Came from a need for depth and 3 point shooting IMO. Coach really didn’t have much time to put together a class last season. Tess was a good pickup and I think she can become an asset from beyond the arc. Also don’t think it was a bad look for Kellie’s first recruit to be a Tennessee girl. We need to re-establish ourselves in Tennessee recruiting. The best player in the state has ended up elsewhere for several years now. Shouldn’t be happening, that was always a lock for us in the past. There is great girls basketball played in Tennessee because of UT and Pat Summit. We need to benefit from the fruits of those roots.
Tess really needs to set fitness goals and work on moving without the basketball to get herself great looks. Would recommend she watch film of all the Samuelson sisters. I think she could be a somewhat similar player. The 3 of them were excellent at hunting spots for their shot. Bonnie and Karlie didn’t have as quick a release as Katie Lou, but all 3 were excellent at buying time for their shot.
Her leg issues kept her out of conditioning this fall, that’s well known at this point. She looked to be in better shape in her film. Hopefully she can heal up and get quicker. At this point she’s just not fast enough laterally to defend anyone. Got blown by several times in each game she’s played. Her defense is going to have to improve immensely for her to get any minutes on offense.