5-star recruit Kaleena Smith set to make unofficial visit to Geno Auriemma's UConn

Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies have a five-star recruit visiting the campus in Kaleena Smith. With interest from other elite teams, the Huskies are going to be competing for her services.

UConn Central made a post on its Instagram page on Thursday reporting the news of Smith's visit, writing that it will happen on Saturday. Smith is currently the top-ranked prospect in ESPN's class of 2027, emphasizing the significance of her visit to the powerhouse program.

"Kaleena Smith, the #1 prospect in the class of 2027 per ESPN will take an unofficial visit to UConn this Saturday, January 18th per Dushawn London (X)!" the post caption read. "Per 247Sports, Smith’s recruitment remains completely open at this time. Outside of her visit to UConn, she plans on taking additional visits to programs such as UCLA & South Carolina."

What Kaleena Smith can provide for UConn

Kaleena Smith has a high ceiling with the high-level scoring and playmaking she would provide if she were to commit to UConn or any other basketball powerhouse.

She won the MaxPreps Freshman of the Year in her first season at Ontario Christian High School. In 33 games, she averaged 34.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.2 steals, and 3.5 rebounds. The scoring decreased in her sophomore campaign, but she has improved her assists and defensive numbers. In 23 games, she is putting up 23.1 points, 8.0 assists, 4.7 steals, and 3.0 rebounds per contest.

Her development as an offensive-minded player will be one for UConn to keep track of while they progress through the 2024-25 season. They currently have a 16-2 record, rolling with a six-game winning streak.

The Huskies put up 78.5 points on 50.8% shooting (35.3% from the 3-point line). They hold their opponents to 51.3 points on shooting splits of 35.5% overall and 31% from downtown and are winning games by a margin of 27.2 points per contest.

Paige Bueckers leads the way with 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals. Sarah Strong follows suit with 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, while Azzi Fudd provides 10.9 points and 2.1 rebounds.

While UConn will remain patient to see how Smith's unofficial visit will unfold, the No. 6 Huskies are preparing for their next matchup on Sunday against Seton Hall at the Harry Gampel Pavilion at 1 p.m. ET.