UPDATE: Top 20 commit Cheli looks like perfect fit for UConn women
Apr. 7—Archbishop Mitty High girls basketball coach Sue Phillips is familiar with what UConn coach Geno Auriemma looks for in a recruit.
Phillips coached Huskies' three-time All-American Katie Lou Samuelson with USA Basketball in 2013-14. At Archbishop Mitty — located in San Jose, California — she coached Class of 2020 No. 1 recruit Haley Jones, who was recruited hard by UConn before she chose to attend Stanford. Phillips is currently working with incoming UConn freshmen guards KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade as Team USA prepares for Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.
So Thursday's announcement that her current star at Archbishop Mitty, junior Morgan Cheli, had committed to Auriemma and the Huskies came as no surprise.
"She grew up playing with her dad in her yard and dreaming of going to UConn and winning a national championship," Phillips said Thursday. "She's an outstanding player and person, completely gracious in her approach.
"And she's an unbelievable competitor. She chose UConn to go into that competitive environment with Coach Auriemma. Whatever they want her to do, she'll be a contributor and successful in that role."
Cheli — a 6-foot-2 guard from Los Altos, California — made her decision public in an Instagram post Thursday. Among her reported offers were from Stanford, South Carolina, and UCLA.
She is rated the No. 18 recruit in the junior class by ESPN and joins Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and No. 5 recruit Allie Ziebell as UConn 2024 commits.
In her post, Cheli wrote: "The basketball culture that Coach Auriemma, the staff and the players have created is incredible. I'm looking forward to taking this next step with great anticipation."
Cheli missed much of her junior season at Archbishop Mitty with a foot injury but returned in time to help the Monarchs to a third straight Northern California Open Division title. Cheli then had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals in a 69-67 loss to Etiwanda in the state final.
Auriemma traveled to California to watch Cheli play last summer and she made an unofficial visit to UConn when the Huskies played South Carolina on Feb. 5 at the XL Center in Hartford.
"Not to put words in (Auriemma's) mouth, but he's seen her and was impressed with her versatility," Phillips said. "She's a 6-2 point guard and may be still growing.
"She handles the ball well and sees the floor well. She plays hard on both sides of the court. With her height and her athleticism she can be a real problem on defense for the other team.
"She wants to win a national championship and that's what is most important to her."
Cheli has improved year by year.
Last summer she played for Phillips with USA Basketball's U-17 national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA U-17 World Cup in Hungary. She averaged 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.0 steals as Team USA went 7-0 in the tournament.
"One of the things about the 2024 class is they had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic during their eighth grade and freshman years," Phillips said. "Her sophomore year she really raised her game and was a team leader in rebounds and assists as well as on the floor.
"Last summer I was watching the finalists for the U-17 team and she just balled-out during the trials to make that team. Playing USA Basketball and making a national team and winning a gold medal does a lot for a player's confidence and certainly did so for Morgan. She was able to find even another level."
Cheli will sign her letter of intent in November.
For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.
