We are less than 4 weeks away from the tip-off of the new college basketball season, 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 Iowa JR G Chit-Chat Wright, who talked about being a great 3-PT shooter and her expectations for this season.
You allegedly got your nickname around age 10 from your AAU teammates due to your quiet personality, but in high school you were a 3-time team captain: how have your vocal leadership skills developed over the past decade? I started off as a shy kid who did not really talk on the court and just led by example. I have grown into a leader who talks to my teammates/coaches as my growth/maturity have helped me share my point of view with others.
You won a high school state track title: how much of an advantage is your athleticism on the basketball court? It really helps with my endurance. I was not the best athlete on the track team, but I got to be with my friends and stay in shape. I can go for a long period of time in a basketball game without getting tired.
You were born/raised in Georgia: what made you choose Georgia Tech to start your college career? I wanted to stay close to home because I am very family oriented, and I knew some of the other incoming freshmen quite well.
You played all 33 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? On that team, I just played my role. I was not the star player, but when I got into the game I did all the little things to keep myself on the court: make the right read, have a good box-out, etc.
Why did you transfer last year, and what made you choose Iowa? There were a lot of different things that happened. 1 of my assistant coaches came to Iowa and thought it would be a good idea for me to look at the school. I did not take another visit after coming here because I knew that it was the place I wanted to be.
Last January you scored 11 PTS including a buzzer-beater from beyond half-court to finish the 1st in a 7-PT win over Michigan State (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fgIsDM7okM): did you think that it was going in, and where does that rank among the highlights of your career so far? That is a top highlight for me so far. When I released it, I thought that it might go in, which is why I started leaning away. Seeing my teammates/coaches screaming after it went in was also fun!
Speaking of long-range shooting, you increased your shooting percentage from 32.3 3P% as a freshman to 44 3P% (#8 in the nation) as a sophomore: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Most of it is being able to stay consistent throughout the entire season. I work on my endurance and game-ready shots: the fundamentals are important.
Last March you made it to the Big 10 tourney title game before losing to eventual national champ UCLA, then beat FDU in the NCAA tourney before a 2-OT loss to Virginia: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this year? It was a great run…but this year we want to go deeper in the NCAA tourney. Coming in as the new kid and stepping into a leadership role as a PG was good, but now I know everyone better and as a captain I have become better at speaking up.
Your 15,000-seat gym has been sold out for 3 straight years: how much of a home-court advantage do you have at Carver-Hawkeye Arena? That means a lot: you do not see that in a lot of places. Seeing the fans show up day in and day out no matter who we are playing is amazing. It is also a selling point and motivates you. Knowing that everyone came out and bought a ticket just to watch your team play: I love it!
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? A lot of people say they want to win conference tourney and NCAA tourney titles, but I am more process-driven and focused on development. I want to push our team to be the greatest we can be by working hard in the gym, which will give us a great result in March.
