KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — After junior Rennia Davis and new head coach Kellie Harper spoke with the media on Wednesday afternoon, two things were very apparent about this new look Lady Vol team: there will be a focus on the fundamentals and team chemistry.
"I think there were maybe times prior to this year where the team chemistry wasn't all the way there and maybe certain games we weren't supposed to lose, we lost," said Davis.
Harper is focusing more on the present than on the past, but said building that camaraderie takes time.
"Each team has to learn what good teammates, what good chemistry looks like so we're working on that daily. We're working on what it means to be a good teammate, just little tidbits here and there," said Harper.
You know what can help bring you together? Being stuck in a few foreign countries for nearly two weeks. Oh would you look at that? That's exactly what the Lady Vols are doing! Tennessee will begin its three-game European tour on August 5, visiting the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
"It's gonna really force us to lean on each other and use each other as resources," said Davis.
The forward has been one of the consistencies in a program that has been everything but in the past couple of years. As the new coaching staff leans on Davis as a leader, she's embracing the role, doing her best to be an example. Davis said a trip abroad will be a great place to start.
"I think the timing was perfect," said Davis. "With everybody being so new, I think this trip is going to be very beneficial for us."
"We're going over there to Europe, to have great opportunities for team chemistry, great opportunities to get to know the staff better for these young ladies and then also just to get fired up about the future and what it's going to look like," said Harper.
Before any games happen, this team has to get to know each other. Five players are completely new to this team, four players left after last season, whether through graduation or transfer. Harper views it as having 12 freshmen on the team, which gives her an opportunity to teach these young women from the ground up.
"She loves to teach the game of basketball," said Davis. Which, Davis said, is something this team needs. "Just teaching the basics of basketball, maybe spacing, little things like that, focusing on little stuff, little details that are really being emphasized."
It's been one of the busiest off-seasons Harper has ever had. The player turned coach has built a new culture at several different places across the country, but this spot is different. It's the first time she's had kids at a new school. It's the first time she's had to deal with the expectations and history of a program like Tennessee. As the team packs for Europe and eyes turn to the regular season, it comes down to a balancing act for Harper and the Lady Vols: staying in the moment and building for the future.
"I'm balancing the patience of a teacher and the urgency of a coach that wants to win tomorrow, so I think that's one of my biggest challenges to be quite honest with you and giving that message to our players. I want them confident with what they're doing and it takes time to build that confidence, but also the urgency to get it done."