SEC basketball media day was held Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama.
Former Tennessee and second-year Missouri head coach Kellie Harper discussed having two guards this season from Knoxville, Tennessee: Natalya Hodge and junior Sydney Mains.
"We have two players from Knoxville, Tennessee," Harper said. "I think they knew each other during recruiting process, so for Natalya Hodge to have someone she knew on campus I think was good for her recruitment. I think there was a connection there.
"They're both extremely personable young women. They have friends within our team, outside team already. They've been great. I do know that they have connected a couple of times getting back and forth. Travel buddies. I think for them it's pretty cool."
Hodge is
a freshman and was a four-year starter for Bearden High School. She was a four-time all-state player for the Lady Bulldogs and a four-time Miss Basketball Finalist. Hodge scored over 3,000 points in her high school career and was named PrepXtra Player of the Year and 5Star Preps Player of the Year for 2024-25 the season.
Mains, a junior and FAU transfer. As a freshman in the 2024-25 season, she played in three games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
Mains was a four-year starter at Catholic High School. She played for her father, Travis Mains. She helped Catholic win two TSSAA Division II-AA state championships from 2022-23 and was a state tournament MVP. Sydney Mains was a three-time Miss Basketball finalist (2022-24) and scored 2,325 points in her high school career, converting 356 three-point attempts.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: SEC media day: Kellie Harper discusses Knoxville players with Missouri
