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Bolingbrook, IL —
She was a state champion in grade school. She was a three-time state champion in high school, and when she committed to play at the University of Tennessee, Ariel Massengale started down the path to becoming a national champion on the basketball court.
The Lady Volunteers are one of the most, if not the most, storied programs in NCAA history. They have won eight national championships to top all Division I programs. All those championships have come since 1987, and with a 19-7 record so far this season they could be one of the top seeds when the NCAA tournament tips off next month.
In Massengale, Tennessee got a player who has earned a slew of accolades, including Gatorade’s Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year for 2011. In the summer of 2011, Massengale helped guide USA Basketball’s U19 team to a gold medal at the World Championships in Puerto Montt, Chile.
How is your season going so far?
So far it’s been up and down, but this team is finally jelling together. Everyone is back healthy and ready to make that run.
What has been your personal highlight to this point?
I’d have to say it was probably my 12 assists against Vanderbilt when they came to Knoxville. I think it broke the record for most assists in a game by a freshman (the previous record was 11 set by Meighan Simmons in January 2011). It showed that I’m capable of being that point guard that the coaches think I can be and want me to be.
Are you at all surprised that you’ve received so much playing time?
I have been a little surprised, but the coaches told me when I came in that I had a chance to get some playing time. They told me it wouldn’t be easy and it hasn’t been, but all the hard work has paid off.
Do you think you would be having this much success early in your college career if you hadn’t played at Bolingbrook?
I don’t think so. I knew it before my freshman year when I met with coach (Tony) Smith. I told him my dream was to play at Tennessee and he told me it wasn’t going to be easy. He told me he was going to be on me every day, but he was going to do what he could do to help me get there.
She was a state champion in grade school. She was a three-time state champion in high school, and when she committed to play at the University of Tennessee, Ariel Massengale started down the path to becoming a national champion on the basketball court.
The Lady Volunteers are one of the most, if not the most, storied programs in NCAA history. They have won eight national championships to top all Division I programs. All those championships have come since 1987, and with a 19-7 record so far this season they could be one of the top seeds when the NCAA tournament tips off next month.
In Massengale, Tennessee got a player who has earned a slew of accolades, including Gatorade’s Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year for 2011. In the summer of 2011, Massengale helped guide USA Basketball’s U19 team to a gold medal at the World Championships in Puerto Montt, Chile.
How is your season going so far?
So far it’s been up and down, but this team is finally jelling together. Everyone is back healthy and ready to make that run.
What has been your personal highlight to this point?
I’d have to say it was probably my 12 assists against Vanderbilt when they came to Knoxville. I think it broke the record for most assists in a game by a freshman (the previous record was 11 set by Meighan Simmons in January 2011). It showed that I’m capable of being that point guard that the coaches think I can be and want me to be.
Are you at all surprised that you’ve received so much playing time?
I have been a little surprised, but the coaches told me when I came in that I had a chance to get some playing time. They told me it wouldn’t be easy and it hasn’t been, but all the hard work has paid off.
Do you think you would be having this much success early in your college career if you hadn’t played at Bolingbrook?
I don’t think so. I knew it before my freshman year when I met with coach (Tony) Smith. I told him my dream was to play at Tennessee and he told me it wasn’t going to be easy. He told me he was going to be on me every day, but he was going to do what he could do to help me get there.
How is the college game different from high school?
College is faster paced, a lot more physical and a lot more detailed. In high school, you can just put on your shoes and go a lot of the time, but in college there’s a lot going on behind that people don’t know about, like film sessions and putting up extra shots in practice every day.
What is the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make?
I think it’s that everyone in college is just as good as you are, as quick as you are and as strong as you are, and you have to be up to the challenge. In high school, if someone isn’t on your level you can maybe take a play off here and there. In college, there’s no room for that. Every time down the floor people are playing their hardest for their school and you have to do the same.
What are your thoughts on the college experience so far?
On the court, it’s been great. It’s been a dream come true. Everytime you have a chance to play at your dream school and play for a legendary coach, it’s a wonderful experience. Off the court, the coaches did a good job preparing us (freshmen) for how it’s going to be in terms of time management and being on your own and growing up.
Do you still talk to Coach Smith or follow Bolingbrook at all?
I do. I talk to Coach Smith once a week or once every other week. He’s there to give me pointers or words of encouragement, or if I need to get something off my chest. Morgan (Tuck), DeLacy (Anderson), Cabriana (Capers), Allie (Hill), Annaya (Moore), Nia (Moore), Keiera (Ray) and Cha Cha (Williams), I’m keeping up with their season and encouraging them as they go out and try to make history (with a fourth straight state title). It’s not going to be easy, but I know they have the potential.
What are your major goals as you look ahead to the rest of the season and the rest of your college career?
My major goal is to win the SEC championship and then win a national championship, and I think our team has all the talent to do it if we just put our minds to it. My goal in high school was to win a state championship every year, and now that I’m in college, nothing has changed. I want to go out and win a national title.
