Associated Press
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt continues to pound into her Lady Volunteers that they have a lot of work to do before next season.
She didn’t think they got the message when she held practice on Tuesday following their 71-55 first-round loss Sunday to Ball State in the NCAA tournament, so they worked some more on Wednesday.
Summitt held a team meeting Tuesday with her players and spent two hours working with the Lady Vols (22-11) on basketball drills. On Wednesday, the players worked out with strength and conditioning coach Heather Mason.
“I thought our first workout, I wasn’t really that excited about it because I just didn’t think that they were really into it,” Summitt said. “After working out with Heather, they seemed really committed, really enthusiastic.”
Summitt is taking advantage of a rule that allows coaches eight hours of work ó two hours devoted to basketball skills and the rest to strength and conditioning ó with their players through April 15.
It’s not the first time she’s made her players practice after their season ended.
“We just haven’t done it this early,” Summitt said Thursday. “My thought process is to take advantage of the time. We’ve got to get a lot better.”
Summitt doesn’t expect it to end with Wednesday’s workout, but it will be on the Lady Vols to stay committed and enthusiastic about improving their game through the offseason.
The coaches may work with the players in groups of four during the summer, but Summitt expects the Lady Vols to spend their own time in the gym shooting or playing pickup with one another.
She didn’t see that enough from the seven freshmen on her squad this season.
“Being young is one thing. What we’ve dealt with was people just coming to practice and not coming to work on their game outside of practice,” Summitt said. “I think the message is loud and clear: if you want to be a successful all you’ve got to do is go over and work on your game.”