Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper
Opening Statement…
“Thank you guys for being here today. Before we get started talking about our current team, I want to send our condolences as a family to the family of Tasha Butts. Obviously, today we heard of her passing. It’s another gut punch for our program. We have heavy hearts today. I just want her family to know we’re thinking about them and sending our prayers.
“As we look forward to this upcoming season, I love my team. We’re not perfect; we’ve got a long way to go. I really do enjoy coaching them and really trying to figure out what they’re going to be best at when they step out on the court together. They’re very coachable, they have great team chemistry and that’s both, I think right now, on and off the court. We’ll continue to work on that on-court chemistry as we continue to practice and get into some games. They’ve been a real joy. I’m proud of them individually and proud of them as a team and how they really came together this summer and this fall. I think we had some big losses from last season, especially when you pick up the stat sheet. I think right now, that’s where we’re trying to figure out where we’re going to make up some of those losses. My biggest concern at this point is our rebounding. We definitely as a team have to get better in that area. I look forward to working with this group, seeing what we can do.”
On the benefit of having a team retreat and whether they had a closed scrimmage this month…
“Yes, we had a closed scrimmage with NC State this weekend. We went to the mountains in North Carolina, met at a neutral site and scrimmaged. We took the opportunity to spend Saturday together as a team and did some team building, team bonding activities. More importantly, just have a chance to spend time together with no agenda. It was exactly what we needed, exactly what I wanted it to be for our team, and I think it was a great weekend for our program.”
On how difficult it’s been to lose two former Lady Vols this year…
“I’ve had phone calls and texts this morning; it’s a real gut punch. I think when you look at it, it really is a family. I did not play with Nikki McCray, I did not play with Tasha Butts, but I had teammates that did play with both. Also, there is that extended family. If you’re a Lady Vol, then you’re a Lady Vol. You’re a part of something special. You’re part of a group, and it is our family. It was just another big gut punch today.”
On her relationship with Tamari Key and the importance of her trust in her…
“I think Tamari and I have a really special relationship because we came in together. We talk about us being freshman together and rookies together, and going through her time here I think the trust has been really important throughout her career. We’ve been able to see her grow and develop, and I think she loves Tennessee, she loves this program, but she also really trusts our staff and that we have her best interest in mind at all times. It’s a really special relationship, and I think we have a great relationship with all of our players and each one is different and unique. I think what Tamari and I have is just that longevity and the timing of coming in together.”
On whether there was anything that stood out in the scrimmage rebounding-wise and how she plans to go about fixing it…
“No to the first question. No, we didn’t have anybody stand out on the boards. We had a few get some rebounds. Nothing that we had not already seen in practice. I do think last year it was a different concern and we had some natural rebounders that just weren’t rebounding. Right now, we’re lacking a few of those players that ‘it’s just natural’ is the word. We have to be a little bit more disciplined when we don’t have that natural ability.”
On Rickea Jackson’s potential and how she can reach it…
“I think for her, she showed what she could be last year. Extremely efficient, very productive in a lot of areas. I think for her, the growth is in the mindset defensively, ball handling and rebounding. I think those areas she’s really worked on. We’ve worked with her on those areas. I also think her confidence is really high. I think this time last year, she was trying to figure out where she fit. When you have that broad of a skillset, sometimes it’s not always easy to know where to go with it. I think she feels really good right now that she’s going to be in the position on the court to be able to make plays. She loves her teammates, understands where the ball movement needs to happen. I think her IQ has grown a lot from last year to this year as well.”
On Jewel Spear’s status…
“Jewel tweaked her ankle. She’s day to day, and we’re hopeful that we’ll get her back pretty quickly.”
On who she foresees fitting into Jordan Horston and Jordan Walker’s role from last season…
“Maria, do you know what? They almost combined for about 15 boards, too, in case we want to go back to the rebounding thing. I think what we have now will look different than what Jordan Walker and Jordan Horston gave us. We’re not going to duplicate, replicate that. I think for us, Destinee Wells, Jasmine Powell, Jewel Spear and, in combination Kaiya (Wynn), Avery (Strickland), Tess (Darby), Sara (Puckett), I think it’s going to look different. Those first three are veteran guards, Destinee, although she has not been a veteran here at Tennessee, she is a veteran point guard. She understands the game. Jasmine Powell now is in her second year here, so I think she feels pretty confident about what we’re doing. Then, Jewel Spear coming on at the wing but being a guard also gives you great experience. Though not at Tennessee, she’s played at an elite level. I think they’re all bringing that experience through different lenses to our team right now. It’s been positive.”
On how she’s seen having staff continuity has been beneficial for Rickea Jackson…
“I think we can see in practice how much more comfortable she is. Rickea, she wants to be successful when she steps out on the court. If there’s uncertainty, I think she holds back a little bit. Right now, she’ll jump out on the court. I think she’s much more confident not only with what she’s doing, what her teammates are doing, but also confident with the expectations that we have of her. She was pretty vocal this weekend. I thought it was very positive for our team. I think her growth, having that consistency and the continuity, has really helped her grow this year.”
On what she’s seen from Tess Darby this offseason…
“I’ll be honest with you, I think Tess had a great summer and an early fall. I thought she was one of our most improved players this summer. I thought she did a much better job putting the ball on the floor, much better job playing physical. I thought she guarded better this summer. You know she’s going to be able to make shots. I think it’s important that she helps in different areas. We’ve got to get her growth beyond the three-point line to help this basketball team.”
On what she’s seen from the point guards and if anyone is separating themselves from the rest of the group…
“I think right now both Destinee (Wells) and Jasmine (Powell) have given us some really solid play. We can play them both together if we need to. I think what Jasmine gives you, in addition to playing point guard, she’s defending really well right now, especially on the ball. I think they’re giving you something different. I feel very confident and comfortable with either of those players running the offense. I think they can create for themselves as well as others.”
On how important it is for this team to shoot efficiently from three…
“I think one of our strengths is getting the ball inside and letting Rickea Jackson have some space, there’s no doubt about that. We need to be able to make shots. I think the more that we watch our team, the more we recognize that needs to be a strong point for us. We have to be able to knock down open shots from the perimeter. Especially if you’re offensive rebounding production is going to go down a little bit, you have to make more shots the first time. I think we’ve got to make sure we’re taking good shots and we are efficient when we’re shooting. We have players that can make threes. We have really good shooters on the team. When you have really good shooters, you have to find a way to get really good shots. I think we’ll be able to knock down shots. I don’t think we’ve shot it as well as we’re capable of this fall, but I also am not overly concerned about it right now. I think as we continue to trend up with our offensive execution and get a little closer to game time, more reps happen, and I think that will go up.”
On the variables for team chemistry within the team…
“I think there are several variables with this team. I think one is our new players have blended very quickly with our veterans. I think our veterans have been very open-minded and accepting of our new players. I think we’ve seen that gel happen a little quicker. Also, they are all very driven and like-minded. They understand what we want to accomplish and how good we want this basketball team to be. It’s very hard and you have to pull together and be on the same page. They have a lot of respect for one another in the work ethic that we’ve put in. I think they have a pretty good understanding of who each person is as an individual; They respect that, and I think it’s really key.”
On whether there is a learning curve with Destinee Wells coming into the program…
“For Destinee in particular, the biggest challenge for her is to continue to look for her opportunities and not just defer. She can really score, and we’ve seen that. There are times when she will get into running the offense and look for her teammates. I just have to remind her of how good she is. We need her to look for scoring opportunities as well. Destinee can create shots for herself or other people.”
On Talaysia Cooper…
“Talaysia likes it when she can just play. She’s a player who, although she can do well with structure, she just likes to play basketball. We put her on the scout team, and you see those competitive juices come through. She’s trying to win at everything, and we love to see that. She’s had a few days where she’s been very hard for us to guard. We’ve had a few days where she has guarded us very well. I think she is making us better. It’s going to be hard for her to have to sit out this year. It’s going to be very hard for her, but hopefully, she can understand, be patient and take advantage of the learning and growth opportunity that she’ll have this year.”
On something that is special and unique about this program…
“I have a lot of passion for this program. I think that comes through in many ways. I’m passionate about this university. It’s bigger than our program. It’s more university-wide. The passion that this university has for the orange and white, our programs, the people and the alums: everybody loves it so much. I feel like we’ve seen that grow and return in the five years that we’ve been here. It’s been fun to be a part of it. Even if it’s a small way, it’s been fun to be a part of it, watch it and feel that on this campus.”
On Jordan Walker being the glue of the team last year and how they will replace that production this year…
“I’m not sure yet. Last year, Jordan Walker was our glue. She was the heart of the team. She is tough as nails. I don’t know who that will be. We have that. We have several players that are positioned to be that for us. That comes through, mostly, adversity. When things are tough, who is that going to be? I think we have an idea of some players who will eventually find that out when games start.”
On Jillian Hollingshead’s potential and how she’s handled those expectations well this offseason…
“I think she’s confident and feels good about who she is and where she can go. I think she’s uber-talented. She has the ability to be a go-to player. For her, the biggest step there is growth and consistency. Not just in games, but also in practices as well. I think there are matchups that are very favorable for her, and there are some that are going to be a little tougher for her. That’s to be expected with most of your players across the board. We love Jillian and what she can give us this year. We feel very good that she can do it.”
On if there was a hole on the team that the staff thought Avery Strickland could fill…
“To be honest, when we found out that Avery was in the transfer portal, we felt like she was exactly the fit that we needed. She can put the ball in the hole, has a high motor, has great character and she just checked off a lot of boxes that we’ve felt like we needed. We’ve seen that. She’s come in, and she’s going to make a play. She’s playing hard, and I think she’s picked things up very quickly. She’s really going to help this team. She has a chance to have a great career here at Tennessee.”
On what the team is going to do at the “four” position…”
“First off, you have Karoline (Striplin) and Jillian (Hollingshead) who will be playing the five. We do not have a starting lineup set at this point. At the four, you can always slide Jillian there, Rickea (Jackson) or Sara (Puckett). If you go with a big lineup, you can put Sara in at the wing as well. When you’re talking lineups, we have probably eight starters on our team truly. I can’t start eight, they won’t let me do that. I’ll have to start five, and then we’ll go from there. Our players have to understand that is not the most important thing, it really is not. They have to understand whatever their role is. If it is 20 minutes, two minutes, 14 or 30 minutes: whatever it is they have to be great in their minutes whenever they come. I think that’s where this team wants to be great. I think they want to do that and put the team first. It’s easy to say today when we have not played a game and not started someone. We have not played someone for 20 minutes. It’s going to be a challenge to their mentality. Let’s face it: everybody wants to start. Everybody wants to play 40 minutes, or at least 39, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, the most important thing is our team and if our team wins. If we all buy into that and we all push for that, then we’re going to hit our potential a lot quicker and easier than otherwise.”