Texas A&M women's coach Gary Blair has started a new Aggie tradition: bring in one of the nation's best junior college players annually.

A&M won a heated recruiting battle against national runner-up Louisville for Jefferson College's (Mo.) Danielle Adams, the national JUCO player of the year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Adams pledged to the Aggies on Thursday.

"I just got along really well with the players and coaches, and I was really excited about the school's academics," said Adams, who will major in communications.

The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 22.1 points per game for the 34-1 Vikings who lost to unbeaten Central Arizona College in the national championship game.

"She'll need to make no adjustments," Jefferson coach Kevin Emerick said. "She'll make an impact the first time she steps on the floor."

That was the case last season for A&M junior guard Tanisha Smith, who was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. The JUCO All-American was A&M's third-leading scorer with 10.6 points per game for the 27-8 Aggies, who reached the Sweet 16 for the second straight time. Smith closed with a flourish, scoring in double digits in her last eight games and averaging 15.5 in the postseason.

Smith and Adams are both from Kansas City and played on the same AAU team, the Kansas City Keys.

"That really helped me out," Adams said of Smith being at A&M. "I talked to her a lot, asking her a lot of questions."

The 6-foot Smith gave opponents fits trying to match up with her, and Adams also has that potential.

"She can shoot the 3 or she can take it to the hole," Emerick said. "She can cause a lot of problems."

Adams signed with Missouri as a high school senior but couldn't get in academically.

"It really helped me develop my game a lot more," she said of her experience at Jefferson College. "I was able to work on my outside and inside game against tough competition."

Emerick said Adams was good when she arrived on campus but has developed into a Top 50 recruit by most experts.

"Like most kids, she needs to get stronger," Emerick said. "She needs to work on conditioning, work on her midrange game and improve her defense on the perimeter if she wants to play in the Olympics and professionally."

Adams is with an Aggie player this week, sophomore guard Sydney Carter, in Colorado Springs. Adams is trying to make the USA Women's World University Games Team Trials roster, while Carter is trying to make the 19 & Under World Championship Team Trials roster.

Adams said she'll fax her letter of intent to A&M on Sunday. Blair can't comment on her until she signs.

Emerick said Adams has to take a class or two this summer to graduate from Jefferson College, but that won't be a problem.

"She's feeling good about A&M," Emerick said. "She was not only a great player for us, but she's just a great kid. She has no ego at all. She is as well liked on campus as any kid. She's just a big teddy bear."

Jefferson College went 32-3 during Adams' freshman season.

Adams, who is nicknamed "the D-Train," completes what is expected to be A&M's highest ranked recruiting class in school history joining incoming freshmen Diamond Ashmore, a 6-3 post from Midwest City, Okla.; Kristi Bellock, a 6-1 wing from East Jefferson, La.; 5-7 point guard Adrienne Pratcher of Memphis; and 6-foot guard/wing Cierra Windham of Corona, Calif. Everyone but Adams signed in November.

The Aggies lost out in trying to sign 6-5 Kelsey Bone of Sugar Land Dulles, who went to South Carolina.

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A&M men add Alexander: It was a great week for basketball in Aggieland as A&M men's coach Mark Turgeon landed an oral commitment in 6-8 junior Daniel Alexander of Dripping Springs.

Alexander, who averaged 19 points and nine rebounds last season, is A&M's first pledge for the Class of 2010. He's ranked 32nd in the nation by Rivals.com and is third best in the state.

Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas also were interested.

"It was not a difficult decision," Alexander told the Austin American-Statesman. "I've become very close to the [A&M] staff and players, and I like their playing style a lot."

Alexander sank seven 3-pointers while being guarded by 6-9 Derrick Favors in a summer tournament in Las Vegas last summer. Favors was ranked No. 3 in the country in 2009 and signed with Georgia Tech.

"I guess that's kind of my claim to fame right now," Alexander said.