Jazmine Massengill
KNOXVILLE – It took Tennessee five decades to finally land a women’s basketball player from Chattanooga. And now Jazmine Massengill is leaving after just two seasons.
The 6-foot point guard, who just completed her sophomore season with the Lady Vols, has entered her name into the transfer portal. She confirmed her decision on social media, saying: “I truly appreciate my teammates and the coaching staff for their support and allowing me to do what is in my best interest. I’m also thankful for Tennessee for allowing me to play for such a (prestigious) basketball program in front of an amazing group of fans.”
Massengill, the first player from the River City to sign with the Lady Vols, attended Hamilton Heights Academy. She was ranked the nation’s No. 11 prospect nationally by Prospectsnation.com when she signed with UT, joining a recruiting class that ranked among the top five nationally.
As a freshman, she played in all 32 games and started one. She averaged 3.4 points, 3.4 rebound and 1.3 assists per game. She recorded a season-high eight assists against Murray State.
Massengill became a full-time starter this season, starting 30 of Tennessee’s 31 games. She upgraded her production across the board as well.
The biggest jump were her 129 assists, which more than tripled the total of her first season (42). She improved her single-game best with 12 assists in the SEC regular-season opener against Missouri. The total tied for sixth best in program history.
The jump in assists didn’t come at the expense of Massengill’s efficiency. She committed just 49 turnovers, only 19 more than her freshman season. Massengill’s assist-to-turnover ratio had greater value given Tennessee’s ongoing struggle with turnovers.
The Lady Vols averaged 17.2 turnovers per game, nearly one more than their 16.2 assists. The latter stat ranked first in the conference.
In its first season under coach Kellie Harper, Tennessee finished 21-10. The Lady Vols tied for third in the SEC at 10-6. Their season ended prematurely after the conference tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri who covered University of Tennessee athletics for the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1988-2019. He may be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com