Christian signs with CSI

When one saw the passion in which Ciarra Christian played the game of basketball, it would have likely came as a surprise when the former Carson High standout decided to stop competing.

So it likely wouldn't have come as a surprise that Christian missed being on the floor and has decided to return to the game that she loves.

Christian, the 2004 Northern 4A Player of the Year, has spent the past year attending the University of Nevada. But the itch to return to the court became too much, so Christian signed a letter of intent with the College of Southern Idaho women's basketball team on Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period.

CSI is coming off of a season in which it finished as the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association's runner-up.

"I had a lot of opportunities coming out, but for some reason I didn't want to play," said Christian when she graduate from CHS. "But as the year went on I really missed it."

Christian passed up such chances as playing for Division II Dominican or Lassen Community College in California or Yakima Community College in Washington to focus on academics at Nevada. "I passed it up because I just thought I wanted to go to school and focus on school," she said.

But she eventually changed her mind and along with mostly Northern Nevada players that included Reed's Maria and Brittany Moore, Christian played on a team that scrimmaged CSI's club. The Moores were also scheduled to sign with CSI on Wednesday.

"The kids here in Northern Nevada are still getting missed," said CSI coach Randy Rogers about Northern Nevada players still not being recruited by four-year schools.

Rogers, who came to CSI from Spring Creek, said the program continues to be impressed with Northern Nevada players.

"They could have finished second in our league and our league's pretty good," said Rogers about the team that scrimmaged his club on how it would fare in the Scenic West Conference.

"She caught our eye," said Rogers about Christian. "She does have some skills and she's been very well coached."

While Christian is mainly a point guard, Rogers sees her filling a combination role where she could play some off guard as well. CSI's starting point guard could return - but she's being recruited by schools like Missouri and Oklahoma - so she could decide to leave.

If that's the case, Christian could receive plenty of playing time right away along with Maria Moore, another guard.

"If she goes then Ciarra is going to be a big part of helping us," said Rogers if his starting point guard leaves. "In our league we have to have two point guards. Trust me, you can't have enough point guards."

"I'm going in there not expecting to start, not expecting anything," Christian said. "I know I'm going to have to work for it, taking a year off I know I'm going to have to work twice as hard as everyone else."

Christian also had other possible chances to play somewhere else this year, including Division II Mesa State in Colorado. But the ultimate goal obviously for Christian is to play Division I and CSI may give her the best chance of doing that.

"I believe Ciarra's going to have opportunities if she performs for us to move on," Rogers said. "I don't guarantee kids anything. If they work hard and perform they will get the looks."

CSI is also a program that relies on players who have already academically qualified for four-year schools. That means the program could lose players after their freshman year to Division I schools.

Academic qualifiers are attractive to Division I schools because their eligible for three years instead of just two. The cumulative grade point average of this year's team was 3.1. "If they get a three-year deal down the road they might have to take it," Rogers said.

Christian said she expects to be at CSI for two years. But if next season goes well and she receives interest, Christian said she can't rule out the possibility of going to a Division I school after her freshman year.