Maybe the reason Yazz Wazeerud-Din is so unassuming on the court is because she doesn't know how to be in the spotlight.
All the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior guard has known since high school is playing for something. Her AAU team didn't present any college opportunities, so the Marietta, Georgia native landed at South Georgia Technical College where she was an honorable mention All-American. Unfortunately, her second season -- when she averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.2 steals -- also coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely limited her recruiting.
Still, she found her way to Stetson, where she continued to have success by being twice named to the All-Atlantic Sun Conference second team.
With one year of eligibility left UTC was the move, and in Monday's season opener she led the way to a 65-39 home win over Division II Young Harris.
Since joining UTC the hunger hasn't subsided. She lives in the gym, honing her craft.
"If I have a good game, I feel I have to get back in the gym and make more shots after," she said recently. "It's just me never wanting to settle and always get better. If I have a good game I want to get back in the gym and get more up so I can make more the next time."
What if she has a bad game though?
"Oh, I'm in the gym twice that night," she said with a laugh.
If that's the case, she'll be back in the gym after finishing with 20 points in 27 minutes Monday, with 14 of those points coming in a first quarter where she outscored the visiting Mountain Lions by herself. She added four steals.
She was joined in double figures by Addie Porter, who added seven rebounds from the point guard position, and freshmen forward Raven Thompson, who had 10 points and team highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (three). The Mocs forced 26 Young Harris turnovers, and after a heavy 3-point shooting start, settled in to score 32 points in the paint.
It took a while for Wazeerud-Din to feel comfortable taking the volume of shots she's being asked to take. When she got to Chattanooga, she just wanted to fit in; just wanted to be a part of what new head coach Shawn Poppie is building in her final season of basketball.
But that's not what the team needs. Poppie has demanded to see that hungry player playing for something, and Wazeerud-Din is doing the best she can to oblige.
"We all know in basketball that certain people have roles, and then there's going to be a pretty big one," Poppie said. "Every day since she's stepped on campus so she's starting to get comfortable with that. I think a lot of that's because of relationships with her teammates and then understanding who she is; it's not her trying to do anything she can't do.
"It's her trying to do what she's able to do to help us."
The Mocs (1-0) travel to face Belmont Wednesday before returning home to play Austin Peay Saturday night.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.