Colorado University Athletics
Women's Basketball Media Day Wrapup
October 25, 2007 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER- University of Colorado head women's basketball coach Kathy McConnell-Miller, her staff, and the 2007 Buffaloes met with members of the media on Thursday afternoon at the annual Colorado Basketball Media Day at the Coors Events Conference Center.
Colorado returns four starters and eight letterwinners from its 2006-07 squad that enjoyed its best record (13-17, 6-10 Big 12) in three seasons. The Buffaloes are scheduled to face Air Force in a closed scrimmage on Sunday at the Academy and will play an exhibition contest against the Colorado School of Mines on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
Colorado officially kicks off the 2007-08 season on Friday, Nov. 16, at the University of San Francisco.
Below are the quotes from the Colorado Media Day press conference:
Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller
GENERAL
“This is a really exciting time for this program, the most excited I've been in the three years I have been here. Anytime you take over a program you want it to progress as quickly and efficiently as possible. I think the biggest difference this year was the preparation of the team in the offseason. Two of the players played internationally and everyone else was on campus working to get better. They were in the weight room, working in the gym, just playing together. Coming into practice they are the most conditioned, strongest and most experienced team I've had here. We have a great combination of experienced players and young, talented players.”
ON WHAT SHE WANTS TO SEE IMPROVE THE MOST
“Guard play. There is no doubt that the strength of this team is the front line, when you have Jackie (McFarland), Kara (Richards) and Aija (Putnina) you have strength down low as well as offensive and defensive ability not to mention their experience. It's hard to keep any of them off the floor. The guard play should be improved last year was the first for Susie (Powers), Whitney Houston and Bianca Smith, but they all have a year of experience in the system right now. We need them to take care of the basketball and not turn it over. We will play five players who can score this year.”
ON A FOCUS OF THE OFFSEASON
“Outside shooting was a focus, we told our players to take as many threes as possible this offseason to add to efficiency and ability. Especially with Whitney Houston, we wanted her to change her shot to more of a Division I shot and she has done that and really improved that part of her game. Brittany Spears is one of our best shooters, you don't expect a freshman to be the first one in and the last one out of the gym but she is, it seems like there are times that I have to pull her out of the gym. Susie and Hannah (Skildum) can knock down the threes as well. Last year teams constantly sent double teams down on Jackie and told us we had to beat them with our guards, this year we are going to be able to do that.”
“We wanted to improve our mental toughness, we designed a lot of drills to help this team get tougher mentally. From the offseason mile runs to various drills we've ran in practice, we really wanted this team to be mentally tough.”
ON THE
“We have a very deep front court. Caley (Dow) and Hannah really got a lot of experience their freshman year when Kara went down. We have five or six girls who can step up and play in the front court, just a lot of experience and depth there.”
ON CHANGING THE OFFENSE
“We decided to change our offense to play to the strengths of our team. Teams double-teamed Jackie and the posts and we needed to get them in single coverage because they can score when they are only going against one defender. We needed to find ways to utilize our guards and wanted to start playing from the outside-in. They're starting to pick it up, it's not an easy offense to learn and it is not the
“It was a staff decision, it was Coach (Tom) McConnell who brought it up to me and really challenged me to get outside my comfort zone, the high-post low-post offense. He brought it to me and it wasn't just we should look at changing it but he brought some ideas in too, so we as a coaching staff looked at a lot of different sets. The whole coaching staff was in on the decision and we decided to go with the four out, one in offense. It was conducive to the strengths of our team.”
ON THEIR SCHEDULE
“This is the first year that we have had complete control of our schedule. Our objective was to be as ready as possible for Big 12 Conference play when it starts come January 9. We have the toughest conference in the country, top to bottom, and I firmly believe that. Last year we struggled on the road so we scheduled some road games but we also need time to gel as a team. The only thing that isn't ideal is that we start out on the road after our exhibition game with Mines. We love our tourney and it is going to pose a good challenge for us. I like that everything is within our control and fits the strengths of our team.”
ON TEAM EXPECTATIONS
“I think expectations are higher this year, I'm always the same with my players. I respect them on the floor but I always challenge them when they're out there. I'm not a big screamer, sometimes I get set off with a drill or something, but that is how I was coached. I've always believed they are adults and should be treated like adults, I will never demean a player but this year the expectations are definitely higher.
ON THE BIG 12 COACHES POLL
“I'll tell you how the players reacted but not how I did. The players were very surprised, from their improvement and having the majority of our team back, having players play internationally and the addition of our new comers. I think it was a shock to be predicted to finish 11th when they tied for seventh the previous season.”
ON CENTER COURNTEY DUNN
“She is a three point shooter. She is a player with some versatility, and brings size on the block. A question with her is going to be the conditioning with it being her first season. Unfortunately for her, she is behind a very strong front line. I look for her to make improvements in her game this year.”
ON GUARD BRITNEY BLYTHE
“She is a smart point guard. She is a lefty. She talks to everybody, and comes into the office a lot. She is the type of player who always wants to know if we are doing a new drill so that she does not have to be the fifth or sixth person in line watching the other players so that she knows how to do the drill. She is true leader, and she always wants to be the first one out there. She comes into the office a lot and always tries to get better. Overall, she is a smart point guard and she likes to shoot.”
ON FRESHMAN CHELSEA DALE
“The biggest difference I have seen in her was the scrimmage this weekend against the male practice players. It seems like a light went on in her head that said this is not practice anymore, and she turned up the intensity. Her aggressiveness stepped up, and now we need her to do that in practice. She is a good shooter, and a hard worker. She is one of the more outgoing players, and she is a baller and just likes to play.”
ON FORWARD
“She is our most talked about player. She is the hardest worker, most driven, and everybody likes her. When she is able to rely on he instincts, she is an unbelievable player. Her instincts are things that we cannot teach. Defensively she jumps the passing lanes, and like Aija and Jackie, she has a nose for the ball.”
ON KELLY JO MULLANEY
“She is one of our best players, even though she cannot play this year (after transferring from Colorado State). She can score, and she is very competitive. She is kind of quiet right now, and I am not sure if that is her personality, or just her adjusting to a new team. She is kind of in sit mode, but she is able to accomplish what she needs to accomplish. In crunch time, I want her with the ball because she can make things happen.”
ON RYANNE RIDGE
“She was in our program last year, and will play on the team this year. She is extremely fundamental. Without a doubt she is coach's daughter. She helps her teammates, and handles the ball well. She also has very good footwork. When she is out there, she always knows what she is doing, and the team is very calm.”
Colorado
Sr. F. Jackie McFarland
ON NEW OFFENSE
“I really like it. One of the biggest things is that there is always movement. We are not waiting on something to happen like last year. With this new offense we have to move the entire time. When our opponent scouts us, they take away part of our offense, but there are three more reads we can make instead of just having to start over and run another option that is also on the scouting report. There is hardly ever the congestion that we had last year. It is really shaping up, and it allows us a better chance to score.”
ON THE IMPROVEMENTS OF AIJA PUTNINA
“I noticed that after she got back she played stronger, she has always been an aggressive player, but she came in with this new strength and confidence that made her hard to guard.”
ON LOW PRESEASON RANKING
“I was really surprised. When you look around the conference, what we lost last year compared to what other teams lost, and what we brought in compared to what other teams brought in, I feel that we have a little extra motivation. I like being an under dog, and it is always exciting to have a number three team come in here, it is just a little added motivation. Someone said the
Sr. G. Susie Powers
ON NEW OFFENSE
“I like that everyone is interchangeable. I need to know other positions as well, and as a taller guard I am in a position where I might end up in the post and have the opportunity to post up a smaller player, and that works to my benefit.”
ON DEFENSIVE FOCUS
“Even though we have not gone as much into the defensive side, we do make an emphasis every night to go over the principles, and it is not everyone's favorite part of practice, but we do go over the basic shell ideas of the defense.”
ON
“When she is not over thinking and analyzing everything, and she is playing naturally?that is when she is at her best. She is naturally a good player and a street baller.”
So. F. Aija Putnina
ON PLAYING OVERSEAS
“This summer I went overseas and played as a guard and a post player. I think it helped me a lot because I got to play against some really good teams, and it was a great experience. I also learned some new things about the sport of basketball.”
