After ending last season six games below .500, the Alabama women’s basketball team has started this season with a 7-1 record. The Crimson Tide hasn’t had this kind of start since 2004, when Alabama was 6-2 through its first eight games.
“I think being [7-1] is indicative of how this team has played from the standpoint of effort,” head coach Wendell Hudson said. “I think they’ve given their maximum effort every night. I don’t think it’s an accident that we’re [7-1]. Even if we weren’t exactly [7-1], I think effort wise we would be still really happy with the way this team has played.”
Along with the hot start to the season, for the first time ever the Tide has earned Southeastern Conference weekly awards for the first three weeks of the season. The first week, senior forward Tierney Jenkins won SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Jenkins is the first UA player to get player of the week since 2002.
Freshman guard Jasmine Robinson was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second week of the season following a breakout performance against North Carolina State and outstanding play against Georgia Southern. After three games last week, freshman forward Kaneisha Horn earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the third week of the season. Horn earned a spot on the 2010 Junkanoo Jam All-Star Team last week during the team’s tournament in the Bahamas.
Hudson said one of the main factors for this year’s success is leadership. The team has four seniors – Katie Hancock, Jenkins, LaToya King and Varisia Raffington – but on top of that, players from every other class are becoming leaders as well.
“We have a lot of leadership,” Hudson said. “I think we have leadership staggered through the classes. I think we have senior leadership; the seniors are really showing some maturity and growing up. I also think that leadership comes from every group and class that we have in different ways.”
Jenkins said, “I think our leadership [is a major factor]. Not saying that we didn’t have it in the years past, but it’s kind of like a different mindset. As soon as the season was over last year, we got right back to work. We sat down and laid out the goals that we wanted for the team and ever since then we’ve worked toward them.
“We stayed here all summer with the freshmen; we played basketball every day. Just anything you could do to get better.”
Commitment from the entire team is another factor Hudson says that has contributed to this year’s success. The Tide has made a point to recruit talented, tough players and has been successful with getting the type of players to build a strong team. This is the team’s third year under coach Hudson, and the Tide looks to continue its intense play throughout the season heading into SEC play and the NCAA tournament.
“Before the season started we set incremental goals,” Hancock said. “So before SEC season hit, we wanted to be at a specific winning percentage. Going into the SEC, we’ll set the same goals, realistic, achievable goals that we are bound and determined to reach. Definitely projecting into the future, that we’ll continue to set new heights for Alabama women’s basketball.”
Hudson said, “I think this start is setting us up for the future because we’re playing really good basketball teams. We’ve played two teams from the ACC; we’ve played a Big East team. We’re going to play some other good teams. We’re going to go on the road. When you go on the road, it’s not as comfortable as playing at home. I think what we’re trying to do is mix in the best schedule that we can have before we get to the conference, not just to win games but to prepare us to play in the SEC.”
