One phone call.
That was all it took for Reggi Spotts to flip her transfer commitment from Northern Illinois to Iowa State. “This was a dream school. It’s only an hour and a half from my hometown.” Spotts said in an interview with Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register.
The Mason City star has spent the past two seasons playing for Northern Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), which has become somewhat of a family tradition.
Her parents played in football and basketball respectively, and both of her
brothers wrestled at the ICCAC Division II level, Blake at NIACC and Mac at Upper Iowa. In her two years at NIACC, Spotts was a consistent scoring threat, leading her team with 18.8 points per game this past season and earning ICCAC Division-II player of the week honors six times.
What does Spotts bring?
Spotts is certainly on the smaller side, standing at just 5-8 which is tied for shortest on the roster. With that in mind, Iowa State will certainly appreciate her 35% clip from distance, especially for a roster that Bill is allowing anyone to take the shot from three.
It will be interesting to see how Spotts adapts to the Division I level, especially with the increased speed and physicality. Regardless of how often she is on the court, Spotts is going to be playing with the intensity that you would expect someone finally playing for their dream school would be. Spotts also led her team in assists, although it has been stated that the point guard position will be played by a committee of Macy Comito, Sienna Harvey and Ashleigh Connor.
How will Spotts be used?
Bill Fennelly has stated that he plans on using all 13 players on the roster, so be prepared to see the Mason City star to work the perimeter and find opportunities to either fire from distance or dish it to Loyola Transfer Alex-Anne Bessette or 6-7 center Xiao “Smyle” Zhang. I believe her minutes will be predicated on how quickly she can adjust to the division I level, as she could be a target with her smaller frame and lack of experience at this level.
With a team that is going to play with plenty of pace and aggressiveness on defense, having a deep bench where everyone can contribute is key. If the Spotts can become a solid contributor for Bill Fennelly’s squad, then Iowa State will have the opportunity to play a faster, more aggressive style of basketball that I believe is their best bet at punching above their weight in the Big 12 with a roster with so much uncertainty.
