With tipoff for the men's and women's basketball seasons less than two months away, The Hustler talked with sophomore John Jenkins and senior Jence Rhoads about their expectations for the season. Check back with InsideVandy Sports for Jence Rhoads' responses.
Vanderbilt Hustler: What have you been doing this offseason to get ready for basketball season?
John Jenkins: Working on a lot of aspects of my game, trying to add new dimensions to it. Ball handling, continuing my shooting stroke, things like that. I’ve also (taken) a leadership role and tried to get close to my teammates.
VH: Overall, how do you think this year’s team will compare to last year’s team?
JJ: I think we’re going to be pretty good. We’ve got a lot of experience coming in with this year’s junior class. Me being a starter last year makes me feel like a veteran this year because I played so many minutes. I feel really good about the season — the coaching staff has a really good plan. Practice is coming in about a month or so, so we’ll see how it goes then.
VH: Both men’s and women’s teams are playing for ESPN College Gameday in Knoxville this year — what games are you most excited about this year?
JJ: To be honest, I haven’t looked at the schedule for this year yet. I’m focused on us this year and I’ll worry about that later. We’re focusing on what we have to do to get better.
VH: What are some of your goals for the team as a whole?
JJ: Just play hard. If we play hard and play to our abilities, we’ll accomplish a lot. Of course get to the tournament. Going past the first round would be great.
VH: There are a number of freshmen on this year’s team, how much do you think they’ll contribute?
JJ: All of them are great competitors. They work hard. I think all four of them will have the chance to prove themselves on the court.
VH: What is this year’s team’s biggest strength?
JJ: I think like it was last year, our depth. We’re athletic and quick. Everybody can run. I think our biggest strength will be our depth.
VH: What do you think you’ll have to do as a team to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament?
JJ: I think that’s where experience comes in. Being there before helps, knowing what it’s like. We’ve got to keep working hard and we’ve got to keep our goals in mind.
VH: Do you have any personal goals this year?
JJ: I haven’t thought about it yet, but anything like All-SEC would be great. If we don’t win, none of my stuff matters to me at all.
