Yari Escalera

Position:
Guard
Height:
5-6
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Humacao, Puerto Rico
High School:
Colegio San Antonio

Yari Escalera is a true point guard who gained a ton of experience as a first-year player in 2004-05. She will be counted on to learn and run new head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller’s offense. Escalera spent the summer playing against the best young players in the world to help prepare her for the 2005-06 campaign.

2004-05 (Freshman): Escalera spent the majority of the season as a back up point guard for senior Veronica Johns-Richardson, but came into her own late in the campaign, and the final game of the season gave Colorado plenty of reason for optimism. Against No. 19/18 Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament, Escalera scored a career-high 19 points on 6-of-9 from the field with five assists and three rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. She also hit a personal-best four 3-point field goals on just five attempts against the Cyclones. Escalera played in all 28 contests averaging just under 22 minutes per game and made five starts as the Buffaloes frequently went to a three-guard set in the second half of the season. Escalera was fourth among Big 12 freshmen in free-throw percentage, of those with 20 or more attempts, hitting 20-of-28 for 71.4 percent. She was also third in assists (1.89 apg), fifth in steals (1.18 spg) and sixth in 3-point field-goal percentage (17-of-51, .333). Escalera was second only to Johns-Richardson in assists (53) and steals (33) on the squad for the season. At the conclusion of the season, she was awarded the team’s Most Improved Player award by the coaching staff.

Puerto Rico National Team: Escalera averaged 10.9 points per game for the Puerto Rico junior national team that finished in 10th place at the 2005 FIBA Women's U19 World Championship in Tunisia, Africa. The Puerto Rican contingent, the country's first representative in a women's world championship, finished 2-5 overall. She ranked ninth among the entire tournament field in free-throw percentage at .714 (15x21). Prior to the FIBA championships, the Puerto Rican team won a Caribbean tournament in Trinidad where Escalera was named to the All-Tournament team. Befor enrolling at CU, she played for the Puerto Rican Under-21 National Team in 2003 that took fourth in Brazil and made her first appearance for a Puerto Rico national team at age 14 in Mexico, helping the young national team to a bronze medal.

High School: Escalera played for the varsity team at Colegio San Antonio Abad for six seasons, starting her varsity tenure in the seventh grade. During her four “traditional” years of high school, she led her team to a record of 72-5, winning championships all four years, with Escalera averaging over 24 points per game every year. As a senior, the CSAA team was 18-2, with Escalera averaging 26.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 7.5 apg en route to most valuable player honors for both her team and league, an honor she claimed from her freshman to senior seasons. As a junior, CSAA was 18-1, with Escalera averaging 26.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Escalera’s sophomore team went undefeated at 18-0, with the point guard averaging 24.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg. As a freshman she put up 24.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg en route to an 18-2 record. She was a three time member of the YBOA All-Star Team. In club ball, she has played for a variety of teams based in Miami and Orlando.

Academics: Escalera is undecided on a major at Colorado, but is interested in studying physiology and biology.

Personal: Yarillis “Yari” Escalera Estrada was born Feb. 18, 1986, the daughter of Orlando Escalera and Carmen Iris Estrada. She prefers the nickname “Yari” and will go by the surname of Escalera at Colorado. She was a four time member of the Honor Society at CSAA and she earned honors in every class she took in high school. Escalera is the youngest of three children, with a brother Orlando (23) and a sister Carla (21). She also played volleyball, softball and soccer in high school.

Overall	GP-S	Min	Avg	FG	FGA	Pct	3FG	3FGA	Pct	FT	FTA	Pct
2004-05	28-5	607	21.7	34	97	.351	17	51	.333	20	28	.714
2005-06	30-20	784	26.1	62	168	.369	37	102	.363	59	72	.819
Totals	58-25	1391	24.0	96	265	.362	54	153	.353	79	100	.790

Overall	OReb	DReb	TOT	Avg	PF	FO	A	TO	BK	S	Pts	Avg
2004-05	6	42	48	1.7	36	0	53	61	0	33	105	3.8
2005-06	17	78	95	3.2	52	2	63	70	1	20	220	7.3
Totals	23	120	143	2.5	88	2	116	131	1	53	325	5.6