Photo via Maryland Athletics
Lady Vols basketball has made another splash in the transfer portal. Most recently, Kim Caldwell and Tennessee have landed the commitment of Maryland guard Kaylene Smikle, she announced on her Instagram on Wednesday.
The 6-foot guard is coming off a senior season that was shut down due to a knee injury, which required surgery. In seven games and five starts, she averaged 13.1 points per game on 44.4% shooting from the field and 35% on threes. She also contributed 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.7 steals per outing.
The year before, her first with the Terrapins, Smikle was fantastic. In 33 appearances and starts, she averaged 17.9 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 34.7% on threes. This went along with 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals. As a result, she was named to the All-Big Ten First Team by the media and Second Team by coaches.
More From RTI:Â HIGHLIGHTS: What Lady Vols Basketball is Getting From Auburn Transfer Star Harissoum Coulibaly
Smikle started her career at Rutgers. As a true freshman, she averaged 17.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. A three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and to the Big Ten All-Second Team by the media and coaches. She also set the Rutgers program record for scoring as a freshman.
The following season, she only played in 15 games while averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals. After the season, she entered the transfer portal and found her way to Maryland.
Out of high school, she was a four-star recruit. On ESPNW, she was ranked as the No. 11 wing and No. 64 overall recruit. She is from Bay Shore, New York.
Smikle is now the eighth commit to join the Lady Vols through the transfer portal. She joins Liberty’s Avery Mills, Northern Arizona’s Naomi White, Stanford’s Harper Peterson, Georgia’s Zhen Craft and Rylie Theuerkauf, Auburn’s Harissoum Coulibaly and Texas A&M’s Fatmata Janneh.
Incoming freshmen include four-star and top-50 recruit Gabby Minus and international prospect Irene Oboavwoduo, who committed this offseason after previously being signed to Boston College.