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UINTACOUNTYHERALD.COM: Lyman standout signs with Southern Utah
This entry was posted on 11/16/2008 11:08 AM and is filed under Girls Basketball News.
Below is an article reprinted from the  Lyman standout signs with Southern Utah
Posted: Friday, Nov 14th, 2008BY: STEVE KODAD, Herald Sports Editor
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| Lyman High School senior Tayler Anderson (seated) gets ready to sign her national letter of intent to play basketball at Southern Utah University. Anderson, a three-sport standout for the Lady Eagles, accepted the NCAA Division I full-ride basketball scholarship from the Cedar City, Utah, school. Watching Tayler ink the letter of intent are (from left): Lyman head girls’ basketball coach Tom Wells, plus Tayler’s parents, Kelly and Sherrie Anderson. HERALD PHOTO/Steve Kodad | | |
| It’s nice to have options in the game of life, and Lyman’s Tayler Anderson had a truckload to choose from to help determine her college journey in the coming years.
Anderson’s love of basketball won out, and she plans to put her athletic skills to the test in the NCAA Division I ranks next fall.
The standout three-sport athlete signed a national letter-of-intent to accept a full-ride women’s basketball scholarship at Southern Utah University. Tayler signed the letter of intent Wednesday afternoon at a special ceremony at the Bridger Valley school.
Tayler is the daughter of Kelly and Sherrie Anderson of Lyman. The 5-11 senior has excelled in volleyball, basketball and track and field since her freshman year at Lyman High School. She has earned all-state honors in volleyball and basketball, and she has won 11 medals – including three golds – at the state track and field meet.
Despite her athletic gifts in three sports, and a list of colleges trying to attain her talents in each of those sports, Tayler said basketball was an easy choice.
“It’s just what I love, it’s just my favorite thing to do,” she said.
Anderson said Wyoming wanted her to walk on for volleyball, and Idaho State also offered a volleyball scholarship.
“I love volleyball, but basketball’s my favorite,” Tayler said. “I could play all the time.”
She received many offers to compete in track and field in college, but she said that is her least-favorite sport (Tayler won gold medals at the Class 2A state meet in the triple jump as a freshman and sophomore, and in the high jump as a sophomore).
Tayler received serious recruiting pitches from the basketball programs at Weber State, Utah State and Colorado State. But the Cedar City, Utah, school won out.
“I went on an official visit to Southern and just fell in love with it and everything about it,” she said.
League in nine states
Southern Utah joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1988. SUU is a member of the Summit League, which is spread across nine states.
Other schools in the Summit League include Centenary College (Shreveport, La.), Indiana University-Purdue University Ft. Wayne (IPFW), Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Missouri-Kansas City, North Dakota State (Fargo, N.D.), Oakland University (Rochester, Mich.), Oral Roberts (Tulsa, Okla.), South Dakota State (Brookings, S.D.), and Western Illinois (Macomb, Ill.).
Anderson will be about 5 1/2 hours away from home at Cedar City. Tayler said the long distance from home didn’t really play a factor in her college choice.
“I just wanted to make sure I found the right school for me, it didn’t matter what distance,” she said.
Southern Utah’s women have played several big-name opponents in recent years, with games against Colorado, Kansas State, San Diego State and Oregon State last season. The Lady Thunderbirds are scheduled to face Brigham Young, Utah State, Nebraska, Nevada-Las Vegas and Boise State this winter.
Head coach tragedy
Anderson said one of the main reasons she committed to Southern Utah was head coach Steve Hodson. Hodson was to begin his third season at the Cedar City, Utah, school this winter. But Hodson lost a long battle with cancer, as he passed away just 11 days ago.
Tayler decided to remain committed to SUU despite Hodson’s death. Assistant coach Kit Janes has been named interim head coach, and Janes will guide the Lady Thunderbirds.
Anderson said she isn’t sure if Janes will remain as head coach for her first college season.
“I think it’s still going to be a good fit,” she said. “I just think my love of basketball will carry it through and it won’t make a difference. As long as I get to be on the court, I’m all right with it.”
SUU’s home arena is the 5,300-seat Centrum. Anderson said the Centrum is a cozy setting with fans right on top of the court.
“You’re really close to the floor, it’s cool,” she said.
Tayler said she is undecided on a college major. She said SUU plans to play her at small forward. She hopes to earn playing time in her freshman season.
“(The coaches) kind of said some things, but I think it all depends on how you come out and show what you’ve got, and how hard you work and stuff,” Tayler said.
Strengths, weaknesses
Anderson thinks her court sense and defense are the big strengths of her basketball game.
“Most people hate playing defense, but I like it because you can just play 100 percent and it will pay off at the end,” she said.
Shooting was a weakness, but Tayler said she has worked hard to improve in that area.
“I wasn’t very consistent, but I been in the gym shooting this summer. I joined the ’10,000 Shot Club’ this summer. I made 10,000 shots, and I think that will help out a lot.”
Salt Lake club team
Southern Utah noticed Anderson during her play for the Salt Lake Metro club team the past two summers. Tayler said the team practiced in Utah once or twice a week during the summer months, then traveled across the country for competition.
Tayler said she doesn’t plan to play on the Utah summer club team next year.
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