You have to earn it.
That鈥檚 Adia Barnes鈥 philosophy these days when it comes to wearing the 鈥淎鈥 鈥 practice gear with 蜜柚直播 emblazoned across it. Her players must earn the right to wear it.
In many ways, this year鈥檚 Wildcats are starting over. There鈥檚 no time to rest on past success 鈥 most notably, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 WNIT Championship. Barnes is looking forward.
鈥淚t was a great thing, but that was last year,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淚 think we have bigger plans, bigger objectives, bigger goals and we鈥檙e going for them this year. 鈥 So, our goal is we want to be a (NCAA) Tournament team. We haven鈥檛 been to the tournament in 鈥 a long time. So, that鈥檚 our goal. We don鈥檛 look at the big picture, we look at the small victories. It鈥檚 daily. It鈥檚 getting better every day, sticking to the process, doing things the right way, and then things will take care of themselves.鈥
People are also reading…
Barnes opened season training for the 2019-2020 season Tuesday. So far, six of the Wildcats鈥 15 players have earned the right to wear the 鈥淎鈥: Aari McDonald, Sam Thomas, Bryce Nixon, Tee Tee Starks, Mara Mote and Sevval Gul. They earned their gear via a team vote; players must receive 19 of 21 possible votes to get it.
鈥(It鈥檚) based off of different things like how you are doing in practice, how you are helping out your teammates off the court, too,鈥 said sophomore Cate Reese, who has yet to earn her 鈥淎鈥.
Players say the earn-your-鈥淎鈥 approach has led to more energy and aggressiveness in practice. Reese and McDonald battled so hard for rebounds in Tuesday鈥檚 practice that at times they were diving over each other.
Barnes thinks there may be a little more to Reese鈥檚 aggressiveness than an 鈥淎.鈥
鈥淚f you watch her now she鈥檚 practicing with a chip. She鈥檚 on a mission, and she has something to prove, and I love that,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what Cate is, and that鈥檚 what she stands for. I don鈥檛 know more of a competitive player, a player who plays with more heart, and she brings all that. I think what鈥檚 been good is that now she has some freshmen to push her.
鈥淚 think in the past we didn鈥檛 really have that. But now, Sevval鈥檚 coming in and Sevval is a good player. So Sevval is pushing Semaj (Smith), and she鈥檚 pushing Cate and Dominque (McBryde). There is a lot more competition. And Birna (Benonysdottir) is doing that. So that鈥檚 good.
鈥淏ut expectations from Cate 鈥 (I) expect a lot from her. 鈥 I want her to set the bar, and I鈥檝e talked to her about that, about practicing every day 鈥 diving on the floor (and) doing all those things. That鈥檚 what I expect from Cate, because she鈥檚 the one who can do that consistently.鈥
A different look
This year鈥檚 UA team has 15 players, the most Barnes has had during her tenure. That means a deeper bench and, in theory, more rest time for the starters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to help a lot,鈥 McDonald said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be so hard on my body. I won鈥檛 be bruised and sore like I used to. I think it will help me be more efficient.鈥
Barnes says this year鈥檚 team should shoot better. UA players have also added more size and depth inside and outside.
It may take a little longer for it to all come together. Barnes is putting in a new scheme, one that four of the five freshmen 鈥 Gul, Mote, Helena Pueyo and Benonysdottir 鈥 and transfer Shaina Pellington are just picking up after spending their summers playing internationally. They have four weeks before the team鈥檚 Oct. 27 exhibition game.
鈥淲hat people don鈥檛 realize is that we haven鈥檛 together long. It鈥檚 only been a few weeks,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淏ecause the first week or so was just assessments, lifting and starting school. Normally, in a typical year where it鈥檚 not all foreign players, they are here from the end of June. So you have June, July and then you have August. For us, they got here the end of August, so we only had the last three weeks.
鈥淪o we are behind on a lot of stuff in that sense. But, the positive thing is that they were all playing high-level basketball 鈥 they came in better shape, came in more prepared, just game-wise. But with seven new players there is a lot of teaching. It鈥檚 a lot slower. That鈥檚 a little bit of a challenge early on.鈥
Rim shots
- McDonald and Starks will accompany Barnes to Pac-12 media day in San Francisco on Oct. 7.
- For the first time in Pac-12 history, all conference games will be televised this season on Pac-12 Networks and ESPN. This is a significant change: 11 of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 18 Pac-12 games were on TV last season.
- The Wildcats will open Pac-12 play on Dec. 29, when they take on ASU at noon in Tempe. Their first home weekend is January 10-12, when they host the Oregon schools. 蜜柚直播 plays Stanford and Cal just once apiece 鈥 at home the last weekend of the regular season.
- As of Wednesday afternoon, more 2,500 season tickets had been sold. There has been such a high demand for tickets that for a second time in a week, UA has put more reserved and general admission season tickets for sale. They鈥檝e already sold all courtside seats.
鈥淲e鈥檙e encroaching on 3,000. So that鈥檚 the goal. I want to push for 3,000,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淭he fans and the support in 蜜柚直播 has been amazing. I love this city. I love the people here. It鈥檚 everything 鈥 they鈥檝e supported us more than I could have ever imagined.鈥
