Tennessee Lady Volunteers coach Kim Caldwell was all praise for Samara Spencer after the former Arkansas star committed to the program. Caldwell complimented the offensive and defensive capabilities of the new Lady Vols commit and the "wealth of experience" she will be bringing to the team.
The former Arkansas guard announced the decision on Sunday after she had entered the transfer portal. The Lady Vols coach opined how Spencer would make a difference to the team:
“In addition to her abilities on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, she brings a wealth of experience playing in the Southeastern Conference that should benefit our program greatly.”
Samara Spencer registered 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the 2023-24 season. She posted a field-goal percentage of 33.6 percent and shot 26.0 percent from the three-point range.
Spencer started in all 33 games this season and tallied five or more assists in nine games. She also scored 20-plus points in six games this season. Spencer played for three seasons at Arkansas Razorbacks and has 73 games in her career with double-figure scoring.
The Lady Vols recruit was honored with SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022. She was also on the 2022 SEC All-Freshman team and won SEC Freshman of the Week four times in her three-year intercollegiate basketball career.
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How did Samara Spencer feel about moving to her new basketball home?
Samara Spencer took to X to announce her decision to commit to the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. She was not emotional about her departure from the Razorbacks and tried to keep her transfer decision strictly professional:
"never personal just business, that is the way I keep it."
Samara will be joined by the former Syracuse forward Alyssa Latham and Miami forward Lazaria Spearman at Tennessee. The two were the new entrants in the program since Caldwell joined on April 7. Karoline Striplin was the only star from Lady Vols who entered the transfer portal this year.
What do you think about Samara Spencer's decision to move to Tennessee? Let us know in the comments section below.
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