University Southern California Trojans
2007 NCAA Women's Tournament Press Conference Quotes
March 18, 2007 | Women's Basketball
March 18, 2007
2007 NCAA® DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif. Sunday, March 18, 2007 Press Conference Quotes
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening statement
"It's beautiful still being here. Give Terra Wallace a lot of credit. She wanted the ball and she was their go to player. We worked a lot on making decisions because when we go against George Washington, it's going to be tough because as most of you know, Coach Joe McKeown is my best friend in coaching and it's going to be tough going against your best friend. We've done a lot of things together and we've talked a lot of basketball together. It's going to be fun but it's still about George Washington and about Texas A&M. The girls on the court are going to decide it--not us coaches. If the coaches are going to decide anything, we're going to decide it on the golf course."
On his relationships with George Washington head coach Joe McKeown
"He won't be my best friend tomorrow night. He'll just be an opponent and a very well respected opponent. I like their basketball team. They should not be a #5 seed. They rolled through their conference schedule undefeated and they get beat at the buzzer [in the championship game]. Eventually, we're going to have to play each other anyway so you might as well do it out here in Southern California."
On matching up against George Washington
"Their guards are large and these kids can shoot over us. They're excellent at shooting. They have an excellent transition game and we need to get back. I think again, you're looking at a great point guard battle between Kimberly Beck and A'Quonesia Franklin. We're going to go into it trying to play A&M ball."
On George Washington sophomore center Jessica Adair
"I had no idea Adair was that good until yesterday when I saw her in person. She's not Courtney Paris [Oklahoma Sooner center] but she's a pretty doggone good imitation and she will be an All-American before her career is over."
On La Toya Micheaux's development this year and the match-up against Adair
"She's learned how to play defense without fouling. This year, she's able to get 25-32 minutes depending on personnel. She's not afraid to throw a body in there and protect the paint and she's turned into a better passer than scorer this year. Her assists are double from last year. We need to get her involved more on the offensive side mainly to keep Adair from playing the entire game. She works hard in practice and never takes a day off."
On George Washington defensive pressure "We're just going to outscore them. I'm not going into specifics on what we're going to do. We just find a way and that's all we're going to do. The adjustments made in the ball game are what is going to decide the game--not necessarily what's going on in the practice court today."
On Morenike Atunrase's injuries
"Morenike doesn't make excuses for herself. Look at Ohio State yesterday. One of their players was out and they still had one of the top centers in the game and still lost. We don't make excuses. We give opportunities to other girls and Starks and Gant have really taken over that role. Depending on match-ups, we've got five kids that can do it. We talk consistently about getting over it and getting through it. I think all it's going to take is one great defensive game to get it in her head that she can play at the level that she has played at in the past two years."
On longer layoff since conference championship helping
"The time off does not help. I've listened to coaches talk about that. Everything's new to us. The good thing about having played Iowa State is that it might help us get ready for George Washington. Joe is going to do what he always does. He's not going to change what he does for us. The winner is going to go to Dallas and the loser is going to go to the golf course but we want to go home to Dallas and play."
On George Washington's defensive intensity, going 19-0 to start against Boise State
"If we're down 19-0, I will go down to the end of the bench and throw coach McKeown's crutch up into the stands. I don't know what it will be but we'll have to do something different."
Texas A&M Sophomore Guard/Forward Danielle Gant
On her role in tomorrow's game
"I think I'll be playing more on the wing. If I do play down low, I'll just have to use my inside pivot. Guarding their guards, I'll just do the same thing."
Texas A&M Junior Forward Katy Pounds
On George Washington's defense
"I think George Washington is a solid team and I think for us to be successful, we have to make the right decisions. We have to block out. We need to attack that zone if it's a zone."
On using the last win to boost experience
"I played on a high school team that had a lot of success. Both Morenike and I were part of state championships teams and we both know that to get to the next level in the NCAA tournament, it's going to take our team stepping up. Each game can be your last and that's the attitude that you have to take with it. You have to look at it from that standpoint and that you have to go out there and control the game from the tip."
On setting the tone in the game
"We play in the second best power conference in the country. We play teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Baylor and it's always important for us to come in and set the tone in the game. You won't find it very often that we'll go into a Big 12 game and we let the opponent set the tone for the game. It doesn't matter what gym, it depends on the heart and the character of your players. We want to go out and we want to set the tone for the other players. When we're up and playing defense, Coach Blair's heart rate is not as high."
Texas A&M Junior Guard/Forward Morenike Atunrase
On defending the George Washington guards
"It's just another game. It's the same thing I've been doing the last few games. I have to go out and defend. I trust in my teammates to help me. I don't have any doubt in my mind that my teammates will step up. Coach Blair goes out and recruits players like myself such as Danielle Gant. It's not about scoring all the time but just to use my quickness to help my teammates to the best of my ability."
On being prepared for George Washington's play in general
"I think one thing we've always done as a team and that goes back to all the veterans we have on the team and that's that we don't panic when we get down. We practiced yesterday in the gym as if we had to miss a free throw, get the rebound and go back up with it. I think with George Washington, we need to keep up our defensive energy and it will continue through out the game."
Texas A&M Sophomore Center La Toya Micheaux
On what the team needs to work on in the next game
"First off we need to work on our transition defense. Second off we need to work on our rebounding. Last game we allowed them to have like twenty-five offensive rebounds. We need to have the bigs get in and get some rebounds. Plus, when we get more offensive rebounds we get more possessions and more opportunities for us to score. We need to play our style on offense and defense and just come out and play hard. George Washington is a great team. They have a nice point guard and a nice post player and if we can just contain those two and control the game then I think we will be alright." On the overall team feeling going into the second round game "Last year when we came to the NCAA we were just happy to make it there. This year it is more like a business. We are here to get the job done. Our major goal is to just get back to Dallas. Once we get there we will be playing for our fans. It will not just be about us. People are waiting for us back at home."
Texas A&M Junior Guard A'Quonesia Franklin
On opponent George Washington
"They are a great ball club. They were like 16-0 in their conference. They lost one game in the conference tournament but they are a very great team. Their zone is outstanding. It is one of the best in the country. They are an outstanding team and are well coached."
On some of the keys to getting a win
"One of the keys is to adjust to the match-up zone that they have. We will have to rebound and get the ball inside. They have a great point guard and a great team altogether. We have to limit the touches of their post player inside and our main thing is to adjust to the zone."
Louisville Head Coach Tom Collen
On Arizona State
"We're excited about this game. We've got great respect for Arizona State's program. I know Charli Turner-Thorne very well. They did a great job all season and were rewarded with a great seed - they deserve that. I think they're going to be a much tighter team than BYU. They're going to pressure us - that's their game. They really like to get out and score a lot of points. It's going to be a good game."
On what a win tomorrow would mean to Louisville's program
"When I got hired four years ago, our goal was to go to a Final Four and to win a National Championship. You kind of work in that direction and take it in stages because it's not something that happens over night. Making it to the NCAA last year really helped us and motivated us to take it a step further. I think our kids worked hard during the regular season and understood the importance of acquiring a good seed and having an opportunity to advance. Now the bar is raised. You've got to make it to the Sweet 16 before you can make it to the Final Four. Right now our goal is that second round win."
Louisville Junior Guard Patrika Barlow
On if quick turnaround made it tough to prepare for opponent
"We obviously expected the three seed to win the game, so I think we focused more on ASU than on UC Riverside. It was good that Arizona State did come back to win because we were more ready to play them."
On what school in the Big East compares with Arizona State
"I would compare ASU with UConn or Rutgers - teams that play in your face. I wouldn't say that I like that, because obviously you don't like somebody in your face the whole game. But I'll be ready to deal with that pressure as well as I can."
Louisville Senior Forward Jazz Covington
On watching Arizona State's resolve in their comeback against UCR
"I think everyone is going to put up a fight, regardless if you're down by 30 or if you're down by 50. Nobody wants it to be over right now. Arizona State is going to bring it. They're going to dig deep to fight hard if they get down. If we get down, we're going to fight hard to get back in it because nobody wants to lose."
On possibly making the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history
"It means a lot to this program. It means this program is carrying a world of weight. I don't know if this university has ever got to the Sweet 16, so that says a lot right there. We're just trying to reach new heights for this university and this program."
Louisville Junior Forward Yuliya Tokova
On Louisville's advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998
"Well for me being international, I just recently realized how big the NCAA [Tournament] is. It's the time of the year we're all working for, and we won the first game, and I'm really excited because I'm looking forward to going further than the second round. Even yesterday [Saturday] when we got to the locker room, [Coach Tom Collen] was like, `Well, girls, I just want to say you did a really great job, but we cannot stop.' It was a really great win, but right after the game we went back to the hotel, we ate, and we watched film on the team we're going to play tomorrow. We have to go forward."
On Arizona State's style of play
"I know they are really aggressive because of the clips we watched yesterday [Saturday] - both offense and defense. The Pac-10 has really good teams, and we just have to step up. I know they will bring a lot of pressure, but playing in the Big East against teams like UConn and Rutgers that pressure us full court, it's not going to stop us because we've played against some good teams."
Louisville Freshman Guard Brandie Radde
On her first NCAA Tournament game
"I thought it went pretty well. I was able to knock down a couple shots, and we got a win. That was our biggest thing - we were able to advance and move on in the first round for the first time in a while."
On Louisville's advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament
"We're just relieved to get the first win, and we're excited about that, but now we know we have to focus and get a win in the second round. We really want to advance as far as we can, but we know we have to take it win by win. To get the first round win was big because it hadn't been done in a while."
On Arizona State's style of play
"I think it might be a little more high pace. It'll probably be a more up-and-down game on both ends offensively and defensively."
On how Arizona State might respond after a close first-round win against UC Riverside
"Hopefully Riverside wore them down a bit, but we know that could have just been a bad game. They could refocus for the next game even more because of it."
George Washington Head Coach Joe McKeown
Opening statement
"I'm really proud of our team. We've got a great matchup tomorrow night against Texas A&M. Two teams that had great, great seasons - both teams have been in the top 10 in the country. It should be a lot of fun and there is a lot of anticipation. For our players to have a chance to go to the Sweet 16 by playing the Big 12 Champions, this is just great."
On how he met Texas A&M coach Gary Blair
"I was at the University of Oklahoma. He was at Louisiana Tech. We were just trying to get things going at OU. He helped me a lot back in those days. He knew every great player in the country. He took time out to help me break in. We traveled in recruiting circles together and just got to be great friends. We're great friends. We talk every week, sometimes three, four times a week."
On playing Texas A&M as opposed to Tennessee or North Carolina
"When you watch them on tape and you watch them beat Oklahoma, Texas, or Baylor, I'm not so sure they shouldn't be a higher seed also. The great thing is that three of the last four years we've had to play on someone's home court, so with this being a neutral site it makes it a little easier on us. But they're a terrific team."
On importance of getting of to a fast start early in the game "If we start 19-0 tomorrow, I'll throw the crutch out myself. I thought Jessica (Adair) really set the tone early against Boise. I think it's important tomorrow that we're able to run our offense, handle their pressure and really take care of the basketball."
On scouting Texas A&M
"(Danielle) Gant was great inside. We've got to make sure she doesn't post us up like she did to Arlington. We have a little more size than UTA did. The other thing that concerns me is that Morenike (Atunrase) has had such a great year starting and then got hurt, and she can go up and down, but she has one more night that she's relaxing. They just have so many people who can hurt you, people who can pass and shoot. A'Quonesia Franklin is one of the premier guards in the country. Her and Beck is going to be a great matchup. I'd pay to see that."
George Washington Junior Guard Kimberly Beck
On not having to play a no. 1 or 2 seed on their home floor
"It's definitely a relief not to have to play a Tennessee or UNC for your second game, but we're still going to have the same mentality: trying to win. Texas A&M is a great team, really athletic just like the teams we play so we're going to bring it just like we would with the others."
On Texas A&M
"They are a very athletic team, very quick. Kind of like a Georgia or Maryland a little bit. They have some size. It's their quickness and athleticism that reminds me more of Georgia."
George Washington Junior Guard Sarah-Jo Lawrence
On if the experience from the past couple years helped prepare them
"I definitely think the experience of playing in front of a sold-out crowd last year, and we really played well, was a plus for us."
On Jessica Adair
"She has a nice fade-away jumper."
George Washington Sophomore Center/Forward Jessica Adair
On inside game
"I'm going to have the same mentality as yesterday: try my best and play my game. That's about it."
On people comparing her to Oklahoma's Courtney Paris
"I guess we play similarly. We're both an inside presence, which is important to our teams."
Arizona State Head Coach Charli Turner Thorne
Opening statement
"We're happy to still be here and again, just want to thank the NCAA and USC for being such great hosts. I think having time to reflect on our first game, I really do think that the 12 or13 days without playing a game did affect us. We were rusty. It took us a while to remember who we are and what we really do."
On her relationship with Louisville coach Tom Collen
"We go back quite a ways. I've known Tom for a long time. At one point, after I was in coaching for a year or two, he tried to get me to go coach with him at Purdue. He was at a real turning point in his career but credit the athletic director at Louisville who gave him the opportunity to become a head coach and obviously, he's shown that he is a tremendous head coach."
On battling with Louisville's size
"They're really not any bigger than most of the teams in our own conference so it's business as usual for us. Again, you have to rebound for 40 minutes. We need at least four people on the court to rebound well at a time to at least break even and I think it's very important to limit Louisville's second chance shots."
On having to surviving a scare on the way to a championship
"You go back and forth as a coach. Part of you would like to have the game that Louisville had and blow the team out but part of you likes the scare. Frankly, that's what we've done the past two years. One year, we had a good game and one year we didn't. I think that you're going to have a scare where maybe it's a tough match-up but you're going to have to find a way to win but we've been finding a way to win all year.
On coming back from close games with better games
"Sometimes, I wish they would learn more but it's definitely pride and resiliency. I think it's just their will to win. We take it personal but they do work hard and they do learn lessons. I think it's a trademark of our Arizona State teams. We don't lose back-to-back games frankly. We're going to keep it that way."
Arizona State Sophomore Guard Briann January
On keys to winning Monday's game against Louisville
"I think rebounding is the key to winning this game really. We know that they have great size but we've played great size all year and we're capable of battling for rebounds."
Arizona State Junior Guard Regan Pariseau
On comparing Louisville to a Pac-10 team
"Their athleticism matches the guards from USC. They're explosive and they can jump. They're very athletic so they can compare."
Arizona State Senior Guard Jill Noe
On coming out rusty against UC Riverside
"I don't think we took them lightly. It's March madness and everyone comes into the game knowing that they could go home the next day. Like coach said, we were rusty at first but we got back to Sundevil basketball and figured things out."
Arizona State Senior Forward Emily Westerberg
On Saturday's comeback against UC Riverside
"It's one and done in the NCAA Tournament, and you really have to come out with a passion. We hadn't played in two weeks, and so I think we were a little rusty. But we found some resiliency, and we fought for last 20 minutes of game, and we're really proud of that. We knew that the way we could control the second half was with our defense. So we didn't really focus on the scoring at all - we focused on how we could rebound better and how we could turn up our defense. I think that it what helped us get back in the game."
On Monday's game against Louisville
"We're only guaranteed another 40 minutes together, and so we want to be proud of the effort we give on Monday night. We're going to fight every possession. We're not going to wait until the last 20 minutes of the ballgame. We're going to start early."
Arizona State Sophomore Guard Danielle Orsillo
On playing through being sick against UC Riverside on Saturday
"I got sick. I was playing, and it was coming up, and they wouldn't let me come out. I was trying to not throw up on the floor. I feel fine now. I've been doing that all week. It's not really sickness or flu - it's reflux, I think. I was feeling like I was going to throw up the whole game, and then finally I drank a little too much water, and it just decided nope, no more. I've been dealing with that for a little while, but I just don't think about it. But then it reminds me when it comes up."
On how Arizona State might respond after a close first-round win against UC Riverside
"I think we'll have the advantage with the fans, and we've played here before. I've had some good games here. So I like it here."
