Punahou School senior Shawna-Lei Kuehu is expected to officially end one of the most heated recruiting battles ever for a Hawai'i girls basketball player this morning, when she is scheduled to sign a National Letter of Intent to play for the University of California next season.

Kuehu, a 5-foot-10 forward who is projected to play shooting guard in college, said she chose Cal over Hawai'i and Southern California. Kuehu was ranked as the 25th best overall prospect in the nation by HoopGurlz.com and had received recruiting interest from dozens of top programs since the summer of 2006.

"It feels good, it's such a relief," Kuehu told The Advertiser yesterday afternoon. "It's still kind of hard, because I haven't actually signed yet ... but after I sign, I don't have to stress out about it anymore."

The first day seniors were allowed to sign letters of intent was Wednesday, and Kuehu said she received a copy of the form from Cal that day. She had been leaning toward the Golden Bears since last week, but said she also felt a tug to stay home and had strongly considered UH.

"That was my biggest thing to decide," Kuehu said. "I'm not really one to stay on the Mainland for a long time, but I made a promise to my grandma that I would go away and take this opportunity. Cal is a great academic school — that's not to say UH is not, because it is — but for my family, this is a big opportunity."

Kuehu said she still needs a qualifying SAT score but will take the exam next month.

She took official recruiting visits to Cal, USC and Hawai'i, and said she liked Cal's location better than USC's.

Kuehu was The Advertiser's State Player of the Year in 2006 after leading the Buffanblu to their second straight state championship, and was a first-team All-State selection as a freshman. But she sat out last season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Kuehu said yesterday she is just about fully recovered and has been practicing with the team.

Read Wes Nakama's blog on prep sports at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.