KNOXVILLE — Good communication has been a point of emphasis for the seventh-ranked Tennessee women’s basketball team in preparation for No. 24 Vanderbilt today at 3 p.m. EST in Nashville.
UT’s six true freshmen and redshirt freshman Kelley Cain must adjust to Memorial Gymnasium, the 56-year-old home of Commodores basketball. The gym’s unusual configuration includes benches located on the baseline and a playing court raised above a portion of the crowd.
“It’s more like a concert hall,” said Lady Vols freshman forward Glory Johnson.
UT coaches have implored veterans Angie Bjorklund and Alex Fuller in particular to be more vocal in the unique environment, where coaches sometimes can’t easily talk with their players.
“You’ve got seven people who haven’t played in that environment, and that’s a tough place to play,” associate head coach Holly Warlick said. “When we’re at the ends of the bench, we’re totally out of it. ... They can’t hear us.”
Head coach Pat Summitt said she plans to script the team’s first few plays in the Southeastern Conference matchup, but much of the burden will be on the players.
“They have to speak up,” Summitt said.
The Hall of Fame coach had other suggestions for her young team, particularly after twice watching the game tape of UT’s 69-64 win over Kentucky on Thursday night.
“We’re not totally disciplined right now. We’re just on the edge, just not consistent,” she said.
Warlick concurred.
“This team puts itself in a position to have to fight back all the time, and I know we’re not going to play a perfect game,” the longtime assistant said. “But we haven’t left the game going, ‘That was a great 40-minute effort.’ We haven’t got to that point yet.
“They see a big win and think we’ve arrived. We have not arrived.”
The Lady Vols (12-2, 1-0) needed a late run during a five-minute stretch against the Wildcats to win their conference opener.
Summitt said afterward she wasn’t pleased her team’s perimeter defense. The Wildcats shot 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from beyond the arc.
Vanderbilt (12-4, 1-0) has other strengths besides its unique home court. Senior forward Christina Wirth leads the team with 14.8 points per game.
In the Commodores’ only other meeting with a ranked opponent, sophomore Hannah Tuomi scored 20 points against then-No. 12 Notre Dame in a 59-57 home loss on Dec. 30. The Commodores followed that loss with a 55-52 defeat at Iowa State on Jan. 3.
Vanderbilt, which was picked by the media and coaches to win the SEC in preseason polls, began conference play with an 85-76 victory at Alabama.
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