Everything Lady Vol coach Kim Caldwell said at the Big Orange Caravan

KINGSPORT — Life has been a blur for new Tennessee Lady Vol basketball coach Kim Caldwell as she has assembled her staff and working on flipping her roster. Caldwell spent Wednesday night in Kingsport at the Big Orange Caravan. 

On the addition of Samara Spencer…

I think she is a really dynamic guard for us. She can score at three levels. She can push the ball anytime you wanna play fast, you need somebody that can have the ball in their hands and play at that pace. I would take a team full of point guards if I could, and she is seasoned. She knows how to score, she knows our league and I honestly think she has a high upside, so I’m excited about her. 

How important are these big orange caravans is just to get out here and meet all the fans across the state?

You spend so much time in the office and with your face in your phone and doing the recruiting  stuff. To get out and really see the fans and see what you’re doing it for is just a really nice refresher. And again, it’s such a special thing because so many people don’t have this. 

How close are you to having your roster set without getting specific?

I think we need one or two more 

You’ve talked a lot about, you know, people lot adjusting this level. Have you had moments where you’re like, it’s basketball?

I know there’s an adjustment, but at the end of the day it’s still just basketball. 

I think when you’re on the court, basketball is basketball. I think this part is definitely an adjustment. I think going to the SEC meetings or is gonna be an adjustment, I think there’s a lot of responsibility off the floor. That’s new, but I think that basketball is basketball and when you’re between the lines and you have equal talent, I think it’ll be okay. 

Coach, a couple years ago, the Lady Vols met up with East Tennessee State University. Any chance that meeting could kind of be rekindled? Do you guys put ETSU on the schedule? 

Yeah, we’re still working on our schedule. That’s something I have delegated, so I really don’t know a whole lot about it to be honest. , 

Coach, Rick Barnes and Josh Heupel have been doing this for a bit. And this is your first time around, last stop, you know, what have you enjoyed the most about meeting, you know, Vols Nation in the community? 

Yeah, I think just how, I’m very appreciative of how seriously they take it. I think it’s just amazing. You have lines of people that want your autograph and I’ve never experienced anything like that and it’s just remarkable. And it says a lot about Tennessee as a whole. It says a lot about our athletic department. And Josh and Rick have been great. The rides with them, I’ve learned a lot. And so it’s just been a really good experience for me. And again, it just, it’s a humbling experience. When you walk out here and you see these fans, 

I know some of these guys probably asked you this before, but when was the first time you really followed the Lady Vols? 

Oh, elementary school. I mean, Tennessee Women’s basketball. Every female that plays probably any female sport, they followed it. 

You mentioned earlier that that Coach Barnes kind of been a nice little soundboard at times. What’s  it been like getting to know him in this setting?

It’s great. It’s phenomenal. We’ll sit beside each other on planes and we watched film one time and he’ll talk to me about ball. He’s talked to me about housing, places to live, places to park, where to get my hair done. I mean, he is like, if I need anything, he’s my go-to. That’s my guy. And he’s just such a personable man that it’s no doubt that he has been a winner. 

What was his hair place for advice? 

I don’t remember. I need to go ask him again. It took me a really long time to understand what he was saying, like my hair. Your hair. But no, he has the hookups. He knows everyone in Knoxville. And I mean, just a great resource. 

What’s the best way as you bring in your new players that you brought in, how do you get them in and try to get them to sort of start building a culture and learning how to play in your program?

“I think you start with relationships and you make sure that they know me and I know them and we start with a real relationship, not a fake relationship. And then we do a lot of teaching and we explain the why behind why we wanna play, how we play. And we do a lot of motivating, but just making sure that the relationships come first. It’s gonna be really important, especially in our first, I’ve done a really good job with our players we have so far. I think the relationships are there. I’m excited about them. They’re doing what they need to be doing. But as we add people to the roster, just making sure that we stay hungry and we’re all locked in on the same page. 

I know you were talking about the guards earlier, but is the post position, is that really the biggest change going to the SEC because you’re playing with so many bigger physical 

players?

 Absolutely. The height is a tremendous adjustment. And so you need people that can get in there and can rebound and can run and, and can play the post position a little bit differently, but still have the size to where we’re not just getting pounded on the inside.