Temple coaches excited about Career's Atkinson

Former UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza reached into the New Haven area to pluck one of the team's top recruits for next year and while the Owls are in the area, Cardoza and assistant coach Willnett Crockett (yes, the former UConn forward) decided to take a ride up I-95 to see Tanaya Atkinson's team square off against East Haven.

"We were able to see another kid play last night and with the numbers she is putting up (25.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals per game) I am excited to see the future and I think she is going to be a good addition to our future," Cardoza said after her team's practice on Friday at Webster Bank Arena. "She is one of those kids that she wants everybody to know (she is playing well) and I like that about her, she has that confidence and she wants to be good. I like players like that."

Cardoza credited Crockett for first recognizing Atkinson and Crockett recalled the first time she saw Atkinson play.

"She can be a 2/3 (shooting guard/small forward), we were looking to try to get a 2 player and 3 player. I made sure i called the AAU coach and just had a conversation with her, got her to come to camp and it was just one of those things where she fell in love when she came to campus and wanted to come to Temple.

"We are going to see her tonight and Tonya hasn't really seen her so I am like 'Lord, I hope I made the right (decision). One of the kids you bring to the table and I had to make sure you saw her play well. wait is that the same kid but I think she will do well for us."