When she was asked if her style would translate to the next level at her introductory press conference two weeks ago as the Tennessee Lady Vols head coach, Kim Caldwell said she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t think it would. Her answer was short, but her recruiting proves she’s aware of the difference.
Over the weekend, Karoline Striplin entered the transfer portal, and Caldwell went out and added Syracuse Orange transfer Alyssa Latham. Latham announced her decision to commit to UT Saturday night on her social media accounts.
With this pickup, Caldwell is already adjusting her personnel from her time with the Marshall Thundering Herd, where she didn’t have a player over 5’9″. Latham is 6’2″ and is able to stretch the floor with her athleticism. She averaged over eight points, seven rebounds a steal and a block as a freshman this past year.
Now, she did shoot just 28.6 percent from outside, but she is capable of hitting those shots, and again, she was just a freshman. As a result, it’s safe to assume she should take a leap there her sophomore year, and that is the big challenge for Caldwell.
At Marshall, Caldwell ran tempo and played small ball by relying on numerous elite three-point shooters. If her style is going to translate to the SEC, she’ll still need those athletes who can shoot, but she has to have some who are above 6’0″.
With that in mind, given her potential, Latham is a great start for the Tennessee Lady Vols under Caldwell. If they are going to take a giant leap next year alone, though, as Caldwell and Danny White both said they want to do, they still have to add a lot more talent.
Very few players on the roster are a fit for Caldwell’s style of play. Jewel Spear staying was huge, as she is actually the one who is a perfect fit. Tess Darby and Sara Puckett are reliable shooters, but they aren’t wildly athletic. With Rickea Jackson gone, this team may be built around those four.
That’s not enough to go further next year than they went this past year, especially if Destinee Wells doesn’t return. Jillian Hollingshead is just not much of a fit for the scheme, and Kaiya Wynn won’t be either if she can’t improve her shooting.
Simply put, Latham is a major addition to the Tennessee Lady Vols, but Caldwell still has a ton of work to do if she’s going to be able to build this roster into a contender her first year on the job. Given the key players leaving, she’s got her work cut out.
