McGuire picks the U: Miami, not Minnesota

Minneapolis Roosevelt senior Suriya McGuire might not be a well-known basketball player locally, but schools around the country lobbied for her skills.

McGuire recently gave the University of Miami (Fla.) a verbal commitment, choosing the Hurricanes over Kansas, Texas Southern and Southern California. The Gophers showed interest, she said, but McGuire had no intention of sticking around.

"I didn't want to stay in Minnesota," she said. "I wanted to move around, see more things and experience life."

McGuire, the No. 16-ranked player in the ESPN HoopGurlz Hundred, is a 5-10 guard who can dribble and penetrate. Bill Larson, who coached McGuire on the North Tartan AAU team, said she has improved her game by developing a more steady outside shooting touch. She averaged 13.3 points per game last season.

"She doesn't have to get to the rim to score anymore," he said.

McGuire's Roosevelt teammate Shakila Boler previously made a verbal commitment to Texas Southern. With two Division I players leading the Teddies this season, McGuire is confident the team will make people take notice.

"People might still look at us as underdogs because we haven't been a dominant team for a while," she said. "But it's really changed. We're going to make a statement, and I think some people are going to be shocked."

More athletes who have verbally committed to college athletic programs:

• Forest Lake's Betsy Kelly, Colorado State, golf.

• Eastview's Ashley Murtha, Concordia (St. Paul), volleyball.

• Delano's Molly Kreklow, Missouri, volleyball.

• Red Wing's Pat Kelly, Nebraska, baseball, and Rose Alleva, Princeton, hockey.

In addition:

• Four Centennial athletes will be honored Wednesday for signing with a college athletic program: Chris Anderson (baseball at Jacksonville), Ryan Reese (baseball, Iowa Central Community College), Jocie Slattery (hockey, Connecticut) and Megan Waytashek (basketball, South Dakota State).

• Centennial's Andrew Pattock, a 300-pound offensive lineman, is receiving interest from North Dakota, Northern Illinois and South Dakota State.

Columbia Heights plays host to a boys' basketball jamboree Nov. 28 that will provide hoops fans an early look at several top teams. Highlighting the 12-team field are the host Hylanders, Benilde-St. Margaret's, DeLaSalle, Henry Sibley and Minnetonka. Games will begin at 3 p.m. and feature two 10-minute halves.