Griesch's The Word: Future Huskers On Center Stage

A pair of 2011-12 Nebraska freshmen have claimed national attention this week in their final days as high school players.

Future Husker Brandi Jeffery earned Louisiana Girls High School Player of the Year from Gatorade after leading her St. James team to its first-ever state championship with a win over Avoyelles. Jeffery, a 5-7 guard, claimed Most Outstanding Player honors in the state championship game win with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

In the state semifinals, Jeffery scored 28 points, hit six three-pointers and recorded nine steals. For the season, Jeffery won her third straight metro New Orleans scoring title by averaging 23.4 points per game, while adding 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.3 steals per game in Class 3A.

Jeffery, who was ranked as the No. 45 guard in the nation by ESPNU/HoopGurlz was a two-time first-team Class 3A all-state player. She was also a Class 2A all-state selection in 2009.

While Jeffery was leading her team to a state title, more than 1,800 miles away in California, fellow 2011-12 freshman guard Tear'a Laudermill was leading her Canyon Springs High School team to one of the nation's biggest upsets.

Laudermill, a 5-9 guard who earned first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation 1A honors a yearo ago, scored 15 points to help her team knock of national No. 2/3 Brea Olinda, 65-53, in the CIF Southern Regional semifinals.

That victory set up up an ever bigger showdown on Saturday, March 19, with the nation's No. 1 team - Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and WBCA National High School Player-of-the-Year Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

Mosqueda-Lewis, a UConn recruit, and fellow first-team WBCA High School All-America teammate Alexyz Vaioletama, a USC recruit, lead a Mater Dei team that features four seniors who have already signed with Division I schools.

Laudermill, who was ranked No. 26 nationally by Blue Star and No. 95 nationally by All-Star Girls Report in 2010, has averaged 16.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.6 steals per game as a senior. She also hit 44 three-pointers for 30-3 Canyon Springs.

Husker fans can watch Laudermill play live tonight (Saturday, March 19) at 8, when Canyon Springs battles Mater Dei at the Galen Center on the USC campus on FoxSportsWest.com at the link listed above this article.