VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota women's basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is pleased to announce the signing of Morgan Hansen, Maddie Krull, Natalie Mazurek and Kyah Watson to National Letters of Intent to play for the Coyotes.
 
Plitzuweit's recruiting footprint continues to be heavily based in Midwest talent. There are a pair of in-state standouts in Hansen and Watson, while Krull and Mazurek hail from the neighboring states of Nebraska and Minnesota.
 
"We are extremely excited to officially welcome Maddie, Morgan, Kyah and Natalie into the Coyote women's basketball family," said Plitzuweit. "This is a class made up of young ladies that are extremely driven to be great on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. This is a passionate group and I am excited about both their energy and commitment to being outstanding student-athletes at the University of South Dakota."
 
Morgan Hansen | Guard/Forward | 6-1 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln HS
 
A 6-foot-1 guard from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Morgan Hansen is a two-time all-state honoree for Lincoln High School. She has twice been named to the all-Metro Conference team and earned a spot on South Dakota's all-state tournament team. Hansen received several Lincoln High School team awards, including the Patriot Award, the Chairman of the Boards and Miss Basketball. She averaged 14.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during her junior season, while shooting at a 43 percent clip from the field and 41 percent from downtown. She is closing in on both the 1,000-point mark and Lincoln's career rebounds record entering her senior campaign. Hansen is also a member of the Patriots' track and field team. A three-time academic letterwinner, Hansen plans to major in education at South Dakota.
 
"Morgan is one of two signees from South Dakota and is a versatile guard that has great length," said Plitzuweit. "Morgan is a knockdown shooter that has the ability to impact the game on both ends with her length and athleticism. Morgan has continued to grow as a player and is a great fit due to the fact that she can play and guard multiple positions on the court. We are excited to have Morgan and her family join our pack!"
 
Maddie Krull | Guard | 5-10 | Omaha, Neb. | Millard South HS
 
A 5-foot-10 point guard hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Maddie Krull is a top-100 recruit in the ESPN rankings. Krull is a three-time all-state honoree, an all-Metro Conference honoree and was on the all-Metro Conference Tournament team. Krull has accumulated nearly 1,000 points entering her senior campaign and is the all-time assists and steals leader at Millard South High School. She averaged 15 points, five assists and four rebounds as a junior. Krull led her AAU team, the All-Nebraska Attack, to a fifth-place finish at the Under Armor National Tournament this past summer. In the classroom, she's a member of the National Honor Society, was named academic all-state for basketball, received Millard South's all-around student award twice and will graduate high school with her associate degree in hand.
 
"Maddie is a young lady whom we have gotten to watch play a lot over the past three plus years," said Plitzuweit. "She is extremely competitive and is not only a tremendous player but a great leader. Maddie has a very high motor and is both fearless and relentless in how she plays, which makes her a great fit in our system. She is a great defender and an explosive offensive player who can make a lot of things happen. We are thrilled to welcome Maddie and her family to her new home in Vermillion!"
 
Natalie Mazurek | Center | 6-3 | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Eden Prairie HS
 
A 6-foot-3 center based out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Natalie Mazurek has nearly averaged a double-double in her career at Eden Prairie High School. She's put up 9.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the Eagles, while also chipping in 3.1 blocks and 2.1 steals per game. Mazurek is a three-time all-Lake Conference honoree and received all-state honorable mention as a junior. She also helped her Minnesota Fury AAU team capture the 2019 Minnesota AAU State Championship title. Mazurek is an honor roll student at Eden Prairie.
 
"Natalie is a mobile post player that has a ton of upside and great size," said Plitzuweit. "She is versatile at 6-3 because she can handle the ball, can shoot the ball from the perimeter, and play on the interior. Natalie is a player that really developed at a quick rate from a skill and athleticism standpoint over the last two years and we cannot wait to have her join our team. We are very excited to welcome Natalie and her family into our Coyote women's basketball program!"
 
Kyah Watson | Guard | 5-10 | Rapid City, S.D. | Stevens HS
 
A 5-foot-10 guard from Rapid City, South Dakota, Kyah Watson is a three-sport standout for Stevens High School. She garnered all-state honors on the basketball court the past two seasons, while also making the South Dakota Class AA all-tournament team in 2019. She helped the Raiders win the South Dakota state volleyball championship this fall. Watson also anchored the Raiders' state championship 4x100-meter relay in 2017, running a then-state record of 48.38 seconds. She received the Argus Leader Courage Award in 2018. Watson plans to major in kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.
 
"Kyah is the second of two signees from South Dakota and is a dynamic athlete that is not only one of the best basketball players, but one of the best multi-sport athletes in the region," said Plitzuweit. "She has a combination of skill, size and athleticism which makes her a 'prototype' player that is a great fit within our system. Her combination of skills gives her the ability to impact the game on both ends of the court. We love the fact that Kyah and her family are now officially Yotes!"
 
The quartet will enroll at and be eligible to compete for South Dakota in the fall of 2020.