Karen Blair has March Madness ambitions for Georgia Tech women’s basketball

Karen Blair has made her ambitions clear for Georgia Tech women’s basketball as she enters her second season as coach.

“Ultimately, we want to be a part of the NCAA Tournament when March rolls around,” she said. “That’s what we’re looking to do.”

The Yellow Jackets return four starters, including All-ACC guard Talayah Walker, and have added a collection of newcomers as they look to improve on last season’s 14-19 record.

The season begins Monday against Hofstra at McCamish Pavilion.

“The culture is established,” Blair said. “The work ethic and the standard is set.

“And for me, it’s that relationship and that trust is built so you’re able to push. You know how to motivate them and push them to be better coming into year two.”

Walker, a junior guard, is expected to be a cornerstone player.

She was one of 50 players named to the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year watch list after averaging 17.5 points and 6.1 rebounds a game last season.

Blair said Walker still has room to grow.

The coaching staff has challenged her to bring greater intensity on the defensive end, hoping that creating more turnovers will lead to easier transition opportunities.

Georgia Tech’s offseason work in the transfer portal also had Walker in mind. The goal was to add guard depth, improve shot-making and strengthen ball handling, giving Walker more opportunities to operate without shouldering as much of the offensive burden.

“She’s passionate,” Blair said of Walker. “She’s easy to coach. She’s easy to push, and she pushes herself, and she expects a lot for herself.”

The Jackets held preseason scrimmages against Furman and Vanderbilt, and Blair came away encouraged by the team’s progress from beyond the arc and the added backcourt depth. Those were the coaching staff’s primary objectives entering the offseason.

Maryland transfer Kyndal Walker has been one of the players helping address those needs.

“You talk about her energy that she brings on the defensive end, it’s elite,” Blair said. “She can come in and she impacts the game immediately.”

The nonconference schedule includes teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, including West Virginia, TCU, Georgia, Alabama and Princeton. Blair said the challenging slate was intentional, designed to prepare the Yellow Jackets for ACC competition.

Blair is still working through lineups and determining which combinations work best. Georgia Tech opens the season with three games in seven days against Hofstra, Samford and No. 24 West Virginia.