Dec. 2, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville – Rebekah Dahlman hails from a family well-versed in basketball. Her grandfather, John Kundla, held stints as head coach of the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers and the University of Minnesota, and he is now enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Two of Dahlman’s brothers, Isaiah and Noah, played collegiately at Michigan State and Wofford, respectively, and Noah currently plays professionally overseas.
A hardwood-heavy pedigree led Rebekah Dahlman to pick up a basketball for the first time around first or second grade, and she never put it down. Now the Braham, Minn. native is a redshirt junior guard at Vanderbilt under first-year head coach Stephanie White. But even far away from home, it’s not uncommon for Dahlman to receive a flood of texts and calls from family after games.
“Every game, it’s either one of them or all of them critiquing my game,” Dahlman said. “That’s what I love; they’re always watching on TV, online, wherever.”
The Dahlman clan hasn’t had much to complain about this winter. Rebekah has authored a piping-hot start to her fourth season on campus, leading the Commodores in scoring (14.5 points per game) and assists (4.8 per game) during a 5-1 start. But Dahlman is perhaps more efficient than she is productive; she connects on 52.4 percent of her field goals, 60.9 percent on threes and 90.6 percent on free throws. Her three-point percentage ranks second among SEC players and fifth nationally while her free-throw average sits at No. 40 nationally and first in the conference.
A penchant for points is nothing unfamiliar to Dahlman. Two seasons ago, she led the Commodores with 10.3 point per game and started 29 games as a redshirt freshman. But White has installed a fast-paced, free-wheeling system that leans on Dahlman’s strengths. Now Dahlman finds herself yearning for extra time to learn under White’s tutelage.
“Honestly, I wish I was a freshman all over again,” Dahlman said. “This coaching staff is amazing. I love our pace of play, how our offense is set up, how we’re pushing the ball in transition. That’s my style. I love attacking and I love dishing.”
An aggressive Dahlman has led Vanderbilt in scoring twice this season, including notching a career-high 25 points in a 73-63 win over Drexel on Nov. 16. But White has watched the redshirt junior evolve into a more willing playmaker, as well; Dahlman’s assists average (4.8 per game) ranks fourth among SEC players. She even dished out nine dimes in Vanderbilt’s last game, a 79-77 victory over UT-Martin.
Whether it’s by scoring or distributing, Dahlman seems to find ways to impact White’s first roster at Vanderbilt. “Bekah just gets opportunities,” White said. “She’s finding ways within our system to not only get shots for herself, but create for her teammates. I think she’s getting a little more freedom to use her natural ability to create off the dribble.”
Prior to Vanderbilt, Dahlman looked every bit like a potential game-changer at the college level. She was a McDonald’s All-American and a stat-stuffer at Braham Area High, where she averaged 35.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game as one of the best prep players in Minnesota history. After arriving at Vanderbilt, she started her first nine games as a true freshman under former coach Melanie Balcomb. In Dahlman’s first game, she scored 23 points against Appalachian State, the most by a freshman in her debut in program history.
Dahlman looked like a star in the making on West End. But that December, the highly touted signee saw her freshman season ended prematurely by a blood clot in her shoulder. She underwent surgery and missed the final 22 games of that season. Dahlman managed to rebound in her next two seasons, even leading the Commodores in scoring (10.3 points per game) as a redshirt freshman in 2014-15. But White says Dahlman may just now be reaching her peak, for one reason or another.
“I don’t know if it’s our style or that she’s finally healthy, but she is feeling more confident in herself physically and mentally right now,” White said.
Dahlman’s strong start has coincided with Vanderbilt’s early 5-1 record, which features a 77-73 win over Duke on Nov. 20. Her recent success nearly erases what was an anxious offseason for the Commodores’ guard. In April, Balcomb announced her resignation from Vanderbilt, meaning the ‘Dores would embark on a search for a women’s basketball coach for the first time since 2002. Dahlman, meanwhile, would have to adjust to a coach who hadn’t recruited her.
But Dahlman’s reservations disappeared when White and her staff arrived. Now Dahlman’s numbers suggest White’s arrival was meant to be. “I had no clue what to expect,” Dahlman said. “I was a little worried, but everything works out. God has a plan. Everything worked out perfectly.”
Almost everything has worked for Dahlman on the basketball court of late. She can continue her recent surge in the Air Force Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the Commodores open against Air Force on Friday. Rest assured, Dahlman’s family – her five siblings and as well as her parents, Nate and Kathy – will watch and root for their favorite ‘Dore from different spots across the globe. But on the sideline, White likewise hopes her sharpshooting guard maintains her momentum. If she does, Dahlman could help Vanderbilt surprise the rest of the SEC.
“She’s got a certain comfort zone on offense that’s allowing her to flourish,” White said, “and we hope it continues.”