One of the most glaring weaknesses for the Colorado women`s basketball team last season was its post play.

The Buffaloes simply couldn`t match up with the Brittney Griner- and Kelsey Griffin-types that showed up nearly nightly on the Big 12 Conference schedule.

New head coach Linda Lappe took a stab at curing some of those ills on Thursday when she announced the signing of 6-foot-4 center Rachel Hargis of Robinson, Texas.

Hargis is the first recruit signed to a national letter of intent by Lappe since she was hired on April 12 to replace Kathy McConnell-Miller.

Hargis gives the Buffaloes 13 scholarship athletes for next season. She joins a freshman class that already included Denver East forward Shae

Kelley and twin guards Ashley and Brittany Wilson of Long Beach, Calif., all of whom signed with CU in the November signing period.

Hargis joins junior Julie Seabrook and sophomore Melissa MacFarlane as the only true interior players on the Buffs` roster. Neither Seabrook nor MacFarlane played significant minutes last season.

"Rachel provides some much-needed depth in the post, and we are excited to have her on board," Lappe said in a CU release. "She played for a tremendous high school and club program, and we`ll expect her to bring those winning ways to Colorado."Hargis, who played in the same DFW Elite club program as Griner, averaged 14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game as a senior to help Robinson High to a 20-12 record and a 3A Region quarterfinal appearance.

As a sophomore she helped lead Robinson to a 34-5 record and the Texas 3A state championship. She was named championship game MVP with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

"Colorado definitely made me feel welcome, and I felt comfortable with everyone there, Coach Lappe, the players," Hargis said. "I feel (Colorado) can be a second home for me and that I will fit in great there."

ESPN.com ranked Hargis as the No. 43 center in the country in the 2010 class, and she was a McDonald`s All-American Game nominee.

Her signing leaves CU coaches with two open scholarships to give, though Lappe has said that she won`t hand out scholarships to simply fill out her roster. The spring signing period ends on Wednesday.