@CanesWBB Adds Serena-Lynn Geldof to 2016 Class
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head women’s basketball coach Katie Meier announced Thursday the signing of Serena-Lynn Geldof to a National Letter of Intent.
A 6-foot-6-inch center from Ostend, Belgium, Geldof brings a wealth of international experience to Coral Gables. Geldof, who attended KA Redingenhof Leuven in her home nation, will join the Hurricanes in the fall for the 2016-17 season.
“Serena has a unique skill set and I’m very excited to work her into our system,” Meier said. “She’s extremely versatile for her size and will present matchup problems.”
Geldof is set to be second 6-foot-6-inch Hurricane since Meier took charge in 2005-06, joining Shawnice “Pepper” Wilson, who transferred from Pittsburgh to Miami in 2010.
Miami now has two players in its 2016 recruiting class, as Geldof joins Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) standout Sarah Mortensen, 6-foot-1-inch guard/forward originally from Denmark.
Like Mortensen, ProspectsNation.com ranks Geldof among the top 20 international prospects in the class of 2016. Geldof checks in at No. 18 overall on the list, including fifth among post players.
“She has elite size and length at 6-foot-6. She is thin . . . but last summer when I was evaluating her, I was impressed with her feel for the game and touch around the rim,” ProspectsNation.com Director of Scouting Keil Moore said. “Defensively, her length will cause opposing player to change their shot on a consistent basis. She should be a more than capable shot blocker. Over four years, I think Miami has a post player who can find a role and make a consistent impact on both sides of the ball.”
Dating back to 2012, Geldof has competed in six FIBA competitions for Belgium and will participate in a seventh, the FIBA U20 European Championships Division A, in July.
At the 2013 FIBA U16 European Championship Division A, Geldof averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots in eight games, shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and tallying a pair of double-doubles. She led all players in the tournament in blocks per game, finished fourth in field goal percentage and tallied a tournament-best 10 blocks in a victory over Croatia.
More recently, at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship Division A, Geldof posted 10.2 points, 8.1 boards and 2.1 blocks per game over nine contests. She again led all players in blocks per game and had the highest single-game block total (five), plus she ranked ninth in defensive rebounds an outing (5.9).
Geldof has also competed in the prestigious EuroCup in both 2014 and 2015 with her Belgian club team, Lotto Young Cats.
“Serena is really at the beginning of her international career, but these opportunities will only enhance her game,” Meier said. “We are really excited to welcome a freshman with such great experience.”
For Meier, Geldof will be the first player she has coached at Miami who hails from Belgium, which is where Meier played professionally from 1990-93.
Geldof and Mortensen will join transfers Shaneese Bailey and Neydja Petithomme, the latter of whom will be eligible after final exams in December, as newcomers for the Hurricanes in 2016-17. Miami also returns 10 of its 11 letter winners from last season.
To learn more about the University of Miami women’s basketball team, follow @CanesWBB.
MORE FROM KATIE MEIER . . .
On what attributes she was most impressed with when scouting Geldof: “Serena has a true desire and tendency to be great. She wants to compete at the highest level of basketball available to her. That’s always been her goal. She knows that she has tremendous growth potential and she loves to challenge herself.”
On how much it helps to have a player with Geldof’s height: “I believe she will be a player who alters shots, but also bails out her teammates when they penetrate too deep and ‘get stuck.’ We love to attack the basket and Serena provides a great option around the bucket.”
On how she first learned about Geldof: “Serena played on the Belgian youth national team and my dear friend, Ann Wauters, was the assistant coach. She was so impressed with Serena and especially her work ethic. Ann, [the top pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft], called and implored me to recruit her.”
MORE FROM KEIL MOORE . . .
On how beneficial Geldof’s background in quality international competitions will be for her: “I think with any international player, the level of play that they experience in FIBA events allows them to bring a more professional mindset to the college arena. Where most American players have to learn how to read a game plan, how to study film and then how to take that information and apply it to a game, international players have had those opportunities early on.”
On what skills Geldof has that would potentially allow her to contribute her first year at Miami: “The defensive side of the ball will be where she makes the early contribution, as a shot blocker and shot changer . . . Defense will be there early on.”
