Jade Loville will be the first to tell you that her game is a work in progress.
She works on it every single day β in and out of practice.
Thatβs part of what make her stand out besides her natural abilities, including that jump in her jump shot.
Itβs her desire to keep improving. And not just her shot, although she spends plenty of hours perfecting that. Itβs also her defense, something she has put a real emphasis on as a Wildcat.
The Star talked to Loville this week to learn more about one little thing she is doing better on defense that is making all the difference.
Itβs not something that shows up in the stat sheet, but itβs something to watch closely when No. 19 Arizona hosts Washington at 7 p.m. Friday at McKale Center. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks with former Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne β Lovilleβs former coach β on the call.
βItβs just taking my matchup personal,β the fifth-year transfer wing said. βAnytime we have a matchup, itβs to shut them down and to give them a night of hell pretty much.β
What does that look like?
A: βWhen my player has the ball, itβs more, βOK, youβre not getting by me. Youβre not going to shoot it in my face. Iβm going to try to contain you as well as I can. If you dribble into the paint and kick it out, for that moment, I did my job. Now, let me help my teammate and get into help side and do that.β
Just taking it personal and going into it like, βOK, youβre not going to score on me and if you do, youβre not going to do it again.β That helps with my defensive intensity. Obviously, on offense, the mentality is to get a bucket now. On defense, itβs to stop you and stop your teammates. ...
β Iβm going to try to hold you under your average and do anything that I need to do. Part of that is just adjusting. Letβs say youβre more so a driver and not a shooter and youβre a short closeout. OK, Iβm going to short close out. But if you start getting hot and shooting in my face, now I need to full close out and knowing to adjust within the game is something that Iβm focusing on β being more aware of who Iβm guarding and what their tendencies are.
βThat has helped me with not giving up straight-line drives, and thatβs something that really bugs me. If you can go from A to B, straight-line drive, and I couldnβt keep you in front of me, then Iβm not doing my job. Now itβs personal. Once that happens, OK, now it canβt happen again.β
How did your mindset change?
A: βIβm a competitor, and I watch all the broadcasts from Pac-12 Network and ESPN β wherever we play β and I hear, βJade has the offense, time to get that defense up.β I take that very personal, and now itβs competitive for me.
β Iβm very aware of what I need to work on, and Iβm going to work on it because Iβm very driven. I work very hard, and when you tell me something that I canβt do or that I need to work on, Iβm going to do it. I have to prove it. I love that honesty thatβs on the broadcast, because I do need to work on it and thatβs totally fine. β¦
β(We) really focus on it in practice. Weβre playing one-on-one every day. Iβm in opportunities to really work on my defense with closeouts and all these other things. This is great for me, because itβs something that I need to show.
βSo Iβm just going into every day like, βOK, there are some growing pains. There are times where Iβm getting beat in practice and getting exposed. I need to work on these things.β
βSometimes you need to be exposed to in order to learn and to grow. Growing pains are our thing, and thatβs OK. My coaches are great. Theyβre patient with me; theyβre teaching me every day. Thatβs the part of my game that Iβm very willing and open to accept and work on.
βAs long as youβre willing to work on the things that youβre not so great at, I think your growth is limitless.β
What are some of the things that Adia Barnes and Salvo Coppa are teaching you in practice to help you improve?
βWe really break down our technique. (The coaches) explained to us, βOK, this isnβt going to be fun. It may seem a little elementary, but the technique is the foundation of everything.β
βWhen I was struggling with my shot, it was back to the basics with my form shooting. With defense, itβs how am I chopping my feet? Where on my feet am I balancing? On my heels? Am I on my toes? I think that has definitely helped with just staying light on my feet. Being able to really get my first slides to be not short but long enough to stop people in this direction β but also on balance to change direction if I need to.
βWorking on that technique and knowing where my hands are, because we tend to get in foul trouble. Having active hands without fouling and all those technique things are what helps with our defensive closeouts and positioning. That has been huge for me.
βThen, just watching my own film and seeing, if I got beat, where were my feet? How did I close out? Did I close out top side? What did I give the (opponent)r? Was I slow on my closeout?
βBeing aware of all those things. Really studying my own film has helped me to be aware of my tendencies and to learn from that.
βI watch my teammates because I am with them every day. I learn from Shana Pellington. I learn from Helena (Pueyo) β just to see how theyβre able to pressure the ball full court. Thatβs something that I want to be able to do. I actually watch their technique, and I see how they move. That has helped me because those are the defenders that are hardest to score on in practice. β¦ For Shaina to apply her quickness or her lateral quickness to her defense is an art form.
βI do have that lateral quickness that I havenβt used to my advantage as much. Thereβs just something with my technique that I need to fix.
βThen the physical part is the bridge that Iβm connecting right now. With my size (5-11) and my athleticism, thereβs no reason that I shouldnβt be locking (opponents) down.
βIβm definitely getting after it within these next couple of games. I canβt wait to just continue to grow and continue to watch the games and (hear the broadcasters) say, βOh Jade really picked up her defense,β because Iβm very cognitive about it. Iβm a competitor, like I said, and thatβs definitely something Iβm going to do.β