University of Tennessee Athletics
@LadyVol_Hoops Report - 10.6.14
October 06, 2014 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Lady Vols held a media session and conducted their first official practice of the 2014-15 basketball season Monday afternoon at Pratt Pavilion.
The squad opened the day with its traditional foot-to-foot team huddle around the jump circle at UT's practice facility and endured a two-hour and 45-minute workout under the direction of third-year head coach Holly Warlick and her staff. For the first time since 2010-11, Tennessee had at least 12 players available for practice, thanks to a robust 14-player roster.
UT, which finished 29-6 overall and 13-3 in the SEC in 2013-14, returns nine letterwinners and four starters from a squad that finished second in the conference, won the league tournament and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Big Orange women also have five newcomers, bringing the roster tally to 14 members. Eight of those players were McDonald's High School All-Americans.
What's more, UT features its tallest team in school history. There are 10 players taller than 6-0 and eight standing 6-2 or greater.
Two players, however, will be unavailable this season. Mercedes Russell, a 6-foot-6 sophomore center (6.3 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) will redshirt this year after having offseason surgery on both feet and is expected to return with greatly-improved mobility in 2015-16. Diamond DeShields, a 6-1 guard (18.0 ppg., 5.4 rpg) who transferred to UT from North Carolina after earning consensus national freshman of the year honors last season, also is sitting out the campaign due to NCAA transfer rules. They were the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked recruits in the 2013 espnW HoopGurlz national Top 100.
Returning starters for Tennessee include 6-3 senior center Isabelle Harrison (13.6 ppg., 9.3 rpg., 18 double-doubles, 58% FG), 5-7 senior point guard Ariel Massengale (12.5 ppg., 5.8 apg., 19 games), 6-2 junior forward Bashaara Graves (9.3 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) and 6-2 senior forward Cierra Burdick (8.7 ppg., 7.3 rpg.). Redshirt sophomore Andraya Carter (6.9 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 2.3 apg.), technically not a returning starter, had 21 starts at either the point or off-guard position a year ago.
Harrison was a first-team All-SEC selection and SEC Tournament MVP as well as a third-team Full Court All-American and honorable mention AP and WBCA All-American. Burdick was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team, while Carter was an SEC All-Freshman recipient.
Three other experienced players are back, including 6-2 junior forward Jasmine Jones (4.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg.), 5-11 sophomore guard Jordan Reynolds (3.8 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) and 6-3 junior center Nia Moore (2.3 ppg., 2.1 rpg.).
Tennessee suffered only one loss to graduation, as 5-9 guard Meighan Simmons (16.5 ppg.) wrapped up her career with 2,064 points in four seasons to become the school's No. 5 all-time scorer. She was a Full Court Second Team All-American and honorable mention choice by AP and the WBCA.
FIRST PRACTICE FOR FRESHMEN
Warlick and her staff brought in three dynamic freshmen, and they comprise the No. 6 rookie class in the nation.The group includes 6-2 guard/forward Jaime Nared (No. 8 ranked player in espnW HoopGurlz Top 100/Portland, Ore./Westview H.S.), 5-9 guard Alexa Middleton (No. 28 player, Murfreesboro, Tenn./Riverdale H.S.) and 6-2 guard/forward Kortney Dunbar (No. 78 player, Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville).
Warlick is excited about their potential impact this season, as they experienced their first official practice day as Lady Vols on Monday.
"They're still learning," Warlick. "They've hung really tough with our conditioning program. I feel really good about where they are. I think they'll play. I think they'll play a lot and play early."
Having had the summer and most of the fall semester to get to know the freshmen of the team, the seniors feel as though the incoming class is one of the best they've seen.
"I think they're great," Massengale said. "All of them are college ready, probably the most college ready freshmen that I've seen in a long time. They have a great work ethic. They don't give up. We can always count on them to give us 110-percent every day. They always want to learn more. "
With her final season ahead of her, Burdick has bonded with her new teammates and sees all the potential that they have.
"I love them," Burdick said. "Jaime is tough as nails. She competes. She and Alexa both love to compete. Kortney can shoot the lights out from anywhere on the court.
"I love their passion for the game and their excitement for it. They're proud to put on a Lady Vol jersey. It speaks loudly for what they'll be able to do on the court."
TUCKER MAKING PROGRESS
While she's considered a newcomer, redshirt freshman Jannah Tucker joined the team in January last season and spent the season as an encouraging presence on the bench. She is, however, pushing to make her way back from an offseason procedure on her previously repaired left knee.
Tucker, who recently said she felt she was at 75 percent, hit the court Monday with her teammates and was allowed to participate in non-contact drills. Warlick is hopeful the 6-0 guard will be ready for full-go sometime in November, but no official timetable has been set. The staff, though, will error on the side of caution in how it proceeds with 2013's No. 6-ranked player in the nation.
COUNTING ON SENIOR LEADERSHIP
For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Lady Vols have more than two seniors on the roster. This year the Lady Vols will have three to look to for leadership, on and off the court, in Harrison, Burdick and Massengale.As leaders, they're looking to help build off of last season.
"Being a senior and going through all of the transitions that Ariel, Izzy and I have gone through since the four years that we've been here, I think we're all leaders," Burdick said. "It's my duty to lead both on and off the court, to be vocal, just do the right thing."
With Massengale back from an injury, her off-court experience as a sideline supporter and encourager provided her a better understanding of her teammates and how to lead vocally.
"I think it helps a lot with experience," Massengale says about having three seniors on the squad. "We've had a lot of playing time since we've been here and have people that know what it takes. We're more of a veteran team now.
The three seniors are hoping to reach their postseason goals and believe they have what it takes.
"If you look at the final four teams last year, you see great senior leaders," Burdick said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do this year."
LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN
As practice begins with a larger number of players, Warlick finds herself with more options at different positions and a competitive environment in which to find the best five players to put on the court."I don't think anyone's job is secure, set or etched in stone," Warlick said. "We've got a lot of people who can play different roles. With the recruiting of our three freshmen, and people coming back who are solid and eventually when Jannah gets back, I just think that we've got a lot of options, and that's what we wanted. We wanted to make sure to get kids who could play multiple positions, and I think that's what you're going to see.
"If I had to name a starting five right now, I really wouldn't know where to begin. I think that's a good problem to have, because I believe we have people who can step in and do a lot of things. We have talent, and we have a lot of things to choose from, depending on who we play and what we want to do in that game."
IZZY DRAWING PRAISE
Warlick singled out Harrison for her leadership thus far. While she hesitated to name a starting five when asked, she later conceded that the senior from Nashville would be the one she could probably say would be in the lineup."Isabelle has been a huge leader for us," Warlick said. "She's playing with so much confidence. If I had to say there's one player that I think would start, I'd have to say Izzy. She's just had a great summer and she's really taken this team, wrapped her arms around them and tried to make them feel included and give them a team atmosphere."
EYE ON FIRST GAMES
Though practice only began Monday, all eyes naturally will be on when the Lady Vols take the court for the first time in a game. Tennessee will play its lone exhibition contest on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. vs. Carson-Newman. The Big Orange women will reconvene at Thompson-Boling Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, as they face defending Ivy League champ and NCAA participant Penn in the regular-season opener.
SINGLE-GAME TICKET SALES BEGIN SOON
Season tickets are available for purchase now by visiting www.UTTix.com or calling 1-800-332-8657.Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public starting Tuesday, Oct. 14, but "#GBO Insider" email subscribers will be able to purchase single-game tickets on Thursday, Oct. 9.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's basketball program, visit UTsports.com and follow @LadyVol_Hoops on Twitter and Instagram.
