NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - SAINT LOUIS VS TENNESSEE

March 17, 2023

Kellie Harper

Thompson-Boling Arena

Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Media Conference

KELLIE HARPER: Obviously, we are excited to be here. We are really proud to be hosting the tournament. It's been fun to watch the games both on the men's side and the women's side the last couple of days. It will be fun to get started for us tomorrow. So you know, we are looking forward to it. I know that we have got three terrific teams here in Knoxville as well, so I would expect it to be competitive and a lot of fun.

Q. You were in the same position last year. What did you learn about trying to handle the anticipation leading up?

KELLIE HARPER: You know, every year is a little... it's different. Every year feels different. Your team is different. And we actually approached this one a little bit differently than we did last year just because our personnel, some of the things we have done, we have -- logistically, we kept a similar schedule. What we did in practice was a little different. It feels like our team is ready, like it feels like they're ready to play basketball. I hope that's the case. And I think for them, you know, you are always -- every year you are always educating your players on what the NCAA (Tournament) is, how it's run, some of the new nuances about the tournament, what's different than the regular season, and what's different than the SEC Tournament to try to help them understand what's next. All year they have done a really good job of staying in the moment with the next opponent. I think they're doing the same now. And today's practice will be important to finalize some things for Saint Louis.

Q. Kellie, you mentioned doing things different in practice. What have you done differently in practice?

KELLIE HARPER: We have gotten our players up and down a little more. Our roster is deeper this year than it was at this point last year, just to try to keep them in a little bit better place conditioning-wise. We have had to scrimmage a little more. We have given them about the same number of off days, but we have tried to get them ready in terms of -- tried to get them game-ready a little more this year.

Q. What's the scouting report on Saint Louis?

KELLIE HARPER: Saint Louis, I think it's interesting, because if you pick up -- you pick up a stat sheet, you look at 17-17, and that just doesn't tell the story. It's not the accurate story of who they are right now. I think you have got to dig a little deeper when you look at them. I think they won 11 out of the last 12, so they're playing well with a lot of confidence. They have some really talented players. They have a great scorer, a great player maker/defender/multipurpose talent.

They have got -- at one point, and I think she still is -- the nation's leading shot blocker. They have a lot of really good stats on their team. And they're tough. I think they're very versatile. They can do a lot of different things within their half-court defense that can really disrupt you.

Then offensively, they can spread it out a little bit. They have some people that can shoot, some people that create and some people that can score inside, and they can do a good job on the boards. They're a good basketball team. They're tough. I was just talking to someone the other day about how the NCAA Tournament is a winner's tournament. You know, you had to win to get here. And they have done that.

Q. Kellie, you don't have Tamari (Key), but you do have Jordan Horston back this year. How much of a difference does it make when you know going into a tournament like this that you have her on court, and not to mention Rickea (Jackson), as well?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, obviously Jordan is a dynamic player. She makes a lot of positive plays for us in areas that you see on the stat sheet and sometimes areas that you don't see on the stat sheet. We were going into the SEC tournament and I had forgotten, I guess, I blocked it from my memory that she didn't play last year. You know, obviously, having her out there, I mean, she's just a talented player. You want her on the court with you.

Q. I'm going to go in a slightly different direction, bigger picture. You were part of the team, one of the few -- one of the nine undefeated teams -- and South Carolina is trying to do that now this year. When you go undefeated, you know, now you are a coach and you have experienced it as a player, is it part challenge assembling the roster and schedule? How many components go into trying to chase perfection in a season?

KELLIE HARPER: You know, I don't know -- I don't know many coaches that go into the season saying let's be perfect this year. I'm not sure. Maybe they did coming off the last season, maybe they wanted to better by one. Better, I guess, that would be one more win for them from last year. I think it is difficult. For me, as a coach, I don't know that I would go in thinking, 'Let's be perfect.' Let's be the best we can be and see where that takes us. And for them, you know, it is your roster. It's also deeper than that. It's maintaining a competitiveness, not letting the complacency set in and continuing to improve. I think that's hard when you have a great team, you know, that you continue to give them the motivation to be their best. Scheduling, I think is important. You have to schedule to challenge them to allow them to grow and be the best they can be.

Q. Follow-up, when you played, you were playing with Chamique (Holdsclaw), Tamika (Catchings), how much does it help when you have stars like that? Right now, you know, Dawn (Staley) has got Aliyah Boston and a couple other people like that, and when you have stars like that, is it easier to do -- you know, to play on the court or do you have to try to find ways to, you know, to keep some of the other players that you were playing with happy as well?

KELLIE HARPER: I think when you have star players, it gives your teammates confidence. You know going down the stretch in a tight game, you probably feel pretty good about your teammates when you have star players. I know I did. Going down the stretch with three All Americans, that made my job a lot easier, but it gave me a lot of confidence that we can do anything. And I think that's it's not just their talent, but also their demeanor, their poise, their attitude, mindset, their experience. I think all of that matters. And when you have those players that -- not just your star players, but star players in leadership roles, I think that can really carry a team.

Q. Speaking of confidence, how much of a confidence boost was it to rally and beat LSU in the SEC tournament?

KELLIE HARPER: I think that was a big win for our team. I think it, yes, gave us a lot of confidence, gave us some momentum. I believe at that moment... I was so happy for our team. You know, they continued to fight and work hard all season, and we didn't always come up with the big win. And this was an opportunity to get that. And to see them rewarded with that win was very satisfying as a coach. You know, I was happy, happy for them in that moment. Obviously, it's a big deal to be competitive, to be physical, to be able to maintain your emotions throughout a tough game like that.

Q. We have already seen a couple of huge upsets on the men's side, a 15-seed and 13-seed winning. Do you even need to bring that up to your team, or do they understand that you can't overlook anybody?

KELLIE HARPER: I don't think we have to bring it up. We will. I think every higher seed in the country is doing it right now. You know, you just want to make sure. But I think our team is in a good space in their respect for Saint Louis in particular. I think, you know, they understand how well they're playing right now. They understand the challenges that they present as they take the court. And they also understand that you have to go out there and be your best.

Q. On Rikea's decision to come back next year, how much was that a conversation throughout the course of the season?

KELLIE HARPER: Yes. Actually, her decision was an ongoing conversation. So you know, from the moment she stepped on this campus, we started having those discussions, and you know, we wanted to make sure that she was well informed about her options, what it was going to look like here, what it would look like, you know, if she decided to go, just trying to make sure that she was as prepared as she could possibly be with all of the information that she needed. At the end of the day, I was not surprised. She loves it here. And she has really embraced being a Lady Vol. And she knows that her future -- she's got a great future ahead of her. I don't think she's rushing to get there. I think she understands what this place means, and she's enjoyed it. I mean, she really has.

Q. She said this is the first team that she's actually felt like there's been that family atmosphere. It's been kind of an element of stability to it. From a coach's perspective, that's your whole goal is to make that feel like a family. How does it make you feel to have given a seasoned veteran her first true, I guess, warm feeling in the locker room?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, you know as a coach, you want it to look a certain way, right? You want your program to represent your values. You want to see your players be close and be part of the family. And to hear her say that obviously puts a smile on my face. I'm so excited. And you know, again, I'm just happy for her, happy for -- happy for our team. That that's how they feel. And you know, (they) understand it's unique. It's a special place.

Q. Are you having ongoing conversations with Jordan Horston about the WNBA and her future?

KELLIE HARPER: Yes. It's the situation I had with Rickea. You are constantly talking to them about it. Everybody gets there at a different time. So Jordan is -- when she gets there, she will get there with her decision. And you know, we want to support her in whatever she decides as well. I think the hard thing for her is she has two great options. And you know, we will -- when it's time for her to finalize her decision, she will let everyone know.

Q. Does it matter to you whether she decides during the tournament or after the tournament?

KELLIE HARPER: There's some time. There are some timelines she will have to work through. I think March 27th is the deadline, so she will have to work through some timelines, but also it needs to make sense for her and for our team. You know, it doesn't need to be a distraction, which right now, she's really focused on this team and what they are doing right now. She will get there when it's time.

Q. With the NIL, does that maybe make it easier for players to weigh that decision of going to the W or, you know, having the comfort of being able to stay one more year in college?

KELLIE HARPER: I think the players' NIL opportunities nowadays, I don't know if it makes it easier or harder, because now the opportunities to take advantage of their name and who they are are really lucrative at the college level. And when I say make it harder or easier, sometimes it makes those decisions harder, because now they're presented with two really good options. At the same time, so many of these players, their dream is to play in the WNBA. That's a big deal too. That's your dream. That's what they're weighing right now, the wonderful life that's being a college athlete versus taking the next step and living their dream.

Q. Tomorrow ABC, you know, early tip, national audience, home court advantage, how big is that maybe for the women's game and looking ahead, you know, you have the teams that advance are going to two sites, Greenville or Seattle. Is this a good test for the parity of where the women's game is, and you know, what the ratings might end up being with these kind of comparisons?

KELLIE HARPER: Yes. It will be interesting to see how the regionals go. You know, I think there could be some positives, and there may be some negatives out of it as well. I think it's one of those things you just don't know until you get there and go through it and experience it.

You know, obviously, you've got two extremes in terms of locale. You are going to have -- a lot of teams are going to have to travel a lot of distance to get to those regionals. So it will be interesting. And you know, I know that the Women's Basketball Committee and NCAA will really evaluate that and proceed with either changes or maybe tweaks to make it continue.

I think in terms of the network and being in a great time slot in terms of our showcasing women's basketball, we are excited about that. We think here at Thompson-Boling Arena, it is a great venue. Our fans will be here. The environment will be great. I think it shows some of the best of women's basketball.

Q. Kellie, how valuable is Jillian Hollingshead been coming off the bench for you?

KELLIE HARPER: Jillian is one of the most talented players on our team. She's been able to grow and mature throughout the season. I think the biggest growth that we have seen is just the experience that she's had throughout the year. She's a go-to player. And we needed that from her, and you know, she's playing with great confidence right now, not just in games, but in practices. Her teammates have had confidence in her the entire year. The moment she walked on campus, they were fans. We are excited to see her growth, but also understand she could even continue to improve.

Q. How would you assess your defense heading into the tournament?

KELLIE HARPER: At times, our defense has been good. What coach is going to say, 'Oh, yes, we are great, right?' I think we remain pretty critical as coaches. We are always looking at things that we need to do better. That area is one of them for us, but I think our team understands what we need to do, and I think that's a big positive for us understanding how we need to play, what we need to do. Throughout the year, we have added, we have modified, we have adjusted our defense to help fit this team. I think that's helped us.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.