First recruit of Smith's era comes from Saskatchewan.

Byline: BOB RODMAN The Register-Guard

The Oregon women's basketball program has a new coach, a new system and now its newest player.

Carolyn Ganes, a 6-foot-3 center from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, said Tuesday night that she intends to sign a national letter of intent with the Ducks in April and enroll at Oregon next fall.

Ganes, who visited the UO campus in October, is the first player to verbally commit to Oregon since Bev Smith was named coach last June. Ganes also visited Iowa State and Utah.

Smith's link to Canada - she is the only two-time all-American in UO women's basketball history, is from British Columbia and played for and coached the Canadian senior national team - appears to be a solid one.

"I know Bev and Allison (McNeill, an Oregon assistant coach who also is from British Columbia)," said Ganes, who played last summer on the Canadian senior national team that was coached by Smith. "I know they are awesome coaches, and I know it will be a situation in which I can develop as a player."

The Ducks, who did not sign anyone during the Nov. 14-21 early signing period, are expected to have four or five scholarships to offer prospective athletes. They are focusing much of their recruiting efforts on inside players because Oregon's post players are shrinking in numbers.

After last season, the Ducks saw 6-5 center Jenny Mowe, 6-3 forward Angelina Wolvert and 6-1 forward Brianne Meharry depart. This season, two of the taller UO players - 6-3 Alyssa Fredrick and 6-foot Ndidi Unaka - are seniors.

But the current UO team, 4-3 and playing host to Utah on Saturday night at McArthur Court, includes five freshmen and a sophomore. A sixth freshman, 6-foot guard/forward Brandi Davis, is sitting out this year after enrolling at Oregon as a partial qualifier.

"I know they are going to get something done at Oregon, and it's going to be good," Ganes said. "I want to be a part of that."

Ganes, who plans to major in exercise and movement science at Oregon, averaged 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks a game for her Aden Bowman High School team that went undefeated and won the Saskatchewan provincial championship last season.

While college coaches are prohibited from commenting on athletes until after they have signed national letters of intent, the 17-year-old Ganes is considered to be one of the top high school senior basketball players in Canada.

She has played two seasons on the Canadian junior national team that has been coached by McNeill, who on Tuesday was named by Canada Basketball officials to replace Smith as the senior national team coach.

"As soon as we heard that Bev was signing with Oregon to coach, it changed everything," said Cindy Ganes, Carolyn's mother. "If Oregon would recruit her, we knew we would take a serious look.

"And it became a perfect fit in every way ... the coaching is excellent ... Carolyn knows the coaches and is fond of all of them ... academically, it is a strong program ... and the quarter system allows her to play for the national team."

"I also liked the community," Carolyn Ganes said, "and the rain ... the rain is so much better than all this snow and cold we have here (in Saskatoon)."

The turmoil in the UO women's basketball program that led to a coaching change last spring played a minor role in Ganes' decision to join the Ducks, but it played a role.

"We felt it was over and done with," Cindy Ganes said. "But we also felt that by the players staying, even through of all of it, it spoke to their integrity, strength and commitment."