13  Taber Spani Class: Freshman Hometown: Lee's Summit, Mo. High School: Home Schooled/Metro Academy Height: 6-1 Position: Guard

HIGH SCHOOL: The first player from the state of Missouri to play basketball for the Lady Vols... A 2009 McDonald's High School All-American...A 2009 WBCA High School All-American... Named the 2009 Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year... Selected to the 2009 Parade Magazine All-America second team... 2008 DiRenna Award winner... A five-time National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships (NCHBC) All-America first team selection... Earned the 2008 Pete Maravich Award as the top homeschooled athlete in the nation... Finished her high school career ranked seventh all-time in the National High School Sports Record Book in points (4,113) and ninth in rebounds (1,758) making her the only player in girls' basketball history to rank in the top 10 nationally in both career scoring and rebounding... Competed for Metro Academy (Kan.), where she started all 185 games played and compiled 4,113 points, 1,758 rebounds, 825 assists, 488 steals and 426 blocked shots during her five-year prep career... Placed among the top three in five NCHBC tournaments, including the national crown in 2006, a runner-up finish in 2008 and third place finishes in 2005, 2007 and 2009 ... As a senior in 2008-09, aided Metro to a 29-7 record, third place in the NCHBC and the regional title; started all 35 games played and averaged 32.5 ppg and 10.6 rpg... In 2007-08 helped Metro finish as the regional champs, second place in the NCHBC and post a 34-6 record; averaged 29.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 3.4 apg... During her sophomore season, she averaged 28.1 ppg, 13.5 rpg and 3.3 apg, as Metro went 36-4 and captured the regional title and placed third in the NCHBC tournament... As a freshman, averaged 18.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg as Metro captured the 2006 NCHBC national championship, won the regional title and finished with a 34-5 slate.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL: Earned a gold medal at the 2009 U19 World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, with the USA squad (8-1)...Played in all nine games and averaged 4.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg... AAU play included stints with the CY-Fair Nike Elite, the Missouri Valley Eclipse, Team Excel and the Kansas Belles.

PERSONAL: Taber is currently enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences... Achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in her high school studies... Likes to be involved in community service, outreach and compassionate ministries... She is a lefty who wore No. 3 and No. 33 in high school and will wear No. 13 at Tennessee because numbers with 3 in them run in the family and it has a special meaning... Comes from a very athletic family - Father (Gary) had a 10-year NFL career as a linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs (still holds the record as the all-time leading tackler); sister, Shalin, is a junior and plays basketball for Kansas State; grandfather, Frosty Westering, played football at Northwestern, coached at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame; uncle, Scott Westering, played football at UCLA and PLU; also has two other uncles who played college football, an aunt who played college volleyball, two cousins who played college football, another who played volleyball and another cousin who is currently playing basketball at PLU.... Is a big football fan and enjoys watching college and NFL games... Athletes she has modeled herself after include her dad Gary, due to his ""Hall of Fame" humility and University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, "a passionate competitor and a homeschooler... She has four sisters, Shalin (20), Tanis (17), Sajel (14) and Taris (11)...Taber Chalee Spani was born Jan. 27, 1991 in Independence, Mo. ...Her parents are Gary and Stacey Spani.