With commitments secured from 6-foot-1 wing Samarie Walker and 6-foot-5 post Stefanie Dolson, considered two of the 10 best players in the current high school junior class, the UConn coaching staff will begin the next stage of the recruiting process.

UConn would like to sign another inside player and another guard. As is their custom, the Husky hierarchy is focusing on a select number of players.

The top wing players being pursued is Lauren Engeln, a 5-foot-10 star at Laguna Hills, Calif. High. Norwich Free Academy's Kastine Evans is also on UConn's radar. Engeln was planning to take a visit to UConn when the Huskies played Oklahoma on Nov. 30 but had to cancel the trip. The hope is for her to visit at some point this season. While no known date has been set, a logical time could be in mid to late February as Laguna Hills' regular-season schedule ends on Feb. 5 and the first round of the state tournament isn't until the first week of March. Don't trust any reports that have the Huskies eyeing New Jersey's Laurin Mincy or Cibolo, Texas guard Meighann Simmons as they are not being actively recruited by UConn.

UConn is looking at three inside players: 6-foot-3 Orsi Szecsi out of Oak Hill, 6-foot-3 Michala Johnson from Montini Catholic High in Lombard, Ill. (who is sidelined with a knee injury) and 6-foot-4 Sheronne Vails from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.

With UConn concentrating on securing commitments from Dolson, who said she is planning to be at Saturday's game, and Walker, they haven't narrowed down which players they plan to offer scholarships to. That process could be starting in the coming weeks.

REMEMBER WHEN?
With Tennessee playing Rutgers immediately after UConn plays LSU on Saturday and with both games being televised nationally by CBS, UConn coach Geno Auriemma was asked if he has been approached about restarting the regular-season series against Tennessee which was canceled before last season at the urging of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Auriemma said the subject has never been brought up. He did take the time to reflect on what the UConn/Tennessee meant to the sport at a time when a select few women's basketball games were televised nationally.

"When there weren't a lot of games on and that game had their regularly scheduled time, the average guy out there might not have any interest in the game was drawn to that game," Auriemma said. "It did showcase the best of what women's basketball has to offer. You miss the game, the intensity of it. When we play Louisville it's going to be like that, when you play Rutgers it's going to like that, when you play at North Carolina it's going to be like that. There are a lot of national games, the Oklahoma game had the kind of feeling so in spite of there not being that game, we still have what we had."

Even without a Tennessee game on the schedule again next season, UConn's non-conference could be the best the Huskies have ever put together with games against No. 2 North Carolina, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Duke and No. 11 Texas.