It took into the second half of last season for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team to find a leader.
That could very well be the case again this year, and coach Jim Foster doesn't care who that is or what class she happens to be in.
The Mocs have had slow starts in games this season. They've had bad finishes. They've been good at times, bad at others. The inconsistency has been frustrating for most of the team, which sits 3-4 going into this afternoon's game against Maine in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.
Senior forward Sydney Vanlandingham said the change in UTC's play will come from a "heart and a head change."
"We talk about it all the time, but I think we've done enough talking," she said. "Take it more personally. I don't know what to say about it. We've been talking about it for the last two-three weeks now. It just comes with coming out and taking things personally and taking pride in going out there and doing for the girl next to us, not worrying about the stat sheet.
"It comes from a different mentality."
When Foster arrived at UTC in May of 2013, his first team already had that leader in senior Taylor Hall, that season's Southern Conference player of the year. The following season he had Ka'Vonne Towns; last season he had Alicia "Red" Payne, although she was reluctant to take on that role at first.
After the loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on Friday, Foster said he may have to look to the team's youngest player - true freshman Lakelyn Bouldin from Van Buren County - for that leadership.
"I find it interesting that a player that played the most composed was the freshman, and I would say what I've been saying all year: We lack a leader," Foster said. "We have a bunch of people that may think they are, but maybe the freshman has to start to lead. Maybe the freshman who led her high school team has to take a step in the direction of that and become more vocal.
"She's the player who appeared not to be fragile today."
The leadership needs to show up soon. After today's game, the Mocs play at four-time defending national champion Connecticut on Tuesday and visit Ohio Valley Conference champion UT-Martin on Saturday before playing at home again on Dec. 5 against Stetson.
For her part, the 5-foot-7 Bouldin, who played all 40 minutes and had 16 points against UWGB, said she was ready if she needed to be that person.
"I'll take the challenge on," she said. "I come in and try to challenge my teammates every day. If it takes me stepping up to get us back on track where we need to be, I'll do it."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.