How Kellie Harper said Tennessee Lady Vols Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson make each other better

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Tennessee Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper has two of the best players in the country in Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston.

At SEC Media Day in Mountain Brook, Alabama, on Tuesday, Harper shed some light on how those two players, who were both named to the preseason All-SEC first team, have thrived on competing against each other.

"When Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston are going one-on-one and they're guarding each other each and every day – it's exciting," Harper said. "They're making each other better. They're pushing each other."

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Both players are elite scorers – Horston averaged 16.2 points and Jackson 20.3 last season – and will be centerpieces of Tennessee's offense this season. But Harper said they're both elite defenders, too.

"The challenge of going up against that every day has to be pushing them and getting them better," Harper said. "So I'm excited for both of them, and I love the way they've embraced that competition."

Tennessee guard Jordan Horston (25) and guard/forward Marta Su‡rez (33) during the Lady Vols' first practice at Pratt Pavilion on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.
Tennessee guard Jordan Horston (25) and guard/forward Marta Su‡rez (33) during the Lady Vols' first practice at Pratt Pavilion on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.

Harper said Jackson has been a great teammate, and not just to Horston. Her teammates have made comments to Harper about how Jackson is a great encourager and a positive force on the team. But that doesn't mean Jackson isn't just as competitive as she is caring.

"They are teammates and they know it," Harper said of Horston and Jackson. "They're pulling for each other. But I'm telling you, as soon as I put them on opposite teams, they're gonna be the first to step up and guard each other as well. And it's fun as a coach."

The competition between the two seniors bodes well for Tennessee. Horston was the engine of the Lady Vols team that overachieved last season and Jackson highlights the talented transfer class Harper brought in this season – now they just have to blend it together.

Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson (2) during the Lady Vols' first practice at Pratt Pavilion on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.
Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson (2) during the Lady Vols' first practice at Pratt Pavilion on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.

Tennessee was picked to finish second in the SEC by the media and came in at No. 5 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. The ranking is almost as high as the Lady Vols' peak at No. 4 last season, and it's their highest preseason ranking since the 2015-16 season.

The Lady Vols were ranked No. 15 going into the 2021-22 season in the AP Top 25 and No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

In Kellie Harper's first two years, Tennessee wasn't ranked going into the season. But last season UT was ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Lady Vols were ranked for the entire 2021-22 season, reaching as high as No. 4 on Jan. 24.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Kellie Harper said Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson push each other