Flames and Lady Flames basketball season preview

The Lee men’s and women’s basketball programs tip-off this weekend in their annual Homecoming exhibition.

For the non-sports fanatics, homecoming games are a social event. Alumni come home to catch up with friends they went to school with, or attend special luncheons to reminisce on good memories.

For Coaches Bubba Smith and Marty Rowe, the Saturday homecoming exhibition is a chance for them to see what their teams are made of. 

CULTURE

Rowe begins his 19th season leading the Lady Flames program, boasting a 663-122 record. But Rowe knows more than anyone that this is a new season; the attention to detail is as critical as it’s ever been. 

“When you don’t go back over the smallest of details, by the end of the year … you allow things to build up,” Rowe said. “You can allow things to manifest into bigger issues.”

This year, Rowe believes his team has employed the correct mindset from the start. “We have begun to reinvest in this particular group,” he said.

On the men’s side, Smith is preparing for his seventh season in the men’s program, and continues to find sustainable, steady growth each year since he arrived on campus in 2016. 

“When I first got here, we began to establish expectations of ‘this is how we want to function as people. This is how we want to function as a program,” Smith told the Clarion. 

Smith expanded on the identity of the program, saying “We want to be a team that wants to play together. We want to be a team that competes really hard. Defense has been something we have built our program on.”

NEW FACES

At every level of collegiate athletics, there is seemingly a revolving door on the roster. Coaches are challenged with maintaining culture and keeping continuity from season to season. Rowe has been as successful as anyone at sustaining success, but he notes the challenges faced each new year.

“I think the biggest thing is that everyone here wants to be successful,” he told the Clarion. “It is a quick realization that it takes a complete buy in from every player.”

“The four people that we added are really awesome,” Rowe said. “All four are always in the gym, and all four are low maintenance.” 

Rowe added in-state freshman guards Susanna Rogers and Bailey Burgess, two players he expects to have impactful careers for the Lady Flames. 

The other two additions to the team are veteran newcomers who transferred from NCAA Division I schools: Samford transfer Mallory Hampton and Tennessee Martin transfer Mia Hurst. Both players have earned important roles for the Lady Flames this winter, according to Rowe.

“They’re two Division I kids that had different experiences, but they came here for the same reason — a different start, different climate,” Rowe said. 

The men have four freshman newcomers as well: Chattanooga native Tim Vaughn, Nashville’s Willie Walton, and Knoxville’s Charlie Rice and Hayden Moseley. 

Some will utilize the ability to redshirt the season, which means they will sit out the year and learn the system, but a couple of the freshmen have a shot to see the floor right away. 

“Our conversation every year, no matter [the personnel] is this: ‘This is who we are. We’re going to guard you every night.’ That will be our identity this year,” Smith said. 

RETURNING TALENT

The men have nine returning players who have played big minutes on the hardwood. Players like Jayce Willingham, Josh Lowe and Michael McGuirk are entering their COVID years — a free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to losing their postseason in 2020 — and have years of experience to help guide the Flames’ squad. 

Their veteran presence has already started to prove crucial to the Flames’ success. 

“Until you go through the rigor of the Gulf South a couple times … until you know how difficult it is to when at home and to win on the road night in, night out, that’s where the experience and maturity really help your team,” Smith said. “Having that understanding, they set the standard knowing you have to compete every day. There’s no ‘Let’s wait to compete until October,’ it starts in the spring and continues throughout the summer.”

The Flames also have some academic seniors like Beyuan Hendricks, Noah Boler, Makhi McGuire and Alex Kelehear. 

Hendricks found success on the court early in his career, joining the starting five in four games his first season. Since then, he has started every game as the Flames lead guard. Hendricks’ leadership on and off the court has been an equilibrium for the Flames offense and defense. 

“I’m really proud of Beyuan … he had a great offseason. He was here all summer, spent a lot of time in the weight room,” Smith said.

Hendricks’ poise leading the Flames’ offense has been evident since his arrival to the program in 2019.

“Being poised allows me to read the defense and make the right play,” Hendricks told the Clarion. “Even when the defense tries to speed me up and try to make me uncomfortable, I use my body to shield off defenders and keep them on their toes. It comes naturally for me.”

The women’s team also has elite talent returning to pair with their transfer help. Seven players who obtained consistent minutes return for another year.

Fifth-year senior Haley Schubert returns for another season leading the Lady Flames. Schubert closes in on the program’s all-time scoring record on the court. 

“Everyone knows Haley wants to win,” Rowe said of the successful guard. “She’s pretty fearless — she’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Schubert has filled the point guard role the past several seasons for the Flames, but with the addition of Mallory Hampton to the squad, her role changes in her fifth year, according to Rowe. 

Hampton will assume more of the ball handling duties, allowing Schubert to play off the ball and continue terrorizing opposing defenses. 

“How many All-Americans do you sit down with and say ‘Hey, I’m going to take the basketball out of your hands’ and they’re okay with it?” Rowe said of Schubert. “She said ‘ok’ and that’s what she did. She’s been great. She has the understanding of how beneficial Mallory can be to our team.”

The unselfishness from Schubert is a common theme across both the men and women’s program at Lee. The cultures set forth by their successful head coaches lead to success on the court. Their wins on their schedule can be attributed to a product of the culture of the programs. 

Players up and down the rosters are on board with the mindset of helping the team reach their goals to be successful. 

The Flames and Lady Flames have a few exhibitions this weekend in Walker Arena. The women tip-off against Covenant at 12 p.m. and the men will play Sewanee at 2 p.m.