First, the good news.

University of South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley pulled off the biggest coup of the recruiting season when Kelsey Bone of John Foster Dulles High School in Texas signed a letter of intent to attend USC and play for the Gamecocks.

Bone is the 2009 McDonald’s All-American Player of the Year and a WBCA All-American. She was rated the #2 player in the country by HoopGurlz. Bone is a 6-5 impact player who led her Vikings team to a 122-28 record in her high school years. During her senior year, she averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game. And that is just a short segment of the list of Kelsey Bone’s accomplishments.

Ieasia Walker, a 5-7 point guard from Copiague (NY) High School is the second player in this recruiting class. ESPN ranks Walker the #70 player in the country.

Walker is the 2009 Miss New York Basketball. As a senior, she averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Her ESPN scouting report describes her as "just a tough competitor in general" with "one-on-one skills that allow her to penetrate and create both her own looks and improve those of her teammates."

Ashley Bruner of Norman, Oklahoma is the latest signee. A lack of interest from Sherri Coale and the hometown Sooners resulted in Bruner’s signing with the Gamecocks; she leaves Norman High School as the all-time leading rebounder with 1,038 for her career. She also averaged 15.3 points per game her senior year, leading the Tigers to the Class 6A semifinals. Bruner is a 6-0 forward and a two-time Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State selection.

Now for the bad news.

Monique Willis, a 5-8 guard from A.E. Beach High School in Savannah, GA was an early signee for the Gamecocks. Willis is a versatile shooting guard who averaged a double-double in her junior season of high school (14 points, 15 rebounds) and was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game.

However, Willis was arrested on April 4, charged with shoplifting, simple battery and criminal damage to property. Willis was shopping at Macy’s at Oglethorpe Mall when a loss prevention officer spotted her switching price tags with a pair of shorts that she had already purchased. When Willis left the store, loss prevention officers followed her. She ran into two security guards and smashed through a glass door before a metro police officer stopped her. She was treated for minor injuries at Memorial University Medical Center and booked into Chatham county jail, the same day.

At that time, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had commented that "the situation is still playing out" and that "she signed with us and we’re going to see her through the process."

However, that was before a Chatham County grand jury indicted Willis (along with 3 men) on several new charges: two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Those charges stem from a January 2008 incident at Indigo Court. According to the Chatham County district attorney’s office, Willis placed herself at the crime scene, but denies any involvement in the crime. The district attorney’s spokesperson maintained that there is evidence indicating that Willis was involved in the incident–enough, anyway, to convince a grand jury.

When reached, USC’s athletic administration had not been aware of the January incident and accompanying charges. When contacted yesterday, spokespersons had no additional comments on the matter.