Transfer Jade Loville showing hunger, growing at a fast pace in UA system

Arizona’s system is not the easiest to grasp, especially on the defensive side.

This is a given for every player — rookie or transfer — who comes to Arizona.

Some Wildcats never played defense in high school. Others come from a college program that doesn’t value defense the same way UA coach Adia Barnes does.

It all takes a moment to get up to speed and get comfortable playing for No. 14 Arizona (14-2, 4-1 Pac-12).

It’s ideal for some rookies to come in like Madi Conner did and each year progressively grow in the system. Now a sophomore, Conner is playing with more confidence — and a few extra positions on the court. She is even more tenacious on defense. None of this has been easy. For Conner, it comes down to the extra hours she puts in during the season and offseason.

Others, like senior transfer Jade Loville, settle in once the Pac-12 season starts.

Loville is typical of the top transfers during the portal era. In the past, players like Aari McDonald, Dominique McBryde, Tee Starks and even Shaina Pellington had to sit out a year. During that tough year of being able to only practice and not play, those players were able to take a breath and get to know their teammates and the system.

Now, transfers play right away. Getting used to things happens on the court — quickly.

Some, like Loville, are not only learning the system at a fast pace but striving to improve their game day by day.

“Jade, in particular, is super hungry, and she works super hard,” said Barnes, whose team visits Colorado on Friday. “There isn’t a day ... where she isn’t shooting. But not (just) shooting; some people go in there and just like to mess around and shoot half-court shots, it’s not like anything really. She’s in there working — passing, curling, fading off the dribble. She’s sweating and working on her game.

“If she’s even in a slump, I know it’s going to come back because she works on her craft. So you fall back to your habits. I think that’s one of the reasons why you see someone like her who is determined to go pro work on it every day because those are her goals. When you’re younger, you don’t understand that sense of urgency.”

Another former UA standout who has the same type of work ethic that McDonald and Loville have is Trinity Baptiste, who played on the 2021 national-championship team.

Barnes said that when Baptiste transferred from Virginia Tech, she was not a good defender. But she “had a mindset,” Barnes said. “She was tough.”

“She’s one of my favorites of all time,” Barnes said. “(She) wanted to be good, studied it, was going to watch film and wanted to learn so badly. She was going to be good. She ended up being one of our best defenders. And being a good defender now, (she) is having a great pro career, improved her 3-point shot, didn’t do that before.

“All these things she turned into (is) because she wanted it. When you want it, you’re going to get it. You’re going to figure out a way.

“I see that with some of the transfers. If you see quick improvements, that’s usually attributed to their mentality.”

Charters are the way to go

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For the first few years of Barnes’ tenure as UA coach, the Wildcats flew commercial. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit and Arizona invested more into the women’s program that they started flying charters.

Barnes said it is one of the best moves Arizona has made. It helps with the Wildcats’ physical and mental health. No more getting back from a road trip after 1 a.m. and having to attend an 8 a.m. class. No more exhaustion or sitting around an airport for hours. Or even worse.

One time in Colorado, Barnes, Sam Thomas and McBryde all had the flu and went back to the hotel to sleep while the rest of the team went to a restaurant to wait five hours before catching their flight.

Charters help especially during the upcoming weekend at the mountain schools, Colorado and Utah, which requires flying from one state to another.

“Chartering flights is a game-changer,” Barnes said. “If you think about it realistically, and as a conference, it is a competitive advantage when you charter. You are at a disadvantage when you don’t. Maybe if you are in L.A. because there are so many flights, but you are still at a disadvantage because the whole process takes longer.

“Less risk for flu, for strep, for COVID. You’re staying healthier. It’s way more efficient on time, you’re off your legs more, you have more freedom on the flight.

“I think it’s really not a fair situation. (Some) teams are because of finances. And (some) teams aren’t.”

Barnes knows that it’s a big expense, but she thinks there has to be a way to make it easier and level the playing field for all student-athletes at every Pac-12 school.

“There has to be deals and ways. I feel like there should be so much more done to where it’s more cost effective,” she said. “It’s shared more between partner schools. ... There has to be a way — a more budget-friendly way.”

Rim shots

For Loville, playing at Colorado and Utah are just the next road games. “We play our game, we stick to our plan and we go for for the wins,” she said.

Arizona State won’t be playing against Utah and Colorado this weekend, as injuries are piling up and the Sun Devils don’t have enough healthy players. According to the Pac-12, ASU forfeits these games, with Utah and Colorado each picking up a win. For Arizona, this means that both of their opponents will play only one game this weekend while the Wildcats will play two.

Arizona will have bus service for fans who want to attend the ASU game in Tempe on Jan. 22. To reserve a spot, call 520-232-5563 or go to Arizonawildcats.com/wbkbustrip.

Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams, both members of Arizona’s class of 2023, were named McDonald’s All-American nominees for the West team. The final 24-player roster will be announced on Jan. 24 on ESPN during the “NBA Today” show. The game will be played on March 28 in Houston.