10-11-2000
SYRACUSE – One report said 170 colleges and universities pursued Wawasee superstar Shanna Zolman to play basketball for them, but when all was said and done, the 5-foot-9 junior couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream.
Tuesday in front of a crowd of at least 50, Zolman verbally committed to play for Pat Summitt and the University of Tennessee, arguably the No. 1 women’s basketball program in the country.
Summitt has coached six national championship teams, second only to legendary UCLA coach John Wooden’s total of 10.
“I have made a verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee to further my academic and basketball career after I graduate in 2002,” Shanna Zolman said in her speech. “The reason why I have committed early is merely because I am fulfilling a dream that I have had. I have not been one to lead people on or lie to them. Once I have found something that I like or want, I go after it, I stick to it. Once I realized that I had an opportunity for my dream to come true, I did not want anything else. I am very appreciative that other schools want me to come and play basketball for them, and there is nothing wrong with those schools or coaches, I am just fulfilling a dream. Don’t get me wrong, though, I know that I still have two years left of high school, and I am going to work as hard as I possibly can to help my team obtain our goals we have set.”
Zolman can’t sign a national letter of intent until November 2001, her senior year.
Asked when she officially made her decision, Zolman said “a week ago.” Her dad/coach, Kem Zolman, moved toward the podium and jokingly said “sixth grade.”
Zolman has led the state in scoring since her first high school game.
As a freshman she scored 656 points, an average of 31.2 per game. She also averaged 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 4.2 steals, while shooting 55 percent from the field, 47 percent from three-point land and 91 percent from the charity stripe. The Warriors finished with a 14-7 record and fell 76-38 in the sectional opener to eventual state champion NorthWood. Zolman broke the school’s single-game scoring record with a 43-point outburst at home against Tippecanoe Valley.
In a stellar sophomore season, Zolman broke her single-game scoring record with 50 points in the season-opener against Westview. She finished the season averaging 32.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 5.5 steals per game. For the season she shot 57 percent from the field, 48 percent from three-point range and 92 percent from the free-throw line. At one point during the season Zolman made 63 consecutive free throws. Wawasee finished the season with a 15-7 record, winning the first sectional championship in 14 years.
“My wife (Lynette) and son (Josh), our program and coaching staff here at Wawasee, are very excited for Shanna and her decision to commit to Tennessee,” Kem Zolman said. “It is a dream being fulfilled. We are behind in her decision and are excited to see how God will use her ability at the next level. With the recruiting process I have been able to meet and talk basketball with many great people. Shanna’s decision is based on not leading these people on or lying to them. I want these people to be able to move on with recruiting and what is best for their programs.”
Shanna Zolman said her second choice was Notre Dame.
“Notre Dame has always been apealing to me,” she said. “It was second on our list. I made up my mind before I went to Notre Dame (last week), but I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.”
Listen to Zolman answer question’s and it’s easy to assume she found the right thing in Tennessee.
“It’s a very cool place, especially during football season,” she said. “It was nice getting to know people that will be my teammates in a couple years. At the football game I saw over 108,000 people, all in orange. I’m going to play in front of 24,000 people, the No. 1 school in my mind.”
Wawasee’s 2000-2001 season begins Nov. 10 at Westview.
SHANNA’S STORY
FRESHMAN YEAR (1998-99)
* All-Northern Lakes Conference
* WSJV Ch. 21 Player of the Week
* Times-Union Area Player of the Year
* Indiana’s leading scorer (31.2 ppg)
* Sunburst Classic All-Area Team
* Second Team All-State
* USA Today Top 5 Frosh
* Wawasee High School team MVP
* Wawasee Holiday Tournament MVP
* All-Sectional Team
* AAU 14 & Under Player of the Year
* Regional Radio Network Player of the Week (3 times)
* Team record of 14-7
SOPHOMORE YEAR (1999-2000)
* AAU 15 & Under Player of the Year
* AAU 16’s All-American
* WSJV Ch. 21 Player of the Week
* Times-Union Player of the Week
* Made 63 consecutive free throws
* Broke 1,000-point barrier after 32 career games (12-30-99)
* Times-Union Area Player of the Year
* Sunburst Classic All-Area Team
* South Bend Tribune Player of the Year
* All-Sectional Team (Most Outstanding Player)
* Indiana’s leading scorer (33.0 ppg)
* Wawasee High School team MVP
* All-Northern Lakes Conference
* USA Today Top 10 sophomores in the country
* Names First Team All-State by the AP, ICGAA & Louisville-Courier Journal
* USA Junior Olympic invitee
* Team record of 15-7 (first sectional championship in 14 years)
CAREER STATS
2-pt. FG – 362/613 (59 %)
3-pt. FG – 131/275 (48 %)
Total FG – 493/888 (56 %)
Total Points – 1,415 (32.1 ppg)
Total Rebounds – 319 (7.3 rpg)
Blocks – 35
Assists – 151 (3.4 apg)
Steals – 218 (5.0 spg)