KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper confirmed Friday that she has received an SEC Grant-in-Aid (GIA) and Institutional Financial Aid Agreement (IFAA) from decorated graduate transfer Jasmine Franklin from Missouri State University.
Franklin, an explosive 6-foot-1 forward from Fayetteville, Ark., signed with Harper out of high school when Harper and husband Jon were coaching at MSU. Franklin was a freshman contributor for the Bears’ 2019 NCAA Sweet 16 run that ultimately led to the Harpers being hired at Rocky Top.
“I’m so excited to bring Jasmine Franklin into the Lady Vol family,” Harper said. “Jasmine, who has a fun-loving but very competitive personality, can score in the paint, knock down an open jumper and put the ball on the floor for drives. Her athleticism and high motor enable her to be a tremendous rebounder and defender.”
A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference First-Team selection and the 2021 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, Franklin averaged 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists while starting 99 of 102 games for Missouri State. The seven-time MVC Player of the Week shot 53.1 percentage from the field and 68.0 percent from the free-throw line during her time in Springfield and produced 1,122 points and 913 rebounds.
In 2021-22, Franklin led Missouri State at 14.0 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 76 percent on free throws. Against five Power 5 opponents, including LSU, Virginia Tech, USC, Missouri and Oklahoma State, she put up 15.6 ppg., 14.0 rpg., 2.4 spg. and 1.6 bpg. and shot 49.2 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. She only played in 11 contests, however, before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 21. Still, she ended her abbreviated year with seven double-doubles and nine games with double-figure rebound totals.
As a junior, Franklin was named MVC Defensive Player of the Year while landing spots on the All-MVC First Team and MVC All-Defensive Team for a second consecutive season. She averaged 11.8 points and a league-high 9.7 rebounds per game, shooting 47.7 percent overall and 69.9 percent at the foul line. The MSU standout scored in double figures 17 times with 13 double-figure rebound efforts and 10 double-doubles.
As a sophomore, Franklin was an All-MVC First Team pick. She topped the league at 8.7 rebounds per game to go along with 10.9 points per contest. She shot a career-high 56.3 percent from the field and 72.8 percent from the charity stripe. Franklin ended the season ranked fourth in MSU career history in rebound average, fifth in field goal percentage, fifth in double-figure rebound games (22), sixth in blocked shots (81) and seventh in double-doubles (15)
Franklin posted one of the best rookie seasons in Missouri State history en route to MVC All-Freshman Team and Honorable Mention All-MVC accolades. She averaged 9.2 points and 7.6 rebounds with 33 starts in 35 games. She set MSU freshman records with 46 blocks and 267 rebounds, ranking 5th and 8th, respectively, overall in those categories for a single season. She also shared the team lead with 54 steals, becoming the first player in school history with 40 blocks and 40 steals in a season.
Franklin joins three other scholarship newcomers to the program and is the third transfer addition. Harper previously confirmed the signing of a pair of all-conference performers in 6-2 forward Rickea (ruh-KEE-yuh) Jackson from Mississippi State and 5-6 point guard Jasmine Powell from Minnesota via the portal on March 30. Justine Pissott (pih-SOTT), a 6-4 guard/forward from Toms River, N.J., who is the No. 11 overall player in the class of 2022 according to espnW HoopGurlz, signed with Tennessee in November of 2021 after committing to Harper in October of 2020.
-UT Athletics
