Bria Dial's transition from high school to college hasn't been as difficult as for some basketball players.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshman, who will be asked to play a number of roles this season, has made what appears to be a fairly seamless move to the collegiate level.
Even though it wasn't against quite the same level of competition as she will face during UTC coach Jim Foster's typically tough nonconference slate, the versatile 6-footer scored 21 points in one of the team's games during a three-game, five-day trip to Canada in early August. Dial averaged nine points per game during the trip.
"She's a player," Foster said. "She knows how to play. Defensively, she's really good; offensively she surprises you - she's a great offensive rebounder. She's a player. She's good. She helps."
Part of the reason for the easy adjustment was her tutelage. She prepped at Brentwood Academy in Nashville, averaging 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game for the Lady Eagles last season and recording four double-doubles. She said she played an inside role for her high school team but an outside role for her Team Brendan Wright AAU squad that won an ASGR league championship.
"It's helped me be able to play more than one part of the game," Dial said. "I can play in the post and feel comfortable there, but I can still pop out on the wing, which Coach Foster likes."
If there has been an adjustment to college, it's been the adjustment to the Hall of Fame coach and what he likes to do. Dial has even had a solution for that so far, too - watch the Gilbert sisters, seniors Aryanna and Keiana, who have been around for five and four years, respectively, and "always know what to do."
"You have to be able to buy into what Coach Foster wants," she said. "When you get to college, you know how to play basketball, but every coach is different, so you have to be able to buy into what they want."
So far, so good.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.