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N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E ›› then 6-foot-3, who had been playing against boys most of her life. They knew she was more than just a tall body – she had offensive prowess, too, with a crafty left-handed hook shot. Agee was the type of player who could T make an impact. But when the 14-year-old Californ- ian and her father walked into Silver- ado's gym for spring practices, the re- action was, well, raw. "Everybody just froze. Literally, the entire room froze," Silverado coach Ty- rone Brown recalled. "The entire gym's jaws dropped and they were all star- ing at her. Candice handled it right in stride. She just smiled. And then she fit right in." Agee knows about hype and height- ened expectations. The McDonald's High School All-American, a for- ward/center who now stands 6-foot- 6, is the lone member of Coquese Washington's 2012-13 recruiting class. And though Washington won't admit it – "You never know with freshmen," the coach insisted in April – Agee is ex- pected to contribute for the Lady Lions right away. Penn State returns four starters next season, including the dy- namic backcourt duo of Maggie Lucas and Alex Bentley. But a consistent and dominant post player could be exact- ly what the Lady Lions need to build on their Sweet 16 finish. "I know there are probably big expec- tations for me next year," Agee said. "I just want to be the best teammate I can be, and hopefully that means I can make an impact on the court, too." If history is any indication, Agee will do just fine. After playing for the Lady Jayhawks as a 4-year old, she competed for boys' teams up until high school – partly because good girls' EMILY KAPLAN | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I B U T O R he Silverado High School girls' basketball team was waiting for Candice Agee's arrival. They had heard all about the eighth-grader, youth teams are hard to come by, and partly because she was so good. "After games, the parents would crowd Candice and ask her a million questions," Candice's mother, Sinae, recalled. "Everyone was so impressed by her." It didn't take long for Agee to impress college coaches, too. She received her first letter of interest when she was a freshman in high school. Sinae Agee bought her daughter a two-inch binder to archive the letters from coaches. She knew that for a 14-year-old, the process might seem overwhelming. It would be a nice keepsake. "I now have five of those two-inch binders," Sinae said. "And when I tell you they're bulging, I mean they are bulging." The Agees have a large map of the United States hanging on their kitchen wall. Candice drew a line down the center of it. That was her limit. She wanted to stay west of the line, her comfort zone. And then she met Washington. Agee, who entered her senior season with 991 career points, 649 rebounds and 390 blocks, said there was some- thing special about the Lady Lions' coach. There was something special about Penn State and the program Washington built. It felt genuine. While Agee has enjoyed great success in her basketball career, she is soft- spoken and humble. When asked in June about participating in the USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team Trials in Colorado Springs, she said, "I just hope my teachers under- stand that I have to take two days off of school." Agee will enroll in the summer ses- sion and begin practicing with the Lady Lions right away. She already feels comfortable with her new teammates. Agee has been keeping in touch with them through Twitter and Facebook. When she took an official visit last Sep- W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Photo courtesy of Agee family tember, during the Alabama football weekend, Agee said she felt like she was just hanging out with friends. The girls went to the movies – they saw "30 Minutes or Less" – walked around downtown State College, laughed and talked about how excited they were for the future. "When I chose a college, the oppor- tunity to get playing time right away was important, but it wasn't my main focus," Agee said. "I'm not one of those players who has to have it right away. I want to make a difference, but not at the expense of anyone else." Brown said Agee's selfless attitude will help her shine once she gets to University Park. Early in her senior season, she was sidelined with a groin injury. During the previous three years, Silverado players developed a motto that was partly an inside joke but mostly a reality: "If you're in trou- ble, throw it up high and Candice will take care of it." With Agee on the sideline, throwing it up high wasn't an option. But that didn't mean she wasn't a presence on the court. "She was yelling on the sidelines, egging them on, helping them realize they still needed to get it done," Brown said. "And that's the thing about Can- dice: She's the star, but she wants to make everyone around her better, too." J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 23 CALIFORNIA KID Agee was named a McDonald's All- American following her senior season at Silverado High. She will be one of three McDonald's All-Americans to suit up for the Lady Lions next season, joining Maggie Lucas and Dara Taylor. W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L Lured away from the West Coast, all-star center Candice Agee fills a need for the Lady Lions THE PERFECT FIT

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