Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick has pushed defensive pressure as a focal point for the upcoming season, especially when it comes to the fast break.
So when the Lady Vols held Carson-Newman to only two points in transition during Monday’s exhibition game, the four-year coach knew that her words of pressuring in transition were finally sinking in.
“We preach and work on it every day,” Warlick said. “I thought at the beginning of this year, our transition defense was a little complicating, a little confusing. So, a couple of weeks out, we tried to simplify it, and I think that’s a positive for us.
“Transition is huge, especially in the SEC. It seems that when we struggle to beat teams, they have great transition offense.
“… But I think it’s gotten better.”
Now, Central Arkansas comes to Knoxville on Sunday, and the Sugar Bears have a lot of players who can run the length of the court and get quick points in transition.
Having a lot of players to lean on is something Central Arkansas isn’t used to. After being rattled with injuries, dismissals and transfers, the Sugar Bears finished with only nine available players on the team last year. They’ve turned things around since then, boasting an upgraded 14 players on the team this year.
Leading the charge for the preseason No. 7 team in the Southland conference will be the backcourt of Brianna Mullins and Maggie Proffitt, both of whom were selected to the preseason all-conference team. The junior duo combined for 24.5 points and a 35.5 percentage from beyond the arc last year.
“They lost a lot of starters, but you see tendencies,” Warlick said of the Lady Vols season-opening opponent.
“They shoot the three. They penetrate. They move the ball. They’re scrappy kids. Are we bigger? Yes, but sometimes they’ll pull our post outside away from the paint. It’s just a different team. It’s just a different style – one that we don’t see quite often.”
The Lady Vols will take on the Sugar Bears of Central Arkansas this Sunday at 2 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Wrapping up last week: The Lady Vols are fresh off a 101-59 exhibition victory over Carson-Newman on Monday that saw Mercedes Russell dropping the first double-double of her career.
Kortney Dunbar got her first career start at the forward position, dropping 15 points on seven of eight shooting. But Dunbar was more excited about Russell dropping the double-double than she was about her own strong performance.
“I loved it,” Dunbar said. “Mercedes is one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet, so seeing her inside, she’s so intimidating … There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing her come out on opening night and have a great night like she did.”
Injury Report: Tennessee may be short-staffed in the opening game against Central Arkansas this Sunday. The injury bug has bitten members of the Lady Vols team already this year, leaving a lot of players’ statuses this weekend up in the air.
Coach Warlick attempted to answer these questions in Tennessee’s media availability on Thursday, saying that she’s taking these injuries one day at a time.
“It’s still kind of day-to-day,” Warlick said. “I know for certain that Jaime (Nared) won’t be (ready). She still has a cast on. But other than that, I think it’s just kind of a trial, day-to-day thing.”
Warlick also confirmed that Nia Moore, who injured her ribs in the weight room late last week, pulled something in her ribs and that the senior is “a tough kid in a lot of pain.”
Diamond DeShields, who many fans are wanting to finally see play, is a game-time decision against the Bears.
“She knows her body, so we go off what she tells us,” Warlick said. “I don’t anticipate it being extended, but we just gotta go with players that are there.”
