Colorado University Athletics
Sunday Press Conference Quotes
March 23, 2003
BOULDER - The women's basketball team (23-7) went through a round of interviews Sunday in preparation for its second round game in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. The Buffs will face North Carolina in a 7:18 p.m. tipoff at the Coors Events Center (ESPN2). The following are quotes from the Sunday press conference.
Ceal Barry
GENERAL: "Haven't had a whole lot of time to watch UNC but have a general feel for the type of team they are. But our team is starting to get a feel. They are diametrically opposed to style of BYU and we have to get ready for that."
ON UNC's SIZE: "Well they are really, really, athletic, not just tall. They are quick, and fast and I think for a team like Austin Peay and Colorado to compete, to think you can match up with them...you can't match up with them. You can't make Maria Billingsley taller and you can't make Kate Fagan stronger. You have to run your system and it's your team against their team."
ON NEVER MEETING UNC: "I think that's non-conference for me. It's consideration to me do I want to fly my team Denver to Atlanta, Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham on a weekend in December or do I want to go to Stanford, Oregon or Texas when they were in the SWC."
ON UNFAMILIARITY: "BYU was a good example. We haven't played them in awhile never coached against Jeff Judkins don't know much about them. It's just picking a few things and hoping that you're right. I think it's not over-coaching. At this point everybody is good. You hope you're healthy. You hope you're excited. We had a snow day on Wednesday, we didn't practice. So I think our legs were more fresh last night."
ON CORETTA BROWN: I don't see them (Erin Thorn and Brown) as similar players I see them as similar to the rest of their team in their value. I think Coretta Brown is similar to (Texas Tech's) Jia Perkins, a great player, a great athlete for her team."
Colorado Players
C Tera Bjorklund
ON UNC's SIZE: " Throughout the season we haven't encountered anyone as tall as them. I'm expecting them to be really physical. I know they are very physical. I'm just going to try and concentrate on boxing out."
F Linda Lappe
ON THE QUICK TURN-AROUND BETWEEN GAMES: "We've done it a few times this year and did it in the Big 12 tournament to prepare for Texas we didn't even have a day...You just have to try and pick up as much as you can in a short amount of time."
ON PREPARATION: "It's definitely a big part. If we don't go out there and play like we're capable of playing then it doesn't matter how they play. We need to know some tendencies because it just makes if better if you have both ends of it."
ON THE HOME COURT: "I think it is an advantage. They (UNC) have been here three or four days so I don't know about the altitude, but our crowd was great last night. If they come back it's going to be an advantage, but if we don't play well we won't take advantage."
G Kate Fagan
ON NON-C0NFERENCE OPPONENT: "There's a little bit of an advantage rather than playing a Big 12 team. They don't have the same scouting report as conference teams, but at the same time, they're not Oklahoma, K-State, so it works both ways."
ON INSPIRATION: "Basically, it's the NCAA tournament and at this point, if you're not ready to play, no saying is going to get you there."
ON CORETTA BROWN: "I don't think it's going to be an individual job. We are not sure of the match-ups. We just need to be aware of individual screens and try to stop her, but it's going to be a tough effort to stop her."