Huskies' Top '16 Recruit to Be at First Night

Geno Auriemma and his staff have turned their attention to the 2016 recruiting class

A quick recap of the Huskies' recruiting haul. The 2014-15 freshmen class includes: Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse, Sadie Edwards and Courtney Ekmark. The 2015-16 class might be even better: It includes the nation's best player in Katie Lou Samuelson, and Napheesa Collier and De’Janae Boykin are both top-10 players. There's also Georgetown transfer (and 2013-14 Big East freshman of the year) Natalie Butler.

In other words: The Huskies are -- and will remain -- stacked for quite some time. And with the next recruiting class all but sewn up, coach Geno Auriemma is looking ahead to 2016. Which brings us to Crystal Dangerfield, who will at Gampel Pavilion Friday to take in First Night and watch UConn raise its second national championship banner in as many years. Dangerfield was also in Nashville last April when the Huskies won its ninth national title.

“Crystal’s looking forward to seeing the campus and being around the players and coaches,” Dangerfield’s mother, Davonna, said, of the '16 recruit from Murfreesboro, Tennessee (via SNY.com). “We’ll go to First Night and hopefully then see them practice. It’s important that she things in action.”

According to SNY.com's Carl Adamec, the 5-5 high school junior point guard averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 steals and helped Blackman High to a 34-1 record and the Tennessee Class 3A state championship. Dangerfield set single-season records for points in her first two years and was named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year after her sophomore season.

“I think Crystal’s a better player in that she’s more confident,” Davonna Dangerfield said. “She’s only 16, but she’s taking on more personal responsibility and more of that leadership role.”

Adamec writes that coach Geno Auriemma and associated coach Chris Dailey made a visit to Dangerfield's home on Sept. 13.

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