AUBURN, Ala. – Embarking on her second season at Auburn, women's basketball coach Johnnie Harris leads a roster heavy on underclassmen but for SEC media day, she called on her veterans to represent the Tigers.
Redshirt senior Honesty Scott-Grayson and junior Aicha Coulibaly accompanied Harris to Tipoff '23.
"Being the oldest senior, I feel like I have to hold myself accountable so I can hold them accountable," said Scott-Grayson, Auburn's second leading scorer and rebounder last season.
"We've come a long way," said Coulibaly, who led the Tigers in scoring (17.1), rebounds (7.5), steals (2.2) and minutes played (32.4 per game) last season. "I think we're ready."
"They played a big key in our first season," Harris said of Auburn's upperclassman backcourt. "Their leadership is very important for how successful we'll be this year."Senior Honesty Scott-Grayson (left) and junior Aicha Coulibaly represented Auburn at SEC Tipoff '23
The 2022-23 Tigers feature eight new players: seven freshmen and junior college transfer Jakayla Johnson.
"I think they'll see a lot of energy, athleticism, excitement," Harris said. "These kids play really hard. Fans always said we played hard last year but I think they'll really see what playing hard looks like."
"They're picking up quickly," Scott-Grayson said. "They're going to shock a lot of people."
"They've come a long way," Coulibaly said. "They adjusted really quickly with the team."
For the second consecutive year, women's basketball set a Neville Arena record for season ticket sales, a testament to Harris' community outreach efforts.
"Our kids do a good job of coming into the community and trying to engage with fans," she said. "I think our fans appreciate that and they're showing it in our season ticket sales."
After an exhibition game vs. Tuskegee on Nov. 3, the Tigers tip off the season at Neville Arena Nov. 8 vs. Sam Houston, the first of four straight home games to start the second season of the Harris era on the Plains.
"We're a little bit more talented," Harris said. "We have more depth. Our kids are hungry. They're ready to play."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
🏀 Bound for B'ham & #SECTipoff @CoachJ_AU & @AuburnWBB step up to the 🎙 at #SECWBB Media Days
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) October 18, 2022
First interview of the day:
"Our kids are hungry….(fans) will really see what playing hard looks like."#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/IEeZ5s6XfN