University of Tennessee Athletics
COACH SUMMITT TALKS ABOUT THIS WEEKEND'S MIDEAST REGIONAL
March 26, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 26, 2003
Pat Summitt Teleconference 3-26-03
Opening remarks about first and second rounds of NCAA Tournament and upcoming games:
"I think in our last two games, our defensive intensity has allowed us to influence how we could play. We have gotten out and run because of our defense. Rebounding has been good, but not great, and that's a place of focus for us. We have to do a better job on the offensive boards. Defensively, we haven't done a bad job. The offensive execution in the second half against Virginia was solid. We are playing some of our best half-court basketball of the season. That's an encouraging situation. Penn State was impressive against South Carolina. They made a very strong opponent appear to not be as good as they are and can be. You have to credit Penn State for that. Obviously, Colorado and Villanova are two teams that are playing really well. It is going to be a great regional tournament and environment."
On Rene Portland:
"We are two veteran coaches. We've certainly been around the game for a long time. She is to be commended on building a great program. Her players have her competitive drive. She has done an outstanding job. We played this game about the same time and we are still in it teaching others how to bring a high level of competitiveness and play."
On Penn State Junior All-American Kelly Mazzante:
"Obviously, she is a great offensive talent. Penn State has a lot of different schemes to free her up. She makes very good reads. They bring her off staggered screens and screen in the zone for her. It is going to be a challenge for us. Typically, we play people straight up, but we are not opposed to look at other options within our defense to try and limit touches. That's a difficult task for someone that has taken over 650 shots. A lot of people have tried to limit her, but she manages, through the help of her teammates and her reads, to get the ball in her hands a lot."
On what she would tell a young coach about how to survive in the game long enough to win 800 games:
"I would tell them first of all that you win in life with people. I have been able to stay active because I have had a lot of wonderful and loyal support from the University and our staff. I have had some great assistants who would get down in the trenches and work with me every day as if it was their own program. The players are also important. You only win the number of games we have won with great competitors have the same goals and commitment. We have had more All-Americans and Olympians than any program in the history of the game. You look a whole lot better and win a whole lot more with players like that."
On balancing passion for the game against demands of a high profile coaching position:
"You just have to keep it all in perspective. For me, teaching is my passion. Some people will say that coaching is teaching. There are a lot of people that coach the game, but I really like teaching skills and fundamentals individually. There are a lot of demands on my time that I didn't have when I started here at Tennessee. For me, time management and focusing on what I love to do are important. I don't do any speaking during the season. I keep the team as a top priority. It is having the focus and the discipline to do the things that are most important at the time. What is more important than your team?"
On preparing to defend Kelly Mazzante:
"I feel much better prepared because we spent quality time in practice. We have tried to simulate with our practices game situations when someone just goes off on them. We obviously had practice with LaToya Thomas and Tan White from Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament. Certainly, we will work on that in practice today. Going away from man-to-man is something that we don't typically do, but in the postseason you sometimes have to make some changes to do what is best in guarding certain personnel. Kelly is someone that can light it up and break your back. We have to be mindful of making changes if necessary."
On Penn State's personnel:
"Without question, [Tanisha] Wright is a great penetrator and terrific in terms of what she can do off the dribble. I have been impressed in watching her create. She is one of the best creators on their basketball team. [Jess] Strom pushes the tempo for them and will dictate a lot of tempo for them. I think the fact that they are a guard-oriented team is a little bit of a different challenge for us, but I wouldn't overlook what they can do from the post, particularly with [Jessica] Brungo. She has some perimeter skills and can step out and shoot the ball. She has a lot of poise in her game as well."
On Kara Lawson:
"I can tell you what Kara doesn't do. She doesn't post up a lot. Other than that, she does it all, but we will post her if necessary. She brings leadership and intensity to the team. She is a solid defender. She brings a great three-point threat and can put the ball on the floor. She is also committed to rebounding. She really brings a lot of leadership and confidence. Just her presence brings a lot to our team. She understands and has a good feel for tempo. She knows when to push and when to set. She has been huge for us as a leader in practice and in games."
On Tye'sha Fluker:
"Fluker is physically imposing. Without a doubt, she can go in and really mix it up defensively and play a very aggressive offensive game. We have five post players, and she is the only freshman in the group. She has had some quality minutes and possessions for us."
On Gwen Jackson:
"She is a player that was very much a freshman as a freshman and has matured with each season. This has been by far her best year. She has been playing with a lot of confidence and focus to being a complete player. With putting [Shyra] Ely in the lineup, she has been more committed to mixing it up inside. She has developed her three-game and her ability to put the ball on the floor makes her a difficult player to guard. She is just so versatile offensively."
On differences between this season's team and last season's team:
"This team has a better chemistry. They have all year. I think a lot of it is that we have 11 players instead of 14. This team has had stronger senior leadership due to the fact that Kara and Gwen have taken responsibility for leading this team. It's a more balanced offensive team. We are a little more versatile on the defensive end of the floor as well. We are bettered prepared to play multiple defenses than we were a year ago. We know that our man-to-man is our trademark and bread and butter, but we aren't going to be too stubborn to change if we have to."
On Villanova's Harry Perretta:
"I can't think past this first game, but I was pulling for Harry. Not just because he shared with me, but also because he is a great person. I respect his knowledge. Most of all, I value his friendship. We have become great friends in a short period of time."
On working with Harry Perretta last summer:
"They made a trip down to Knoxville this fall. We got on the court and shared Xs and Os. We had a great exchange. If nothing else, I have helped him calm down a bit. He is a little high strung. I called him before the game last night and said 'Now Harry, let's calm down.' I think he is just really excited. Now he is worried about finding a laundromat in Knoxville. I am not going to do his laundry for him."
On Shyra Ely:
"The situation with Shyra is that when she has to sit and watch, she gets a little over anxious. Now, her adrenaline is going and is ready to start playing at the beginning. She has playing with a lot of confidence and her teammates know that. The responsibility of the team is to get the hot player the ball. She has had a lot of touches lately."
On changes in the women's game:
"I have seen a lot of changes in the level of play and in coaching. There are so many great individual talents. You have more players that can put up big numbers and carry a big role for their team. There are only two changes I would like to see. I would like to see us market our sport at a different level, especially in the Division I programs. We need to mirror the men's game in marketing. I don't see that happening in a lot of institutions and conferences. That is a key for continued growth. Secondly, in the near future, we need to have neutral courts for all postseason play. That's when we will probably even see a bigger change in the game. We are getting closer to being ready. If the marketing had been better in the past five years, we might have already been there."
On establishing offensive and defensive transition game against Penn State:
"We are two teams that like to get up and down. I certainly don't anticipate us putting the breaks on and I don't anticipate them changing what they have been doing. It is always a challenge to understand the difference between running at a team and running with them. Transition defense will be a key for both teams."
On if she ever had a time in the game when she thought about quitting:
"1984. We played Southern California for the national championship and that next summer I coached the Olympic team. My father, Richard Head, had really tried to convince me to get out of coaching because of the stress. I had pretty much convinced myself that if we win the championship, which at that time we hadn't won one, and if we had won the gold medal, I would hang them up. I appreciate Southern Cal for stopping that from happening. That's been the only time I thought about doing something else. I have always listened to my father. At the time, I knew it continue to be tough because of how much I would invest. Now I know that I would have regretted it and been coaching somewhere else by now."
On Western Pennsylvania talent:
"I think it is a great area. When you can keep your local talent at home, it is best. I know for us in Tennessee, players that helped us initially build the program we local talent. There is a pride factor. They grow up thinking about staying in state and helping their university do something. With our Tennessee players, they understand the tradition of our program."
