KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With five newcomers and six returnees taking the court, seventh-year head coach Holly Warlick put her 2018-19 Tennessee women’s basketball team through its first official practice of the season on Sunday morning at Pratt Pavilion.
Before they got down to business on the court, however, the team cheered on participants running in the Race for the Summitt 4-mile road race at UT’s Circle Park. Warlick served as the official starter and also ran in the fundraiser for the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Also taking place prior to practice were interviews with the media. Seniors Cheridene Green and Meme Jackson as well as Warlick answered questions about offseason workouts, the vibe of the team, the overall youth of the squad, leadership roles, team chemistry and other topics.
The Lady Vols return three starters and six total letterwinners from a squad that finished 25-8 overall, 11-5 in the SEC, and ended up ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Returning starters include 6-2 sophomore forward Rennia Davis (12.0 ppg., 7.6 rpg., SEC All-Freshman), 6-0 sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook (8.4 ppg., 4.3 apg., SEC All-Freshman) and 5-11 senior wing Meme Jackson (8.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg.), as well as one of the team’s top reserves in 6-3 senior forward Cheridene Green (4.1 ppg., 3.7 rpg.).
UT also welcomes the nation’s No. 4 ranked freshman class (6-1 wing Rae Burrell, 6-3 forward Mimi Collins, 6-0 guard Zaay Green and 6-0 guard Jazmine Massengill) and a 6-3 graduate transfer forward from Washington State (Lou Brown), who has 71 career starts and averaged 6.4 ppg. and 6.0 rpg. in 2017-18.
Tennessee is scheduled to tip off the 2018-19 campaign with a home exhibition game vs. Carson-Newman at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 5 and the regular-season home opener vs. Presbyterian at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11. Tickets are available now at allvols.com.
Tennessee Head Coach Holly Warlick:
Opening Statement:
“We’re pumped up, we’re excited that it’s our first day. The players have been excited, and there is great energy. We’re ready to get going.”
On the team playing pick-up over summer and its impact on team chemistry:
“This has been player-driven, and they have gotten in the gym. They’re getting extra shots up, and they’re playing pick-up. We’ll have a two-hour practice and then they’ll play pick-up on their own, so this is all player-driven. The buy-in, the comradery and the ability for us to get better – it’s paid big in benefits.”
On the energy from the freshmen and newcomers:
“(They are) high energy. I love it from everybody. The freshmen have come in and haven’t missed a beat. They’re still learning, but their effort is very high.”
On how the team’s energy can compensate for inexperience:
“It’s going to speak volumes. What they lack in understanding, their energy will make up for. I told them when they don’t give effort and they don’t listen, that’s when I get upset. They’re going to make mistakes. They’re freshmen, but they’re learning and they’re playing hard. I don’t want to have to teach effort, and so far I haven’t had to teach effort.”
On who has emerged as a team leader:
“Meme Jackson has stepped up; she’s been consistent. I think Evina Westbrook has stepped up for her role as being a point guard. Cheridene (Green) and Rennia (Davis) have been vocal, so probably those four. More so Meme has probably been the front-runner.
On what she prioritizes with official practices starting:
“We’ve got to make layups. We’ve got to make free throws. We’ve got to cut down on turnovers, and we’ve got to play solid defense. The rebounding aspect is huge. If we focus on those things, everything else will take care of itself.”
On the team’s health:
“We’re pretty much good, just a couple of bangs and bruises. We’re pretty solid.”
On replacing Mercedes Russell in the paint:
“Mercedes will be missed. I think our inside game has stepped up, and I think Kasi (Kushkituah) has done a great job this summer. (We have) Kam (Harris) and then we add Lou (Brown) to the mix and Mimi Collins, we’ve got a lot of options. I think they’ve gotten great experience throughout the summer.”
On what Lou Brown adds to the team:
“We’re excited she’s here. It was a process for her, but what a great addition for us. (She’s a) great kid; she can emerge as a leader as well. She’s going to stretch the defense for us. She’s a very consistent 3-point shooter, (she’s) knowledgeable of the game and picks things up very easy. I think her experience in games is going to help us.”
On whether there are any concerns with the team heading into the season:
“None. Absolutely none. I am excited about this group, because they’ve bought in on their own. They’ve taken a lot of responsibility, and I think it shows.”
On whether she’s surprised with the progress of the team:
“We’re going to be young, but we’ve got young people with a lot of experience and high energy. The effort’s there, and I’m not surprised about it. I think people have stepped up and taken a different role.”
On who has improved over the off-season:
“I think Rennia Davis has really upped her game. Meme (Jackson) has upped her game and Kasi (Kushkituah). They’ve all been in the gym, but Rennia first comes to mind because of the amount of hours and time she spent in the gym. They’ve all done a great job.”
On the work that Kasiyahna Kushkituah has put in:
“She stayed here all summer and got in a lot better shape. For Kasi, that’s what she needed. I’ve seen her grow both on the court and off the court. She understands what she needs to do.
Tennessee Guard-Forward Meme Jackson:
On what stands out about this year’s team:
“What stands out to me is everyone is working hard. (It’s) not just one, two or three people, the whole team is putting in work before and after practice. This summer we played a lot of pick-up, so that’s just something new to me that we haven’t done in the past.”
On how the newcomers have made a difference:
“The energy. Our younger players bring a lot of energy to the practice floor every day. They’re always energized, and we feed off that, whether it’s older or younger players. Everybody brings positive energy.”
On if she feels a responsibility to be a leader for the freshmen:
“I do what I’m supposed to do, and they feed off that. I just try to lead by example. They pretty much do what they’re supposed to do, and they have other leaders on the team. We just try our best to lead by example.”
On what Lou Brown brings to the table:
“Lou is a hard worker. She’s a four-player with a 3-point shot, so she can play inside and out. She’s a versatile player.”
Tennessee Forward Cheridene Green:
On what last year taught her:
“I think I need to be more aggressive, and I also think I need to slow down a bit. I think last year I was just getting back into playing, and I was panicky and didn’t want to mess up. This year I’ve just learned to slow down, and the game has slowed down a lot for me, which has made it a lot easier.”
On who has stepped up in the leadership roles:
“It’s mainly the seniors, “E” (Evina Westbrook) and “Re” (Rennia Davis). Some of us are vocal leaders and others lead by example, but overall, we feel like the freshmen can step up and say what they want to. Nobody should feel too shy to say anything.”
On the most important detail to the team’s success:
“I think discipline is the biggest thing, whether that’s listening to coach or listening to our point guard. It’s important to pay attention to details in practice so it can transfer over to the game. That’s the main thing for us this year, which is one of the things we lacked last year.”
On a difference in focus compared to previous years in the off-season:
“The difference is we played a lot more pick-up this year than we did last year. A lot of us have been getting up a lot of shots and working on our weaknesses. Everybody’s been getting up shots and working on ball handling, which is different from last season. I think that’s important, everybody in working on their game.”
-UT Athletics
