University of Tennessee Athletics
@LadyVol_Hoops Report (1/28/15)
January 28, 2015 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Lady Vol head coach Holly Warlick, sophomore guard Andraya Carter and freshman guard/forward Jaime Nared visited with the media about #6/6 Tennessee's SEC road game at #10/10 Kentucky on Thursday at 7 p.m.
UT and UK will meet for the 61st time in a contest carried on the SEC Network, and it will be a rematch of last year's SEC Tournament championship game. Tennessee claimed that meeting, 71-70, on March 9, 2014, in Duluth, Ga.
The Lady Vols head to Lexington with a 14-game winning streak vs. SEC teams, and they'll be trying to extend their run of wins vs. Kentucky to two games. UT, however, will also be attempting to stop a two-game losing skid in games played at Memorial Coliseum.
BIG ORANGE TRAVELS TO BIG BLUE NATION
The No. 6 Lady Vols (17-3, 7-0 SEC) enter with a two-game win streak with home wins over LSU and No. 22 Georgia. To make it three and remain undefeated in league play this season, Tennessee will have to beat the No. 10 Wildcats (16-4, 5-2) on their floor, a feat UT has not accomplished since Feb. 7, 2011.
Warlick recognizes the recent struggles that her Lady Vols have had in Lexington, and she is ready to right the ship.
"They are a solid team," Warlick said. "It is a tough place to play. We have won up there, then the last couple of times we haven't. So, it is time for us to turn things around."
Both Warlick and Kentucky head coach Matthew Mitchell preach defense and rebounding to their respective squads. As a result, Warlick understands that the game may be of a physical and sloppy nature.
"I just think we are both competitive, and we both play similar styles," Warlick said. "We play hard, and defense is a priority, so I think, at times, the game looks ugly because we are both a pretty solid rebounding team as well. It is intense, and it gets physical. It's an athletic two teams."
Redshirt sophomore guard Andraya Carter knows what to expect inside Memorial Coliseum and believes that her teammates will be ready.
"I don't think there are any real secrets," Carter said. "They might be doing a few things different on offense or they might have a couple of new players that we'll look at with the scouting report, but it's Kentucky. They play 40 minutes of dread--that's their motto. They do it every year. They're the same team. They're tough. They're hard-nosed. They play hard, they play at a fast pace and we know that."
While the Lady Vols are ranked sixth nationally and can be proud of their three wins over top ten opponents, Carter feels like the team needs to get over one major hurdle--a quality road win.
"It's huge," Carter said. "I definitely would say we need a road win--a tough road win. I think Rutgers was a great road win for us, but we've lost all of our games on the road. We haven't lost at home. We need a good challenge on the road, and we need to come out on top. I think that will be big for us."
Tennessee is 0-2 against top ten opponents away from Knoxville and will look to notch the first top ten road win of the season on Thursday.
COACHES HAVE FAMILIAR TIES
Thursday's game against Kentucky isn't just a meeting between two of the top 10 teams in the country. It's also a reunion between Warlick, assistant coach Kyra Elzy and Lady Cats head coach Matthew Mitchell.
Under former head coach Pat Summitt, Mitchell was a graduate assistant, while Warlick was an assistant coach and Elzy made her name as a star player for Tennessee. Together, the group shared success and made an appearance in the 2000 National Championship together.
While they are friends off the court, Warlick knows that game time means it will be a battle.
"I think you should have some camaraderie with other coaches but then you understand that when you cross the line it's about competition," said Warlick.
Warlick, who is 15-3 against former Lady Vol players and staff members, realizes there are many connections across the SEC, especially ones with ties to Tennessee.
"I've got a lot of friends in the SEC, and it happens about every time," Warlick said. "So you know it's just part of the game."
Even though Warlick lured Elzy back to Tennessee after being Mitchell's assistant at Kentucky from 2008-2012, she says their friendship remains strong - at least off the court.
"We're friends and it's like you cross the line and you're competitors and then when you're done, you're back friends again," Warlick said.
ROOKIE NARED LEARNING AND GROWING
Twenty games into her freshman season, guard Jaime Nared already has learned a lot. Nared has played in every game, contributing an average of 4.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. She's used her teammates to learn from and her experiences to mature.
"I think just being a team player and learning from all these great players that are here at this university and on this team," Nared said about the biggest thing she has learned as a freshman. "Just learning from every game, every practice and bringing it every single time you step on the court whether it be for practice or a game. Always giving what you have and really paying attention to detail and learning from the people that came before you."
In the first half of the #22/19 Georgia match-up on Jan. 25, the freshmen trio combined for 15 of the 30 points in the first 20 minutes of play. The seniors had accumulated none. Nared credits some of the lessons she's learned for her ability to step up when the team needed her to do so. Nared had seven points, two blocks and a rebound against the Lady Bulldogs.
"We're a team," Nared said. "Sometimes someone may not be hitting, but we're a team, so everyone will pick up the slack for one another. I think that's what is great about this team. If you have someone that's not on, you have Izzy or Ariel that will step up, or Cierra that will step up that night. It's nice to have everyone who is able to contribute and score and win games for us when someone else isn't playing their best that night."
Nared doesn't lack aggressiveness to shoot the ball when given the opportunity. However, her goal is not only to try to score but to do exactly what the team needs of her, whether it be defending or rebounding.
"I think I'm just competitive whether it be getting rebounds for our team or whatever we need that game," Nared said. "That's just who I am. I'm a competitive person. If we need a rebound then that's what I want to get. It's not necessarily wanting to score."
Knowing her role on the team has allowed Nared to understand just how much talent she has around her. With an upperclassman always available to help her, she understands the commitment it requires to be in an elite level program.
"When you're playing on a team where everyone is talented at this level, it's easy to watch Izzy, Cierra or Ariel just score and do all the work," Nared said "But what will help us is for everyone to bring what they have every night and contribute every way they can. Everyone has their role on this team. When people aren't doing what their role is on the team, we aren't as successful."
