What Kim Caldwell said about Syracuse transfer Alyssa Latham on Lady Vols basketball roster
Alyssa Latham is officially a Lady Vol.
Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell announced the signing of the freshman transfer from Syracuse on Wednesday. Latham was a member of the ACC All-Freshman team last season with the Orange.
"What a great opportunity it is to welcome an ACC All-Freshman Team member and one of the top first-year players in the country," Caldwell said in a school release. "She has a very bright future ahead of her, and we're excited she has three years where we can work with and develop her. I look forward to seeing how much her game grows."
The 6-foor-2 forward took an official visit to Knoxville last week and announced her commitment on social media Saturday night. Latham, who's from Glenwood, Illinois, was a four-star prospect out of Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School. She was ranked No. 72 in the 2023 class by ESPN.
She's the first addition to the roster for Caldwell, who was hired April 7 after Tennessee fired Kellie Harper on April 1.
Latham averaged 8.6 points and seven rebounds for the Orange. Latham led the team with 42 blocks and 224 total rebounds and started in 26 of the 32 games she played in.
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Latham had career highs of 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting and 12 rebounds against Alabama as a freshman. She logged 12 rebounds again against Notre Dame, and she grabbed 10 or more rebounds nine times this season. Latham logged a career-high six blocks against Louisville.
She adds crucial depth to Tennessee's backcourt, which lost three players from last season's roster. Star forward Rickea Jackson was selected No. 4 overall in the WNBA Draft and redshirt senior Tamari Key elected not to use her final year of eligibility. Rising senior forward Karoline Striplin entered the transfer portal April 19, leaving only two returning post players.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kim Caldwell: Tennessee coach on Alyssa Latham joining Lady Vols
