JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After the Carson-Newman exhibition game against No. 13 North Carolina, Eagle Sports Network broadcaster Michael Wottreng sat down with Tar Heels head coach Sylvia Hatchell to discuss her thoughts on Carson-Newman. Hatchell is a 1974 graduate of Carson-Newman and a 1998 Carson-Newman Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.

Hatchell was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Wottreng: Take us back to some of your playing days. You played volleyball and basketball at Carson-Newman. What was it like back in Mossy Creek in those days?

Hatchell: It was great with such a sense of community. I still think that's one of the things that makes Carson-Newman unique is that sense of community that everybody has. Carson-Newman is all about the people that are still there and the ones that have gone through Carson-Newman and that's what makes it such a special place. I enjoyed all of my friends there, playing volleyball and basketball. I wasn't very good in volleyball, but I was a lot better in basketball. It was one of the best times of my life. I have such a love for the place but moreso for the people.

Wottreng: How much of an opportunity do you get to keep up with Carson-Newman athletics?

Hatchell: Oh I keep up with them, trust me. I check the football scores every Sunday morning to see how Carson-Newman does. I keep up with all of the rankings especially during the basketball season for both the men and the women. I have people and friends at a lot of the other schools in the conference. I love to rag them and give them a hard time because Carson-Newman wins a lot. My husband went to Mars Hill so Carson-Newman has always beaten up on Mars Hill so I give him a hard time about that too. Carson-Newman has made me proud many many times.

Wottreng: Explain to us what it means to you as a coach to give back to current student-athletes with the women's basketball team being able to come out to Chapel Hill and face the Tar Heels.

Hatchell: It's about giving back. I've always believed givers gain and giving the athletes that are there now an opportunity. I had opportunities there. We didn't have a lot of money and we had to take vans and cars. Sometimes we had money for a meal. Whenever I get a chance to do that, I want to do it especially for people that mean so much to me and places that have given me such a tremendous experience. A place that helped me. I just didn't land here at the University of North Carolina. Lots of people helped me get here and a lot of people are Carson-Newman people.

Wottreng: You had an opportunity to speak with the team after the game. What did you say to them in the locker room?

Hatchell: I told them how impressed I was with how they played especially in the first half. They weren't afraid of us. They came out and were organized. They moved the ball around. They battled. They competed hard and got on the boards with us. They played with a lot of pride. I told them 'if you carry that into your conference and you'll be able to compete with everyone that you play and there's a good chance you can win the conference'. That's what Carson-Newman people are about, taking advantage of opportunities, competing and helping each other out. Once you give and help people, it always comes back to you tenfold. I learned that when I was at Carson-Newman and I tried to carry that with me throughout my career. That's what makes Carson-Newman so special. It's the people. They aren't average. They always put other people and other things above them, but yet they always get lifted up because of the attitude and mentality and spirit that Carson-Newman has.

Wottreng: How do you take the mentality that Carson-Newman taught you to the Division I level?

Hatchell: Champions are made the same way on every level. It doesn't matter if it's NAIA, Division II, Division I, pros or whatever. The chemistry that you have with a group of players is what helps you win a championship. I learned so many things from people at Carson-Newman about putting a group of people together and exceeding expectations. Never let someone tell you that you can't do something. You can always do something. I've exceeded expectations because of the mentality that I developed when I was at Carson-Newman.

Wottreng: I can't thank you enough for your time coach. Best of luck this season.

Hatchell: Go Eagles!

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