We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with Tennessee SR G/F Rae Burrell. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Rae about being a great FT shooter and her expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Las Vegas: what made you choose Tennessee? I chose Tennessee because of the legacy that has been built over the years: I just wanted to be a part of building onto that legacy.
You play for Coach Kellie Harper: what makes her such a great coach, and what is it like to play for a married couple (1 of her assistants is her husband Jon)? She played for Pat Summitt and has won championships. She knows what it feels like to win a championship and what it takes to win a championship. She really tries to give us all of the knowledge that she possesses. She has a vision and knows what she wants each of us to do to reach that goal. We just have to play, lock in, and follow her plan. Since she has the experience of playing here we feel like we can trust her and what she knows: we also trust that her system works because she has done it herself. She is a really passionate coach and really cares about us, which really helps us to work hard for her. They both just continue to trust me and let me play, which helps build my confidence and makes me want to work even harder. They give me a lot of freedom on the court, which helps me a lot. I also put in a lot of extra work on my own, which has really helped me develop my game. I do not really look at them as husband and wife during practices, games, or on trips: they are just our coaches. At the end of the day when we are just hanging around it is a cool family atmosphere and you know that they are husband and wife. Their children (Jackson and Kiley) are around us a lot too, which makes it feel like all of us are in one big family.
Last January you scored a team-high 18 PTS in a 6-PT loss to UConn: how do you explain the rivalry with the Huskies to someone who has never seen it in person? It is the history behind it with Pat and Geno Auriemma, who are considered two of the best coaches in college basketball history, as well as the players who played in some big games. It is an intense game of who is going to be the best while playing on a big stage. It is really fun because of the atmosphere and having so many fans at these games. It is just so loud: probably the loudest game that I will ever be a part of.
Last year you made all 16 of your FT attempts taken in the final 4 minutes of games: what is the secret to making FTs when the game is on the line? Just having a routine: you have to do the same thing every single time. I know my routine when I get up there: 2 dribbles, spin ball, breathe in, and relax my shoulders. When I relax my shoulders I feel like I can really focus on shooting the free throw and I never take my eye off the rim. I imagine the ball going in as I prepare to shoot the free throw. Just sticking to my routine is what helps me make it every time. There is not a certain number of free throws that I take every week: when I get in the gym at the end of my workouts I will shoot until I make 10 free throws in a row. Sometimes it is quick but I just make sure to get that in at the end of a workout when I am tired. When you shoot free throws in a game you are most likely going to be winded or tired so that is how I practice them.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you beat MTSU before losing to Michigan: what did you learn from that tourney run that will help you this year? That was my first NCAA Tournament experience: my freshman year I did not really play in the tournament and then my sophomore year it got canceled due to COVID. I think having that experience of just being there and actually being in the game and experiencing the intensity of the game will help greatly this year because now I know what it will look like.
You have made the SEC Academic Honor Roll during each of the past 2 years: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It is really just about time management. You have to really manage your schedule and figure out what times you can get your work done and what times you can squeeze training in without interrupting the time when you have to get homework done. I think that really managing your time and getting things done in a timely manner instead of waiting until the last minute is key.
Your brutal non-conference schedule this year includes games against Texas/Oklahoma State/Virginia Tech/Stanford/UConn: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? The obvious answer is probably UConn because that is the big rival, but I feel like all of our games are going to be tests that can help our team grow no matter the outcome. We play three Final Four teams (including Stanford at home) and our conference is going to be even better this year. Each game we play will challenge us in some way and help us find opportunities to grow as a team and get ready for the SEC.
Your mother Ann played basketball at Nevada, your father John was an All-American in the long jump at Nevada, and your cousin Evan Roquemore played basketball at Santa Clara: who is the best athlete in the family? I think I am the best athlete in the family. My parents gave me all of my athleticism so that is where I get it from. My dad is really athletic: ever since I was young he has always been good at whatever he does. He does not let us win easily and taught us how to compete as we were growing up.
You turned 21 last summer: what did you do for the big day? I just went to dinner with a few of my teammates and ate some sushi. My birthday was on a Monday and we had practice the next day so we did not stay out late: just went back to the dorm and watched a movie. My roommates and one of our managers (Riane) hung up a “Happy Birthday” sign in the room and got me a cake: it was a nice surprise!
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goal this season is the same as every season: to push myself to be the best I can be. This year I want to make sure I am a really good leader and I want to lead this team to winning games/championships. I want to focus on helping them and showing them and leading by example in terms of what we want for the program. Just being a really good leader is my main objective. As far as some personal goals I want to improve my assists/rebounds, but overall I just want to be a good leader for the team and helping us win is the main plan.