Tennessee Temple Academy made a big production Friday of Danielle Rector’s signing to play basketball for Mississippi State University, complete with an appearance and a proclamation from Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and several standing ovations from the student body.
Of course, Rector has consistently had big production for the Lady Crusaders.
The program’s all-time top scorer with a season still to go — under her fifth head coach — she averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds a game last year and was a Class A Miss Basketball finalist. She had the highest scoring average in the state, according to 2005-06 coach Greg Brown, who was also on the program along with strength coach Steve Fauer and teammate Angela Kemp.
 |
"This is our sixth year together, and she’s just had incredible improvement in her skills from seventh grade," Kemp said, "but something that hasn’t increased one little bit is her ego. Danielle is one of the most humble people I have ever known."
Rector has a 3.89 grade point average and also has participated in volleyball, softball, choir, handbells and the first drum line for Temple High.
The 6-foot-2 daughter of former Tennessee Temple University women’s coach Jeff Rector has played AAU ball for years. She led the Lady Crusaders to a 23-9 record and their first region championship and first state sectional last winter. With scholarship offers from more than 20 schools, she focused on Florida, Clemson, Vanderbilt and MSU.
She made an early connection with Mississippi State coach Sharon Fanning, a local native and former UTC player and coach, and "really liked" the Bulldogs staff as a whole.
"And they run a motion offense, which will let me utilize my ball-handling skills and 3-point shooting. It seemed like the best fit for my abilities," Rector said.
Fanning responded to the signing with an e-mail praising Rector’s versatility, her understanding of the game and her commitment to excellence.
"Danielle is an excellent student-athlete and an even better person," Fanning wrote.
E-mail Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com
|
