Pure energy.
No, this isn’t a trivia test to see who can remember what famous science fiction actor’s voice was used in one of the catchiest pop music songs in 1988.
Instead, it’s an introduction to one of the nation’s most athletic and underappreciated players who just so happens to play in the Southeastern Conference.
Whether it’s sweeping to the basket on an offensive move, crashing the boards for an offensive rebound, or bouncing in rapid fire succession to snare a defensive rebound, Ole Miss senior Tia Faleru is constant motion, or, as Star Trek’s Dr. Spock, better known as Leonard Nimoy, said in the Information Society’s synth-pop song “What’s on Your Mind,” pure energy.
“It comes from within,” said Faleru, a 6-foot-1 senior forward from Ozark, Alabama. “I just have to bring it every day to get my teammates going. Also, my coach (Matt Insell) stresses that word every day: Energy, energy, energy. When you don’t play with energy, he reminds you about it.”
Faleru rarely plays without a bundle of energy. She hopes to play with that spark at 8 p.m. Thursday when Ole Miss (14-5, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) plays host to No. 18 Mississippi State (19-2, 4-2) at Tad Smith Coliseum. The SEC Network will broadcast the game.
Faleru is the only player in the SEC who is averaging a double-double. She is second in the league in scoring (15.9 points per game) and is first in rebounding (10.5). Considering how challenging it is to reach double figures in two statistical categories in one game, it is even more impressive that Faleru is making it a nightly habit. She leads the SEC with eight double-doubles this season. She is sixth in Ole Miss history with 28.
Insell, who is in his second season as coach at Ole Miss, said Faleru epitomizes energy when she is on the court.
“Tia is a model of that,” Insell said. “When she has energy, our team has energy. It is a big responsibility. She has been doing it unbelievably well since Christmas.”
On a team with five freshmen and a sophomore and junior transfer, Faleru has emerged as one of the team leaders. She feels she always has tried to set the tone with the way she plays. This season, she believes she has improved as a vocal leader. She admits transitioning to the role has been a challenge because she said she gets hard on herself at times.
Insell recalls one instance earlier this season following a 64-58 loss at then-No. 11 Kentucky when Faleru told him, “I am sorry I let you down. I didn’t finish a couple of shots late.” Faleru’s comments came after she scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and nearly led the Rebels, who were picked 14th in the preseason SEC poll, to one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Insell said Faleru has moved into the role of go-to player and taken over a bigger leadership role since the graduation of senior point guard Valencia McFarland. He said there have been several instances this season — most recently in games against Georgia and at Florida — that Faleru has spoken up in team huddles and told him to get her the basketball and that she will make things happen. Insell said that confidence and energy rubs off on his players.
“Our team wouldn’t be where we are without Tia Faleru,” Insell said. “When she speaks, it is real powerful to our team. In the past, she really didn’t speak a lot. She would talk to me and tell me things, but she would not talk to her teammates on the court. This year has been a huge change.”
Faleru averaged 16.4 points and 9.8 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per game last season. Her totals are comparable this season in 31 minutes per game. She also leads the team in offensive rebounding (78), field goal percentage (54 percent), free throws attempted (104), and blocked shots (30). She is second on the team with 44 steals. As a result, Ole Miss already has eclipsed its win total from last season (12). A victory tonight in the team’s third-straight game against a ranked opponent will guarantee it will finish the regular season with a winning record and, most likely, secure it at least a bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
At the beginning of the week, Ole Miss had a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of 80 and a Strength of Schedule (SOS) of 156, according to the NCAA and RealTimeRPI.com. The selection committee for the NCAA tournament uses both statistics to select the at-large teams for the 64-team field.
Faleru and Insell are shooting higher than the WNIT. A change to a half-court offense that features more motion and gives players greater freedom to create has provided a lift. Faleru, who can start on the wing and use her athleticism to attack the rim, has flourished in the new style, working off ball screens and taking advantage of the space on the floor to make things happen.
“It is a tremendous difference,” Faleru said of the change in offenses. “We are not stagnant. We are moving more and there are more opportunities for everybody to score. The floor is spread so have more room to work. … He couldn’t have put in a better offense.”
Ole Miss’ offense now has more of a pro-style look in that players have the ability to create for themselves. When help defenders come, the hope is players will find their teammates for open perimeter shots. The decision to space the floor also opens lanes to the basket for an energetic player like Faleru to use her size, strength, and leaping ability to wreak havoc on the offensive boards.
That skill set has attracted the attention of professional scouts and coaches who have visited Oxford to see Faleru practice. Insell believes Faleru will have a chance to play basketball at the next level because she is a “model student-athlete” who has shown tremendous growth in one season. Faleru’s maturation has elevated the program and put it ahead of schedule.
“I don’t think a lot of people felt we would be in this position in year two,” Insell said. “We were picked 14th (in the SEC preseason poll). … I talk to them about what it takes to get to the NCAA tournament. We have to get to 8-8 and then we will be in the discussion. We know 9-7 gets us in it.
“We know a win Thursday night will guarantee us a winning season for the first time in a long time. … Within a week we have a chance to get two top-20 wins. If we pull it out Thursday, we will have two top-20 wins. That puts you in and gives you a chance to be in the mix.”
If Faleru, who was a second-team pick on the preseason All-SEC team, has anything to say about it, she will use her energy to be in the center of that action. Insell most likely will write the word energy on the board in the locker room before the game to remind the Rebels, but don’t worry because Faleru won’t take the court without the kind of pep in her step that makes it difficult for defenders to find a way to slow her down.
“Since (coach Insell) got here I have been able to take my game to another level,” said Faleru, who has dreamed about playing in the WNBA for a long time. “He believes in me a lot more. … Everything he is doing is working. We’re trying to buy into what he is doing, and I am trying to finish my senior year on a good note.
“I see our program going to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament years from now. With the talent we have, hopefully we can make that run this year. We have tremendous talent, and once I leave they will continue to have a lot of talent. I believe they will make NCAA tournament appearances every year from now on.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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