One of Arizona's top incoming recruits will forgo her final semester of high school and join the Wildcats.
Phoenix-area point guard Madi Conner played her last game at AZ Compass Prep on Thursday. Friday, Conner moved to Tucson and joined a UA team that's ranked 11th nationally and poised for a deep NCAA Tournament run. She will wear jersey No. 4.
It's quite the whirlwind for the 5-foot-11-inch Conner, one of the state's top prospects. A video shared to Instagram on Thursday showed Conner knocking down her final shot as a high schooler โ a 3-pointer โ and later being mobbed by her teammates. Conner made AZ Compass Prep's Wall of Fame despite playing only part of one season. Last weekend, she scored 33 points with eight 3-pointers.ย
Now, she'll try to contribute to a Wildcats team that's coming off its biggest win of the season, a 57-41 blowout of No. 10 Oregon on Thursday.
"I would have never thought I'd be here with this team," Conner told the Star late Thursday. "It will be a great learning experience, and I'm going to soak in as much as I can and get better day by day. I am super-excited. I can't wait. At the same time, it's all a little rushed and a little emotional. But I am excited to get out there and get it running."
UA coach Adia Barnes talked to Conner on Sunday night about the possibility of joining the Wildcats. Once they figured out she had the requisite courses and could graduate early, Conner was on board. Enrolling early will not cost Conner a year of eligibility; all players participating this season will receive an extra year.
"I want to be part of this team," she said.
Conner is already in UA's student directory, listed as a pre-business major. She won't be eligible to participate in basketball activities until Tuesday at the earliest. Conner has to test negative for COVID-19 three times before she can practice. She has already had the virus.
"I am excited to welcome Madi!" Barnes said. "This is a great opportunity for her to gain some experience this year while there is so much uncertainty with high school basketball. She will get a head start and be more ready as a freshman next year. I want to thank her high school coaches, Jaamal (Rhodes) and Jeremy (Daniels), for allowing us to do this. They really care about Madi and her future."
Rim shot
โข The Pac-12 released the rest of its womenโs basketball television schedule Friday afternoon, and the Arizona Wildcats will play twice on ESPN2.
The Wildcats will play Feb. 7 at Oregon in game scheduled for 5 p.m., and at No. 1 Stanford on Feb. 22ย at 7 p.m.
