University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Basketball Media Day Quotes
October 28, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2008
Head Coach Pat Summitt
General Statements on the season:
"Obviously I'm really excited about the upcoming season and the big thing, right now, is that we are trying to teach six true freshmen how we do things here at Tennessee. I think for the most part they're coming along really well. Of course, we not only have six true freshmen, but we have a redshirt freshman in Kelley Cain. I'm not looking to make excuses for us being young, but we do have a lot to learn. We are a very talented group - if you just look at this group of players that we've brought in in this recruiting class, I think we have outstanding talent and skill. I think for the most part we have a lot of heart, but some of them are still trying to get to a different level of competitiveness every day. Coming out of high school, it's not the same for them, they don't have to play hard and work hard and sprint on every possession. Right now, we're learning the value of communication. I have always said that communication eliminates confusion and some of them haven't figured that out yet, but I think that's just repetition as well. Looking at our schedule, I heard that Gonzaga just sold out so I'm sure that'll be a fun place to go and play, I'm sure that Angie Bjorklund will be fired up. Certainly we're excited to be able take her back to her hometown and her family. going to Rutgers, playing at Texas and against Oklahoma are all going to be tough games. The fact that we lost five starters from the postseason play helps us know that we're going to have to grow up in a hurry. As a staff, we're not going to accept anything less and I think our team understands that better each and every day. I will say Alex Fuller has really been a strong leader for us, she hasn't always been the most vocal person, but right now she and Angie are stepping up and recognizing the fact that they have to really be vocal in practice and always in the ear of a teammate that needs information and they both have been really good at that. I'm not going to talk much about our schedule, but having Tanya Haave come in for our opening game against San Francisco, I think that's just special that she's coming back. Kellie Jolly is going to bring her team over from Western Carolina, so that's really going to be neat to have them in the arena and certainly I hope they're looking forward to it as well. Once again, it's a challenging schedule and we have a challenge right now of making sure we're doing things at the right intensity and speed and that our communication gets better."
On the freshmen learning to play her style of basketball:
"Obviously some catch on a little bit quicker than others. I think a lot of it has to do with environment that they're coming from. When I watched Shekinna Stricklen practice in high school, I realized that she was not going to have any trouble with our practices because she had a high school coach that was incredibly driven and intense and demanding, and that's the way that they play and that's what Shekinna knows. The same thing goes for Glory Johnson - I'd say those two freshmen are definitely ahead when it comes to conditioning. The difference with Glory right now is that she's just in better shape. One of the reasons that she's in better shape is because we have our strength coach, Heather Mason and I believe Heather Mason is the most demanding coach on our campus. I can say that because I've watched her and I've watched her with a lot of teams and I do think she's the most demanding coach on campus and she gets more out of the student-athletes just in terms of the discipline and obviously the level of conditioning; it's incredible. For someone like Amber Gray, right now she's learning to find a different gear and it's been a challenge for her, but the good thing is that she's responded. They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit, I think for some of them it takes about 61 days, but we're going to stay on it and we're not going to change how we play. They're just going to have to get with it or get left behind and I don't think anyone on this team wants to get left behind. They came here knowing what's expected at the University of Tennessee for the Lady Vols."
On whether or not the adjustment to the college game is tougher for inside players:
"It definitely is. You can tell that we have finesse players. Alyssia Brewer came here and was a finesse player. Amber Gray tries to be a finesse player, but she doesn't have the body of a finesse player, she has the body of a power player, and she's a very skilled player. The one thing that Alyssia has is that she's understanding. Dean Lockwood is as good as it gets as far as working with post players and using his body and his blocking dummy. He even thinks he can play defense a little bit at times. I think Alyssia has gotten a lot better. Kelley Cain is someone who loves the contact - she didn't always like it, but she's really starting to initiate contact. She has soft hands and great size. She's a legit 6-6 and she doesn't mind using her size and her skills, which are pretty complete, especially on the low block. I think Kelly will make Alyssia better. I think having competition in the post game - we've got a lot of competition in the post game and the girls are going to have to step up and earn minutes and the best place to impress me is in practice. I think that we are becoming a more physical team and practicing against guys helps us tremendously. Not every coach agrees with me, but I think that's one of the best things to ever happen to women's basketball. It's helped us and a lot of programs throughout the country."
On the team's potential starting lineup:
"I'm not set on anything right now, except that Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson will be in the lineup. With the players we have returning, you've got to think that Alex Fuller will be on the floor, especially because she does have a calming effect on us and that's probably a good thing because we do need to have better composure. Obviously Angie Bjorklund will probably be out there. A lot depends on Vicki Baugh or Kelley Cain. I like Kelley's size and what she can bring to us. I'm not sure at this point where Vicki will be by the beginning of the season, but just having her on the court yesterday in our half court sets, she elevated our practice by just being on the floor. I think the team has a lot of respect for her, especially these young players."
On her priorities when choosing a starting five:
"I'm certainly not set exactly on a lineup, but I mentioned about six players who are right there that have the potential start. The question is with Cait McMahan and Briana Bass - do you start a true point guard or do you go with a bigger lineup? I think that might vary throughout the season, that's not something I'm going to be locked in to. Certainly Cait has the experience over Briana. Briana Bass may be the quickest player with the ball that I've ever coached, and I've coached a lot of quick players. As soon as she got here, she out-ran everybody in practice. Now that she's feeling much more comfortable, her speed with the basketball is exceptional. I think she just has to learn our offenses and our offensive system a little bit better and be more committed on the defensive end. I think she and Cait can complement each other. I don't think I'm going to be set on a starting lineup, it may be that I'm going to start five of seven or eight players and give each of them quality time. We've got two exhibition games that we can experiment with it and after that we may want to have a set starting lineup, but at this point I can't tell you what that's going to be."
On whether she prefers coaching an experienced team or an inexperienced one:
"Well having back-to-back championships I kind of like experience. At the same time, we knew at the end of the 2008 run that we were going to have a very young basketball team when we started practice. There's something to be said for having a young team - it certainly fires me up. I get excited and I look forward to practice every day. I always say that it's my classroom and it's my favorite time of the day. I enjoy being able to teach, especially with this bunch - they really want to learn. I've never had so many players ask me to watch tape with them. A lot of times players don't want the head coach to watch tape with them, but this team has been just the opposite. They just want they want to watch tape and I think that's the way that you can really learn. The one thing we didn't do that I know Bruce [Pearl] did right off is he started watching film early. After we started watching film together as a team instead of in the individual settings, we got better. I think our knowledge was improved just by being in that teaching environment. Just being able to break down the film with them collectively, we got better. In fact, we're going to watch tape today."
On her team's personality:
"I don't think that we've really defined our personality yet. I don't want to be the leader; I want the team to set the example for their personality. That was the good thing about having Nicky Anosike, Alexis Hornbuckle and Candace Parker because they established how we were going to practice and they policed themselves a lot in practice. I know Alex - she and Angie both are stepping out of their comfort zone and trying to do the same. I think there's a great necessity for that to happen, for the players to take some ownership."
On whether or not she feels refreshed by having so many young players:
"I definitely feel refreshed. They are very excited. In fact, they may be a little overanxious at times. That doesn't bother us because we can always calm them down. I think with this group, everything is fun for them, whereas with the veteran team that we had the last few years, practice sometimes was not their favorite part of the day, but obviously they brought it during the game. We shorten practice with veteran teams, with younger teams sometimes you have to extend it. They seem to be invested in wanting to learn and excited about being here and that's a good thing when they have that level of excitement."
On whether or not she is altering her coaching style to fit this team:
"I think the volume is definitely turned up. I definitely feel a need to really try and cover all of the details and obviously let them know how hard they have to play and compete on every possession and that everybody has to sprint and talk. They don't understand the details of that right now and that's a big key. Defensive rebounding has always been a part of this program and watching the tape on them, they're not all passionate about rebounding. I think when you have a player on the court like Glory Johnson, or Kelley Cain and Alex Fuller, they're going to the boards. Angie's rebounding better this year. I think the players that have been in this program understand that you can have a poor shooting night, but you can fall back on your defense and board play and still be successful. Throughout the years that I've had with this program, if you look at the ability to win on the road, it's been because of defensive board play. If you don't have that, you're going to be in trouble. I don't know how this team is going to be play on the road or how they're going to play here in Thompson-Boling Arena, but we're going to get after it on the defensive end every game."
On whether or not she thinks this team can win 17 games, which would give her 1,000 career wins:
"I don't know. I know one thing, I hope we can get there in a hurry and get it over with. When you think about 1,000 wins, I can't believe I've been doing it this long and that we've had the success we've had. I believe that success comes from having the best talent. We had 3 players on the Olympic team and that speaks volumes for the great players that have played at Tennessee and we've had even more All-Americans and more Olympians. It will be a challenge for this team because our opponents feel like they have a chance. I felt at the SEC media day that everybody feels like it's their turn. That's fine, but we will lace them up go after it every game and I don't want anyone to underestimate what this group can do. I feel like they have some greatness in them."
On the upcoming season:
"We got a good group of freshmen that came in and we're ready to pick up where we ended last year. We're ready to get going next week we're ready to roll."
On the loss of five seniors:
"They were quality players, but they were also great leaders. That's something that we definitely need to pick up on is leadership qualities on and off the court. We need to show our freshmen the Tennessee way."
On what has been the team's biggest challenge so far:
"So far, it's been getting through the conditioning part of the game. There are times in practice when we're not sprinting the floor all the time. A challenge has been just being able to go out there and play for five minutes straight. Being able to run up and down the court without getting tired is something we need to work on and it's been the hardest part so far."
On what games she is most looking forward to:
"I'm thinking that before SEC play, Rutgers is going to be a big game. We're playing around New Year's and it's going to be at Rutgers so that's going to be a good one. Stanford obviously because we played them twice last year and beat them in the championship, it's going to be a big game for us as well as Oklahoma."
On how her recovery from her knee injury is going:
"It's good, actually. It's getting better every day, so I'm kind of excited for the season to start. Rehabbing it was tough at first, but I've been doing it for a year and a half, so I'm pretty used to it."
On playing for Coach Summitt:
"She expects our all every practice and she wants a lot of intensity. She wants us to just work hard and play together."
On her physical play:
"I'm a post so I have no choice but to be physical, that's just what I do. I like the contact; it's a good stress reliever for me."
On what has been the team's biggest challenge thus far:
"It has probably been talking. We like to talk off the court, but on the court, us communicating with each other, that's our biggest difficulty."
On her recovery from knee surgery:
"It's great; it's getting there day by day. I have to wake up and take care of it as it is."
On taking more of a leadership role this season:
"I am looking forward to it. Coach is looking forward to me being a leader so I have to fit in to that role each and every day."
On missing last season:
"It was real tough, but I just dealt with it each day. The positive was that I got to see my teammates win a national championship and I got to see them be happy."
On what Coach Summitt expects from her players:
"She expects us to bring it every day. The main thing she wants from us is to not take possessions off."
On what she is most looking forward to about this season:
"I'm most looking forward to proving people wrong. Everybody thinks we fell off the map, but we're going to bring it and we're not going to be taken lightly."
On how her high school coached helped prepare her for college:
"My high school coach pushed me really hard. We did a lot of running and so when I came here, I was already used to the running. I bring it every day and give it my all every day, that's what coach wants."
On what has been the hardest part of her transition to college:
"Coming here nine hours away from home at first I was homesick. Now I'm used to everything and I'm enjoying it."
On what Coach Summitt expects:
"She wants us to work hard and give it everything we've got on every play. She always tells us not to rest, even for one play; do it all at the same intensity and the same speed."
On the transition to college:
"On the court, the change of speed has been an adjustment. The pace of the game is a lot more up-tempo. The coaching staff here is one of the best in the country, though, so it's been a pretty smooth transition. There's a lot of time management involved, but so far I'm having a lot of fun."
On playing for Pat Summitt:
"It's always been a dream of mine. To have it come true is great. I feel really honored to be able to play for a high profile, high class coach. It's been interesting. I'm just now learning the system and there are ups and downs.
On what she's looking forward to this season:
"I'm really excited for the season. Don't underestimate us. We're young, but we have a lot of talent. I'm especially looking forward to the Chattanooga game because I have a lot of my family and friends will be there. I'm also looking forward to playing Georgia because they are my hometown team.
On her strengths:
"I definitely think I'm going to bring strength in general with my size and my ability. Hopefully I'm going to bring leadership, as well. I plan on going out there and doing whatever coach needs me to get done."
On playing for Pat Summitt:
"It's all that I thought it would be and it's all that I've ever dreamed of. She's an intense lady. She is going to continue to push you until you reach your level and then past that point. Looking at all of the success the program has had and all the players she has playing in the WNBA, what she's doing is obviously working."
On following the 2007-08 team:
"It's something that we don't think about too much. We are a new team. We are going to have our standards and we are going to make our own legacy through this program. We can't say it enough that [Shannon Bobbitt, Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle, Nicky Anosike and Alberta Auguste] were all great players and last year was an all-around great team, but we need to set our own standards and do what we need to do to hopefully win our own national championships."
On her father, Carlton Gray, playing in the NFL:
"It was great. It definitely motivates me. I was able to see him play and practice and meet everybody around him and it showed me how hard work can pay off. He played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. He played basketball in high school and was recruited to play in college, but chose football."
On leadership and being the only senior:
"Being the only senior isn't too bad. I have 11 other girls to go there for help if I need it or if I'm feeling overwhelmed. As far as what Pat expects of me, I think one thing she expects me to be is a great vocal leader for the team.
"I hope to help the freshmen get to the same place I did as a member of the two national championship teams. I hope I can get them to that stage so they can feel the same things; so they can experience the same things I've experienced."
On her career at Tennessee:
"It's been really great. Pat has thrown a lot of challenges at me and I feel I responded positively to all of them. It's been a great experience. I wouldn't want to be anywhere besides Tennessee."
On her off-season:
"If there is one thing I worked on more than anything else this off-season it would be my shooting. I worked a lot on shooting threes and hopefully I can show that this season."
On how she plans to build on her freshman season:
"I want to have more of a complete game. I was known as mainly a shooter last year and this year I think teams will be scouting for that. I hope to become more of a penetrator, creator and an all-around basketball player."
On being a leader:
"Pat's challenged me as a leader and I'm just trying to get these freshmen ready. Right now, I'm leading by example and just setting the stage to be a vocal leader. If I'm going to talk it and be a verbal leader, I'm going to have to show that I'm doing the same thing."
On playing against her older sister Jami in her hometown against Gonzaga on Dec. 30:
"I'm really excited to go home. I grew up playing pick-up in that exact gym. I'm excited to see my friends and family. It'll be fun. It'll be really fun. I've been playing against my sister since I was little so it's going to be more of a fun environment with not too much pressure."
On goals for the season:
"As a team the number one goal is to always win a national championship. No matter what we did last year, this is a new year. We reloaded with these new freshmen and winning the national title is always going to be our goal so hopefully we can get there."
On playing for Pat Summitt:
"I've learned a lot just through this last year. She's going to push me to be the best player I can be. You can't take a day off with her. She'll know exactly when you take a day off and with this program, you really can't take a day off. That pushes me every day."
About her first day back at practice:
"As far as my knee goes, I felt great. I've been rehabbing hard every day, so I'll be fine. My game was a little rusty because I haven't been playing that much, but that will come back pretty quick if I keep working hard."
On her expectations for the upcoming season:
"I expect this team to go as far as it can go, which I believe is another national championship. I'm really looking forward to this season. I think this is going to be one of the most fun years that I've ever had."
On her role on the team this season:
"I just see it as I always have to have my teammate's backs. I don't necessarily have to be the number one scorer, but if I have my teammate's backs then my role will just kind-of bounce into place."
On her friendship with former Lady Vol Shannon Bobbitt:
"We would text after games last year and she would ask me what I thought about her game and stuff like that. She would also tell me what I needed to work on so that I could be ready to go when I got here, especially being more of a vocal leader and making sure that I made my presence known on the court."
On becoming more of a vocal leader:
"I'm working on it, but it's different for me because I'm not a very talkative person. I need to keep adjusting, but I'll be ready when I need to be."
On the adjustment from high school to college:
"So far things have been really good. The upperclassmen have done a great job of showing us the ropes and teaching us how to play at this level."
On how her quickness helps her on the court:
"I love to push the ball up and down the court at a fast tempo. I don't really like to slow it down. I like to keep it moving. Scoring isn't a big issue for me. I'd rather dish it off and give someone the ball if they are wide open."
On the adjustment from high school to college
: "The transition is huge. In high school you don't go for as long and as fast and you have to adjust to the fact that the coaches are on you all the time. There is no break whatsoever."
On her role on the team this season:
"It's hard to figure out right now because we haven't had everybody together at one time during practice. Once we start games, it will come, but I think that my role will be to be a good rebounder, make good passes and make shots."
On the college game being more physical than high school:
"In high school, the players were not nearly as physical as they are in the college game. There is also a difference in the mental part of the game, like learning how to not give into fatigue."
On the adjustment from high school to college:
"My coach [at Webb School], Shelley Sexton Collier, was actually one of Pat's players and was one of the first players to win a national championship here at Tennessee. I think she definitely brought the same attitude with her to coaching. She pushes the team a lot like Pat, but wasn't quite as vocal. She knows how it feels to win, so we understood and respected her because she knew what she was talking about. I think that she really helped to prepare me for the college game which has made the transition pretty smooth. I also think the fact that I am from Knoxville and I was able to watch more games has helped me learn the plays pretty quickly."
On her role on the team this season:
"I want to be looked at as a play maker. I want to contribute things like speed and rebounding. I can dribble and I'm a post player, which you don't see very often. I can also run the floor pretty well. I just want to do whatever it takes to help our team win."
On the college game being more physical than high school:
"You really couldn't be all that physical in high school without getting a foul called on you. Here it is more of a lower body game, and that's how you get people. We are being taught how to use our lower bodies without being fouled. It's a lot more physical, but at the same time, they teach you what to do just to be a lot more physical."
On the team's goals this season:
"Right now, I would say our goal is to pull the team together and figure out how to play as a group. Hopefully, we can do that pretty quickly, but we just have to take it sprint-by-sprint, practice-by-practice, game-by-game and day-by-day."
