| McMillan wastes no time filling UTM roster spots | | Posted: Thursday, April 12, 2012 7:00 pm
| By MIKE HUTCHENS
Messenger Sports Editor
Kevin McMillan got busy quickly to fill the voids in his roster.
The UT Martin women’s coach, who lost three players last week — including a pair of starters — inked two new recruits to add to what was already a six-player class of newcomers for the 2012-13 season.
The newest Skyhawks are Sydney Vanlandingham, a 5-11 swing player from Wilson Central High School in Lebanon, and Katie Schubert, a 5-11 point-guard from Springboro (Ohio) High School.
Vanlandingham averaged 18 points a game in her senior season and has been an all-district and all-region selection while playing for head coach Bud Brandon.
Schubert played on the prep level for Tom Benjamin, whose club was ranked as high as fourth in the state during the season, but enjoyed even more success playing for the Ohio Lady Attack, which won the AAU National Championship in the summer of 2011, according to McMillan.
The Skyhawk skipper is counting on the two signees to vie for playing time in an expected rotation that has openings with the decisions of Jaclissa Haislip, Aubrey Reedy and Beth Hawn to give up the game last week with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“Sydney gives us a versatile wing player who has played everywhere from shooting guard to post in high school,” McMillan said. “She has tremendous 3-point range, but can score around the basket, too. Her size and ranginess should help us on the boards.
“Her coaches think she could be an absolute steal and we are counting on her to be just that.”
McMillan has equally-high expectations of Schubert.
“Katie has played out of position since her freshman year, playing the point. Her natural position is a two-guard or the small forward, but she is a very-good point guard who had a 4-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. She is another versatile wing player that we will call on to play multiple positions during her career.
“She is an unbelievable teammate who puts the team in front of herself and that is just the type of young lady we want here.”
McMillan said the late additions to a class of a half-dozen players signed in November should make a Skyhawk team that is coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances even stronger next season.
“With the six early signees, we believe this is the strongest class we have had at UT Martin,” the coach claimed. “These incoming players — coupled with the nucleus we have — has a chance to propel us to new heights.
“We hope they are getting ready to do that.”
McMillan said he didn’t expect to sign anyone else for next year, though “that could change if there’s a junior college kid out there who we think could help us.”
UT Martin posted a 23-9 record this past season.
Sports editor Mike Hutchens can be contacted by email at mhutch@ucmessenger.com Published in The Messenger 4.12.12 | | | | |
