Hail to the Husker Seniors!! Tear’a Laudermill

She can run with a burst of speed down the floor in a flash. She can pitch 3-pointers from the arc. Tenacious and persistent, her defensive stance produces blocks and steals. In her four years at Nebraska, Tear’a Laudermill has gone from “who’s that girl?” to one of the most dynamic players ever to play for the Cornhuskers.

Husker Nation knew very little about Tear’a Laudermill when she arrived in Lincoln from Moreno Valley, California. Basketball blood runs in her family. Her father Theron played college basketball at UC Riverside and her brother, Theron II, was a starter and leading scorer for Cal State Bernardino’s basketball team in 2011-2012.

She played her high school ball for Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, CA where her father was also one of the assistant coaches. She led Canyon Springs to a top-25 national ranking in her senior year. Laudermill averaged 16.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.5 steals per game as a senior.

When Laudermill was recruited to Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori and her staff saw those statistics. They knew she had the potential to be a good player at Nebraska. The college game is faster than the high school game. How long would it take her to make that transition? During NU’s tour of Europe, Aug. 5-15, 2011, Laudermill averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. As an incoming freshman against international competition, those numbers indicated good things were to come.

In her career opener at Nebraska, she scored 14 points, had four assists and three steals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 12. She landed four three point buckets, which is probably the most threes ever by an NU freshman in an opener. She scored 11 points in her first seven minutes in the first half.

Tear’a Laudermill (photo yntsites.com)

Her game continued to improve through her freshman and sophomore seasons. A major step up came during her junior season when she was tapped as a starter. Laudermill averaged 11.8 points and 2.7 rebounds while adding 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game that season. She was one of the key pieces that helped the Huskers WIN their first-ever conference tournament title at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Her efforts were rewarded with second-team All-Big Ten honors.

This season was her best to date. Averaging career bests of 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, she has earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. In many games this season, when the Huskers needed a spark to the offense, Tear’a would score with a 3-pointer. Laudermill collected 56 threes during the regular season play to rank among the top 10 shooters in the Big Ten.

How important has she been for Nebraska women’s basketball in her four seasons? Coach Yori summed it up recently. “Tear’a could be one of the quickest players to ever wear a Nebraska jersey,” Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. “Not only is she an outstanding defender, but she can also create shots for herself because of her quickness, which puts a lot of pressure on a defense.” Tear’a Laudermill became everything her Nebraska coaches thought she could be and more.

Off the court, she LOVES basketball. Her favorite pro team is the L.A. Lakers. Her favorite sports movies are basketball movies. Her friends will tell you she is relaxed, friendly, funny and a pet owner. Oh yes and about that pet – Vanessa the snake??

Thanks for the memories, Tear’a Laudermill. You thrilled us and charmed us as well. In case you missed it, check out our features on Brandi Jeffrey, Hailie Sample, and Emily Cady. GO BIG RED!!