University of Tennessee Athletics
Kellie Harper Media Availability Recap (11/19/21)
November 19, 2021 | Women's Basketball
No. 16/12 Tennessee (3-0) will play host to No. 12/21 Texas (3-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena. Lady Vol head coach Kellie Harper met with the media on Friday in advance of that top-20 showdown, and her transcript follows.
The game has been billed as "12K in TBA," with UTÂ aiming for a crowd of 12,000 or better. There are several specials geared toward attracting fans to Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Football/Basketball Offer - Fans can get in free to the Tennessee-Texas game when they show their football ticket from Saturday's UT-South Alabama game.
Â
• Salute to Service - Current military members and veterans who present their Military ID or DD 214 at the Fan Experience tents outside Gates C & E receive complimentary admission for themselves & immediate family members on Sunday.
• In addition to complimentary admission for active military and veterans, free parking and shuttle service is available for Lady Vol basketball games from UT's Ag Campus.
• UT Faculty/Staff Special - All UT Knoxville faculty and staff receive two complimentary tickets and free popcorn, plus an offer to purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.
• Spark The Summitt - There are $5 tickets for all price zones (excluding courtside) available in advance or on game day, plus $1 tickets for kids 12 & under.Â
• For more information about promotions, parking and fan information, please visit the Fans tab on UTSports.com and go to the Fan Experience page.
On what impresses her the most about Texas…
"I think Texas' style of play is very unique and presents a lot of problems. You're going to have to play 94 feet for forty minutes. You have to be focused; you have to be able to handle the basketball. They just want to stress you out during the game, so I think that is one of the biggest things for them."
Â
On where she thinks her defense is right now…
"Defensively, statistically, we've done a really good job and, I think, that is where we've played up to our strengths. I think our game plans going in against our first three opponents, defensively, have been really good. I also think our team has made adjustments throughout the game as they came to us. So, I'm really proud of them there. Moving forward, we still have to find little ways to get better and make sure we're continuing to work on our one-on-one defense. The thing that Texas does is, they run a lot of dribble-drives. So, they're looking for middle penetration, they're looking to get the ball into the paint, playing downhill quite a bit with their spacing. Their spacing allows them to play downhill."
Â
On how her team is feeling at this point in the week…
"We've had couple days off so I think right now, we've had a few players feeling a little bit better now. I think their legs are back up under them. I think they feel good about what we've done, and also what we can do. I think they understand that there has to be growth, we have to find ways to progress. But the attitude has been good, our big practice for the week that we've had already was really good. So, hopefully we can continue on that track."
Â
On whether she feels they have made some steps forward offensively…
"Yeah, we tried to clean some things up offensively and find some opportunities to get a little bit better ball movement. That was our main focus in practice on Wednesday. It's not one of those things that you get a little button, press it, and you're done. It's progress. You have to continue to work through some things. You have to continue to try to get better in those areas. I think we can do that, but then you play Texas and some of the things we need to work on for us, honestly go out of the window against Texas and their style of defense. Now, we're back to prepping for our opponent."
Â
On Rae Burrell's status…
"The timetable has not changed, she's still indefinite. But her rehab is going well. I think her body is responding well to the rehab, so that's all positive."
Â
On whether she thinks her team is a better shooting team than what they've shown from three-point range…
"I think we make more shots in practice than we have in the games. I think part of that we have to translate over to games. It'll be interesting to see in women's basketball, what the percentages are since the three-point line moved back. That is going to be an interesting stat to keep up with. I think we can do a better, and a lot of that has to be comfort. I think we get in the game, we have to be comfortable in our offense, so you're feeling good before you have to shoot it."
Â
On whether the shooting numbers relate to shot selection…
"I think so. A couple of our games I thought we quick-shot the basketball, a little bit out of rhythm. When you start doing that, you start missing those and then you start pressing a little. Quick shooting can definitely have an effect. I think shooting and rhythm, and then you just miss some. We're open and miss some."
Â
On the team's free-throw shooting…
"Every time I had a team that struggled from the free-throw line, as a coach, do you want to talk about it or do you not want to talk about it, do you want it to just happen or do you want to put in their heads? We talked about it as a team, we had some pressure free throws in our practice on Wednesday and went 22 for 24. We are very capable of making free throws, so we talked about what does that look like, how can we perform in the game just like we did in practice. I think a lot of that is going to be reps, we have to get more reps up, and then it is a mental piece. They have to step up there with confidence to do it."
Â
On Tamari's growth from last season to now…
"Well, I think Tamari, in our last game, she posted up harder and wanted the ball more than probably any game since she has been here. I think that is huge progress for her offensively. We need to get her the ball; she has to want it. I thought she gave us a big presence in our last game and really posted up hard, and I think doing work before you get the ball is obviously big growth for her."
Â
On Jordan Horston's play so far…
"I think Jordan has done a great job; we are able to play her in a lot of different positions. She is rebounding the ball really well right now, I think she is a terrific defensive player, she is a play maker. She is going to make some mistakes, but I think right now I think she is bouncing back from those really quickly and continuing to make plays. Her plus/minus has been good, and I am proud of not just how she plays but how she has practiced."
Â
On Tamari staying in the paint in the scouting report against Texas…
"The scouting report will be a little bit different. She will be guarding a low block player, and she is not going to be able to leave that player so easily. We are going to have to tighten up our defense on the perimeter so that we are not having to rely on our next line of defense."
Â
On who has stepped up in leadership since Rae has been injured…
"I think Jordan Horston, Keyen Green, Jordan Walker; I think those players have had a good strong voice on the court. The thing that Rae provided was experience, she continues to be a voice that's on the sideline right now. It's not in the middle of a game, we don't have her to run that experience since she is not on the court."
Â
On Brooklynn Miles play so far as a freshman…
"I am really proud of Brooklynn, she has played a lot of minutes, big minutes. She has been utility player, she's had to guard 94 feet, she's had to handle the ball 94 feet, she is running the offensive, she has been able to find a few buckets here and there. I am really proud of her toughness, and her confidence when she steps out on the court."
Â
On Keyen Green working on her Ph.D…
"I never had anyone work on their Ph.D. I kid at her numerous times that I am living vicariously through her. Often times I am asking 'what does that even look like', and I am really proud of her. Obviously, she is a high achiever, period. I think she is one of those people that no matter what is put in front of her in life she is going to find a way to be good at it. That is on the court, that is in the classroom, I'm so proud of her. It's really cool, what a great opportunity for her, but also a great role model for our team and for young girls."
Â
On the excitement and motivation with the upcoming Texas game...
"No, our practice on Wednesday was really focused more on us. Then, we were off on Thursday, so today will be our first big practice where we start talking about Texas and what challenges they present. Our team enjoys playing good opponents. I think they look forward to the challenge that those opponents present and there's no doubt right now they're excited about the opportunity on Sunday."
Â
On Brooklynn Miles...
"I'll be honest with you, probably more than the match-up, having Brooklynn already having played big minutes for us….you don't want to throw her into the Texas game and that be the first big game she plays in or the first game she's having to really play big minutes. She's ready for this challenge. I think the matchup with Rori (Harmon) should be fun. Rori is dynamic, and she can put the ball in the hole. I think throwing different defenders on her, we can put Jordan Horston on her and give her a 6'2 body. Then we can put Brooklynn on her, who is going to be a little bit feistier on the ball. I think that just having different folks guarding her, I think, will be good. Brooklynn would probably be one of them.
Â
On forcing turnovers and defense against Texas...
"I think right now we're somewhere in the middle of that. We're not gambling a lot but we're not super passive. I think we're picking and choosing where we want to be a little bit more aggressive. That to me is more about us than it is about our opponent. We want to go out and be the best defensive team that we can be and we have to decide what is that, what can our strengths be. Right now, I think we've played pretty good position in the first three games"
Â
On the fan base impact...
"I think the energy that you can absorb as a player, when you're stepping out on the court, and you've got ten thousand plus there it matters. It matters to our team, and it matters to the opponent. It just does. It's a great environment and it should be a lot of fun, but I think there's nothing like it, not here, there's nothing like it. When you have those fans in there and they're into the game and they're getting excited it can pull you through."
Â
The game has been billed as "12K in TBA," with UTÂ aiming for a crowd of 12,000 or better. There are several specials geared toward attracting fans to Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Football/Basketball Offer - Fans can get in free to the Tennessee-Texas game when they show their football ticket from Saturday's UT-South Alabama game.
Â
• Salute to Service - Current military members and veterans who present their Military ID or DD 214 at the Fan Experience tents outside Gates C & E receive complimentary admission for themselves & immediate family members on Sunday.
• In addition to complimentary admission for active military and veterans, free parking and shuttle service is available for Lady Vol basketball games from UT's Ag Campus.
• UT Faculty/Staff Special - All UT Knoxville faculty and staff receive two complimentary tickets and free popcorn, plus an offer to purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.
• Spark The Summitt - There are $5 tickets for all price zones (excluding courtside) available in advance or on game day, plus $1 tickets for kids 12 & under.Â
• For more information about promotions, parking and fan information, please visit the Fans tab on UTSports.com and go to the Fan Experience page.
Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper
ÂOn what impresses her the most about Texas…
"I think Texas' style of play is very unique and presents a lot of problems. You're going to have to play 94 feet for forty minutes. You have to be focused; you have to be able to handle the basketball. They just want to stress you out during the game, so I think that is one of the biggest things for them."
Â
On where she thinks her defense is right now…
"Defensively, statistically, we've done a really good job and, I think, that is where we've played up to our strengths. I think our game plans going in against our first three opponents, defensively, have been really good. I also think our team has made adjustments throughout the game as they came to us. So, I'm really proud of them there. Moving forward, we still have to find little ways to get better and make sure we're continuing to work on our one-on-one defense. The thing that Texas does is, they run a lot of dribble-drives. So, they're looking for middle penetration, they're looking to get the ball into the paint, playing downhill quite a bit with their spacing. Their spacing allows them to play downhill."
Â
On how her team is feeling at this point in the week…
"We've had couple days off so I think right now, we've had a few players feeling a little bit better now. I think their legs are back up under them. I think they feel good about what we've done, and also what we can do. I think they understand that there has to be growth, we have to find ways to progress. But the attitude has been good, our big practice for the week that we've had already was really good. So, hopefully we can continue on that track."
Â
On whether she feels they have made some steps forward offensively…
"Yeah, we tried to clean some things up offensively and find some opportunities to get a little bit better ball movement. That was our main focus in practice on Wednesday. It's not one of those things that you get a little button, press it, and you're done. It's progress. You have to continue to work through some things. You have to continue to try to get better in those areas. I think we can do that, but then you play Texas and some of the things we need to work on for us, honestly go out of the window against Texas and their style of defense. Now, we're back to prepping for our opponent."
Â
On Rae Burrell's status…
"The timetable has not changed, she's still indefinite. But her rehab is going well. I think her body is responding well to the rehab, so that's all positive."
Â
On whether she thinks her team is a better shooting team than what they've shown from three-point range…
"I think we make more shots in practice than we have in the games. I think part of that we have to translate over to games. It'll be interesting to see in women's basketball, what the percentages are since the three-point line moved back. That is going to be an interesting stat to keep up with. I think we can do a better, and a lot of that has to be comfort. I think we get in the game, we have to be comfortable in our offense, so you're feeling good before you have to shoot it."
Â
On whether the shooting numbers relate to shot selection…
"I think so. A couple of our games I thought we quick-shot the basketball, a little bit out of rhythm. When you start doing that, you start missing those and then you start pressing a little. Quick shooting can definitely have an effect. I think shooting and rhythm, and then you just miss some. We're open and miss some."
Â
On the team's free-throw shooting…
"Every time I had a team that struggled from the free-throw line, as a coach, do you want to talk about it or do you not want to talk about it, do you want it to just happen or do you want to put in their heads? We talked about it as a team, we had some pressure free throws in our practice on Wednesday and went 22 for 24. We are very capable of making free throws, so we talked about what does that look like, how can we perform in the game just like we did in practice. I think a lot of that is going to be reps, we have to get more reps up, and then it is a mental piece. They have to step up there with confidence to do it."
Â
On Tamari's growth from last season to now…
"Well, I think Tamari, in our last game, she posted up harder and wanted the ball more than probably any game since she has been here. I think that is huge progress for her offensively. We need to get her the ball; she has to want it. I thought she gave us a big presence in our last game and really posted up hard, and I think doing work before you get the ball is obviously big growth for her."
Â
On Jordan Horston's play so far…
"I think Jordan has done a great job; we are able to play her in a lot of different positions. She is rebounding the ball really well right now, I think she is a terrific defensive player, she is a play maker. She is going to make some mistakes, but I think right now I think she is bouncing back from those really quickly and continuing to make plays. Her plus/minus has been good, and I am proud of not just how she plays but how she has practiced."
Â
On Tamari staying in the paint in the scouting report against Texas…
"The scouting report will be a little bit different. She will be guarding a low block player, and she is not going to be able to leave that player so easily. We are going to have to tighten up our defense on the perimeter so that we are not having to rely on our next line of defense."
Â
On who has stepped up in leadership since Rae has been injured…
"I think Jordan Horston, Keyen Green, Jordan Walker; I think those players have had a good strong voice on the court. The thing that Rae provided was experience, she continues to be a voice that's on the sideline right now. It's not in the middle of a game, we don't have her to run that experience since she is not on the court."
Â
On Brooklynn Miles play so far as a freshman…
"I am really proud of Brooklynn, she has played a lot of minutes, big minutes. She has been utility player, she's had to guard 94 feet, she's had to handle the ball 94 feet, she is running the offensive, she has been able to find a few buckets here and there. I am really proud of her toughness, and her confidence when she steps out on the court."
Â
On Keyen Green working on her Ph.D…
"I never had anyone work on their Ph.D. I kid at her numerous times that I am living vicariously through her. Often times I am asking 'what does that even look like', and I am really proud of her. Obviously, she is a high achiever, period. I think she is one of those people that no matter what is put in front of her in life she is going to find a way to be good at it. That is on the court, that is in the classroom, I'm so proud of her. It's really cool, what a great opportunity for her, but also a great role model for our team and for young girls."
Â
On the excitement and motivation with the upcoming Texas game...
"No, our practice on Wednesday was really focused more on us. Then, we were off on Thursday, so today will be our first big practice where we start talking about Texas and what challenges they present. Our team enjoys playing good opponents. I think they look forward to the challenge that those opponents present and there's no doubt right now they're excited about the opportunity on Sunday."
Â
On Brooklynn Miles...
"I'll be honest with you, probably more than the match-up, having Brooklynn already having played big minutes for us….you don't want to throw her into the Texas game and that be the first big game she plays in or the first game she's having to really play big minutes. She's ready for this challenge. I think the matchup with Rori (Harmon) should be fun. Rori is dynamic, and she can put the ball in the hole. I think throwing different defenders on her, we can put Jordan Horston on her and give her a 6'2 body. Then we can put Brooklynn on her, who is going to be a little bit feistier on the ball. I think that just having different folks guarding her, I think, will be good. Brooklynn would probably be one of them.
Â
On forcing turnovers and defense against Texas...
"I think right now we're somewhere in the middle of that. We're not gambling a lot but we're not super passive. I think we're picking and choosing where we want to be a little bit more aggressive. That to me is more about us than it is about our opponent. We want to go out and be the best defensive team that we can be and we have to decide what is that, what can our strengths be. Right now, I think we've played pretty good position in the first three games"
Â
On the fan base impact...
"I think the energy that you can absorb as a player, when you're stepping out on the court, and you've got ten thousand plus there it matters. It matters to our team, and it matters to the opponent. It just does. It's a great environment and it should be a lot of fun, but I think there's nothing like it, not here, there's nothing like it. When you have those fans in there and they're into the game and they're getting excited it can pull you through."
Â
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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