Woman's basketball recruit Taber Spani, a 6-foot-1 guard from Lee's Summit, Mo., has verbally committed to play for the Tennessee Lady Vols next season.
Spani's father, Gary, was a linebacker at Kansas State and was the first consensus All-American in school history. He played nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming their all-time leading tackler. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Spani's grandfather, Frosty Westering, coached Pacific Lutheran to 261 victories and four national championships at either the NAIA or NCAA Division III levels before retiring in 2003. Overall, he had 305 victories in 40 seasons as a college coach. Spani said that her grandfather coached at the 1999 Hula Bowl with UT's Phillip Fulmer.
Spani's gridiron mentality has translated well to the basketball court, where she averaged 29.6 points and 11 rebounds per game last season for Metro Academy. She helped the Mavericks to a second-place finish in the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships in March and was named the top girls' player in metropolitan Kansas City.
Spani visited Tennessee unofficially last June. On the return trip she wants to get acquainted with all of the Lady Vols' freshmen and get better acquainted with the other players and coaches.
Spani, who visited Connecticut last March, said last week she would choose between UT and Kansas State, where her older sister, Shalin, is a sophomore guard.
More details later and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.
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Comments » 21
vol4gzus writes:
How could she not play here with Summit in her home town's name?
Welcome come play for the best Ms. Spani!
utvol008 writes:
Welcome young lady
vol4gzus writes:
Volnfla please get over the GAME. That's what it is a game. Life is so much easier when we have proper perspective on what is really important in life. I dislike losing and losing badly like most Big Orange fans,but I no longer let my life be miserable over things that at the end of the day don't matter much in the big picture.
By the way, this was a basketball article on Ms. Spani committing to Lady Vols so stay on topic and put other article post where they are allowed. Thanks and have a great day!
RTB writes:
Does anyone know much about her? The article was so brief. Perhaps later they will have more info on her ....
utvol008 writes:
She is rated the #13 player in Hoopgurlz.com top 100 for 2009
Here is Hoopgurlz article just posted
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recrui...
"I love challenges. I always wanted the opportunity to play for the best, with the best and against the best. The Tennessee (coaches) are exactly the kind of coaches I always wanted to be coached by. Tennessee is exactly where I wanted to be. This is where I was called to go."
vol4gzus writes:
RTB, article last week on her. Just go back through Lady Vol bball archives in addition what utvol008 provided.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
I believe in freeedom of speech, and we don't have to get over anything, including our pains , we can carry them to our graves if we wish. I encourage all to vow money for our football team(which is in it's grave if you ask many of us), and i praise God for our basketball teams, which have made us as proud as our football teams, if not more !! It's good to be an American, and i am glad i am called a Volunteer instead of an animal of something that flies. God bless you and we love the Big Orange.
rrist#608227 writes:
Don't we have 4 scholarships available. Hoopgurlz is saying that we only have three.
utvol008 writes:
There are no more scholarships available for 2009 and 2010 classes. Right now Pat has 3 verbals from 09 class: Kamiko Williams, Faith Dupree, and now Taber Spani and 1 from 10 class: Lauren Avant.
ncvol writes:
Sounds as if she would be a great addition to the Lady Vols.
Hope she comes on board. Go Vols....
ncvol writes:
I meant -hope she comes aboard...
It is great to be a Tennesse Vol....Lady Vols are the team to be on.
vol4gzus writes:
So are we on the limit or over on scholarships?
rrist#608227 writes:
I had forgotten about Avant. I wonder if we are going to have a couple of transfers!!!! If we have an opportunity to get Kelsey Bone, I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Smallbone "transfer to be closer to home"!!!
LadyHuskyFan writes:
Yeah, now she can be a DEAD HEAD just like her coach!!
GO UCONN!!!!!!!!
vol4gzus writes:
no crying(a river) over spilled milk....
to uconn fan...who just finished as NATIONAL CHAMPS in womens bball?
vol4gzus writes:
valnflorida are you sleepy sir? you yawned on a post...oh btw I never said I control anything sir. I did not claim to be God Almighty sir.
I still recommend getting that bitterness out b4 it eats you up inside out. just don't get out by spewing more of the same sir.
To an earlier poster wanting Sidney Smallbone to transfer, Coach Summit has never stood in the way of transfers. The individual has to sense they are not part of the plan or their ego/pride is hurt because they thot playing time was theirs since they were stars in hs.
LadyHuskyFan writes:
Even a blind squirrel gets an occasional nut...talk to me after the next three years. I cannot wait to see Tenn low in the rankings. What will be sweet is seeing Pat Summit as a LOSER!!! HA HA HA HA HA Not too bright to put yourself in the position to lose all your starter all at once without any serious back-up. The same thing will happen four years from now. Pathetic!! Have fun during your dry spell.
txvolsfan writes:
WOW, a UCANT fan with a crystal ball. Pat should have enough nuts for the rest of her life then. At least our top recruit didn't go nuts from trying to play for eddie munster. National Champs!!!!
Enough said
vol4gzus writes:
Ladyhuskfan is your gloating/ribbing the appropriate way to try and show people the class individual fan from UCON? I think not. Do you really enjoy taking the low road ? Yes, a blind squirrel can find a nut even two years in a row. same thing happened to you all after Taurasi graduated to wnba...meaning you were near contenders. I think you know better than to count Coach Summit out. Maybe we will meet again over some Geno's pizza rolls. Stay warm this winter if you reside in the cold northeast.
Volalumnus writes:
Huskies are going to be Lucky to not face some serious issues soon. Seems like Geno has been playing loose with recruiting in more ways than one and he is beginning to become an embarrasement to womens basketball.
BTW hows that top recruit coming up there?
hawkvol07 writes:
I wonder if Pat saw something to make this decision that prompted her not to give Kelsey Bone the #2 player in the country a shot at that scholarship. That is the only thing I question. I love Pat the the Lady Vols, but she was still available.
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