By Ryan Cloud
Vols Weekly
In today’s college basketball landscape, recruiting is queen. Similar to a business, if you can’t acquire and retain great players, you will find yourself performing at subpar levels. That doesn’t appear to be a problem for new Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell. On Sunday, Arkansas transfer guard Samara Spencer committed to Tennessee after an impressive junior year with the Razorbacks, where the soon-to-be senior averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Spencer is the third transfer Caldwell has secured since stepping foot on Rocky Top. Joining Spencer is Syracuse transfer forward Alyssa Latham (8.6 points, 7 rebounds) and Miami transfer forward Lazaria Spearman (6.3 points, 6 rebounds). With three scholarships left, Caldwell is proving that she can recruit.
Recruiting aside, Caldwell is doing something that many didn’t expect when her hire was announced. She’s winning over the Vol faithful, which isn't easy when longtime Tennessee fans still remember the glory years of Pat Summitt. But Caldwell understands the assignment. She gets it.
“I will never be Pat Summitt. Nobody can, but I will strive every day to be someone that she would be proud of.”
When Caldwell made that statement during her first press conference, you could almost hear all of Vol Nation applaud even if they weren’t in the same room. That’s all Tennessee fans wanted to hear - for someone to understand the legacy of the program.
Add that in with the strides she has made recruiting, and Caldwell is well on her way to not only being the coach Vol fans want but being the coach Vol fans need.
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