Top 2025 recruit Caliyah "Lil Bit" DeVillasee commits to Cincinnati

Top 2025 recruit Caliyah “Lil Bit” DeVillasee has committed to Cincinnati, she told On3. The 5-foot-7 point guard from Owings Mills (MD) Our Lady Good Counsel High School chose the Bearcats over  Clemson, Georgia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. 

“The consistency,” DeVillasee said of why she chose Cincinnati. “Consistency was big. They were at every game. They were talking to me all the time and stuff like that. They showed that they wanted me a lot, and it started from the beginning, right when they recruited me. There weren’t off days for them. They showed me what they wanted to do, and you can see that they’re trying to fix the program and all of that. That’s what I’m here to do, just build with some coaches that believe in me.”

DeVillasee noted that she sees herself being a dynamic duo with fellow 2025 commit Dee Alexander, the No. 9 recruit in the class. 

“I see myself as the point guard,” DeVillasee said. “Dee and I are gonna be up there together.  We’re gonna be that dynamic duo right there. Then, we’ve got other people coming. I see myself just being a strong guard, that brings three-level scoring into it.”

The Bearcats made a strong impression on DeVillasee from the beginning and there were plenty of factors that went into her decision.

“It’s also an all-women coaching staff basically, so that’s different. And all African American women too, so that’s crazy. They’re building too. When I went there, it was my second visit so it was the beginning of everything. They’ve been telling me what they’re trying to do and I love the dedication they put into everything. You can see that people love to be there. Kids put in extra work after and there’s a lot of hard work getting put into that program.” 

Cincinnati has now landed two of the top recruits in the Class of 2025 and is getting a versatile point guard in DeVillasee. 

“I’m a three-level scorer, but a pass-first point guard,” DeVillasee said of her game. “I love to get everyone involved before getting myself involved. Something I really want to work on is consistency, having that switch where I can take over and my defense.”