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BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Volume 134 Issue 20

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

Thursday, November 2, 2017

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BASKETBALLPREVIEW

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 2, 2017

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Alex Holcomb Managing Editor: Rob Harvey Chief Copy Editor: Nick Karrick Engagement Editor: Rrita Hashani News Editor: Annie Tieu Asst. News Editor: Kylie Hubbard Arts & Culture Editor: Allie Clouse Sports Editor: Tyler Wombles Asst. Sports Editor: Damichael Cole Digital Producer: Mary Hallie Sterling Asst. Digital Producer: Leann Daniel Opinions Editor: Kellie Veltri Photo Editors: Emily Gowder, Adrien Terricabras Design Editors: Laurel Cooper, Lauren Mayo Production Artists: Kelly Alley, Mia Haq, Kyla Johnson, Hannah Jones, Caroline Littel

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

Student Advertising Manager: Zenobia Armstrong Media Sales Representatives: Ansley Brancoff, Amy Nelson Advertising Production: Nathaniel Alsbrooks, Alexys Lambert Classified Adviser: Mandy Adams

CONTACTS To report a news item, please e-mail editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-2348 To submit a press release, please e-mail editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com To place an ad, please e-mail beaconads@utk.edu or call 865-974-5206 To place a classified ad, please e-mail orderad@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-0951

Letter from the Sports Editor I know that Tennessee is traditionally considered a football school, but let’s talk about basketball for a minute, shall we?After all, this university does have a pretty rich tradition when it comes to hoops.

Everyone knows about the accomplishments of Pat Summitt. She’s arguably the greatest basketball coach of all time, regardless of gender. Her feats will likely never be matched by any coaches that come after her.

The Lady Vols have hit a slump recently, losing 26 games between the last two seasons. The mark has left many wondering if the days of the banners hanging in the rafters are gone forever.

However, the team’s roster changed significantly this offseason. With a group of highly-touted freshmen arriving on campus

and looking to make their marks as Lady Vols, will this be the year that the program sees its fortunes turn around? I’m looking forward to finding out.

But let’s not forget about the men’s team.

The Vols have their own unique history, including the days of Bernie and Ernie and a pre-barbeue Bruce Pearl. While the men’s program hasn’t won as many championships or been as historically noted as the Lady Vols, there’s still a wealth of storylines and drama to follow as the team moves through the 2017-2018 season.

Rick Barnes’ squad appears to have put the pieces together for a potential tournament run in his third year at the helm. Will the team finally begin to compete consistently like the fans hope they will?

It’s going to be a wild ride, for sure.

So this basketball season, I am asking you to give these two teams your undivided attention.

Yes. You. You, the person reading this letter. I am asking you, the person reading this letter, to pay attention to Tennessee basketball this season.

I understand; there’s nothing like football. I’d be lying if I said that football isn’t

my favorite sport. It’s the game that awakened a love for sports inside of me.

But there are going to be some great storylines to follow this season in the world of basketball. Whether you’re rooting for the Vols/Lady Vols to win or lose, you’re just a fan of basketball or you need something to take your mind off of that economics test on Monday, this season will definitely make for some exciting entertainment.

The Daily Beacon will be there with you along the way, bringing the stories to you as they unfold.

Let us do all the hard work. All you have to do is follow along.

Tyler Wombles Sports Editor

Advertising: (865) 974-5206 beaconads@utk.edu Classifieds: (865) 974-4931 orderad@utdailybeacon.com Editor-in-Chief: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief at editorinchief@ utdailybeacon.com .

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The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.

WOMEN’S PREVIEW

Lady Vols look to bounce back after difficult season Will Backus

Staff Writer

Last year, the Lady Vols had a lackluster season when compared to the program’s traditionally-high standards.

Though the team notched a 20-12 overall record, it finished 10-6 in conference play, garnering a fifth place finish, and was eliminated in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee, however, did earn an NCAA Tournament bid. The Lady Vols beat Dayton 66-57 in the first round, advancing to the second round of the tournament against the 13th-ranked Louisville Cardinals. They survived only two rounds.

Expectations for the historically dominant

Lady Volunteers basketball team are always very high. Last year, the team just did not live up to those expectations.

However, head coach Holly Warlick has an optimistic mindset for this season.

“I think it’s a different feel,” Warlick said. “You got different kids and different coaches, and I think that helps. I think the message has always been (that) you’re representing Tennessee, and that’s a great tradition.”

That optimism is likely welcome in a program that has seen such hardship.

Not only was last season tumultuous, but the offseason was also turbulent. Over the summer, junior Alexa Middleton, who was a significant contributor to the team,

Evina Westbrook Kaitlyn Marlowe / The Daily Beacon

See WOMEN’S PREVIEW on Page 3

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WOMEN’S PREVIEW continued from Page 3 announced that she was transferring to Iowa State. Sophomore guard Te’a Cooper announced that she was transferring, as well.

The biggest blow, however, was when junior guard Diamond DeShields announced that she would forego her senior season and enter the league. DeShields was a standout guard for the Lady Vols, averaging 17.4 points a game and shooting 42.3 percent from the field.

The move was shocking, especially since DeShields had said earlier she planned to stick with Tennessee. This left Tennessee with only one player with experience at guard, Jaime Nared.

Enter the 2017 recruiting class, the number one group in the nation.

Despite the disappointing season, Tennessee welcomed a recruiting class that included Anastasia Hayes, the nation’s number three point guard, Evina Westbrook, the number one guard in the nation, and Rennia Davis, the number three wing in the nation.

Immediately, the guard position was bolstered with young and promising talent.

“They’ve given us more options. We’ve

Thursday, November 2, 2017 • The Daily Beacon got four outstanding players that have the ability to play early,” Warlick said.

The fourth player added by coach Warlick was Kasiyahna Kushkituah, the nation’s number one post player.

Despite the excitement of these additions, Tennessee’s original vanguard should not be forgotten. UT returns two standout players that have contributed heavily for the Lady Vols in the past.

Senior guard Jaime Nared and redshirt senior Mercedes Russell are both AllAmerican quality players. They helped lead America to victory in the World Championships over the summer, and both are leaders for this young team.

“I would call myself a senior leader,” Russell said. “Honestly, there’s some days you’ve got to lead by example, and some days you’ve got to lead with your voice.”

Nared especially came into herself last season, stepping into an increased role very fluidly. She averaged 15.6 points and a .423 field goal percentage.

Russell, meanwhile, has always been a cornerstone for Tennessee, starting in 63 games throughout her three-year career.

The two could be a steadying force for the Lady Vols this year.

Tennessee opens play on Nov. 7, taking on the Carson-Newman Eagles at home in Thompson-Boling Arena for an exhibition

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there’s some days you’ve “gotHtoonestly, lead by example, and some days you’ve got to lead with your voice.”

Mercedes Russell, senior match.

16 days later, the team travels to Puerto Aventuras, Mexico for the Cancun Challenge. They will face off against Marquette, Oklahoma State and South Dakota over the course of the three day competition.

Other non-SEC games of note are a home tilt against perennial contender Texas on Dec. 10 and a road competition against Stanford in California on Dec. 21.

The Lady Vols will also travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on perennial powerhouse Notre Dame.

Tennessee faces off against both teams

that played in last year’s national championship, playing defending national champion South Carolina in a home-and-away series and Mississippi State at home.

Tennessee is facing down the barrels of a very tough season. The SEC Tournament is in Nashville, Tenn. this season and will take place next year from Feb. 28. to March 4.

It will be a hard road to the tournament, but Tennessee’s team and fans are hopeful that the Lady Vols can rebound from last year’s disappointments and once again recapture championship glory.

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 2, 2017

MEN’S PREVIEW

Vols looking to match higher expectations in Barnes’ third year Damichael Cole

Asst. Sports Editor Coming off of a 16-16 season, expectations are higher than normal for the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team.

Head coach Rick Barnes will be entering his third season, and the roster is starting to resemble what he imagined.

In his first season as the head coach, an undersized Vols team had an average height of just six-feet-four-inches.

Now, the team will be displaying a roster that features six guys that are at least six-feetseven-inches. That’s the same number of very tall players UT has had in the last two years.

Along with the addition in size, Barnes is seeing an increased physicality in his team.

“The physicality has probably been the biggest difference for us,” Barnes said.

The additional size will help the Vols improve on their rebounding, something Barnes has been very vocal about.

Last season, the Vols only out-rebounded opponents by 0.7 rebounds per game, which was 163rd in the nation.

“You can’t be a good defensive team if you don’t rebound the ball,” Barnes said. “The team that won the National Championship last season led the nation in offensive rebounding.”

While the increased size should lead to better results this season, depth may be just as important.

At guard, the Vols added Chris Darrington and from the junior college ranks as well as James Daniel III as a graduate transfer. At forward, the team added Yves Pons; it also added Zach Kent and Derrick Walker up front.

Along with those players, the team will

also have three redshirt freshmen: Jalen Johnson, Jacob Fleschman and John Fulkerson.

These additions, along with the returning talent, have led to even more competitive practices.

“Nobody’s really dominating anybody,” Lamonté Turner said. “The competition is a lot tougher.”

This group of newcomers will have a lot to live up to if they are to match last year’s production.

Last season, the Vols freshman class was the highest scoring in school history, scoring 1,140 points.

Jordan Bone, Grant Williams and Jordan Bowden were the main contributors from

Admiral Schofield Damichael Cole / The Daily Beacon

See MEN’S PREVIEW on Page 5

BASKETBALLPREVIEW

MEN’S PREVIEW continued from Page 4 that class. Now that they have had some success, Barnes wants them to guard against complacency.

“I think what happens when you have freshmen (with) some success, they think it’s going to be pretty easy,” Barnes said.

“They’ve all improved.”

No one knows yet just how this year’s incoming class will produce, but they do

to “beWthee expect top team in the country this year and nothing less.“ Lamonte’ Turner, sophomore

Thursday, November 2, 2017 • The Daily Beacon have talent.

Daniel led the country, averaging 27.1 points per game two seasons ago. Barnes called Darrington the best player on the team’s foreign trip this summer. Walker also was impressive on the foreign trip as he averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds in the three games.

This summer, the Vols had the chance to participate in three games in Europe.

On the trip, the Vols went undefeated as they took on professional European teams. It was the new team’s first time playing together. The trip was very beneficial because it offered Barnes an early look at some of his players.

“I thought what that trip did ... (was to) allow us to develop chemistry with this group,” Barnes said.

Despite the optimism surrounding the team locally, they aren’t getting as much recognition nationally. At SEC Media Day, the team was picked to finish 13th in the conference.

“It doesn’t really bother us at all,” Bone said. “We don’t really care about any preseason rankings.”

If the Vols want to make a run at the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2013-2014 season, their non-conference schedule will have to produce them some wins.

Tennessee will travel to Georgia Tech,

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Jordan Bowden Damichael Cole / The Daily Beacon

Wake Forest and Iowa State in what should be three very competitive road games. The Vols will also welcome the defending champion North Carolina Tarheels to ThompsonBoling Arena on Dec. 17. Last season, the Vols came within two points of upsetting the Tarheels.

The team will also take part in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, one of the most competitive non-conference tournaments. The Vols will open against Purdue on Nov. 23. The tournament will also feature Villanova, Southern Methodist, North Carolina State and Arizona — all teams that could be ranked in the top 25 at some point this season.

Many people are expecting the SEC to improve, so those games could be tough sledding as well.

With a loaded non-conference slate to go with the usual SEC grind, the Vols could have an appealing resume of wins for the NCAA tournament.

That’s exactly what the team is expecting.

“We expect to be a top team in the country this year and nothing less,” Turner said.

However, the SEC has improved all around, so small adjustments may not be enough to get the Vols over the hump.

According to ESPN’s recruiting rankings, six SEC teams had top-20 recruiting classes.

An additional three schools also cracked the top-40, none of which were Tennessee.

“I see why they would’ve put us in the same place,” Bone said. “They ranked us around that same area last season, and we didn’t really do anything special last year.”

This season, the Vols will have their work cut out for them, but they are ready to show off their improvements.

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 2, 2017

Bone and Bowden looking to reach new heights as sophomores Cory Sanning

Copy Editor When searching for starters, the best place to look is directly in the mirror.

The Tennessee men’s basketball team is loaded with talent and depth to start this season and arguably boasts its most complete roster in years.

At the forefront of that group is UT’s returning starting backcourt from last season, duo Jordan Bowden and Jordan Bone.

Both Bone and Bowden are entering their second season as Volunteers, and both will be looking to improve off of promising freshman campaigns, earning shout-outs from the likes of Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons and Josh Richardson of the Miami Heat, both former Vols.

As a freshman, Bowden appeared in 30 total games, including 28 starts, averaging 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds while dishing out 40 total assists. He also led the team in steals with 27 (0.9 per game) and shot a team-high 84.1 percent from the free throw line.

Bowden said his biggest difference in aura from last year is confidence.

“I’m more confident; last year I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do,” Bowden said. “(I’m) just knowing my expectations, what to do, and trying to get better every day.”

What’s stood out the most about Bowden is his ability to stretch opposing defenses with his perimeter shooting. While he only shot 31.5 percent from beyond the arc last year, his resume has proven how capable his stroke is.

As a senior at Carter High School, Bowden averaged 26.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as he led the Hornets to a 27-8 overall record. He shot 55 percent from the field and was held to fewer than 15 points just four times, including a school-record 54-point explosion against rival Gibbs.

Bone, on the other hand, only appeared in 23 games (17 as a starter) while he was nursing a left foot injury during his freshman season. Despite that, he still put up 7.2 points per game and led the team in assists with 2.9 (66 total) and shot 37.2 percent from the field.

As a point guard, Bone said his biggest goal this year is to become a go-to guy for his teammates on the court.

“Just being a better leader, having a bigger voice this year,” Bone said. “Last year, walking on to a new platform, it was hard to have that voice.”

As a senior at The Ensworth School in Nashville, Bone averaged 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals per game as he led to Tigers to a 23-6 record, earning Division II All-State honors and finishing as a finalist for Tennessee’s DII-AA Mr. Basketball

Award.

He was a part of an Ensworth team that repeated as state champions during his sophomore and junior year as they amassed an 83-37 overall record during Bone’s four-year prep career.

Heading into their freshman seasons, expectations were relatively low on Rocky Top. During a year in which the Vols went 16-16, including an upset victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in Knoxville, Bone and Bowden both experienced their fair share of highs and lows.

Bone’s best game came against his hometown school of Vanderbilt when he erupted for a season-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range as the Volunteers beat the Commodores, 87-75 in Nashville. He also added a team-high five assists.

Bowden’s most prolific performance came in an early-season matchup with Presbytarian, where the 6’5 guard scored 21 points, including five three-pointers, as the Vols handled the Blue Hose, 90-50. At one point, he had scored 11 consecutive points in the second half.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said that having two young wings with that level of talent at such a young age can really affect the team.

“We got high expectations for them to get better, they’re young but experienced,” Barnes said. “They both have improved, and understand the value of the ball more and more.”

He also said that the coaching staff has high expectations for them on the defensive end as well.

“We’re counting on them to be two-way players at a very high level, where they can really defend,” Barnes said.

Bowden spoke highly of Bone at media day and says the two have forged a strong bond this offseason.

“He’s my roommate, we’re together all the time,” Bowden said. “We talk about the season and everything a lot, so we should be ready to go.”

Heading into 2017-18, the Vols are looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly three years, despite SEC media pundits picking them to finish 13th in the conference.

At the forefront, along with returning impact players Lamonte Turner and Admiral Schofield, will be Bone and Bowden, who are both entering their second season as collegiate players.

When speaking to reporters in the recent weeks, Bone was asked about his relationship with his current roommate.

CONTINUED ONLINE See more at utdailybeacon.com

Thursday, November 2, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 2, 2017

PUZZLES&GAMES

Thursday, November 2, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

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No. 1044

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD â&#x20AC;˘ Will Shortz

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If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, November 2, 2017

A new hope: Lady Vols freshmen mark future of program Tyler Wombles

Sports Editor When Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick inked the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation last year, the future of the Tennessee women’s basketball program became clear.

The class featured four players, Evina Westbrook, Anastasia Hayes, Rennia Davis and Kasiyahna Kushkituah. All were named McDonald’s All-Americans in high school, notching standout careers for their respective schools.

Now, that group has been tasked with starring as the new faces of one of the most respected and highly-regarded women’s basketball programs in the nation.

Tennessee has suffered through two seasons deemed disappointments by fans and members of the program. With large roster turnover striking the Lady Vols during the offseason, the four freshmen may be asked to aid in revitalizing the team’s past success as early as this season.

Each member of the group brings a

unique set of skills to the table for the Lady Vols.

One is a highly-ranked all-around standout.

One is an agile and quick-scoring point guard.

One is an athletically gifted, versatile wing player.

One is a physically-foreboding and potentially dominant center.

But despite their differences, all now hold the future of the program among themselves.

Westbrook enjoying fresh start as a Lady Vol: Evina Westbrook’s whole world has changed.

The Oregon native was ranked as the No. 1 guard and No. 2 overall player on HoopGurlz espnW’s Top 100 list and saw herself heavily recruited while playing for South Salem High School.

But those days are over. Now, Westbrook is starting from scratch as a new member of the Lady Vols.

“What we did in high school doesn’t really matter anymore,” Westbrook said.

“We’re in college. It’s basically a fresh start.

So whatever I did in the past doesn’t really have an effect on me ... people know, being ranked so high, having so many offers. But I can’t look at it that way. I have to work harder than I ever did.”

That change hasn’t struck Westbrook too hard, though. The freshman has enjoyed entering the program and making the jump from the prep scene to the collegiate scene.

“It’s been great so far coming in,” Westbrook said. “I think the four of us, we just didn’t really know what to expect coming from high school to college. It’s a really big transition.

“But since we’ve been here, it’s been amazing … We’re just along for the ride.”

With standout guard Diamond DeShields leaving the program during the offseason, head coach Holly Warlick and her staff have been tasked with developing new key players for the team to utilize in the coming years. In Westbrook, the Lady Vols may have the best chance to see that process lead to quick results.

Westbrook averaged 24.8 points per game, 5.8 assists per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 5.1 steals per game as a

senior in high school, earning McDonald’s All-American honors among a host of other awards.

Despite those numbers, Westbrook’s commitment to reinventing herself in college has transferred to her individual play.

“I think I’m going to have a pretty big role on this team,” Westbrook said. “I have to definitely step my game up. I’m not really a freshman (in my role), so I just can’t think that way.”

Westbrook will have the opportunity to compete for a starting role with the team, as multiple freshmen crack the lineup because of the team’s lack of depth. That pressure, along with the added intensity of entering a program post-high school stardom, could lead to struggles for some players.

But, according to her head coach, Westbrook hasn’t shown any issues with dealing with the pressure.

“I don’t think (Evina) feels any pressure,” Warlick said. “She’s a confident player and she’s confident because she has been in the gym almost all her life. So she knows the game and she’s comfortable with the game.

See Lady Vols on Page 11

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LADY VOLS continued from Page 10

“I think she understands she’s not perfect, she’s going to make mistakes, but I think Evina refocuses and thinks about the next play … I think she came here with the reason to help this team get better and she thus far has done that.”

As Westbrook works to better herself and her game through the upcoming season and the years to come, she won’t have to look far to find support. She has already found it in the efforts of numerous people around her, including her teammates, coaches and fans of the program.

“I love being around my team 24/7,” Westbrook said. “Coach Holly (Warlick) has just done an amazing job with me. She’s really just put me in the path of where I want to be later on in life, on and off the court.

“And just the fan support here is crazy, how many people support us, win or lose a game … They’re diehard fans for sure, so it feels good as a player to have people like that around you.”

In-state product Hayes working to learn, lead: Anastasia Hayes doesn’t struggle for words when asked why she chose to play for the Lady Vols.

The reasons just roll off her tongue.

“It was the tradition, the coaches, the family atmosphere (that led me here),” Hayes said. “And I’m from Tennessee so I’m just like, ‘Why wouldn’t you want to come to your home state and play and be a Lady Vol?’” Hayes hails from Murfreesboro, Tenn., where she was a star basketball player for Riverdale High School. She was ranked as the No. 6 overall player and the No. 3 guard by HoopGurlz, garnering McDonald’s All-American honors while averaging 22.5

I love being “around my team 24/7. Coach Holly (Warlick) has just done an amazing job with me.

”

Evina Westbrook, freshman

Thursday, November 2, 2017 • The Daily Beacon points per game, 3.7 assists per game and 5.3 rebounds per game as a senior.

Hayes hopes to make an impact at one of the most vital positions on the court, point guard. It’s a role that requires the player to be a leader to their teammates and convey the coaches’ wishes and strategy to others in the game.

As a freshman, Hayes has worked to both learn the system herself and understand how to lead her teammates in it, just as the position demands.

“I’m going to be a point guard this year,” Hayes said. “So I have to have a leadership role. Being a freshman, it’s weird because you’re like, ‘Can I tell them to do this?’ since I’m a freshman. I have to make sure I know what I’m doing before I try to tell my teammates.

“My role is to be a point guard, be a leader and just help my team in any way that I can.”

After the graduation of Jordan Reynolds, who started for the Lady Vols at point guard last season, Hayes will have an opportunity to compete for playing time at the position.

But just as Hayes is learning to lead, she is also still following.

Hayes said that the senior players on the team have made an impact on her and the other freshmen, helping her develop as a player throughout the offseason. “(The seniors have) helped us in so many ways,” Hayes said. “They’ve been a very big part of how much I’ve improved from this summer until now. So, they have helped a lot.”

Davis transferring athleticism, work ethic to Lady Vols: Despite coming in as one of the most athletically skilled members of the freshman group, guard/forward hybrid player Rennia Davis is still adjusting to the bodily strains of collegiate basketball.

“It’s a lot more constant working out,” Davis said. “You’re always in the weight room, always playing basketball. We practiced the other day for like four hours straight. I’ve never been to a practice for that long. So it’s a lot of adapting to our body and learning how to balance everything.”

Based on her high school stat line, the Florida native has a lot to provide the Lady Vols.

Davis played basketball for Ribault High School, averaging 26.3 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game as a senior and leading her team to a state championship title.

Among her multiple honors, including McDonald’s All-American, Davis was the Florida Gatorade Girls Player of the Year in 2017. She was ranked as the No. 12 overall player and the No. 3 wing by HoopGurlz.

Davis also exceeded academically, serving as a member of National Honor Society and National Beta Club in high school. She

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Kasiyahna Kushkituah Kaitlyn Marlowe / The Daily Beacon is a junior credits-wise at UT. That dedication has now found a place with the Lady Vols. Despite her multiple reasons for joining the program, Davis committed to Tennessee with one goal in mind.

“It was a lot of different reasons,” Davis said. “Primarily just to get Tennessee back to where it used to be, which I’m sure that’s why all the other freshmen came too.”

And it’s not just her own exercise habits or academic prowess that Davis is aware of.

Davis’ understands the importance of the team’s freshmen working well together, as it could build a foundation that will be the cornerstone of the future of the program.

“I feel like the freshmen in general are gelling well together, which I feel like is important because we’re going to be here for the next four years,” Davis said. “But the seniors, I feel like they’re learning how to communicate with us in more effective ways.

“The other people, like Meme (Jackson) and (Cheridene Green), the other juniors … sophomores … We hang out and stuff so I feel like the fact that we’re all close outside of basketball, it just kind of makes us closer.”

Kushkituah learning as backup to Russell: Last season, then-junior center Mercedes Russell was arguably Tennessee’s most dominant player, leading the SEC in doubledoubles with 19 and finishing as the Lady Vols’ second-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game.

With Russell returning to the team for her final season, along with post players Cheridene Green and Kamera Harris, freshman center Kasiyahna Kushkituah won’t have to play a starting role on the team, barring injury.

In the situation that she’s in, Kushkituah is looking forward to developing as a player in her first year behind Russell and her coaches.

“I’m learning with my teammates and my great coaches, so I’m just trying to learn as much as possible my freshman year and get a lot of things done,” Kushkituah said.

Kushkituah averaged 12.5 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game as a senior at St. Francis High School. She was ranked as the No. 57 overall player and the No. 6 post player by

HoopGurlz.

She garnered multiple awards, including being named to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Class A AllState First Team three years in a row, along with her McDonald’s All-American honors.

The change from the high school game to the collegiate game has provided challenges to Kuskituah, as the physicality involved in playing in the post in college can be significantly increased from prep contests, but the Georgia native has found aid from those around her.

“It’s a lot faster,” Kushkituah said.

“Definitely more hours in the gym. It’s definitely like every single day. So I have to go way longer than what I expected. So it’s definitely a big adjustment but I’m adjusting well to it because, once again, I have great teammates and coaches that help me through it.”

Tennessee has a noted history of post players making a name for themselves as players for the Lady Vols. Candace Parker, arguably the program’s most standout alum, averaged 19.4 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per contest while at Tennessee.

Bashaara Graves is one of only five Lady Vols to notch 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Kushkituah is looking to make a name for herself among that long list of notable Tennessee post players.

Throughout the early stages of the process, though, Kushkituah hasn’t forgotten why she chose Tennessee. Her reasons for loving the team and the university have only grown since she arrived on campus.

“The atmosphere, the environment, everyone really, the coaches, the team (led me to Tennessee),” Kushkituah said. “I just felt comfortable. It was good for me to be here and I really do enjoy being here.”

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The Daily Beacon â&#x20AC;¢ Thursday, November 2, 2017