WATCH & Transcript: 2021 Lady Vol Basketball Media Day

LADY VOL MEDIA DAY TRANSCRIPT

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

Opening statement…
“First off, I am so glad to see you guys. This feels real. It’s basketball season; it’s upon us now. We are really excited about this year, and we are really excited about opening up next week with our exhibition game. I always look at our exhibition games as being able to play with a uniform on with fans in the stands and the lights on. I think we need that. When you have the atmosphere that you have at the University of Tennessee for women’s basketball games, I think our players, especially our young ones, need to get that under their belt. We are really excited about that.

“On a personal note. When Georgia College comes in, the opposing coach and I might resemble each other because that is my brother (Ross Jolly). It’s a really special opportunity for us to get to compete against each other that may not ever happen again. It’s a pretty unique opportunity.

“Our team has practiced really hard. We have great chemistry and really play for each other. I think we are really progressing and moving in the right direction. I think we are probably a little further along defensively at this point than we were last year. We still have a lot of work to do on both ends of the court, but the prospects of this year are really exciting and the style of play that I think we can put on the court. I’m really looking forward to getting going.

“We do have a few players, who may or may not be on the court today, banged up. Nothing serious, with the exception of Marta Suárez, who does have a foot injury. She will not be playing this year. It’s unfortunate for her, unfortunate for our team because I think she brings great talent, size and competitiveness to the court. We will be there to support her throughout her rehab, and we look forward to getting her on the court in the future.”

Kellie Harper – Lady Vols HC / Credit: UT Athletics

On looking forward to returning to a normal season…
“We have talked about that. I am excited about this feeling more normal, and in addition to that, when your players walk out there and they know the drills and can repeat your words verbatim and know what you want, it feels good. It feels really good to be established with this team and with the program. I am looking forward to some normalcy. I am looking forward to some fans in the stands and the excitement that we can generate and our fans can generate. I think sports was a much-needed thing during 2020. Hopefully, we can get back to some normalcy in 2021.”

On Alexus Dye being able to fill the gap left by Marta Suárez being out…
“When I look at our team, one of our strengths is depth, which is really good in this situation. We have players that we feel like can step in and make plays. Obviously, Alexus Dye is very experienced. She brings a unique skill-set in that she is very athletic, plays with great aggressiveness on both ends of the court, runs the floor well and she’s competitive. That experience and competitiveness alone will help us immediately. We also have some other players that can step in and hopefully provide some depth in that spot. Some of the young ones: Sara Puckett, Keyen Green is back, Karoline Striplin. We have players that will be able to fill that role.”

On the tough non-conference schedule this season…
“Regardless of where I have coached, my philosophy has always been to challenge our team in the non-conference schedule. We understand what the SEC is going to be. We understand it’s going to be a huge challenge. You’re talking about the best conference in the country. Our non-conference schedule needs to help push us to be the best team that we can be but also prepare us for our SEC schedule as well. You come to Tennessee to play the best. You come here to compete at an elite level. When we put our schedule together, that is what we are planning on doing.”

On being ahead on defense this year…
“Honestly, I think we are ahead this year defensively because of our personalities really mesh. We are very aggressive right now, and we are a little more risk taking. Maybe a little more ball pressure. Our personalities are more in line with where I want to be defensively. I think because of that, we have been able to assess where they are at, give them a little bit more and really push them on the defensive end.”

On whether anyone has surprised her this offseason…
“I am pretty positive, so I will never be surprised. That is because my expectations are so high. When I look at a player, I am always thinking about what they can do and about where they can go. It is really hard to surprise me because I’m already there. I have been proud of a lot of players, but those players that have excelled are right there where I think they should be.”

On the versatility of the team and how it helps the team going this season…
“We are very versatile. We have a lot of players that can do a lot of different things. We have players that we can slide in multiple positions, whether that be ones and twos, threes and fours, fours and fives. We can really move people around and change the look of our team. We can go smaller and quick, or we can go really big. We can put in a pretty good motion team that can spread the floor and shoot it. We can put in a quick-hit team. We can put a lot of different looks on the court because of that versatility. I do think that could be a really good strength of ours this year.”

On the freshman class making an impact early and getting in the rotation…
“Based on how our young players have performed this summer and this fall, Sara Puckett has really stood out with her ability to put the ball in the hole, pass, dribble and rebound. She’s very intelligent. She has a great skill-set with great size. Kaiya Wynn is very athletic and very aggressive. I think she will be one of our better perimeter defenders right off the bat, and she’s a very good rebounder. Her high motor is infectious, and we will take on a lot of that personality. Brooklynn Miles is not as tall as some of our other players, but she has a big motor and can really affect the ball handler with her defense. She handles the ball well. Karoline Striplin also has a big motor. She’s physical on the block. One of the most determined young women that I have ever coached. She is going to figure it out. I think they bring a lot of want to. They have been in the gym a lot this summer and fall. They are all about the team first. They have been great additions, both on and off the court.”

On Jordan Horston and Rae Burrell embracing the leadership role left behind by Rennia Davis…
“When you have a player like Rennia Davis leave, you’re not going to bring in anyone that is going to be that. Not immediately. She was an experienced veteran, and she could put the ball in the hole. We saw that for years and years with big play after big play. Our team has to look a little different to be successful because we don’t have Rennia to throw it to and then sit back and watch. That’s where Jordan Horston has to be a little more aggressive offensively. Rae just needs to be Rae. Rae Burrell can put the ball in hole. She has a big motor and plays downhill. She is versatile in her ability to score. Right now, we just need Rae to be Rae, and Jordan’s game has matured a lot over the course of her career here. Experience is an unbelievable teacher, and she carries herself in a different way now with even more confidence. Because of both of their big-game experience, their teammates look to them as natural leadership positions.”

On Tamari Key’s growth heading into the season…
“She is continuing to grow. The sky is the limit for her projection. For her, a lot of her growth this year and summer was the mental side. The understanding and wanting the basketball. Understanding how to work to get the basketball. Walking on the court with a presence and confidence. That’s where we will see big leaps from her this year. I am excited for her. We obviously had assistant coaching changes. I think Joy McCorvey has been great for Tamari. We were actually talking about this yesterday. Joy has come in with new and fresh ideas, and it’s really pushing Tamari. I think it’s really good for her game to expand that. Now, she can be a little more savvy veteran. I’m excited for her, and I’m excited to continue watching her grow.”

On not having to rely on freshmen in the starting lineup…
“I think when you look at consistent teams, I think that you see veterans. And they don’t have to be the biggest super star veterans, but veterans make a difference. They’ve been there done that, they understand the system, they can make changes on the fly and they play with a little bit more poise at times. I am excited about all of our returners and I know we talk about Rae and Jordan and Tamari, but Jordan Walker, Keyen Green and Tess Darby, Jessie and Emily are players that have been here. They know drills, they know plays, they know philosophy and they know the opponents. There is just a confidence and a poise that a veteran team has. I think this year is a really good example of a nice mixture. The freshness and newness of young players with the confidence and poise of veterans. I am excited about that blend.”

On the additions to the coaching staff…
“I think our staff has come in and hit the ground running. Both on the court with our current team and in the recruiting area. They are bringing experience at an elite level. Samantha Williams has obviously coached in the Final Four, she understands what it looks like to put together a championship team. And she understands what a championship team looks like in practice every single day and in particular the number of WNBA players she has coached has been really beneficial for our current team. They can really trust that her knowledge and experience is going to help them.

“Joy McCorvey comes in with a lot of fire. She is pushing our players. She is challenging them every day. I think she comes in with some fresh ideas that are really taking our players another step forward. The staff has meshed tremendously. We love working together and we have a lot of fun and really, really enjoy this team.”

On the benefit of the team’s experience…
“I think you rely on your experience in a lot of ways. You can’t skip that step. One of the things I am excited about in November is getting some of these young players, these freshmen some big minutes. When we get to SEC play, I need them to be a little bit more like sophomores than freshmen. One thing that is going to help them are our upper classmen who have been there. They are going to be able to share those experiences with them but also walk on the court confident in a lot of situations.”

On Candace Parker winning the WNBA Championship…
“We talked about it as a team, both Candace and Diamond DeShields being able to win a championship. They made it easy because the two Lady Vols were on the same team so you didn’t have to pick and choose. I was cheering. I know at one point I was fist pumping pretty heavily. The games were terrific, competitive and I think great for women’s basketball. But also great for Lady Vol nation. I think it’s inspiring to our players to see what they can be someday.”

Tennessee Senior Guard/Forward Rae Burrell

On how Head Coach Kellie Harper‘s ‘Trust the Process’ mantra is going…
“I feel like trusting the process is pretty easy when you have a coach that has kind of been there and done that, especially since she’s played under the best coach in college history (Tennessee legend Pat Summitt). It’s pretty easy to trust what she’s saying.”

On how some of the preseason honors speak to the team’s competitiveness…
“I think it’s just a good testament that shows how hard everybody’s worked. People worked hard for it. We compete in practice. We push each other every single day. I think it’s a good honor but we’re still focused on the actual season and getting better every day.”

On if she feels pressure to step up into some of the roles Rennia Davis held last season…
“There’s a little bit of pressure, but I feel like I just need to play my game. I’m not looking to force anything, just letting it come to me. I feel like I need to really focus on being a good leader for this team, too, whether that’s scoring of just vocally showing how to be a good leader. Theirs is pressure, but I trust in myself and my teammates to keep me level-headed to be a good leader.”

On how important it will be to lead the team’s younger players through a season that will be more like the 2019-20 season in terms of having fans in attendance…
“I’m excited for them. Our fans are amazing, so for them to be able to experience Thompson-Boling Arena when it’s filled, I’m excited for them. I think it will be good, and I’ll just lead through my play.”

On something she’s been working on this offseason…
“For me personally, I think just being a vocal leader. Before, I think it was just more by showing. I think I really want to talk to the younger ones and show them that I can lead the team. I also want to get my assists up and also continue to crash the boards and get rebounds.”

On whether her first three season at Tennessee went by quickly and what she would go back and tell her freshman self if she could…
“It did go pretty quickly. It’s crazy to think I’m already a senior. If I could go back and tell my freshman self anything, just taking advantage of all the opportunities we get here, the help that we get with food and getting treatment. As a freshman, you think you’re untouchable so you don’t ice after practice. But now as I’m older, it’s crucial for me to get an ice bath after practice. Just taking opportunities to use everything that we have here.”

On how well the players are meshing with the coaching staff…
“I would say we’re meshing really well. They came in and I feel like we got comfortable pretty easily. They really help us when we’re playing by telling us little comments or trying to help with anything individually that we need help on. They’re also just really fun people to be around. I think we meshed really well when they came in.”

On whether there is a newcomer or returning player that has stood out as having taken a jump this offseason…
“For me, I’ve really seen Jordy (Jordan Horston) mature over this offseason and become a lot more confident and comfortable in her game. It’s been really fun to see her mature and grow into those upperclassman shoes, with her being a veteran. I think it’s really helped us as a team… I want to add Keyen (Green) to that list as well, especially coming off an ACL tear, having to sit out and watch everything. She’s really come in and made an impact just as much, if not more than she did last year.”

On her excitement about playing in front of fans again this season, especially for some of the bigger home games such as Stanford…
“I’m excited. That’s what you come to Tennessee for is those types of games. It’s also great competition for us, just to see where we are as a team. I think no matter what the outcome is, we’ll get better as a team in every single one of those games.”

Tennessee Graduate Guard Jordan Walker

On how Head Coach Kellie Harper‘s ‘Trust the Process’ mantra is going…
“Coming from the point guard perspective, being coached by a point guard who won a national championship three times is an amazing thing in itself. To be able to learn from her and just trust that she knows what she’s talking about because she’s done this makes it easy to trust the process.”

On how some of the preseason honors speak to the team’s competitiveness…
“I’ll second that in saying that 1-14, we’re going to compete every single day in practice. It’s just been an exciting group to be around. From day one, we’ve gelled and had great chemistry. To see all of these awards is a testament to how hard we’ve been working in practice and how hard they’ve been working on their own. It’s great and we’re excited to get this season started.”

On how they’ve approached building team chemistry as veterans this year…
“Honestly, this season has been one for me that’s a little bit different. It’s gotten me out of my comfort zone. Usually my leading style is to lead by example. It kind of goes with my personality. But this year, coaches have pushed me. I’ve pushed myself to be more vocal. It’s not like ‘Rah, rah, rah” like Coach Kellie always says, but it’s guiding them and if there’s something I can help them go through because I’ve been in their position, just to help them out and try to lead them through different things. I know that when I talk, they listen and when they talk I listen. I feel like we’ve built that trust with each other to be able to say certain things to each other. We know it’s coming out of love and coming out of wanting each other to be better and be the best player that we can be.”

On something she’s been working on this offseason…
“For me individually, one thing I’ve been trying to work on is my shooting, just being able to catch and shoot, as well as the confidence when I catch the ball knowing what I want to do with it and knowing whether I’m going to make a pass, shot or make a play for somebody else. My decision-making and shooting have been some of the things I’ve been working on.”

On how nice it was for her to get to go home and graduate with her sister…
“That was an awesome experience. With COVID, they did the virtual ceremonies and everything. First, they did the virtual ceremony and my mom was sitting there, so excited and ready for my name to pop up. Then it popped up but it was the wrong picture. She was super bummed about that. They made some arrangements and it was pretty special for my mom and my family to be able to see me walk across. It worked out perfectly with our fall break, so that was amazing.”

On how well the players are meshing with the coaching staff…
“In the spring when they came in, obviously they were still newer, but the group of girls that we’re with, we meshed with them off the bat. It was pretty cool how close we got in such a short time. They’re great. Coach Sam (Samantha Williams) is so funny, on and off the court. Coach Joy (McCorvey), I love her. It’s just really been nice to have them around and whatever they say, we take to it. They’re just really special people and I’m glad that they’re here with us.”

On whether there is a newcomer or returning player that has stood out as having taken a jump this offseason…
“Jordy (Jordan Horston) has matured and just watching her these past couple of practices, I was on the side with someone and I said, ‘Wow, Jordy is really doing it right now.’ She’s been looking really good. As far as a transfer or freshman, I would say Snoop (Alexus Dye) has really come in and she’s made the transition, too, as well as Sara (Puckett). She’s a playmaker. If you give her the ball, you know she’s going to make a play with it. I would say her as well. I may go through the whole list but Kaiya (Wynn), since she’s gotten here, I’ve seen her game transition, as well as BK (Brooklynn Miles). She’s pretty vocal just as a freshman. Seeing her and projecting it four years from now is like, ‘Wow’. That’s going to be really great for her. Really all of our newcomers have come in and made strides. It’s actually been really cool to watch them do that.”

On her excitement about playing in front of fans again this season, especially for some of the bigger home games such as Stanford…
“I’m excited. I’m excited just to go against the competition and compete. I know that our team is going to go out and compete every single night. Just to be able to play against teams like that is amazing. I will say, though, last season when we weren’t full capacity, coming from where I came from, 100 people a night would be a great night, a big night. I’m coming out and it’s not full capacity but it’s over 100 and I was like, ‘Ok, this is a lot of people.’ I’m really just excited to see it at full capacity and see how that feels as well.”