University of Colorado Athletics
Women's Basketball Media Day Quotes
October 17, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Colorado held its annual Basketball Media Day Monday morning at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The Buffaloes are preparing for their first exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. against the Colorado School of Mines. Here are the quotes from Monday's press conference:
Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller
General
“I'd like to thank everyone for coming. We would like to consider this, obviously, a new era for Colorado Basketball. I myself have a great respect for the tradition, Coach (Ceal) Barry, what she has done for this program and what she stands for. To replace a legend like Coach Barry, I feel very blessed and humbled. I know myself, my staff and my team have a great challenge ahead of us. It is a situation where we can build the confidence of the new players in the program and find ways to win.”
On Saturday's First Practice
“It was exciting to get a start to the season this Saturday. It was a couple hours of ups and downs and I think our players have really embraced the system faster and quicker than I ever expected. I inherited a team of great young women who I feel comfortable with on and off the court.”
On Short Term Goals
“First we need to work on recruiting new players, and improving the players who are already in the system. Second we need to take on the schedule, take on the teams we have ahead of us and put a system of young players on the floor who are going to challenge night in and night out.”
On Kara Richards and Jasmina Ilic
“These two have worked as hard as any two players I have seen. Kara is funny, she always makes me laugh. I think for us to be successful she needs to be in the middle. She makes a good environment whether we are doing good or bad things, and I think you need that on the court. Jasmina is a challenge to the coaching staff in that every time she steps on the floor she is looking to improve.”
On Whitney Law
“I am most impressed with Whitney's ability to run a team and she has adjusted quickly to this system. She is definitely showing signs of wanting to be a starter. Her health has been fine since I have arrived here at
On a New Style of Play
“I am familiar with the triangle offense and I think that most of the players still have the triangle mentality in the passes and cuts that they make. I think the new system will allow our players to develop into the best players for their position. They will have the ability to get up and down the floor, be a little more creative, make plays and make decisions. They will be in great shape and with the new system they will be able to learn a lot more about each other on the floor. We will have a lot of movement and transition, and I think our strength will be inside.”
On the Starting Five
They probably think I know, but I don't know yet. I think they are starting to play themselves into their positions in the way they are working on and off the court. Right now out biggest struggle is that we are not putting the ball in the hoop enough. The combinations are good, we just aren't making enough shots. With the amount of work they have put in, in the off-season, we have about eight players who we could put on the floor to start.”
On Whitney Law vs. Yari Escelara at Point Guard
“I wouldn't challenge Whitney's quickness. I think she is quick, with the ball she has a great first step. I wouldn't be too concerned with her quickness. Yari is also quick and she definitely has the size to match up against some of the opposing point guards. I don't think a point guard breaks any kind of pressure on their own, we will have people in position to get the ball up the floor.”
On Schedule
“Its not the schedule I would have put together had I come in here to have the opportunity to finish the schedule or bring in some games. I would like to see some more home games. I think its challenging. We have some tough games on the road, we have some tough games at home. But if we had been able to make the schedule I think we need more of a confidence builder and I don't think our schedule will allow that. I think were going to be thrown into it immediately with the schedule, its tough. Cal State Fullerton, Colorado State, Wyoming, these are teams that are going to come in here and are not going to lay down and think Colorado is going to beat them. We are going to have to be up for every single game. However, we have two exhibition games that are going to enable us to work on some things and get us better prepared. It's a touch schedule before the Big 12. I don't think it's easy by any means.”
“To me, we have to focus on building the confidence and getting Kara back to the point where she can dominate any player in our conference. She can dominate any center that comes her way. Weather she feels that way or not remains to be seen but she has got to feel that way every time she steps on the floor. Her youth is putting her in a situation where maybe sometimes she second guesses herself or last year she didn't have this success because she didn't get the ball as many times as she needed it or in the position where she needed it and maybe failed a few times. Well, right now were trying to put Kara back into a situation where she is going to have success on the floor and she's going to have the ball where she wants it, in a position where she wants it, and she's going to post up and show everyone in this conference what she did to get to this point. She's a good player and she's going to show it.”
On the Season
“I think that is taking the season in parts. This season was the first opportunity and the first time that we've been able to work with our players, a full squad, four hours a week. The rules have changed. I think as a staff we've had to adjust the preparation to getting to October 14th or 15th, getting to that point and doing a lot of the teaching in that four hours where we would normally do a lot of position work, a lot of technique and a lot of redefining roles and positions and what were looking for. So we've utilized that opportunity to do a lot of teaching. We start October 15th and all of a sudden we have a game on November 3rd with at least four days off in that time frame. So now we are trying to put combinations together, continue to teach, learn a few more things, learn more about the players and the competitive aspect of the game and actually bring some practice players in and get up and down the floor. Then you've got your non conference then you've got your conference, so we need to take it one step at a time. I cant stand on the circle every day and talk about beating Texas or talk about beating Texas Tech, talk about being picked 12th in the conference to finishing sixth. We cant even get to that point until we start with the knowledge of the game, understanding the system, playing better together, fours and fives, twos and threes, the point guards and really finding combinations that we have to work with. So those are the baby steps were talking about getting better with every practice. Saturday morning, very frustrated. Saturday evening, went home and felt so good that we had a second practice knowing I could lay my head on the pillow and feel good and be able to sleep. I had to make some adjustments from the first practice to the second practice because I got a little bit ahead of myself. Our staff saying ok, lets get a little farther down the road because we had that opportunity. I shouldn't have done that. I should have started a little bit slower and that's what we did Saturday night and Sunday evening and walked away feeling great.”
Colorado Players
Jr. Guard Susie Powers
On transferring from Notre Dame
“I was really happy at Notre Dame but I had my own meeting with Coach McGraw, my father and our assistant coach. We talked about my future potential playing time and it wasn't very promising and initially my first reaction was that was okay because I was comfortable in my role. It sank in after a while that I wouldn't be playing, and I saw the new coaching staff and a new beginning here at
Senior Guard Whitney Law
On being ranked 12th in Big 12 preseason poll
“I guess if they based that on how we did last year I can see why they would give us (that ranking). It just makes it more fun when we knock off teams and surprise people. It definitely motivates us.”
Freshman Forward Caley Dow
On Playing at CU
“I think it is going to be amazing, even in the fall and the first couple days of practice, and being here this summer. I love
