University of Tennessee Athletics
@LadyVol_Hoops Report (11/6/15)
November 06, 2015 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The preseason #4/4-ranked Tennessee women’s basketball team continues preparation for the 2015-16 season, and members of the squad met with the media on Friday in advance of Monday’s exhibition contest with Carson-Newman.
On hand to answer questions before practice were head coach Holly Warlick, senior Nia Moore and redshirt junior Andraya Carter.
The Lady Vols will host the Lady Eagles at 7 p.m. ET Monday at Thompson-Boling Arena in UT’s only tune-up game before playing the regular-season opener on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. vs. Central Arkansas. All tickets for the Carson-Newman game are $5.
DRY RUN ON MONDAY NIGHT
Warlick, who enters her fourth season at the helm with an 86-20 overall record and a winning percentage of 81 percent that ranks No. 5 among active NCAA Division I coaches, sees the contest vs. C-N as an opportunity for a dry run for her players and staff.
"They are what they are,” Warlick said of exhibition games. “I think you try to run different things you want to look at. Then, you have officials, you have a crowd, you have a team that you really don't know anything about or what they are going to do that season. I like it.
“I am not so concerned about the score, but we are concerned about turnovers. What kind of defense are you playing? Are you rebounding? Are you pushing the ball? Those kinds of things. That is what we kind of gauge what we want out of it. I think it is good for the fans. They kind of get a glimpse of what to expect."
Nia Moore DRAWING PRAISE
Senior center Nia Moore was not the highest recruit coming out of high school. She was rated a three star by espnW when she came out of Bolingbrook High School.
Now a senior, Moore has bided her time and she is ready to showcase her talent.
"Basically, I wanted to be more aggressive,” Moore said. “I was in the weight room (this summer) trying to get stronger, especially being a post player. It gets tough. You get knocked down and pushed around, so I tried to get tougher, get stronger."
"If I can say one kid who has climbed up a ladder very quickly, that is Nia Moore,” Head Coach Holly Warlick said. “I thought she had an unbelievable summer. She is having an unbelievable preseason.”
Moore is embracing her role as one of the senior leaders.
“She will get in there and post up and call for the ball, being loud,” redshirt junior guard Andraya Carter said. “She is talking a lot more in practice. Nia is a very quiet person off the court, so she is using her voice a lot more.”
“I can't say enough about her,” Warlick said. “I think her game has just elevated. She has put in the time, has put in the work. She understands our system more. I feel she is playing a little more free and loose. She understands the system, and now she can go out and play the game. I have been the most impressed with her out of any kid we have this fall."
Moore started last season off hot as she scored more than 20 points three times in the first two weeks of the season and averaged 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds over the first four games. Moore started the first eight games, but then made only one start over the rest of the season.
"I wouldn't say it was difficult. With me, I just try to stay ready. Whenever my coaches call on me to start or get in the game, I'm ready to perform."
"Any time you see success for yourself in games, that is obviously going to make you confident,” Carter said. “With Nia, she is just the perfect example of patiently waiting for her time. She never complained, always did the work she was supposed to do, worked hard and never complained about anything. Sometimes, you just have to wait your time and keep working. It shows."
