Ohio Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander of Purcell Marian commits to Cincinnati Bearcats

University of Cincinnati women's basketball may have snagged their highest-rated recruit ever when Darianna "Dee" Alexander of Purcell Marian announced her commitment to Coach Katrina Merriweather and the Bearcats Wednesday afternoon.

Alexander announced her intentions at the Oscar Robertson statue in front of Fifth Third Arena.

Alexander, a 6-foot-1 forward, is rated as a five-star recruit by ESPN's HoopGurlz Super 60 and No. 6 overall.

With one more season to play, Alexander has led the Cavaliers to three straight state championships. She is only the seventh player in the state to win back-to-back Ohio Ms. Basketball honors.

'This is just the beginning'

Coach Jamar Mosley has coached Alexander throughout her high school career.

"I'm incredibly proud of Dee for her commitment to UC," Mosley said. "Her dedication, hard work and passion for the game have truly set her apart. I have no doubt she will continue to excel both on and off the court at the next level. This is just the beginning of a bright future for her. I'm excited to see all the great things she will achieve once she gets on campus."

Dee-tails

Alexander fielded over 30 Division I offers and averaged 18.4 points, eight rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals this past season. In addition to her Ms. Basketball titles she has been Miami Valley Conference Player of the Year, OHSBCA Player of the Year, Division II Player of the Year, Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year and Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. She recently was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-America Team.

At UC, she joins Jillian Hayes of Loveland, who just re-upped for a fifth year, and Ryle's Abby Holtman.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander commits to UC Bearcats