New North Texas women’s basketball coach Shanice Stephens developed a relationship with Raquel Cuffie when she was an assistant coach at Clemson last season.

Those ties paid off this week when Cuffie became the second player to orally commit to play for UNT in Stephens’ short time at the school. Oral commitments are non-binding. The first day recruits in the class of 2009 can sign national letters of intent is in November, during the early signing period.

Cuffie, a 5-10 shooting guard, is entering her senior season at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C.

“I like the coaches at North Texas,” Cuffie said. “They are very upbeat. They are like a second family to me and the campus is beautiful.”

Cuffie averaged 12.5 points a game at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., as a sophomore before transferring to The Patterson School for her junior year.

Clemson, James Madison, Wake Forest and Old Dominion were among the schools that recruited Cuffie, who decided to commit to the Mean Green after attending Stephens’ camp at UNT last week.

Cuffie said that the other schools that were recruiting her were waiting to see if they would land other prospects before offering a scholarship. When UNT offered, Cuffie decided to accept.

“Knowing coach Stephens helped me decide to come here,” Cuffie said. “It was coming down to James Madison or North Texas. I love coach Stephens. She is like a mother to me.”

Cuffie grew up in New York and will be headed across the country to a new school, but there are a few ties that could help ease the transition. Cuffie’s brother is going through basic training with the Army in Oklahoma and expects to be stationed in Texas.

Cuffie said her mother and father would move to Texas to be closer to her during her college career.

Another brother lives in Colorado and will have the chance to see Cuffie play when UNT faces Denver, one of the Mean Green’s rivals in the Sun Belt Conference.

Cuffie is the second player to commit to play for the Mean Green since Stephens took over the program following last season. Point guard Brittney Hudson said last month that she is transferring to UNT after spending her freshman season at Rice.

Hudson also has ties to Stephens, who worked as an assistant at Rice before becoming the associate head coach at Clemson.

Landing Cuffie and Hudson could help replenish the Mean Green’s backcourt after the upcoming season. UNT will lose four guards, including starting point guard Yari Escalera and shooting guard Jo Hall, who will be seniors this season.

“I am very excited,” Cuffie said. “I feel like I can help change the program. I can’t wait to see who else comes in with me.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.