July 7, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis women's basketball program filled another scholarship offer with junior college All-American Tehani Goldsmith, a 5-8 guard from Phoenix, Ariz., Monday. Goldsmith was named a first team NJCAA Women's Basketball All-American after helping Yavapai College to a 21-11 overall record and a second-place finish in the Arizona Community College Athletics Conference (ACCAC), a league that also featured the No. 1 ranked junior college in the country, Central Arizona.

"In Tehani, we gain a mature, proven scorer that competed at the national level in the junior college ranks," Head Coach Melissa McFerrin said. "She excels in the transition game, has a commitment to being a pressure-oriented defender and wants the challenge of being an immediate contributor. We expect her to make an immediate impact as we establish our tempo and style of play."

Goldsmith was named the ACCAC Player of the Year for Head Coach Brad Clifford after ranking second in the league in scoring (19.6 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage (35.7). She set a Yavapai College single season scoring record with 598 points this past season, connecting on 51 of 143 attempts from three-point range. She also finished fourth on the team in rebounding (4.0/game) and led the team with 71 steals.

She was twice named the ACCAC Division I Player of the Week this past year, marking the first time in Yavapai school history that a women's player was honored on back-to-back weeks. She became just the third player in Yavapai College history to be named the ACCAC Player of the Year, and the first to do so under Clifford.

Goldsmith prepped at Cesar Chavez High School in Phoenix, Ariz., graduating in 2005. At Cesar Chavez HS, Goldsmith was named the Nike Tournament MVP, Metro Region Gatorade Player of the Year, first-team Metro Region, first-team East Valley Region and a first team defensive player in the East Valley Region.

Following her prep career, she spent one season (2005-06) at Cowley Community College in Kansas as the team's starting point guard under Todd Clark. There, she helped Cowley to a 19-13 overall record, averaging 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. She sat out the 2006-07 season before transferring to Yavapai for 2007-08.

She is the daughter Tanna and Brian Jackson and the granddaughter of Darlene Wimbley. She has one sister, Kaylena, and two brothers, Jordan and Jalen. Tehani will be the Memphis' fifth newcomer for the upcoming 2008-09 season, joining freshmen Christine Lesane, Ramses Lonlack-Nimpa and Laquawanda Sippio and sophomore transfer Brittany Carter. The Tigers lost Aroha Jennings and Jessica Hall to graduation from last season's team.