's Charles Has Elevated Her Game to a Higher Level, Greenwich Time
Click here for an in-depth look at Tina Charles.
