By Steven Bartolotta, November 12, 2009, 5:13 p.m.

Raise your hand if you have ever uttered these words when it comes to North Texas (insert sport) and recruiting. "I sure wish they recruited the DFW area more, you could field an entire team with the talent in the metroplex!!!!"

I know I have.  You know who else has heard those cries? Shanice Stephens. Her second early signing class wrapped up today with the additions of Laura McCoy and Ash'Lynne Evans. Both local products from right here in DFW.

True confession time, I'm privy to some inside information occasionally (more than I probably should be). One afternoon over the summer I was over at the basketball offices checking in with them and I was talking with Stephens about the upcoming year, how some of the newcomers look and the topic of recruiting came up.

She has a huge board in her office that often times are full of names of potential recruits. Along with that she gave me a list of the names of the kids she was recruiting and or looking at.

It took me a few minutes to even look at the names because the first thing I saw was schools. Every name on the list was a school in the metroplex. I couldn't believe it. I almost wanted to wrap my arms around her and say "thank you, thank you, thank you."

Stephens has made it clear from the beginning that she wants to build a program and a team that will be envy of other local programs. And do it with local kids.  It won't be easy though as the presence by North Texas in the DFW area over the last few years has been scant so some repairing of burned bridges has been going on.

This isn't to say that Stephens has forgotten the rest of the state or the junior college ranks. She hasn't. The focus though is to build it with local talent, local kids, for the locals to come see and embrace.

McCoy and Evans fit that bill. McCoy is a point guard who can score and distribute the ball. She's about to become the all-time leader in points and assists at Flower Mound, pretty good. Evans meanwhile is a lanky, tall (6'1), athletic player who fits right into the Stephens mold.

These two signees signify a shift in the way the women's basketball program has been conducting its recruiting. DFW isn't going to be a one-stop shopping area anymore for the programs outside the city limits, at least not without some competition.

Stephens has a big vision for where this program is headed and building it from one of the biggest recruiting bases the nation is a great start. This local likes it.