KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Holly Warlick met with the media on Friday in advance of Sunday’s regular season opener with Presbyterian. The skipper of the No. 11/12 Lady Vols reflected on what was learned during her team’s exhibition win last Monday and on what can be expected from the Blue Hose, who are appearing for the first time on UT’s schedule.
Tennessee and PC will meet on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena, with the game being streamed on SECN+. Each team is opening the 2018-19 campaign after playing a sole exhibition contest. The Lady Vols rolled past Carson-Newman,128-59, on Nov. 5, while Presbyterian prevailed, 65-47, vs. Augusta in Alaura Sharp’s first game at the helm of the Blue Hose on Nov. 4.
Sunday’s contest will be part of UT’s Salute To Service weekend. Current military members and veterans may present their Military I.D. or DD-214 at Gate C, Gate E or the ticket tent located on Phillip Fulmer Way prior to entering Thompson-Boling Arena for complimentary admission for themselves and their immediate family members.
Head Coach Holly Warlick
On Evina Westbrook’s maturity:
“Being a point guard as a freshman (last year) in the SEC is extremely difficult. Anytime you get the chance to get experience against the teams we play, going every day in practice against guys (male practice players), it’s going to help her. She’s doing fantastic… just her focus, her ability to lead, what she’s done with the freshmen. She’s really taken the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them and help them along the way.”
On Westbrook taking the freshmen under her wing:
“Most definitely. A lot of it is the off- the-court stuff that we don’t see. She lives with two of our freshmen, so she has to be a great example for them on a daily basis. You can tell, and you can ask them, the freshmen listen to her.”
On what they are working on following the exhibition win over Carson-Newman:
“(We) really want to continue on our intensity, take great shots and stay focused – those three things. I thought our exhibition game was great for us. We played a lot of people, and we’re going to play a lot of people, but really for the most part, I’m pleased with those three things… but we’ve got to continue to get better.”
On how they’ve been working on intensity and focus:
“We spend a lot of time on it. We spend a lot of time not allowing them to be average. We spend a lot of time on making sure we have everyone’s attention and they’re staying focused. We just put them in situations where they’ve got to think. It’s not always about coming to a coach and saying, ‘Is that right or wrong?’ Sometimes we learn it’s trial and error, and this group has done a great job with it.”
On how the team’s chemistry translated on the floor against Carson-Newman:
“Just in their excitement, seeing how they’re excited for each other. Not so much when they do something for themselves, but when Zaay Green blocks a shot, they’re all going crazy. When someone makes a three, they’re all going crazy. And that’s what makes it fun, seeing people get excited about other people.”
On if she plans on mixing up lineups:
“I recruited them to play. They’re coming along. They’re going to make mistakes, yes, but the only way they can learn is to get out there, and I’m going to play them, because of the style we’re playing; We’re running, we’re pressing, and it takes a lot out of you, so, I’m going to play a lot of people.
On if she saw any player combinations that surprised her during the Carson-Newman game:
“You always do. You’ll see a team that maybe rebounds better together or is a better defensive team together, or the offense flows a little better with this group. It’s too early to really pinpoint, but I’m watching that, absolutely.”
On who she expects to be three-point shooters this season:
“Rennia Davis, Zaay Green, Rae (Burrell), Meme (Jackson) – they’re all very capable of doing that. We didn’t shoot the ball well the other day, and that translates to me to go get you a two and then come back and shoot the three. They’ve been consistent, but we’ve got to get better, and we’re just continuing to work on it.”
On if the struggles at the free-throw line are mostly mental:
“Oh, I’m sure it is. To me, that’s what it is, it’s mental. And when it’s mental, you get in the gym and it’s just repetitions and that builds confidence. That allows you, when you shoot 500 free throws a week, now you step to the line and think, ‘Now I’ve shot 500 of these. I’ve got to get up there with confidence.’ Free throws, a lot of it is mental; a lot of it is mental, and the only way you can overcome that is repetition and getting in the gym.”
On how she expects Presbyterian to challenge UT on Sunday:
“Some of the guards are small, and like Carson-Newman, shoot the three-ball well. They’re going to spread the floor, going to spread us out. Our bigs are going to have to come out and play. (They’ve got) a new coach. I haven’t seen film on them, but know what they did in their exhibition game, so we’ve just got to go out and get our feet wet and just kind of adjust as the game goes on.”
On how Lou Brown is handling everything since her injury:
“I think it hits her at different times. I think the first game she was a little emotional not being out there, but she sees where she’s going to contribute, and that’s her maturity and her knowledge. There’s something about sitting on a bench and watching the game and not worrying, ‘Am I going in? Am I not going in?’ She’s literally focused on the game and what she sees and what she can relay to her teammates. It’s really good for you to hear your peers tell you what they see.”
On when she expects to hear from the NCAA about a potential sixth year of eligibility for Lou Brown:
“That’s a great question. I don’t know the answer to that; hopefully sooner rather than later… She’s doing great. She’s doing really, really well. But I don’t know the process. We’ve never had this situation happen, so I don’t know what the timetable is, but we’re very hopeful it will happen.”
