We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Lipscomb women’s assistant coach Sydney Shelton, who talked about her team’s young roster and her expectations for this season.
You began your college career at Butler, where you were named to the 2017 Big East All-Freshman Team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I knew that it would be hard as a freshman and that I would have to work really hard and do what they needed me to do. I was not trying to make the all-freshman team: it just goes into your level of buy-in.
You were the best freshman 3-PT shooter in the conference that year with 49 3PM: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Confidence and practice.
You only played 11 games the following season: what made you decide to transfer, and why did you choose Lipscomb? I was not in a good mental place during my sophomore year. I was diagnosed with anxiety/depression and had an eating disorder so I had to step away from the game for a little bit. I was idolizing the game but knew that I needed something different. I wanted to be in a Christian environment and I had some friends who went to Lipscomb: it was the best decision that I could have made.
In 2019 doctors found that you had a fracture in your femur and a torn labrum in your left hip: how close did that come to ending your career, and how were you able to get back onto the court? It honestly should have ended my career and my doctor said that I should never run again. I healed pretty well…and then hurt my other hip! I did lots of rehab and was honest with myself about helping myself so I watched a lot of film and managed my time on the court.
You played for Coach Lauren Sumski and were hired to be 1 of her assistants last June: why did you take the job, and what is it like to have a head coach who is married to 1 of your fellow assistants? It has been incredible and I would not want to work anywhere else. You get a lot of basketball but you also get a family environment. Lauren and her husband Chris have an awesome dynamic: they do a phenomenal job of working together but they can also separate basketball from their relationship. They know that basketball is not the most important thing in life: they are special people.
You were a 2-time member of the ASUN All-Academic Team: how did you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I have always had good study habits so I blocked off time and planned my day hour-by-hour.
You graduated in 2020 as a psychology major: how much does your degree come in handy as a coach? Every single day! You need to know how to work with/connect with people so it is the foundation of everything in coaching.
You have a lot of young players this year with a roster featuring just 1 senior/2 juniors: does your coaching style change based on the experience on your team (or lack thereof)? No: we treat it all the same. The girls who are young are so far ahead of where we thought they would be: they love the game and are extremely coachable. They are very fast learners so we will continue to challenge them because we know what they are capable of.
You only have 4 players from Tennessee: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you and the rest of the coaching staff have? We have tended to get players from specific states. In the past it has been harder to get girls from Tennessee because there are a lot of other good schools around here, but now that we are doing better there are more girls who want to be a part of that. We are able to extend our reach beyond the usual states and get players from Florida/Spain/etc.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Our mission is to glorify God 1 workout/practice/game at a time. We try to do everything with excellence/high character. Our other goal is to maximize our potential and be the best that we can be. We want to be ASUN champs and get to the NCAA tourney and go on a run and make it as far as we can, which is always the goal.