Brittany Shine, The Bee's 2009-10 Girls Basketball Player of the Year from Sacramento High School, was back in Northern California on Thursday morning, pointing out the Golden Gate Bridge to her Florida Gators teammates.

Near Fisherman's Wharf, Shine continued to play San Francisco tour guide as sights and sounds of the Bay Area reminded the sophomore guard that she was home – or very close to it.

"Being out here, near home – excited isn't even the word," Shine said Thursday afternoon by phone. "I can't believe how fun this is. I tried to smile, then started to tear up, then I smiled."

To know Shine is to understand she always smiles, unless the 5-foot-10 guard is driving the lane or drawing a charge.

On Wednesday, Shine scored seven points and had five rebounds to help the Gators (7-2) beat USF 91-68. Throughout the game, there were shrieks and chants in support of Shine, with members of the Sacramento High girls team and dozens of family and friends in attendance. Many held Shine face cutouts to make for a sea of Shine.

Tonight, Florida plays at Pacific in Stockton, where Shine will go against prep pal Gena Johnson, a Pacific guard out of Franklin High in Elk Grove.

Shine is averaging 4.2 points in 13 minutes a game for Florida. She is capable of scoring off the dribble, on runners, from three-point land. Her coaches rave about her work ethic, basketball IQ and desire to get better.

And, typical for Shine, she isn't satisfied. Though she will say her scholarship experience is "living the dream," Shine wants to be a better player and teammate.

"I'm never pleased," she said. "There's always something I can do to be better, and I have to be hard on myself."

Florida coach Amanda Butler said Shine has especially improved on defense.

"She's made great strides," Butler said. "That's the biggest challenge for her, going from high school to our level, but she's really carving out a defensive identity. Working hard is something we don't have to worry about with her. She is so driven to succeed."

Butler said she was delighted for Shine, and her supporters, to play on West Coast. Shine is the only Gators player from the West Coast and just the second ever from California.

"The fan support she got (at USF), she feeds off that, eats it up, and you can't blame her," Butler said. "She's got an infectious energy about her."

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