Despite being one of Hawai'i's top girls basketball players the past two years, Hilo High School junior Vicky Tagalicod has been somewhat hidden from the spotlight outside of the Big Island.

That could change very soon, according to the coach of an elite Mainland travel team that will include Tagalicod on its roster for a prestigious national tournament this weekend in Augusta, S.C.

"By the end of next week, every (college) in the nation will know who she is," said George Quintero, who coaches Tagalicod on the renowned California Storm. "Her mailbox will be full of (recruiting) letters; she's that good."

Tagalicod, a 5-foot-9 guard, was named to The Advertiser's All-State second team the past two seasons despite Hilo's inability to qualify for the state tournament. She was one of 12 players selected to "Team Aloha," a Hawai'i all-star squad that won a club tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., last September.

That is where she caught the attention of the Storm, which lost to Team Aloha in the championship game. Punahou senior Shawna-Lei Kuehu, the 2006 Advertiser State Player of the Year, played with the Storm last summer but is still recovering from knee surgery this time around.

Kuehu, a 5-10 post for Punahou, played shooting guard for the Storm and is considered one of the nation's top prospects this coming season.

"Shawna can pretty much go anywhere she wants (for college), she's that kind of player," Quintero said. "She's really one of the top guards in the nation, she can legitimately play at the highest level. She's as good as it gets, and I don't know anybody who's better."

Quintero, whose entire team is made up of NCAA Division I prospects, says Tagalicod can follow a similar path as Kuehu's.

"Vicky can become one of the top guards in the nation, too," Quintero said. "She's special."

The Storm was one of six Mainland teams participating in the inaugural Nike Island Classic tournament, which ended its three-day run yesterday at the University of Hawai'i. College coaches from Southern California, Cal, Oklahoma and Arizona State were in attendance.

The Storm's Alyssia Brewer, a 6-3 forward, is weighing offers from Tennessee, Oklahoma and USC. Storm guard Casey Morris is being recruited by Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Arizona State and USC.

"I don't get to play with these kind of players on the Big Island," Tagalicod said. "When you play (with girls) at a higher level, it makes you play at a higher level. You have to step up your game."

Tagalicod said she's looking forward to traveling to South Carolina for this weekend's Nike Nationals.

"I'm excited, I've never been to the East Coast before," Tagalicod said. "All the (Storm) girls have been nice. They make me feel comfortable."

That will be important, since she will soon be watched closely by dozens of college coaches.

"The national stage doesn't get any bigger," said Steve Kozaki, a Nike consultant. "I guarantee everyone will notice Vicky, because that's what happened to Shawna."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.