STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
The University of Connecticut, which has recruited an impressive collection of speed and firepower on the wings and in the backcourt in recent years, has landed the perfect 2008 center to place in the middle of that fleet.
As widely expected, Heather Buck will stay home for her college basketball, announcing on Saturday that she has committed to the Huskies. Buck, the 6-foot-5 post out of Stonington, Conn., made the annoncement in an email sent to several news outlets, including HoopGurlz.com.
Heather Buck
"I will realize my childhood dream to play basketball at UConn for Geno Auriemma," Buck said. "Although I had thought at the outset that I would make official visits before making a choice, but I feel comfortable in my decision and do not think they are necessary."
Though Buck is ranked by HoopGurlz as the No. 5 center in the class, she lis the one who best fits with Connecticut's personnel and playing style. She is mobile and surprisingly agile, and has a large wingspan which she puts to great use at the defensive end, where she covers a lot of territory - and quickly - on the back line. Her offense still is in the development stage and is stronger a small distance away from the basket, but Aueriemma has recruited a lot of firepower in his past couple classes, including incoming freshman Maya Moore.
Ranked No. 31 overall in the 2008 class by HoopGurlz, Buck also had Holy Cross, Maryland and Stanford in her final four. She had a productive summer that included competing in USA Basketball's Youth Development Festival.
"During the past two years, I have met an impressive group of coaches; I have toured campuses, and visited gyms," Buck said. "This recruitment process has taken me places that I had only dreamed of. I have been able to expand my world and get some sense of what the alternatives might have been. Now, I have come full circle, back to UConn."
Buck joins two highly ranked guards - Caroline Doty of Doylestown, Pa. (No. 10 overall) and Tiffany Hayes of Winter Haven, Fla. (No. 11) - who have pledged to Connecticut from the 2008 class.
Heather Buck
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Glenn Nelson is the publisher of HoopGurlz.com. He also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams. Glenn previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work also has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). For more on Glenn's World, click here [1]. He can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com [2].
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