After coaching in the rugged Big East Conference the last 10 years, Carlene Mitchell is convincing her UCSB women’s basketball team that’s it cool to play hard-nosed defense on the court.
Mitchell is expecting her Gauchos to be tenacious and physical at the defensive end and play an uptempo style on offense. She explained that to the media and boosters at the recent Gaucho Basketball Media Day at the Cabrillo Arts Center.
“They’re buying into the fact that you can be physical and still be cool on the basketball court, and when you walk off you can be Cali cool,” said Mitchell, who assisted Hall of Fame coach Vivian Stringer at Rutgers. “So, hopefully, we’ll be able to separate the difference of our style of play, which may have an East-Coast flavor when we walk on the hardwood and be the young ladies that they are off it.”
Mitchell was joined on the dais by senior point guard Emilie Johnson, junior forward Sweets Underwood and sophomore guard Nicole Nesbit.
Underwood said there’s a definite difference in practices this season.
“It’s competitive, it’s intense; the atmosphere is amazing,” she said. “Coach Mitchell does a great job motivating us — ‘give it 100 percent.’ You can’t give it any less than that. She won’t allow that. As athletes, that’s what we appreciate about her.’
Nesbit likes how the team chemistry is developing.
“This team is definitely going to turn the page, and we’re definitely looking into the future and do some great things. And, with coach Mitch by our side, it’s going to be completely different than what we had last year.”
Johnson is playing for her third coach in four years at UCSB, but she said she “wouldn’t trade her journey for anything.”
She wanted to play for the Gauchos.
Johnson said the experience she gained from playing for Team USA at the Pan American Games will benefit her and the Gauchos this season.
The Mitchell’s Gauchos makes their debut on Tuesday, Nov. 1 in an exhibition game against NAIA power Vanguard.
Check out the video from Media Day.
