Canadian Christina Buttenham commits to Iowa

IOWA CITY -- In two years, the Iowa Hawkeyes will have their first Canadian women's basketball player.

And just their second from outside the United States.

Christina Buttenham, a junior from Hamilton, Ontario, confirmed Friday that she has orally committed to play for the Hawkeyes, starting in the 2014-15 season.

"I had such a good feeling with the coaching staff," Buttenham said. "Coach (Lisa) Bluder didn't just email me like most coaches do. She contacted my mom and dad. That meant a lot to me."

Buttenham is a 5-foot-11 wing that plays for Hamilton St. Mary's High School, where she averages about 20 points per game. Last summer, she represented Canada on the 17-and-under team at the national world championships, which won a bronze medal in Amsterdam.

She joins Whitney Jennings, a point guard from Logansport, Ind., in Iowa's recruiting class of 2014.

"The school is very nice. I'm into science, so that will be a great place for me," Buttenham said. "Everything is perfect there."

Buttenham is Iowa's first international player since Jamaican Simone Edwards played there from 1993 through 1997.