Nation's #2 Player Commits to South Carolina

Kelsey Bone, the nation's #2 ranked women's basketball player has made her college decision, announcing at the McDonald’s All-American games in Miami Wednesday that she has chosen Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks as her new team.

Bone chose South Carolina over her two in-state schools Texas A&M and Texas, as well as Illinois. Bone played at Dulles High School in Sugar Land, Texas, leading them to a 36-3 record while averaging 19 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.

She was recently named by the McDonald’s All-American organization as their Morgan Wooten National Players of the Year, and is a starter in today's games. She said of the award, “It’s an honor. It means a lot to be named to the McDonald’s All-American Team, and even more to be player of the year.”

On Saturday, Bone plays in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American game with Nimitz standout Brittney Griner. The WBCA game takes place in St. Louis as part of the festivities surrounding the Women’s Final Four.

She won a gold member last summer playing for the under-18 USA Basketball Team.

Dawn Staley took a page from Steve Spurrier's recruiting notebook in recruiting Bone and other players, talking about being part of the first team to win a national championship at the school. Bone told GamecockAnthem.com in an earlier interview that she liked that idea, saying, “I’m thinking, ‘why can’t I be the one to get them there?’”

Despite winning the national player of the year award at the high school level, Bone told GamecockAnthem.com she has already set similar goals at the college level: “I want to be the rookie of the year (conference and national). I want to win (college) national player of the year awards.”

Bone will join early signing date commitments Monique Willis and Ieasia Walker as part of Staley's first recruiting class in Columbia. Willis was ranked as the nation's # 41 player. She is a 5’9” combo guard from A.E. Beach High School in Savannah, Georgia. Walker was ranked as the nation's #47 player. She is a 5’7” point guard from Copiague High in New York.