We are still about 6 weeks away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare 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 Wofford JR PG Rachael Rose, who talked about being named conference POY and her expectations for this season.
You began your career at USC Upstate, where you were named 2022 conference ROY: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? Having a strong work ethic is something that has been engraved into me since I was little, and so truly understanding the term outwork helped me have a smoother transition into D-1 basketball. I also had a great support system and coaches back home that trained me to be ready for all situations both on and off the court.
Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Wofford? I will always be grateful for the opportunities and accolades I had at USC Upstate, but in the end it was just not the right program for me. I chose Wofford because I immediately felt a connection with the coaching staff and the girls were extremely welcoming. I saw the vision that Coach G (Jimmy Garrity) had for the program and I wanted to play a part in making history.
In the 2023 SoCon tourney semifinals you had a career-high 7 STL in a 5-PT win over UNCG: what is the secret to being a good defender? Defense is all heart. Just simply wanting it more than your opponent can win you championships. I know my teammates have my back, and so that allows me to take risks and jump the passing lanes.
In the 2023 WNIT you scored 19 PTS in a 3-PT loss at Florida: what did you learn from that loss that you think will help you this year? The loss to Florida was really tough because I felt we were in control for most of the game until we let it slip away in the end. Although we were much smaller, we never gave up and we fought until the very end. If we can keep the mentality of being the most together team and never giving in then we will put ourselves in a great position to win.
You led the conference in PTS last year and were #2 in AST: how do you balance your scoring with your passing? As the point guard, it is my job to facilitate and get all my teammates involved in the offense. I watch a lot of film and that helps me see angles and passing lanes, while also seeing openings to create shots for myself. I work hard with my coaches to create scoring opportunities for both myself and my teammates.
You finished the season by being named conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I was honored to be named the SoCon Player of the Year but that was never the main goal for me. Our main goal was to win the SoCon regular season along with the SoCon tournament. We achieved ½ of our goal so we still have a lot of work to do.
Your aunt Missy played basketball at UConn, your uncle Craig played basketball at Army, and your brother Timmy played basketball at Binghamton: who is the best athlete in the family? My family has shaped me into the player/person I am today. I grew up either watching them play or hearing the stories of their days of college basketball. It is hard to say who the best in the family is because we all have had different roles on the teams we played for: however, my aunt Missy is the only one of us who has a national championship ring.
You turned 21 last June: what did you do for the big day? We were in summer session at Wofford so I celebrated at practice doing what I love most, which is competing in basketball. My teammates also made me a cake and celebrated with me at night.
Your schedule includes road trips to Wake Forest/Virginia/Tennessee/Georgia: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I think every team we play this year will be a challenge. Winning at the D-1 level is hard and each game is a fight. We played Tennessee last season and did not start off the game the way that we wanted so I would love to learn from our mistakes last year and clean it up.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We are extremely young this season so we have a lot of learning/growing to do together as a team. My goals however have not changed: I want to win a championship. Our seniors (Abbey Crawford/Ja’Rae Smith/Annabelle Schultz/Helen Matthews) deserve to leave their Wofford basketball careers on a high note.