It didn't take long for Xylina McDaniel to make a decision after UConn discontinued its recruitment of the 6-foot-1 forward.

As first reported by the Register thanks to information from Spring Valley (S.C.) High coach Anne Long, McDaniel canceled a planned visit to Providence so she and her mother could take an unofficial visit to North Carolina. Obviously they liked what they saw because McDaniel committed to North Carolina according to an ESPN report.

UConn had pursued McDaniel and had her up on a visit during its First Night festivities on Oct. 14 and the Huskies' first official practice the next morning but sensing that McDaniel was likely to commit to a school close to her South Carolina home, UConn stopped recruiting McDaniel.

Shortly after meeting with Xylina McDaniel and her mother when they were up at UConn earlier this month, UConn made the decision to stop recruiting South Carolina's Gatorade Player of the Year.

McDaniel's father Xavier, who played 14 years in the NBA and also is one of her AAU coaches, called me tonight just to make it clear that the decision to end the recruitment was UConn's and not Xylina's.

"They called (Spring Valley) Coach (Anne) Long and told Coach Long that they were taking the pressure off. I guess it was a conversation they had while we were on our recruiting trip that Connecticut was far. I told (UConn assistant) Coach (Marissa) Moseley 'it is far. That is a big, giant step and she needs to figure out that this is what she wants to do.' I think maybe the process is too long for Connecticut being one of the major powers, maybe you either (do it) the Connecticut way or not."
McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 forward, is now expected to pick between South Carolina (where her high school teammate Asia Dozier has committed) and North Carolina.

That completes UConn's recruiting class as Breanna Stewart, a forward/center from Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) High, Bolingbrook (Ill.) High forward Morgan Tuck and guard Moriah Jefferson, who is home schooled and plays for the THESA Riders in Ft. Worth, Tex., have all committed and are expected to sign with the Huskies during the early signing period next month.

Speaking of Stewart, she had 18 points and 21 points but it was not enough as the United States opened play in the Pan Am Games with a 58-55 loss to Argentina. Stewart, the only high school player on the team,  was 3 of 8 from the field but 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. However, the only other U.S. player to scorer in double figures was Gonzaga's Katelan Redmon, who had 16 points.

Melissa Gretter led Argentina with 21 points.

If UConn recruiting target Xylina McDaniel was half as impressed at the scene inside Gampel Pavilion over the weekend as her father and former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, perhaps the Huskies will get a commitment from its first recruit from South Carolina since Kalana Greene.

"Walking in the arena and looking at all the Big East championships, 10 national titles, that is a lot right there," Xavier McDaniel said on Tuesday night. "It's a nice arena - not too big, not too small. I think it fits perfectly for girls' basketball, about 10,000 people and they had a packed house. I felt like it was great trip for us.

"Coach Geno (Auriemma) is a great coach. His seven (national) titles show that, watching their practice and how they go, how they get after it and expect for their players to be the best at what they do."

Xylina is down to UConn, North Carolina and South Carolina and her father believes she can't go wrong whichever way she goes.

"As far as X, it is a matter of what she wants to do," McDaniel said. "Let's be honest. If she comes to South Carolina and turns it around, she will be treated like a queen for the rest of her life. If you go to UConn, you can be a part of what Coach Geno has built for (25) years which won't be bad whichever way you go. If she goes to North Carolina, she can do all the things that Michael Jordan to Marion Jones (both members of UNC national championship teams) and all the great athletes they have had.  As I told her, the sky is limit. I think it is up to her. I told her you can't be afraid if a Breanna Stewart or a Morgan Tuck or Moriah Jefferson are coming (to UConn), you just have to go play. I played with Aubrey Sherrod, Greg Dreiling (at Wichita State)and I have my name on the rafters too. It is a matter of you focusing and I always say don't focus on yourself, focus on the team, the rest will take care of itself."

McDaniel, who averaged 15.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in his 14-year NBA career, is planning to let Xylina make the decision for herself.

"I'd like to get this process over with but it isn't me who is going to play college ball, it is her," McDaniel said. "It definitely has to be her making that college decision, I am happy with it. I think no matter what school you go to, you will get a very good education. I just think it comes down to winning and losing, if it was me. You have look at it that if you go to South Carolina, there are going to be some ups and downs. If you are Connecticut, you have all the (winning) programs, North Carolina is right behind teams like Connecticut, Tennessee and Stanford. Duke and North Carolina are right there. As far as Connecticut, Tennessee and Stanford and then maybe it is Duke and North Carolina - maybe in that order. I am not talking about what Texas A&M did last year, I am talking about what year in and year out, those are the teams you are going to see in the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four just about every year.

"I think they work hard for (South Carolina coach) Dawn Staley too, Dawn Staley is a great motivator that gets after it. I am not one of these people who say you can't do this or you can't do that. Whatever it takes to get that girl going or get that boy going, I am down with it because I have played for some tough coaches over my time. I tell people all the time, if kids can't be pushed than they aren't going to amount to anything. I have seen (North Carolina) Coach (Sylvia) Hatchell at it also."

McDaniel, who also coaches Xylina with the South Carolina 76ers AAU program, first noticed his daughter's potential to be a major college player shortly after she became a teenager. He believes that Xylina can be a dominant defender and rebounder at the next level.

"At 13 and being 6-foot and now being 6-2 and being a dominant rebounder for us has been a plus and she's been a scorer as well," McDaniel said. "I think she can make an impact on defender and as a rebounder (in college). When she was young, I stressed defense a lot. I used to make her guard point guards, 2 guards and not just big people. A big girl who would try to go 1 on 1 and said damn this girl is pretty quick and then they go into the post. She has the defensive capabilities of playing five positions in college. I think she is a forward, I am not going to say she is a small forward and I'm not going to say she is a power forward. She is a forward but I think she is a forward. You can ask the UConn players who played against her. She was rebounding and blocking shots and doing a lot of the things that I taught her. I thought she did a very good job in that scrimmage with the girls."

Anne Long, Xylina's high school coach at Spring Valley High in Columbia, S.C., said that Xylina was planning to take another visit to North Carolina with her mom but Xavier said that was not the case. He also didn't have a time frame for Xylina to make a decision.

Xylina McDaniel, the last uncommitted player from the Class of 2012 being pursued by UConn, has changed her itinerary a little bit.

The initial plan was to take a visit to Providence College this weekend but that visit has been canceled according to Anne Long, her high school coach. Instead McDaniel and her mother will take a trip to the University of North Carolina on Sunday.

"She is going back to North Carolina on Sunday night so her mother can get a chance to go on a visit so she is going to go back up on Sunday night and come back on Monday," said Long, the head coach at Spring Valley High in Columbia, S.C.

"She will probably know something soon after that visit," Long said, indicating that a college decision could be coming shortly.

McDaniel, who is considering North Carolina and South Carolina as well as UConn, took an official visit to Connecticut over the weekend. Along with UConn commit Morgan Tuck and Class of 2013 recruiting target Taya Reimer, McDaniel took in UConn's First Night festivities as well as the first official practice the following morning.

"She had a great time," Long said. "I talked to her, she enjoyed the festivities, the basketball (event) and she had a great time. She got some 1-on-1 time with Coach (Geno) Auriemma. They got a lot of time (together)."

McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 forward and the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, was named South Carolina's Gatorade state player of the year after averaging 18.5 points and 8.7 rebounds as a junior while leading Spring Valley to a 29-0 record and South Carolina 4A title.

It's a fairly safe assumption that UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun willl be among those at Gampel for the First Night festivities. However, it seems like he will not be the only Calhoun present.

David Borges, who covers the UConn men's team for the Register, is reporting that UConn men's recruit Omar Calhoun plans to be in the house so it seems likely that his sister Sierra, one of the top - and some people who worry about such things think maybe THE top - player in the high school Class of 2014 should accompany her brother as she did on a visit to UConn last week.

If Sierra Calhoun does come, that would push the number of women's recruits to four joining UConn commit Morgan Tuck as well as Xylina McDaniel and Taya Reimer, UConn recruiting targets in the Classes of 2012 and 2013 respectively.

For UConn basketball fans, tonight must be something close to a national holiday.

When fans come to games during the season, they are kept at arms' length from the players and coaches. But the whole idea behind First Night (other than to have a showcase to impress recruits) is that it allows fans to see a different side of the players. It all starts on Fairfield Way outside of Gampel Pavilion with a Fan Fest. Doors to Gampel open at 6 and there will be an autograph session with the players from both teams. The "basketball" portion of the evening will begin at 7 and include dunk and 3-point contests although there will be more fun than games. Admission is free.

"The kids get a big kick out of it, being out here and doing their thing," UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma said. "(They) enjoy being out on the floor for the first time with actual people in the stands. I think it is for the kids but how the kids handle it, that makes it for the fans. If they kids come out and go ‘I can’t believe we’ve got to do this’ then the fans don’t get a chance to enjoy it. But if the kids come out, have a great time and enjoy it and embrace the whole night then I think the fans have a great experience. I hope 10,000 of them actually show up."

Auriemma was asked about bringing back a scrimmage to the event so fans could actually see the basketball players well, actually play basketball.

"I think the scrimmaging days are over," Auriemma said. "They have something planned but I don’t know what. I try not to get caught up in that stuff. I just kind of show up and they point me in the right direction. You guys know this, in this program I am the Queen of England. I just come in and give them (a smile and a wave), elbow/wrist, elbow/wrist, elbow/wrist."
Auriemma admitted it was a hectic summer for him traveling out of the country multiple times as he continues to do double duty as not only the UConn but also the U.S. national team coach.

"Three times over the Europe and one time over to South America, all the recruiting that has been involved over the summer it has been a lot but I am kind of used to it by now," Auriemma said.

Speaking of recruits, UConn commit Morgan Tuck out of Bolingbrook (Ill.) High will be in attendance as well as 2012 recruiting target Xylina McDaniel, a star at Spring Valley (S.C.) High and 2013 recruiting target Taya Reimer out of Hamilton Southeastern High in Fishers, Ind. Also, my colleague David Borges (wo covers the UConn men's squad for the Register) is reporting that UConn men's commit Omar Calhoun will be there tonight so it's likely that his sister Sierra, a highly-touted sophomore at Christ the King, will also be in attendance. It will be a far cry from last year when current UConn freshmen Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Kiah Stokes and Brianna Banks along with their future UConn teammates Tuck and Moriah Jefferson were in attendance along with Hillhouse's Bria Holmes (who recently committed to West Virginia) and Class of 2013 prospect Diamond DeShields (who almost gave UConn's compliance officers a heart attack when she raced out of the stands and attempted to win one of the contests).

For those who can't make it to Storrs, you can check out the event on ESPN3.com Bear in mind there are some restrictions (I know I can't get ESPN3 through my provider). ESPNU's whiparound coverage will include updates from UConn by Doris Burke and Mark Brown.

TAURASI OFF TO IMPRESSIVE STAR
For anybody hoping that Diana Taurasi was going to be among those former UConn stars making an appearance at First Night, sorry but she is kind of busy.

Taurasi made her debut with Galatasay on Thursday and what a debut it was. Taurasi was 7 of 7 from 3-point range en route to 31 points to go with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in an 83-66 win over Vici Aistes.

Taurasi's former UConn teammate Asjha Jones is also off and running as she had 19 points and six rebounds in her first game with Rivas Ecopolis.

Figured I would pass on the info that UConn recruiting target Jannah Tucker will not be in attendance at Friday's First Night festivities.

I reached out to Kevin Lynch, who was always very helpful during UConn's recruitment of Caroline Doty and since Jannah plays for the Philadelphia Belles AAU program, I asked Kevin whether Jannah was planning to come up to Connecticut this weeekend.

He informed me that Tucker has scheduled PSATs for this weekend and will not be in attendance.

Also, there have been reports that Stephanie Mavunga, another UConn recruiting target in the Class of 2013, will be visiting Tennessee this weekend.

It's already been reported that UConn commit Morgan Tuck, 2012 recruiting target Xylina McDaniel and 2013 target Taya Reimer are planning to be on campus this weekend. If I hear of any other recruits expected to join them, I will be sure to pass it on.

Thanks to my colleague David Borges, I have a little bit of an update on highly-touted Christ the King sophomore Sierra Calhoun.

Sierra's older brother Omar is a UConn men's commit and when Omar was visiting campus over the weekend, Sierra was also at UConn and met with members of the UConn coaching staff (although head coach Geno Auriemma was in Europe with the U.S. national team).

Omar Calhoun Sr., the father of both Omar and Sierra, made his opinion pretty clear of whether he'd like to see both Omar and Sierra play at UConn.

“Absolutely. That’s the goal,” said Omar Calhoun Sr.

He was uncertain if they'd be returning on Friday for the First Night festivities. Currently, the only UConn women's recruits confirmed for Friday night are Bolingbrook (Ill.) High senior forward and UConn commit Morgan Tuck and Spring Valley (S.C.) High senior forward Xylina McDaniel, the only uncommitted senior still on UConn's recruiting radar. There is a report that Taya Reimer, a 6-foot-3 junior out of Hamilton Southeastern High in Fishers, Ind., is planning to be at UConn for First Night and UConn's first official practice.

If you want to read more from the elder Omar Calhoun, check out David's blog entry

Updating a report on this blog from yesterday, UConn commit Morgan Tuck is planning to be at UConn for the First Night festivities on Oct. 14 as well as the first official practice on Oct. 15 according to her high school coach.

I spoke with Bolingbrook coach Tony Smith this morning and he said that Morgan will be accompanied by her parents on the official visit next month. She joins Xylina McDaniel, the only uncommitted player in the Class of 2012 being actively recruited by UConn, as the confirmed recruits (to date) at UConn's annual fan fest. As we draw nearer, I will try to update you on the underclassmen planning to be at the event.

The other day, I reported that UConn commit Breanna Stewart will be in Houston as she trains with the U.S. squad competing in the Pan Am Games on the day that UConn will be having its first official practice.

Now I can pass along that it doesn't look like Moriah Jefferson, also committed to UConn, will be in the house for UConn's First Night festivities on Oct. 14 or the first official practice on the 15th.

I reached out to her coach with the THESA Riders and here is what Alan Burt had to say about Moriah's plans for that weekend.

"At this point Moriah will not be attending on Oct 14/15," Burt said in an e-mail. "She is planning her visit at a later date, but at this point does not have an exact time."

I am still waiting to hear about UConn commit Morgan Tuck. When I interviewed her when she was training with the U.S. Under-19 national team, she said she planned on being at UConn that weekend. I reached out to Bolingbrook High coach Anthony Smith just to make sure that was still the case. I had previously reported that Class of 2013 recruiting target Karlie Samuelson was not expected to make the trip to Storrs for that weekend.


Xylina McDaniel, the last uncommitted player on UConn's recruiting radar from the Class of 2012, is expected to come up that weekend and it will be interesting to see which other recruits will be present.

Speaking of the Class of 2013, two of the top players being pursued by UConn are slated to square off on Nov. 30 when Taya Reimer and Hamilton Southeastern play at the Stephanie Mavunga-led Brownsburg squad. UConn will be hosting Towson that night so I wouldn't expect any UConn coaches at that game.

UConn not only has made the top four in the list of schools in contention for South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year Xylina McDaniel, but her AAU coach Roger Wiley said that Connecticut and South Carolina are the schools she mentions as her top choices in the conversations he has had with the versatile 6-foot-1 forward.

McDaniel narrowed her list to UConn, South Carolina, North Carolina and Providence although Wiley said he was not sure of the exact dates she will be visiting those schools. But there is no mistaking where her heart lies.

"She mentions South Carolina and Connecticut pretty often," said Wiley, who coaches McDaniel on the South Carolina 76ers AAU program. "They would have to be considered her favorites.

"Connecticut is a pretty impressive school while South Carolina is close to home."

Wiley said Providence, the most surprising school on her list of finalists, has been involved with McDaniel for quite some time and she has developed a bond with the coaches at that school. He also said she doesn't plan to expand her list and she has communicated to other school that those are her four finalists. DePaul, Rutgers and Oklahoma are among those schools that Wiley said had aggressively been pursuing the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel.

Wiley said the intention is for McDaniel to take all four visits before making her college choice although he admitted he has seen players fall in love with a school and commit before taking all the scheduled visits.

I would imagine that if UConn had its way, McDaniel would come up to visit in mid-October so she could be on hand for the First Night festivities as well as UConn's first official practice. Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck were among the recruits who were in attendance for those activities last year and both have committed to UConn. If UConn were to get McDaniel, it would put the capper on what is already an impressive list of commitments as Breanna Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck are considered to be among the top prospects in the Class of 2012.

When I spoke to Tuck at the U-19 training camp, she said she plans on being at Gampel Pavilion the weekend of Oct. 15-17 and Stewart said if it fits into her school, she would be there as well. Considering that Tuck, Jefferson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Kiah Stokes and Brianna Banks were all up at UConn for First Night and the opening practice in 2010 and all committed to UConn (although Mosqueda-Lewis had already committed), obviously that is a key recruiting weekend for the Huskies. It could be even more of a big deal this year since I would imagine the UConn men's program will pay tribute to the national championship the Huskies won. Diamond DeShields, one of the top recruiting targets in the Class of 2013, was also on hand last year and it would not be a surprise to see her make the trip up from Georgia in mid-October as well nor would it be a stunner if fellow Class of 2013 recruiting targets Stephanie Mavunga, Taya Reimer, Karli Samuelson and Jannah Tucker are in the stands on Oct. 15 and 16.

I just spoke with Spring Valley High girls' basketball coach Anne Long, the coach of UConn recruiting target Xylina McDaniel to try to get a handle on when the 6-foot-1 forward will be making a decision.

Long said that the family is sitting down this week to come up with the list of schools she will be taking official visits to and that no commitment is expected until after she takes her official visits.

Of course, I've been covering recruiting long enough to know that a commitment could come out of the blue but will continue to monitor the situation.

McDaniel is the only uncommitted member of the Class of 2012 that UConn is still actively pursuing.

McDaniel, the South Carolina's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, took an unofficial visit to UConn in February and was in attendance when UConn defeated DePaul on Feb. 5.

As a junior, the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, averaged 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks per game to lead Spring Valley to an undefeated season.

Watching the final hour of Friday's UConn practice at Gampel Pavilion, I saw pretty much what I thought I would see. Bria Hartley, Tiffany Hayes and Stefanie Dolson were making plays all over the place as would be expected from three players expected to be the cornerstone players on the 2011-12 squad. Kelly Faris, while struggling to make shots, did a little bit of everything else. Highly-touted freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer while classmate Kiah Stokes showed that she will add some size and athleticism in the post. But the real revelation was the third freshman Brianna Banks.

Watching her hit 3-pointers with regularity, slashing to the basket and playing with such ease and style made me think I was watching Tiffany Hayes play as a freshman. I am not alone in that opinion. Hayes also sees the similarity between herself and Banks.

"Definitely, I saw it from the first day in pickup," Hayes said. "She is a lefty, she shoots, she drives, she is quick so I see some of the same things. I definitely want to try to help her to develop more quickly than I did. She is definitely going to have a big impact, a great impact on this team."

While UConn's freshman class looks like an impressive group and the next recruiting class already features impressive prospects Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck.

With commitments from Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, the UConn coaching staff spent much of the recently-completed open recruiting season identifying prospects in the Class of 2013.

UConn has already been very involved in Diamond DeShields and Taya Reimer. Now some other names of possible recruiting targets are starting to emerge including Stephanie Mavunga and Jannah Tucker, who were teammates of Reimer's on the U.S. Under-16 national team.

Mavunga, a 6-foot-3 forward out of Indianapolis, Ind., averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while leading the U.S. squad with a 59.5 field-goal percentage. Perhaps the most impressive part of the numbers she put up was that she did in while averaging just 13.2 minutes per game.

As a sophomore at Brownsburg High, Mavunga had a game with 30 points, 22 rebounds and 11 blocks against Plainfield in December and she averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2 steals and 4.3 blocks.

Tucker, a 6-foot guard from Randallstown, Md., averaged 26.2 points, 12 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 8 steals as a sophomore at New Town High School and had a school-record 39 points in a game against Southside Academy.

Tucker started all five games in the 2011 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship. She averaged 9.4 points, was second on the team in rebounding pulling down 7.2 a game and was second in assists and 3-pointers made, third in steals and blocked shots. Yes, those are UConn recruit type of numbers if I have ever seen them.

Reimer, a 6-foot-3 forward from Fishers, Ind. who is a versatile enough offensive player to shoot 45 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Reimer, the daughter of former NBA player Ben Davis, averaged 4.8 and 5 rebounds for the U-16 squad.

Another name drawing UConn's interest is California guard Karlie Samuelson.

Samuelson, the sister of Stanford freshman and former UConn recruiting target Bonnie Samuelson, had four games with at least five 3-pointers and 10 20-point games as a sophomore at Edison High in Huntington Beach, Calif.

DeShields, the daughter of former Major League Baseball star Delino DeShields, was the youngest player on U.S. team which won the FIBA U-19 World Championships. The star at Norcross High is probably the most highly-touted high school player out of Georgia since Maya Moore.

DeShields, a 6-foot-1 forward, averaged 20.6 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore at Norcross High playing for Angie Hembree, who also coached Moore for a couple of seasons at Collins Hill High School. DeShields averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for the U.S. U-19 squad.

Bear in mind that it is very early in the recruiting process for the Class of 2013 since they haven't even started their junior year of high school so other prospects could catch the eyes of the UConn staff between now and the time letters of intent can be signed. But these are some of the rising high school juniors worth keeping an eye on.

As for the seniors to be, South Carolina forward Xylina McDaniel is the top uncommitted prospect on UConn's recruiting radar.

The 6-foot-1 McDaniel, who made an unofficial visit to UConn in February, is a talented wing who is the daughter of former NBA great Xavier McDaniel. McDaniel was named the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year after averaging 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while leading Spring Valley to an undefeated season and the South Carolina 4A title as a junior.

UConn's all-time leading scorer Maya Moore became the first WNBA player signed by the Jordan Brand which should raise her profile to an even higher level.

"As a student of the game, it is a dream come true to align myself with a brand that has a rich history in sports," Moore said in a release. "Like most kids, I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and continue to work relentlessly to reach his iconic status on the court. I’m truly motivated to take my career to the next level as a member of Team Jordan."

Speaking of Moore, the Minnesota Lynx will host a live chat with their players (with Moore likely to be featured prominently) on Monday from 11:30 AM to 2 PM on Zfriday. Go to www.lynxbasketball.com for more info.

UCONN RECRUITING TARGET BREAKS RECORD
Xylina McDaniel, one of two uncommitted high school juniors on UConn's recruiting radar, broke an 18-year-old South Carolina state record with a winning throw of 44 feet and 8 inches in the shot put, breaking the mark of 44-7 set by Westside's Ayokka Green.

Her performance is among the top 30 in the nation this spring.

The Parade Magazine's girls' high school All-American team will appear in Sunday's magazine and according to a Tampa Tribune blog entry, UConn signee Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis has been named the player of the year.

Various reports are circulating mentioning players who made the team including one revealing that UConn incoming freshman Kiah Stokes is one of the 40 players on the team.

Staying on the subject of UConn and recruiting, I spoke with the AAU coach of UConn recruiting target Xylina McDaniel today to get a sense of when a college decision could be coming. Roger Wiley said he and Anne Long, McDaniel's high school coach, are planning to sit down with Xylina and her family in the next week or two to discuss the recruiting process. Wiley made it clear that her decision will be a family decision and her coaches both at the AAU and high school level will serve as advisors and sounding boards.

McDaniel will be busy in July as her South Carolina 76ers team will be playing in the Disney Showcase in Orlando, Fla. from July 8-10, from July 22-25 the 76ers will be taking part in the U.S. Junior Nationals/Nike National Championships and then will head to Louisville for the FILA Juniors from July 27-30. The next event for the team will be the Nike Midwest Showdown in Cincinnati from May 28-30.

Recruiting rankings usually aren't worth the paper they are printed on or pass they occupy on a computer screen but it's hard not to be impressed by UConn's ability to have secured commitments from the top two rated players in the Class of 2012 after guard Moriah Jefferson joined Breanna Stewart as early UConn commitments. Earlier in the process, fellow UConn commit Morgan Tuck was being touted as the most talented prospect in this class.

You would probably have to go back to the signing of the Tamika Williams, Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Asjha Jones and Keirsten Walters class to rival the rankings of the class the UConn coaching staff is currently putting together.

As impressive as securing commitments from Jefferson, a 5-7 guard from Glenn Heights, Tex., Stewart, a 6-foot-4 forward from North Syracuse, N.Y. and Morgan Tuck, a 6-2 forward from Bolingbrook, Ill., is for the Huskies - they are not done.

UConn is still very much involved with Xylina McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 forward out of Spring Valley High in Columbia, S.C., is still looking at Hillhouse junior wing Bria Holmes and recently got involved with Peyton Little, a guard out of Wylie High in Abilene, Tex.

It should be noted that Jefferson's THESA squad is slated to play in the tournament hosted by Little's Wylie squad from Dec. 8-10. Something tells me at least one member of the UConn coaching staff will make the trip for that event especially if Little ends up joining Jefferson at UConn.

UConn signees Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Kiah Stokes were named Gatorade's state players of the year in California and Iowa respectively on Thursday.

Mosqueda-Lewis, a 5-foot-11 wing at Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, Calif., is averaging 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.6 assists per game and has 106 3-pointers.

Stokes, a 6-foot-3 center at Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa, averaged 25 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 72.1 percent from the floor to win the award for the second year in a row.

The Huskies' third incoming freshman, Brianna Banks, lost out on the Georgia award to UConn recruiting target Diamond DeShields, a sophomore at Norcross High School.

UConn commit Breanna Stewart, a junior at Cicero-North Syracuse HS, was named the New York winner. Stewart is 24.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.4 blocks, 3.6 assists and 3 steals per game. The South Carolina recipient is UConn recruiting target Xylina McDaniel, who averaged 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks per game as a junior leading Spring Valley to an undefeated season and South Carolina 4A title.

Considering that Xylina McDaniel made her way to watch UConn play against DePaul and UConn coach Geno Auriemma headed down to South Carolina for the second time this season to see the talented 6-foot-2 forward from Spring Valley High School in action, I figured I would see if anything has changed since I spoke to McDaniel's high school and AAU coach earlier this month.

Spring Valley coach Anne Long said that although McDaniel had a very enjoyable trip to UConn and "UConn is a strong contender" in the recruitment of McDaniel, the main focus is on Spring Valley's run at a state title and no commitment would be coming before the end of this season.

Long does think McDaniel will come up with a concrete list of schools, perhaps by the end of the season and that a visit to Tennessee is a possibility before the South Carolina state championships wrap up on Mar. 4.

Long said that the college decision for McDaniel could be completed before the summer AAU season gets rolling.

On a funny note, Long said that McDaniel was so excited that Auriemma was coming down to see her play again that she had her dad (former NBA star Xavier McDaniel) bring some barbeque chicken to the game for Auriemma to bring home with him to show him "there's nothing like South Carolina barbeque."

Auriemma saw McDaniel score 29 points as Spring Valley opened postseason play with a 95-47 win over Northwestern on Tuesday. Spring Valley hosts Mann tonight and with a win, would host the winner of the Spartanburg/Dorman game on Monday in the South Carolina AAAA quarterfinals.

McDaniel is averaging 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.5 blocked shots for 25-0 Spring Valley.

For those who are curious whether she has a scholarship offer from UConn, if a kid visits UConn and then you read of a member of the Connecticut staff going to see them play you can rest assured that a scholarship has been offered.

While UConn has five regular-season games remaining, the Huskies' three incoming freshmen are already in postseason mode.

Brianna Banks and Fayette County defeated Dutchtown 69-45 in the Georgia 3-AAAA quarterfinals on Tuesday and will play Woodland at 4 p.m. on Friday

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif. opens play in the CIF Southern Section 1AA playoffs by hosting King tonight. With a win, the Monarchs would play the winner of the Warren/Schnurr game on Saturday.

Kiah Stokes and Linn-Mar of Marion, Iowa will face either Dubuque Senior or Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Tuesday in the Iowa Class 4A tournament.

As for the high school juniors who have either committed to UConn or are high on the Huskies' wish list:

Breanna Stewart's next game with her Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) squad is a home game against Liverpool on Friday. Fellow commit Morgan Tuck will lead her Bolingbrook (Ill.) squad will play Romeoville in the Class 4A Plainfield East Regional final tonight.

UConn recruiting target Jewell Loyd also has her Niles West in contention for Illinois' 4A title as Niles West faces Skokie tonight in the Skokie (Niles West) Regional final.

Xylina McDaniel had 29 points, four rebounds, four assists and four blocks as Spring Valley of Columbia, S.C. began play in the South Carolina 4A playoffs with a 95-47 win over Northwestern on Tuesday. Next up is J.L. Mann on Friday.
Staying closer to home, Bria Holmes helped Hillhouse to the No. 2 seed in the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament which begins tonight with four games. Hillhouse plays the winner of the Guilford/Foran game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at West Haven High School (which would answer the question I have received whether Holmes would be in attendance at the Notre Dame game). If the Academics win, they would play in the semifinals at 6 p.m. on Monday at Quinnipiac's TD Bank Sports Center. That will be the site of the championship game, slated for 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Moriah Jefferson and her THESA Raiders will play in the state tournament next week with their eyes on a fifth straight National Homeschool Championship next month.

Shortly after getting off the phone with the father of UConn commit Breanna Stewart, I decided to do a little checking into the situation with Xylina McDaniel, who has recently appeared on UConn's recruiting radar.

Thanks to her extremely helpful AAU coach Roger Wiley, who set up a three-way call between me, McDaniel's high school coach Anne Long and him, the plan is for McDaniel to come up to UConn this weekend (weather permitting) along with her mother. If they can get up here, they will be in the stands when the Huskies host DePaul. If that falls through, there's a chance that she would be up here when UConn and Oklahoma play at the XL Center on Feb. 14. The problem with that game is that McDaniel's Spring Valley (S.C.) team has a crucial playoff game the following day and considering the weather we've been having this winter, that would be a huge risk of being unable to get back to play in a game that her team is counting on her.

If the McDaniels come up on Friday, it is looking pretty good weather wise. Saturday's tougher to call because early weather reports are calling for a mix of rain and snow that day.

Back on the subject of Xylina (pronounced Xelina), she is a versatile 6-foot-1 forward averaging 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks to help Spring Valley to a 20-0 record. While she does most of her work inside, the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel goes have 10 3-pointers and is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range.

Wiley said McDaniel is an extremely athletic kid who is the fastest player on his AAU team (the South Carolina Seventy-Sixers) who projects to be a combo forward at the next level. He said she has been working extremely hard on extending the range on her jumper and it is paying off.

Until UConn got involved with her in the last couple of weeks, Wiley said she was looking at mostly ACC and SEC schools but wasn't far enough in the process to start publicizing her list. She is obviously intrigued by UConn or she wouldn't be planning to trip up this way and once she gets to visit UConn, she will take the next step of narrowing her list to a final five.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma stayed behind when UConn returned from its Jan. 17 game at North Carolina so he could watch McDaniel play the following day at Lugoff-Eglin. All McDaniel did was score 30 points (on 13 of 19 shooting) and added 16 rebounds, three assists and three steals.