Brewer has the right idea for first practice

Alyssia Brewer imagined two different scenarios for her first official women's basketball practice at Tennessee.

Both centered around UT coach Pat Summitt. One was definitely of the worst-case variety.

"She's going to try to make us die and go home,'' the Lady Vols freshman said.

The other was a lot less ominous.

"It's going to more teaching and trying to get everything down and in our heads,'' she said.

Brewer was happy to report that the second scenario played out during the course of 2 1/2-plus hours at Pratt Pavilion on Friday. The 6-foot-3 forward made a good first impression as one of six first-year players.

"That's the hardest I've seen (Alyssia) Brewer play since she got here,'' Summitt said. "That's the most she's left on the court."

For Brewer, it was the one response that was suitable for either situation.

"I didn't have any backup plan or anything for that,'' she said, referring to her other practice possibility. "I just took it as: If I'm going to die, I'm going to die. I'm not going to let myself want to go home. I'm going to stick it out. I made it this far. I made it through the preseason with Heather and making it through with Heather is a big deal."

The reference was to Heather Mason, the Lady Vols strength and conditioning coach. Her preseason work with the team will be especially useful during the next few weeks, as the players get accustomed to the physical and mental demands of practice.

"It's an amazingly positive group,'' Mason said, "really hungry, wanting to see where they could go.

"The just didn't know the intensity of hard work. They needed it. Then they benefitted."

Redshirt freshman center Kelley Cain said Mason's drills have made the rigors of practice more one-dimensional.

"It's not physical because Heather prepared us well for this,'' Cain said. "It's more of a mental thing."

The next challenge is making it through consecutive workouts. Friday was the first of five in a row before an off day.

"It comes down to having your mentality straight,'' Brewer said. "You have to know how to stay focused and you have to know with Pat that you can't give up. That's a weakness and she will find that in you and try to put you down more and more and more. It's not in a bad way. It's to motivate you."

Notebook: As expected sophomore forward Vicki Baugh, who's recovering from offseason knee surgery, sat out practice. Her condition will be evaluated on a daily basis.