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The Anniston Star, Ala.
ACE ON TOP: Just a sophomore, Austin makes her SEC basketball media days debut
- Story byThe Anniston Star, Ala.
- ACE ON TOP: Just a sophomore, Austin makes her SEC basketball media days debut
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Over the course of one basketball off-season, Alabama's Ace Austin has gone from freshman follower to a team leader.
All five starters are gone from a year ago when Alabama's women won 24 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Even the head coach, Kristy Curry, left to take over the University of South Florida after 13 seasons in Tuscaloosa.
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That left Austin, the pride of Spring Garden, who spent her freshman season averaging about 20 minutes a game as Alabama's first person off the bench. She also had 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game.
So, even though she's only a sophomore, Austin has been thrust into the spotlight. That includes this week's Southeastern Conference basketball media days — a two-day event at the Hotel Wildemont in Mountain Brook to publicize the league's men's and women's programs.
New head coach Pauline Love picked Austin along with two of her teammates to represent the Crimson Tide during Tuesday's session.
"I think she's mature enough to handle what this is all about," said Love, who recruited Austin two years ago when she was Curry's recruiting coordinator. "She's been great at it. And I think she deserves it, right? She worked hard this summer. I put her in uncomfortable situations, and she rose to the top."
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Each of the 16 men's teams and 16 women's teams brought two to three players, and a large majority were fifth-year players, seniors or juniors. There were a sprinkling of sophomores, including Austin.
Austin was joined by 6-foot-4 senior Naomi Jones and 5-9 junior Paris Bradley, a transfer from Louisiana Tech. Bradley was the Conference USA freshman of the year two seasons ago. Like all the other players, each of the three wore her game uniform.
Love promised that Austin will get to anchor a system that she simply calls "fast-paced."
"Ace is a little bit nervous just because of the uncertainty of what the system is going to look like," Love said. "And I explained to her it'd be the best basketball she's ever played just because of where we're going to play fast with a lot of pace and free flow. I mean, she's in the gym two, three times a day, just wanting to make her coaches happy and wanting to be able to win some games."
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Love spoke and fielded questions for about 9½ minutes on the main stage. The Alabama players followed, with each placed behind a small in a separate part of the room.
As those who followed Austin at Spring Garden High School won't be surprised to hear, she had about 10 to 12 reporters gathered around her much of the time, which was as many as her two teammates combined. She displayed the same smile her hometown friends and family have seen often, as she handled every query thrown her way.
"I'm just glad to be able to represent what's on the front of my chest, and that's the University of Alabama. I love this school, so I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Austin said when asked about getting picked to attend media days.
The players' session lasted only 6½ minutes before an SEC representative cut it off. There were more questions for Austin, however, and instead of heading to the exit, she was interviewed for a couple of minutes by a radio broadcaster before the SEC rep insisted more strongly that the players needed to go. Ole Miss' women were waiting to come through the door.
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Austin said the new coaching staff is looking for her to step up — not just with her play, but vocally as one of the primary leaders.
"They've really pushed me to be a leader, and I think it has been challenging," she said. "I've grown up being a quiet person, so stepping out of your comfort zone … I mean, it's not easy, but it's something that I know that's just going to help the team.
"And so it hasn't been easy, but they've really pushed and they keep encouraging me. And like when they have confidence in me, that carries a lot through me and helps me just throughout every day."
Love said the coaches have put Austin in charge when she's on the floor.
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Said Austin: "When you're the point guard, you are in control, and I guess sometimes it's I got to make sure everybody's in the right spot, make sure everybody's running the exact motion I want to run, and I think that's just things like that. And you got to be on top of everything. You got to know everything. You got to know what everybody does, and that's on the floor and off the floor."
Austin said it's even more important considering how the veterans and leaders from a year ago are gone.
"Being a new team and everybody new, they really pushed me to just be that leader off of the floor and help everybody stay connected," she said.
Austin said it's a bit easier to handle the coaching change because she already knew Love. Although Love spent last year as an assistant at Oklahoma, she was in charge of Austin's recruitment when Austin was a high school senior.
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Austin recalled that Love even came to see Spring Garden play in the state volleyball finals.
"Having a connection like that's just super important," Austin said. "So, I knew her coming back here, it was going to be a good fit."
As for her new teammates, Austin said she's enjoying playing alongside them. Bradley, who played against Jacksonville State regularly while at Louisiana Tech, is expected to help run the backcourt with Austin.
"She's an awesome player," Austin said. "I knew when she came in, it was going to be a fun game between me and her. She's a great leader, and she knows the game. I've learned a lot from her of just how she reads things and how she carries herself, and I think that's one big thing about carrying yourself when you're playing at such a big level."
