TSU women鈥檚 basketball coach Evans wants Tigers to have starving mentality
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BVM) — Tennessee State University鈥檚 newest women鈥檚 basketball coach Ty Evans didn鈥檛 deny knowing the position his team was in heading into his first season at the helm of a college program. When a poll voted on by the Ohio Valley Conference head coaches and communications directors predicted the Tigers would finish the 2020-21 season in 12th place, otherwise known as last, in the conference, Evans was unafraid to mince words during his participation in the OVC Virtual Media Day.
鈥淚 know you guys picked us 12th, but we don鈥檛 care,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淲e come to practice every single day with Beats by Dre headphones on. We don鈥檛 listen to it. We鈥檙e playing to win.鈥�
With that statement, media members were introduced to the attitude they will be sure to expect from Evans as he begins his tenure with the Tigers. That is also the attitude he hopes to instill into his players this season after the team finished last year with a 4-24 record and an 11th-place finish in the conference. To describe the style he wants his team to play, Evans used his favorite word.
鈥淩elentlessness,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淲e want to be disruptive. We want to be relentless. We want to play with a chip on our shoulder. I tell our players all the time that when that game clock goes off and there鈥檚 00:0, the other team and the other coach should be walking off the court saying to themselves, 鈥業 hope we never have to play that team again鈥� win or lose. That鈥檚 the mentality we鈥檙e trying to instill.鈥�
When talking about his team鈥檚 level of commitment, Evans described his players as 鈥渉ungry.鈥� Typically such an adjective is complimentary towards the players鈥� efforts. However, Evans wants them to push it even more. He wants his players to be 鈥渟tarving.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e hungry, but they鈥檙e not starving,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淭he difference between hungry and starving is when you鈥檙e hungry you eat and then you get full and you don鈥檛 eat anymore. But when you鈥檙e starving, you eat, you get full, you continue to eat, then you stuff food in your pockets, your socks because you don鈥檛 know when you鈥檙e going to eat again. That鈥檚 the difference. We don鈥檛 have that mentality yet, but we鈥檙e working on it.鈥�
When asked to elaborate what the difference is between hungry and starving, senior forward Jaden Wrightsell said it鈥檚 about being ready and committed to go 100% of the time 110% of the time.
鈥淲ith [Evans] constantly bringing that energy, we have no other choice but to follow him,鈥� Wrightsell said. 鈥淲e have our days so it鈥檚 getting there. He knows to stay on us and that鈥檚 our best bet to get on his level of starving.鈥�
Wrightsell believes that the team can draw much of its influence from the man who will be leading them. Wrightsell described that Evans was always ready to go and will bring it 110% of the time he is with the team, something that she admitted the girls on the team are close to, but not quite there yet.
鈥淸Evans] is starving and we鈥檙e getting on his level, but it鈥檚 a relentless practice as well,鈥� Wrightsell said. 鈥淗is energy stays on 20. We鈥檙e at 19. We鈥檙e almost there, but it鈥檚 getting there.鈥�
With Evans at the helm, the Tigers will look to make its preseason ranking a thing of the past. Evans doesn鈥檛 put much stock behind preseason rankings anyway as it is not about how a team starts, but how they finish that matters. When it comes to his team to adjust to his level of commitment, Evans was clear.
鈥淭hey have no choice because they hear it all the time,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret. They picked us 12 out of 12. I don鈥檛 care about the preseason rankings because they don鈥檛 mean anything. It鈥檚 just like potential, it just means you haven鈥檛 done anything yet. It鈥檚 up to us to go out and perform every single day.鈥�
Over the course of the next few months, Tigers fans will see if Evans鈥� words of encouragement are good enough to help the team right the ship this season. In the meantime, Evans hopes to get his 鈥渟tarving鈥� girls mentally ready to fight for their nourishment prior to tipoff.
