After open tryouts were held on Thursday and Friday, these three were selected to join the team.
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00:00 My name is Piper Davis. I'm from Boise, Idaho. I'm a freshman and like Brady said, I won a state championship my junior year at Timberline High School.
00:10 What were you feeling when you heard, what were you thinking when you heard, "Okay, they're going to be Trials?"
00:15 So actually, one of my really good friends' dad sent me the article that they had a 4-foot-2 games.
00:21 And so he was like, "Are you ready to come out of retirement?" And I kind of took it as a joke, sent it to my family.
00:27 My dad played college basketball, so my, and my brothers play basketball, so we're a big basketball family.
00:32 So he said, "Go down, introduce yourself." And I was like, "I can't just walk in." And he was like, "Yes, you can."
00:38 So I walked down, I walked in. I had no idea there were tryouts and they were posting flyers while I was walking in.
00:44 So I introduced myself and they walked me out to meet Jesse and some of the girls outside.
00:50 And I talked to them and they said, "Go get a physical and come to tryouts tomorrow." And that's what I did.
00:55 How did your high school play, kind of play into helping you transition to this?
01:01 I had a really great high school coach who won seven A-state titles and I had really good teammates.
01:08 Most of them actually play D-1 basketball now. So I was playing against really high-level girls.
01:13 A couple girls go to Gonzaga, BYU, Northern Arizona, so big time.
01:19 So playing against those girls, really, they're basically the same level. The basketball shape is definitely getting to me right now.
01:27 But playing against those good girls in high school really set the tone for me to kind of come out of retirement and compete against these girls.
01:36 What does your dad and your whole family, you said basketball family, what do they think now that you're on the team?
01:42 My dad, I've never seen him so excited, ever. He's so happy for me. I've had a lot of love and support. A lot of people have reached out to me.
01:51 He just bought tickets for our next home game, so he's flying down to come watch. And then my mom will be here for the Texas game.
01:57 So they're super supportive. My brother's working in the athletic department, actually, for the athletic director.
02:03 So he's been super supportive, too. So they're just really excited for me.
02:07 Talking through your experience, being on the court Saturday, going through it all, seeing fans come in, and just experiencing that game and coming out today.
02:18 So when I played in high school, our state championship, like those games, the arena we played in, was about the same size as the Schallmeyer.
02:27 So I'm kind of used to the big arena. I was really excited. I was a little nervous. Obviously, I'm a little bit smaller than all of the other girls that are out on the court.
02:37 But I was really excited. I just wanted to be there to support these girls. That's really why I'm here, to compete and make them better and help them out.
02:44 Because it's really unfortunate with the injuries.
02:47 Did you have a chance to play somewhere out of high school, a smaller college?
02:52 So actually, in high school, my sport was volleyball. I could have played at a smaller school, but I really wanted to go to a big school if it meant that I couldn't play sports.
03:02 I wanted to have the big football, and TCU was kind of the perfect school for that.
03:07 So basketball, it was kind of my senior year. I was like, "All right, I've got nothing to lose."
03:12 So I had my career high my senior year, which was really fun. And I was just like, "I need to go out with a bang, because I'm not going to play basketball again."
03:19 And I was just telling my parents over Christmas break how I miss being on a team and miss being competitive.
03:25 And here we are, back on a team and competing.
03:28 When was the last time you'd shot a basketball or dribble here?
03:31 Probably, actually, my last state tournament, which was last February.
03:36 But I did go into the rec one time, and I was like, "I just might as well shoot some baskets."
03:42 So probably first semester.
03:44 Kind of rethinking maybe next year you might want to try out again? What are you thinking?
03:49 I don't know. I think just right now I'm focusing on competing and showing the coaches what I can do representing Idaho.
03:57 And if an opportunity presents itself, I would definitely think about it.
04:02 A lot of nerves. The nerves kick in. You've got to be a little nervous. Have you ever made a charter flight before?
04:08 I have never made a charter flight before, and I didn't actually know that we did that until a couple days ago.
04:12 So that's really exciting. But yes, the nerves are definitely there.
04:18 But I'm doing my best to just be there for the team and do my best to not be nervous.
04:24 What has the welcome been like from the Southern Nation?
04:28 They've been so supportive. Absolutely amazing. Especially the girls with injuries.
04:32 I understand from experience how hard that is when you have new girls coming in.
04:36 And they're kind of not replacing you or taking your spot, but they're there and they get a play.
04:41 And they've been nothing but supportive. All of the girls, there's two freshmen, and me and Ella are also freshmen.
04:47 And they've been so nice. And they're really encouraging. High fives all the time at practice.
04:52 Walking us through everything. So it's been really great, and it's been a pretty good transition.
04:57 You said you were just walking around campus. You missed being competitive.
05:00 When you did go to the tryout and made it, and you put TC practice jersey on for the first time,
05:05 what were the emotions of that stepping onto the court?
05:08 It didn't feel real until I met with the coaches and they were like, "We want to offer you a spot."
05:16 And then I was actually really excited because I love being a part of a team.
05:21 And just having those girls that are so close to you and you can call them your best friends is really great.
05:27 And so being a part of that, it excites me for the rest of the year.
05:31 And I was really happy when I found out. And I'm already really good friends with the other walk-ons so far.
05:36 So they've been really good too.
05:38 What body part is the most sore today?
05:42 Well, I'm actually doing great today. After the first two tryouts, my legs were pretty sore.
05:48 Now my feet are really sore because my shoes are brand new, so I haven't broken them yet.
05:54 Anything else for Piper?
05:56 Have you had any time to sit back and process everything that's happened over the last 72 hours or so?
06:02 I haven't actually. Every time I open my phone, I have 100 Instagram DMs or people asking me to send me t-shirt sizes so they can send the team t-shirts.
06:13 So I haven't really gotten to process it yet.
06:16 I'm just trying to keep up with my schoolwork right now and be on time to practice and compete for the rest of the team.
06:23 Do you have a major?
06:24 I am a graphic design pre-major, hoping to double major in graphic design and business marketing.
06:30 Hi, my name is Ella Hamlin. I'm a freshman.
06:35 Step up just a little bit.
06:38 Where are you from?
06:40 I'm from Granbury, Texas, so it's just like 45 minutes away from here. So really close.
06:44 What are you majoring in?
06:45 I'm a nursing major.
06:46 Nursing.
06:47 Yes, very excited.
06:48 So when you heard the news that there were going to be tryouts, take me through your thinking process.
06:54 I was so excited. I mean, obviously it's really sad how the tryouts had to come about because of so many great players getting injured.
07:00 But I mean, I was really excited for the opportunity, so I knew I was going to go.
07:05 Your experience in high school kind of a big factor in parlaying that onto the court here at TCU?
07:12 Yes, definitely. I went to Midway for one year and then I moved to Granbury.
07:17 So I was on varsity all four years and that really helped me. It's not quite like this at all, but it helped me kind of be prepared.
07:25 Were you scared of a bunch of parents?
07:28 A little bit.
07:31 When was the last time you donated anything to the basketball team?
07:35 I've been playing basketball. I went to the rec last semester and just played with some boys and my friends, but nothing serious really.
07:42 What has the acclimation been like now that you're running with some D1 athletes?
07:49 I'm definitely trying to get back in shape, but all the girls are so nice. They're helping us adjust, all the coaches.
07:54 So they've really made it as easy a transition as possible.
07:57 What has been the hardest part of making this happen for you?
08:01 Probably just being like balancing your class and athletics. It's just definitely harder than I was originally expecting, but I'll get the hang of it.
08:11 When you were just walking around campus, you saw the flyer or you saw the news that they were having trials. What was your first initial thought?
08:20 I was shocked. I mean, I never really thought that. I didn't really even know open trials were a thing, but I mean, I knew I was going to do it right when I saw it. So I was excited.
08:30 So 5% like, you saw it posted on campus somewhere?
08:35 Yes, I saw it on my Instagram, but a bunch of people were sending it to me because they knew I go to TCU. And so everyone was just telling me to do it.
08:42 And you said to yourself, what?
08:44 I knew I was going to do it. I was really excited for the opportunity.
08:48 Were you like after you finished high school, were you ready to just give up basketball altogether? You saw this opportunity, you knew you had to do it?
08:55 I was considering playing in college. I had some smaller D2 things, but I really just want to go to big school like Piper said, get the full experience. But I love that now this is an option.
09:07 What has been the reaction from your family, friends, and even your reaction to making a team?
09:11 I'm so excited. All my friends, my old high school team came up, my sisters on the team. So they all were at the game the other day and it was just so fun to see them. It's awesome.
09:21 What are you hoping to bring to this TCU team for the rest of the season?
09:25 I just want to help in any way I can. Be good during practice. Just give them some of my good people to play against to prepare them for all their games.
09:35 Tuesday night's win, what does it say about the head coach in this program that you guys were able to get a win despite everything that's going on?
09:44 He's a great coach. They're all great coaches. All the girls are so good. It's just so impressive that they were able to all pull together and win.
09:51 What was coach's message to the ladies prior to that game?
09:55 He was talking about all the adversity that we've all, I mean mostly them, but they've been going through and how it's just time to pull together and show them that they can still win even with less people.
10:06 They or we?
10:07 We. Sorry.
10:10 How many girls tried out?
10:12 There was quite a few. There was like 30 on the first night and I didn't go to the second one, but there was more.
10:18 Do you have a goal? You said you want to help. Do you want to score a winning basket or just get on the court and do something good?
10:26 I want to get on the court, but I want to do whatever they need me to do. If I get on the court, I'm going to do my best, definitely.
10:33 Coach Campbell indicated that this might be a longer term possibility in the rest of the season. Have you given any thought to maybe continuing your basketball career beyond the rest of the semester?
10:44 I mean, that's just unbelievable. I would definitely do that, but I'm just going to see what happens and yeah, I'm ready to help in any way.
10:51 Do you pinch yourself and say, how surreal this is? I mean, you're out here, you're moving forward, you're on your way to your probably on your first charter, maybe. I mean, do you pinch yourself and say, is this real? Am I dreaming?
11:04 I know. I can't believe it. I mean, it all just happened this week, but I mean, it's the best. So I couldn't be happier about it.
11:11 My name is Micaiah. My major is biology and I went to school in Brownsboro. It's Brownsboro High School, East Texas area. It's pretty far from here and it's pretty much a small town.
11:27 How did you hear about the tryouts?
11:30 The first way I heard about the tryouts was like I got a bunch of text messages. One of my ex coaches sent me the flyer and she was like, you need to go to this.
11:40 And I was like, yeah, coach, I haven't played in like a year and a half. I don't think I'm going to do it. And then I got like a bunch of more text messages from all of my friends and ex teammates.
11:52 And then I was like, yeah, yeah, I might just do it. They were kind of hyping me up. So I thought I'd just take this opportunity.
12:00 You won a state title in high school. Yes. Did you have opportunities to play basketball somewhere in college?
12:05 I did. I had a few D2 opportunities. And then like over the summer, I pretty much changed my mind. I wanted to focus on my career.
12:17 I'm on the pre-med track, so I figured that would be like kind of hard to balance like basketball and then pursuing a career.
12:27 And so, yeah, I just made the decision to just stay in school.
12:31 Now that you've been in it for a week, how has the balance been going?
12:34 It's hard. It's really hard. I've had to like rearrange my schedule. But I've talked to a few advisors and like everything is still possible.
12:43 I'm still going to be on track regardless. So like no matter what, all of the classes that I'm going to have are still going to be there.
12:50 But this opportunity is like never going to happen again. So I just decided to take this.
12:56 That's the way you look at it. This is one of those once in a lifetime opportunities. So I'm going to make it work.
13:02 Yeah. How have your teammates received you? You know, the veterans on the team, how have the others received you all?
13:11 Yeah, they're very supportive. We appreciate all of the help we can get. And also like if they need anything, we're also there for them.
13:21 But overall, like in practices and stuff like that, just like watching film, they've been like really helpful and just kind of talking us through stuff because we don't really know the rules.
13:32 So, yeah, it's been a really big help.
13:35 This isn't like getting back on a bike.
13:41 No, not at all. I feel like a bike is way easier. This like running up and down the court, I was like, the basketball shape is very different from just going to the gym every day.
13:50 I lifted like a few weights and like kind of did some cardio, but like it was just jogging.
13:58 I feel like basketball is you're basically sprinting the entire time. So this has been like way difficult.
14:04 Ella said that there's like 30 girls showed up to the trial first night. When you went, were you nervous showing up and strapping on the sneakers for the first time in a year and a half?
14:14 Yeah, actually, I was more so worried about the stamina part, just running up and down the court, which like we didn't really do drills that were too hard for us.
14:25 But the fact that I haven't played in a minute was just really hard. So I was out of breath basically the entire time.
14:33 But yeah, and I was also worried that like shots, some of the shots that I used to make would be able to fall.
14:41 But it kind of just like kicked in and kind of got the feel as the trial went on.
14:48 You hadn't played, but had you farted around at the rec center?
14:54 Oh, yeah. Yeah, but it was just shooting around, though. It wasn't like anything serious.
15:00 Like I never played with like like a pickup game with any of the guys that are at the rec center.
15:05 I was basically just walking in and just shooting at one of my own baskets.
15:10 I imagine during the trial, you're sizing up the other girls to see if you can make this team.
15:16 So you did finish the tryout and went home and you got the call. Walk us through like how you found out that you made the team.
15:24 So after the tryouts, I went back to a friend's place because I was like, I need to be sensitized.
15:33 I was like, this was a lot. And then I got an email and they asked for my phone number.
15:39 And then I got another email. They asked for my coach's phone number. And I was like, oh, what does this mean?
15:44 And so I was like, I think I made the team, but I wasn't too sure because nothing was finalized.
15:49 So, yeah, I gave them my coach's number. And then the next day they called or they texted and asked if I could meet up for a meeting.
15:59 And then they kind of just wanted to get to know me before I joined the team.
16:04 And yeah, it went from there, literally, like right after that, they started showing me around.
16:10 Is that like the proudest moment of your athletic career?
16:14 Yeah. Yes. One of them. But actually the proudest because, like I said, this never really happens.
16:21 And especially since like I took like a year and a half off, not thinking that I was going to play again.
16:27 And then I chose to try out this time and then I ended up making the team.
16:33 So how did you decide to go to TCU?
16:37 I went to TCU because I was on the pre-med track. So they had they have a really good pre-med program.
16:43 So I applied to the school and then I got an email saying that I was chosen to be a chancellor scholar.
16:52 So I definitely took that opportunity. It's full tuition. So I was like, yeah, I'm hopping on this right now.
16:58 And I went through with that. And then February, I had an interview with some of like the board, the chancellor's board.
17:09 And yeah, I got an email like a few weeks later saying that I got into the school as a chancellor scholar.
17:17 What's been the reaction of your family, friends now that you've made the squad?
17:23 They're really hype, especially like my old teammates and my old coaches and stuff.
17:28 They're all like super proud. My family, they they're they were very happy at first, which they still are.
17:36 They're always going to be. But they're also a little bit nervous because they knew like why I decided to quit basketball.
17:42 And I was just going to go like straight into school.
17:46 So they were kind of worried like what this was going to mean and like if I was still going to be on track to get into mid school, like at a certain time.
17:53 But yeah, everyone's just been very supportive.
17:57 How is it complicated? I mean, obviously, the academics, the scholar ships part of it, the smarts.
18:03 Has that complicated it or are you navigating it because you're saying, yeah, you were going to focus on school.
18:09 And now this is a great opportunity and a great life experience.
18:12 Yeah. So like now that I'm in the college, I kind of know what to expect from the academic side.
18:19 Basically, like I came into college, I had like a few credit hours from dual credit.
18:25 So I have a lot of flexibility with classes and stuff like that.
18:31 So right now I just had to like rearrange some stuff, some classes that I'm going to take in the summer and then some that I can do right now.
18:38 Like I'm just trying to wipe out all of my core stuff, but everything is manageable and I'm still on the right track.
18:44 What was coach coaches message to you all before the game? Last last game we had.
18:49 What was his message pregame? Basically, effort.
18:55 That's all we can do. Like there's a lot of injuries and we just have to fight.
19:02 That was like one of the words that we said before we broke out of every huddle in a timeout. It was like this fight.
19:08 And so so far, I think, yeah, all of the girls have done that.
19:12 They've been putting forward like a lot of effort. And I'm really happy to see that.
19:17 And what does he say, in your opinion, about coach to put this thing together despite everything that's happening to get that win?
19:28 The coach, he's great. He's really great. Like the way he can just.
19:34 I don't know. I feel like asking for a bunch of walk on is kind of a risk because you don't really know who you're going to get.
19:40 Just like walking around campus like you don't really know who's just had experience.
19:45 So, yeah, I feel like the entire coaching staff, it's just it's definitely been hard for them.
19:54 But it just I don't know. It's just really great people.
19:59 And I feel like them giving us this opportunity is just, I don't know, it's just really great.