All in all this is a very ambitious schedule for a volunteer staff and we know it. If you would like to help us with donations for gas and other expenses please use the donation button on the right side panel.
Here is our schedule:
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Saturday, November 8, 2008
Community Hoops Coverage Plans
Well now here is commitment. Community Hoops will be at more then 99 games this season to bring you interviews from all the coaches and we are even going to dabble into regular play by play following the Hopkins program in all of their contests.
All in all this is a very ambitious schedule for a volunteer staff and we know it. If you would like to help us with donations for gas and other expenses please use the donation button on the right side panel.
Here is our schedule:
All in all this is a very ambitious schedule for a volunteer staff and we know it. If you would like to help us with donations for gas and other expenses please use the donation button on the right side panel.
Here is our schedule:
Defense, Olstad Overcome Halftime Deficit For The Win
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Senior Candace Olstad hit nothing but nylon on a late three-pointer and then blocked a Cal Poly Pomona (0-2) three-point attempt with 25 seconds remaining to secure a 68-64 Concordia win Saturday afternoon at the Disney’s West Coast Tip-Off Classic. The Golden Bears rallied back from a halftime deficit to take a late lead and go up 2-0 on the year.
The win was big for Concordia as they proved to themselves that they could overcome a halftime deficit and cool shooting and stay in the game. The entire game was physical and played at an uptempo pace, leading to a tight score for the majority of the first half. The Golden Bears led 13-12 at the 11:41 mark but as players began to be pulled due to fouls, the Broncos of Cal Poly took over the pace of the game. Under continued pressure, Concordia struggled to find the hoop in the waning minutes of the half while the Broncos went on a 17-6 run to go up 29-19. The Golden Bears were down 31-25 at the half.
To read the complete game story please click here.
Women's Hoops Opens With A Bang!
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Concordia University's women's basketball team (1-0) started the 2008-09 season out with a hot 67-47 win over Central Washington (0-1) on Friday evening. The win came in the weekend-opening game at the Disney's West Coast Tip-Off Classic.
Concordia opened the season with 50 percent shooting in the first half to jump out to a 42-15 lead at the intermission. The Wildcats turned the ball over and shot only 19.4 percent under the pressure of Concordia's defense. The game opened with a Golden Bear 23-2 run, with Central Washington going without a field goal for more than ten minutes of play.
To read the complete game story please click here.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Lady Lions Face California (Pa.) in Exhibition Sunday
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; November 7, 2008 — The Penn State women’s basketball team takes to the floor for the first time this season as the Lady Lions face California (Pa.) in an exhibition game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game is part Sunday’s men’s and women’s doubleheader with the Nittany Lion basketball team taking on Bloomsburg at 2 p.m.
Tickets to the doubleheader are $5 for general admission and free for Penn State students with an ID card. Lady Lion basketball posters for the 2008-09 campaign will be handed out at the gates on Sunday while supplies last. A link to GameTracker is available at www.GoPSUSports.com.
The Lady Lions have never met the Vulcans during the regular season. Penn State has a 61-46 all-time record against current PSAC schools with a majority of those contests coming in the first 15 years of the program. Sunday also marks the return of Lady Lion legend Jess Strom as a member of the California (Pa.) coaching staff. Strom, who is in her third season with the Vulcans, is fourth on Penn State’s career assists chart with 776 helpers. She also ranks 11th on the Lady Lion career scoring list with 1,466 tallies.
To read the complete press release please click here.
Tickets to the doubleheader are $5 for general admission and free for Penn State students with an ID card. Lady Lion basketball posters for the 2008-09 campaign will be handed out at the gates on Sunday while supplies last. A link to GameTracker is available at www.GoPSUSports.com.
The Lady Lions have never met the Vulcans during the regular season. Penn State has a 61-46 all-time record against current PSAC schools with a majority of those contests coming in the first 15 years of the program. Sunday also marks the return of Lady Lion legend Jess Strom as a member of the California (Pa.) coaching staff. Strom, who is in her third season with the Vulcans, is fourth on Penn State’s career assists chart with 776 helpers. She also ranks 11th on the Lady Lion career scoring list with 1,466 tallies.
To read the complete press release please click here.
Colorado Women's Basketball Opens Season With Exhibition Sunday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado will play its lone exhibition
game of the 2008-09 season against Regis University on Sunday,
Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Coors Events Conference Center.
BROADCAST: Video of Sunday’s exhibition game will be streamed
live on BuffsTV, the premium subscription package offered through
CU Athletics’ official website, www.CUBuffs.com.
SEASON PREVIEW: Colorado saw shining glimpses of a bright future
throughout the 2007-08 season. The Buffaloes had an 11-game
winning streak, a four-week run in the national polls, big wins over
ranked opponents – both home and on the road -- all culminating
with a run to the semifinals of the 2008 Postseason WNIT, their fi rst
postseason tournament in four years.
The key for Kathy McConnell-Miller’s fourth Buffaloes squad is to
keep the momentum from last season going. And all indications are,
from the off-season effort of her players, the Buffaloes are well on
track to do just that.
“They are physically and mentally prepared for what is to come,”
McConnell-Miller said. “It was a great transition from the Big 12, to
the WNIT run and then their overall commitment this summer.
To read the complete press notes release please click here.
game of the 2008-09 season against Regis University on Sunday,
Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Coors Events Conference Center.
BROADCAST: Video of Sunday’s exhibition game will be streamed
live on BuffsTV, the premium subscription package offered through
CU Athletics’ official website, www.CUBuffs.com.
SEASON PREVIEW: Colorado saw shining glimpses of a bright future
throughout the 2007-08 season. The Buffaloes had an 11-game
winning streak, a four-week run in the national polls, big wins over
ranked opponents – both home and on the road -- all culminating
with a run to the semifinals of the 2008 Postseason WNIT, their fi rst
postseason tournament in four years.
The key for Kathy McConnell-Miller’s fourth Buffaloes squad is to
keep the momentum from last season going. And all indications are,
from the off-season effort of her players, the Buffaloes are well on
track to do just that.
“They are physically and mentally prepared for what is to come,”
McConnell-Miller said. “It was a great transition from the Big 12, to
the WNIT run and then their overall commitment this summer.
To read the complete press notes release please click here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hawkeyes Gear Up For Final Exhibition Game
THE SETTING
The Iowa women’s basketball team will host Upper Iowa in its second exhibition contest Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 3:35 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets are $3 for adults, while UI students and children 18 years and under will be admitted free.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday will be a rare men’s-women’s doubleheader. Fans who present their men’s basketball ticket stub vs. Wayne State or football ticket stub vs. Penn State will be admitted free to the women’s contest vs. Upper Iowa.
IOWA ROUTES QUINCY IN EXHIBITION OPENER
Iowa outscored Quincy by 27 points in the second half en route to a convincing 88-57 triumph last Sunday in the Hawkeyes’ exhibition opener.
The Lady Hawks clawed to within one point (41-40) five minutes into the second stanza, but Iowa answered with a 24-3 run the next seven minutes to put the game away.
All five Iowa starters tallied double figures. Four seniors led the way for the Black and Gold. Wendy Ausdemore scored a team-high 18 points, Megan Skouby had 17 points, Kristi Smith netted 14 points and Nicole VanderPol drained 12 points. Skouby also posted game highs in rebounds (15) rebounds and blocks (2). Sophomore starter Kachine Alexander registered 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Kamille Wahlin dished out a game-high six assists to go along with her seven points. Freshman Hannah Draxten chipped in with five points and four rebounds.
As a team, Iowa outrebounded Quincy 50-43 and outshot the Lady Hawks 47% (31-66) to 29% (19-65). Additionally, Iowa sank eight triples (8-26, .308) in victory.
SCOUTING UPPER IOWA
Upper Iowa finished last season with a 7-23 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. The Peacocks roster this season features two seniors and seven underclassmen (three freshmen and four sophomores).
Last year, Upper Iowa averaged 60 points per game. Junior Andrea Downs averaged a team-best 11.6 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals a year ago to pace the Peacocks. Also, senior Britney Iredale averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds last season.
Upper Iowa is coached by Interim Head Coach Mike Brown. He served as the Peacocks’ assistant coach the previous three seasons.
To Read the entire release click here
The Iowa women’s basketball team will host Upper Iowa in its second exhibition contest Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 3:35 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets are $3 for adults, while UI students and children 18 years and under will be admitted free.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday will be a rare men’s-women’s doubleheader. Fans who present their men’s basketball ticket stub vs. Wayne State or football ticket stub vs. Penn State will be admitted free to the women’s contest vs. Upper Iowa.
IOWA ROUTES QUINCY IN EXHIBITION OPENER
Iowa outscored Quincy by 27 points in the second half en route to a convincing 88-57 triumph last Sunday in the Hawkeyes’ exhibition opener.
The Lady Hawks clawed to within one point (41-40) five minutes into the second stanza, but Iowa answered with a 24-3 run the next seven minutes to put the game away.
All five Iowa starters tallied double figures. Four seniors led the way for the Black and Gold. Wendy Ausdemore scored a team-high 18 points, Megan Skouby had 17 points, Kristi Smith netted 14 points and Nicole VanderPol drained 12 points. Skouby also posted game highs in rebounds (15) rebounds and blocks (2). Sophomore starter Kachine Alexander registered 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Kamille Wahlin dished out a game-high six assists to go along with her seven points. Freshman Hannah Draxten chipped in with five points and four rebounds.
As a team, Iowa outrebounded Quincy 50-43 and outshot the Lady Hawks 47% (31-66) to 29% (19-65). Additionally, Iowa sank eight triples (8-26, .308) in victory.
SCOUTING UPPER IOWA
Upper Iowa finished last season with a 7-23 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. The Peacocks roster this season features two seniors and seven underclassmen (three freshmen and four sophomores).
Last year, Upper Iowa averaged 60 points per game. Junior Andrea Downs averaged a team-best 11.6 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals a year ago to pace the Peacocks. Also, senior Britney Iredale averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds last season.
Upper Iowa is coached by Interim Head Coach Mike Brown. He served as the Peacocks’ assistant coach the previous three seasons.
To Read the entire release click here
Monday, November 3, 2008
Angel Robinson Update
I ran into Angel's dad John Robinson and he gives us a quick update on how she is doing thus far in her second year.
Click here to listen to this interview.
Click here to listen to this interview.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TABBED NO. 23 IN AP PRESEASON POLL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women’s basketball team is ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press preseason poll. The Boilermakers return to the top 25 for the first time since Nov. 19, 2007, when they were tabbed No. 22.
Third-year head coach Sharon Versyp has the most depth and experience since her return to her alma mater. She has four starters back from the 2008 Big Ten Tournament championship squad, plus the services of sharpshooter Jodi Howell and All-America candidate Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, who sat out last season with injuries. Add to that mix four freshmen that were ranked as high as the seventh-best recruiting class in the country and it becomes clear why Purdue was picked by the Big Ten coaches as the preseason favorite to win the conference.
For more on this please click here.
Brad Raymond of the Breakdown Publications
Brad is a part of one of the most respected basketball families in the state. His father, Butch, was a legendary coach at Augsburg, Mankato State, and St. Cloud State and is currently the NSIC Conference Commissioner based in St. Paul. Brad was a three year starter for St. Cloud Tech, where he was an All Conference and All-Area Selection in football, basketball & baseball. Brad played college basketball at St. Cloud State and Mayville State and was a deadly shooter from beyond the arch. Brad still lives by his motto, "Shoot the three and play no D."
Here are the links:
Breakdown website
Our interview with Brad Raymond
All of our interviews
Here are the links:
Breakdown website
Our interview with Brad Raymond
All of our interviews
Gophers 69 Bears 54
Well both teams got what they were looking for, a great workout against somebody other than themselves.....and it showed.
The University of Minnesota Gophers showed fans an up tempo style of play that has not been around in the Borton era. A majority of the turnovers can be attributed to "timing issues" as well as on floor combinations that will be adjusted before the real games start.
For the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears, well it was at least a half that they were glad to get out of their system. For the first 9 minutes only 1 basket went in out of 13 attempts - 6/28 for the half. Outside of that the Bears looked like they were ready to make a run at the D2 National Championships again this season.
Please note that beginning with the Non-Exhibition games we can no longer provide complete post game comments given to the general media pool for the Gopher games. We will however provide a link to the service that will make this available to fans with every game posting. We will also try to visit with Coach Borton & players after each Game for some One on One comments.
Here are the links:
Gopher post game audio
Bear post game audio
Gopher's website
Bear's website
All of our interviews
The University of Minnesota Gophers showed fans an up tempo style of play that has not been around in the Borton era. A majority of the turnovers can be attributed to "timing issues" as well as on floor combinations that will be adjusted before the real games start.
For the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears, well it was at least a half that they were glad to get out of their system. For the first 9 minutes only 1 basket went in out of 13 attempts - 6/28 for the half. Outside of that the Bears looked like they were ready to make a run at the D2 National Championships again this season.
Please note that beginning with the Non-Exhibition games we can no longer provide complete post game comments given to the general media pool for the Gopher games. We will however provide a link to the service that will make this available to fans with every game posting. We will also try to visit with Coach Borton & players after each Game for some One on One comments.
Here are the links:
Gopher post game audio
Bear post game audio
Gopher's website
Bear's website
All of our interviews
Friday, October 31, 2008
New Look North Dakota State Women's Basketball Set to Start 2008-09 Season
After nearly 30 years, North Dakota State University women's basketball will take on a new look in 2008-09.
Carolyn DeHoff begins her first season as the Bison women's basketball head coach after successful stints at Weber State, Wyoming and most recently Utah.
North Dakota State has a pair of exhibition games, Monday, Nov. 3 against the University of Mary, and Thursday, Nov. 6, against Minnesota-Crookston. Both games begin at 7 p.m. in the Bison Sports Arena.
DeHoff, who replaces Women's Basketball Hall of Fame coach Amy Ruley, hasn't stopped moving since her feet touched down in Fargo last April.
North Dakota State returns six players including one starter from last season's 17-11 team that tied for second in The Summit League with a 12-6 record. The Bison regain the services of one player, and added a prep standout and a pair of transfers to the mix.
There was a new system to be learned, but DeHoff sensed an intrepid spirit has taken Bison women’s basketball by storm.
"With an eagerness to learn, the players have embraced the opportunity to contend in post season play," said DeHoff, who is entering first season as a head coach at the collegiate level.
"Each member of this year’s squad exemplifies a tenacious work ethic, allowing our staff to teach in an environment where each student-athlete can reach their full potential. As a team we are looking to improve each and every day."
North Dakota State graduated five seniors from last year's team including a trio of double-figure scorers. Lisa Bue (16.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg) was The Summit League Player of the Year and is playing professionally overseas with former Bison post player Brandee Gibbs.
To read more please click here.
Minnesota vs. Concordia
The Minnesota women’s basketball team plays host to Concordia University, St. Paul on Sunday, Nov. 2, in the first of two exhibition games preceding the 2008-09 regular season. Tip-off at Williams Arena is set for 2 p.m.
2008-09 Golden Gopher Outlook:
The Minnesota women’s basketball program has been under the direction of head coach Pam Borton for the last six seasons. Each season, the Golden Gophers have advanced to postseason action, obviously highlighted by the Gophers’ memorable trek to the Final Four in 2004 and to the Sweet 16 in 2003 and 2005. Like the flip of the calendar year, in the world of our Golden Gophers what comes around, goes around.
To read more please click here.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Iowa (0-0) vs. Quincy (0-0)
ON IOWA
Last season, Iowa won a share of the Big Ten regular season conference championship with Ohio State. The title is the program’s ninth, the second-most behind Ohio State (11). Iowa lost to eventual champion Purdue (80-73) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Last year marked the first time since the 2004-05 season (Michigan State and Ohio State) that there were co-champions.
The Hawkeyes won of 11 of their last 13 regular season contests, including winning eight straight during conference play. The eight-game winning streak was the longest by any Big Ten team throughout the season. Furthermore, Iowa won a Big Ten-best five league road games.
SCOUTING QUINCY
The Quincy University women’s basketball team is coming off a 20-10 record last year and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Quincy, who is coached by J.D. Gravina, returns all five starters from a year ago. The Lady Hawks’ 2008-09 roster consists of nine upperclassmen -- six juniors and three seniors. Senior guard Jessica Keller led the Lady Hawks in scoring (20.5), rebounding (7.7), assists (148), steals (103) and free throws made (172) and attempted (224). Junior forward Lindsey Stellflue ranked second in scoring (13.1), rebounding (4.6) and 3-pointers made (44) and attempted (126). As a team, Quincy averaged 78.2 points and made 192 triples in 30 games.
The Lady Hawks will play at Drake Saturday before visiting Iowa City on Sunday. Quincy opens its 2008-09 season Nov. 15 against Saginaw Valley State University in the Subway/Quincy Tip-Off Tournament.
Last season, Iowa won a share of the Big Ten regular season conference championship with Ohio State. The title is the program’s ninth, the second-most behind Ohio State (11). Iowa lost to eventual champion Purdue (80-73) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Last year marked the first time since the 2004-05 season (Michigan State and Ohio State) that there were co-champions.
The Hawkeyes won of 11 of their last 13 regular season contests, including winning eight straight during conference play. The eight-game winning streak was the longest by any Big Ten team throughout the season. Furthermore, Iowa won a Big Ten-best five league road games.
SCOUTING QUINCY
The Quincy University women’s basketball team is coming off a 20-10 record last year and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Quincy, who is coached by J.D. Gravina, returns all five starters from a year ago. The Lady Hawks’ 2008-09 roster consists of nine upperclassmen -- six juniors and three seniors. Senior guard Jessica Keller led the Lady Hawks in scoring (20.5), rebounding (7.7), assists (148), steals (103) and free throws made (172) and attempted (224). Junior forward Lindsey Stellflue ranked second in scoring (13.1), rebounding (4.6) and 3-pointers made (44) and attempted (126). As a team, Quincy averaged 78.2 points and made 192 triples in 30 games.
The Lady Hawks will play at Drake Saturday before visiting Iowa City on Sunday. Quincy opens its 2008-09 season Nov. 15 against Saginaw Valley State University in the Subway/Quincy Tip-Off Tournament.
To read more from the Iowa WBB Game Notes for this game please click here.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER NAMED HOMECOMING QUEEN
October 28, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Lauren Mioton, a senior on the women’s basketball team was crowned Purdue University's Homecoming queen on Oct. 24 during a pep rally at Slayter Hill. The women’s basketball team was in attendance and rushed the stage when Mioton’s name was announced. Mioton is the first Purdue women’s basketball player to win the honor and she credits the Purdue athletics family for supporting her.
“When the Purdue athletics administration heard that I was running for homecoming queen, they spread the word to the coaches, who spread it on to their players,” Mioton said. “The teams told their friends to vote for me. I did not know that so many student-athletes would rally around me like that because it’s something outside the athletic realm. It was great to know that the entire department was involved in it and that so many student-athletes would take the time to support me.”
Mioton, a biology major from New Orleans was one of seven candidates for queen and was crowned along with homecoming king, Sam Utley from Haubstadt, Ind.
To read more please click here.
Hittin The Harwood with Roni Hicks... Our House
TUESDAY, Oct. 28 -- Our House
Hello again, and thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m Roni Hicks, No. 3 on the Michigan women's basketball team.
I am new at blogging so I figured I’d continue introducing myself in my first few blogs just in case you aren’t able to catch the first one. The ladies (my teammates) are still living up to their introductions, which can be found in the first blog.
So far, official practice has been consistent, and in basketball CONSISTENCY is key. I'm pretty sure that coach has said that once or twice. As we pick up from where we left off last year, we are continuing to work to perfect the drills that were SOOO new to us at this time last year.
To read more of this blog please click here.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Big Ten Media Day
Here it is. Our big return to regular coverage of Big Ten Women's Basketball.
On October 26, 2008 all the Coaches gathered in Chicago for the media to be interviewed about their teams and the up coming season. We include a little of that but felt that it would be a little boring for the coaches to say the same thing over and over to the more then 125 accredited media members in attendance. So we took a slightly different approach to the day.
To listen to our interviews of all 11 Big Ten Women's Basketball Coaches click here.
On October 26, 2008 all the Coaches gathered in Chicago for the media to be interviewed about their teams and the up coming season. We include a little of that but felt that it would be a little boring for the coaches to say the same thing over and over to the more then 125 accredited media members in attendance. So we took a slightly different approach to the day.
To listen to our interviews of all 11 Big Ten Women's Basketball Coaches click here.
Monday, October 20, 2008
3 Big Announcements
1 - Community Hoops Productions will be the official home for all audio podcast of Hopkins girls basketball games on the internet. Tip off is at Hamline in November.
2 - Tony Geer, executive director of Community Hoops Productions will be having hernia surgery on November 6th. The volunteer staff at CHP wishes him well during his recovery.
3 - Community Hoops Productions will be at the Big Ten Media day to interview the coaches and players in attendance on October 26th. CHP will then post those interviews over the following week at www.communityhoops.com.
2 - Tony Geer, executive director of Community Hoops Productions will be having hernia surgery on November 6th. The volunteer staff at CHP wishes him well during his recovery.
3 - Community Hoops Productions will be at the Big Ten Media day to interview the coaches and players in attendance on October 26th. CHP will then post those interviews over the following week at www.communityhoops.com.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Swish Clinic This Weekend
Tom Nordland, one of the top shooting coaches in the country, will be putting on two clinics at the Colin Powell Center on 4th Ave. and Lake Street in Minneapolis this coming weekend, as follows:
• Friday, Oct. 10th (5-9PM)
• Sunday evening, Oct. 12th (5-9PM)
LOCATION:
Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center
2924 4th Avenue South
Minneapolils, MN 55408
These clinics are 4 hours long and Tom will coach up to 24 kids/clinic. They are open to both kids AND coaches. The coaches will take the clinic as a student, as that’s the best way to coach anything ... be able to do it yourself, be in the “stew” of learning, so to speak. He’ll continually point out the coaching points during the clinics.
FEES
The fees are reduced for these clinics, in light of the challenging economy we are all facing:
• Regular fee for a player: $50, which includes the Swish 1 DVD
• Regular price augmented (includes both Swish videos*), $60
• Fee for siblings, $40, no video (where first sibling pays full price)
• Fee for repeaters: $40 (no video)
• Repeaters price, including Swish 2: $50
• Fee for coaches, including Swish 2: $40
*The package of both videos is worth $45 alone.
ON-LINE ENROLLMENT IS AVAILABLE
Go to this web page for details on the clinics and the links to enroll On Line:
Tom's clinics are getting more and more exciting and effective as he sees additional things all the time and new ways to say and coach them. He'll be teaching the "Swish Free Throw" at these clinics, a new and extremely powerful way to approach this simple-but-challenging shot. He can see that the main thing he's doing (and teaching others to do) is coaching kids to be able to coach themselves. As they learn to shoot a basketball -- and, more powerfully for them, how to learn anything -- their self images can alter and self esteem rise. This is one of the great things about sports, the potential for growth as human beings. Let’s work together to help more kids experience how awesome they truly are!
Thanks,
_______________ <------ YOUR NAME
P.S. Please note that there is secure parking both in front of the amazing Powell Center and also with underground parking (enter on the north side of the building, off 29th Street). If you have any concerns about this, please call Kelby Brothen, the Athletic Director at the Powell Center. His #’s are:
Work #: 612/638-1014
Cell: 612/720-8852
Email: urbanstars@urbanventures.org
P.P.S. Tom will be speaking and demonstrating at a special Youth Coaches’ Clinic on Saturday, the 11th. He’ll be presenting twice. Contact Coach Kelby for details. Dave Arseanault, head coach at Grinnell College in Iowa, the highest scoring team in the nation, will be presenting also.
Colorado Media Day
Colorado head women's basketball coach Kathy McConnell-Miller and players met with local media members on Thursday to kickoff the 2008-09 season. Practice officially begins for the Buffaloes on Friday, Oct. 17 and CU will host an exhibition game against Regis University on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. CU opens the regular season one week later, Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. against the University of Central Florida at Coors.
Here are quotes from coach Miller's media day press conference as well as those from select players:
Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller
General
"I feel like we are embarking on a season coming off a summer as strong as any summer I have been a part of. From a chemistry standpoint, you could see it in their eyes. They've bonded. It's a really exciting time for us. I'm excited about the season. I'm excited about the players we have returning. And I'm really excited about the three newcomers. Probably the smallest team (in terms of numbers) we've had since I've been here, but probably the most prepared team."
On Whitney Houston's Injury
"I am going to have my challenges this year with this particular group. We have been very post oriented for three years. Now we are extremely guard oriented. It hasn't taken long for the likes of Alyssa Fressle and Kelly Jo Mullaney to step up and show why they were such successful high school point guards. The challenge is going to be who fits that best and who fits it the quickest, and not pull them from what they do best. When you're a point guard, you really take on the mentality of leading the team. They both have those characteristics as well."
On A Different Offense
"You are going to see a lot of offensive sets that are really geared towards the guards, and getting them lots of shots, lots of looks. You're going to see a lot more perimeter scoring. But I think most everybody will be pleasantly surprised with Kara Richards. It's not that she was never skilled enough. But she truly was in Jackie (McFarland)'s shadow for three years."
On Alyssa Fressle Being Only Colorado Native
"It's always difficult to recruit your state. Having Alyssa we feel really opened the doors for the Colorado players. I think that changed things.."
On Alyssa Fressle's on Court Potential
"I always talk about Whitney Houston and Brittany Spears; they changed the culture of the team. They're the types of players that you can't get out of the gym. Alyssa is the same exact way. The culture of the team is really changing in that they are true lovers of the game. You want to recruit the whole package, the student-athlete. That's what Alyssa is. But her passion is basketball. She will wear the nets out. She will make it evident why she should be a starter, or why she should play thirty-five minutes a game, and why she should be a go to player."
On 11th place Preseason Poll Rating
"I really think those types of polls motivate the weaker athlete. I really think the stronger athletes don't need that type of motivation. They don't need that type of locker room material. They just look at it as one person's opinion, or as it is eleven people's opinion. (There was) little to no reaction when somebody brought it up yesterday, particularly from the younger players. It's a tough league. It doesn't matter who you have. It doesn't matter where you are. You have to bring your game every night."
On Rebounding With a Smaller Team
"It's something you really have to drill into your team. Taller teams aren't necessarily better rebounding teams. It's not always what you teach, it's what you emphasize. I think this particular group will understand that that's a priority for us."
On Momentum from WNIT
"I think they've all elevated their level of play. The success that they had gave them the confidence to go into this summer and know that they had another level. They know that their ultimate goal is to get to the NCAA tournament. They felt like they took the step that they needed, and now we need to take a bigger one."
On Leadership from Older Players
"If we're teaching something, you can see the older players on the sideline saying -this is how we need to do it, this is how we're going to get better. You can see that it's not just us leading. We've got players that have been through it, that have been battle tested, and show the younger players the way. Although some of these younger players- they're not asking too many questions. They're just getting out there. If they make a mistake, they make a mistake. They're battling, and trying to get better. If you're looking at our seniors, really good leaders, good strong young women that understand what the staff is all about, that understand the trials and tribulations of this program."
On Goals for this Season
"For the players, their ultimate goal is to get to the NCAA tournament. It doesn't matter how many wins it takes. There's not one team in this Big 12 that you can circle, and say that that's a 'W'. I looked at and said - Yeah there is, it's us- Colorado's the team that everybody else is circling. That's the way we felt four years ago. That's not the way we feel right now. We're not even close to that team. It is at a time in our program where these players step on the floor and their expectation is to win."
Colorado Players
Sr. C Kara Richards
ON THE SHIFT TO A GUARD-HEAVY, PERIMETER EMPHASIZED TEAM
"Not only is it just guard-oriented, but it's guards who know how to score."
ON OFF-SEASON TRAINING AND PREPARATION
"We've got this thing called the 'pain train,' and really it's about getting our mental toughness right. I think you're going to see a really mentally tough team this year."
ON TEAM STRENGTHS
"As a team, I think everybody knows how to score and that opponents can't sag off of any one player at all."
Sr. G/F, Hannah Skildum
ON OFF-SEASON TRAINING AND PREPARATION
"We worked really hard this summer getting into the best shape we can. Our strength coach (Jared Aurich) said that he wants us to be in the best shape out of any team in the Big 12. I think that especially training at altitude, that gives us a really big advantage. So I think we're going to run a lot of teams off the floor this year."
ON THE TEAM RANKING
"It doesn't really matter to us. We just go out there every day and play, and just take one game at a time."
ON EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FRESHMEN
"Our two freshmen are actually really mature compared to a lot of freshmen who have come in. I expect pretty big things from them. You kind of give a little lee-way with freshmen, but these freshmen are definitely capable of playing a lot and helping out our team a lot."
Jr. G. Bianca Smith
ON THIS YEAR'S BIGGEST CHANGES
"This year, we're a lot more 'guard-heavy,' and so I think some of our offenses are going to be different and geared more to a guard-heavy offense and keeping Kara as a post so she won't have to do that much roaming around the outside, and getting a lot of buckets inside while still remaining an inside-outside team."
ON TEAM THREATS
"You can't necessarily replace a player like Jackie [McFarland], but we are out of the mindset of having one person that's taking on the scoring load. We have a lot of people this year that can score. We just want to distribute the ball and get as many people to score as possible. I think that is one of our biggest threats. I think that a lot of people think that because we lost Jackie that our scoring is going to go down, but I think that the exact opposite is going to happen; we're going to have more scoring because we'll have more people on the floor that can score."
ON THE TEAM RANKING
"We're not motivated by the polls. We just want to go out and practice and work hard every day. Our motivation is each other and just trying to win games and to do better than we did last year and to keep getting better."
Here are quotes from coach Miller's media day press conference as well as those from select players:
Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller
General
"I feel like we are embarking on a season coming off a summer as strong as any summer I have been a part of. From a chemistry standpoint, you could see it in their eyes. They've bonded. It's a really exciting time for us. I'm excited about the season. I'm excited about the players we have returning. And I'm really excited about the three newcomers. Probably the smallest team (in terms of numbers) we've had since I've been here, but probably the most prepared team."
On Whitney Houston's Injury
"I am going to have my challenges this year with this particular group. We have been very post oriented for three years. Now we are extremely guard oriented. It hasn't taken long for the likes of Alyssa Fressle and Kelly Jo Mullaney to step up and show why they were such successful high school point guards. The challenge is going to be who fits that best and who fits it the quickest, and not pull them from what they do best. When you're a point guard, you really take on the mentality of leading the team. They both have those characteristics as well."
On A Different Offense
"You are going to see a lot of offensive sets that are really geared towards the guards, and getting them lots of shots, lots of looks. You're going to see a lot more perimeter scoring. But I think most everybody will be pleasantly surprised with Kara Richards. It's not that she was never skilled enough. But she truly was in Jackie (McFarland)'s shadow for three years."
On Alyssa Fressle Being Only Colorado Native
"It's always difficult to recruit your state. Having Alyssa we feel really opened the doors for the Colorado players. I think that changed things.."
On Alyssa Fressle's on Court Potential
"I always talk about Whitney Houston and Brittany Spears; they changed the culture of the team. They're the types of players that you can't get out of the gym. Alyssa is the same exact way. The culture of the team is really changing in that they are true lovers of the game. You want to recruit the whole package, the student-athlete. That's what Alyssa is. But her passion is basketball. She will wear the nets out. She will make it evident why she should be a starter, or why she should play thirty-five minutes a game, and why she should be a go to player."
On 11th place Preseason Poll Rating
"I really think those types of polls motivate the weaker athlete. I really think the stronger athletes don't need that type of motivation. They don't need that type of locker room material. They just look at it as one person's opinion, or as it is eleven people's opinion. (There was) little to no reaction when somebody brought it up yesterday, particularly from the younger players. It's a tough league. It doesn't matter who you have. It doesn't matter where you are. You have to bring your game every night."
On Rebounding With a Smaller Team
"It's something you really have to drill into your team. Taller teams aren't necessarily better rebounding teams. It's not always what you teach, it's what you emphasize. I think this particular group will understand that that's a priority for us."
On Momentum from WNIT
"I think they've all elevated their level of play. The success that they had gave them the confidence to go into this summer and know that they had another level. They know that their ultimate goal is to get to the NCAA tournament. They felt like they took the step that they needed, and now we need to take a bigger one."
On Leadership from Older Players
"If we're teaching something, you can see the older players on the sideline saying -this is how we need to do it, this is how we're going to get better. You can see that it's not just us leading. We've got players that have been through it, that have been battle tested, and show the younger players the way. Although some of these younger players- they're not asking too many questions. They're just getting out there. If they make a mistake, they make a mistake. They're battling, and trying to get better. If you're looking at our seniors, really good leaders, good strong young women that understand what the staff is all about, that understand the trials and tribulations of this program."
On Goals for this Season
"For the players, their ultimate goal is to get to the NCAA tournament. It doesn't matter how many wins it takes. There's not one team in this Big 12 that you can circle, and say that that's a 'W'. I looked at and said - Yeah there is, it's us- Colorado's the team that everybody else is circling. That's the way we felt four years ago. That's not the way we feel right now. We're not even close to that team. It is at a time in our program where these players step on the floor and their expectation is to win."
Colorado Players
Sr. C Kara Richards
ON THE SHIFT TO A GUARD-HEAVY, PERIMETER EMPHASIZED TEAM
"Not only is it just guard-oriented, but it's guards who know how to score."
ON OFF-SEASON TRAINING AND PREPARATION
"We've got this thing called the 'pain train,' and really it's about getting our mental toughness right. I think you're going to see a really mentally tough team this year."
ON TEAM STRENGTHS
"As a team, I think everybody knows how to score and that opponents can't sag off of any one player at all."
Sr. G/F, Hannah Skildum
ON OFF-SEASON TRAINING AND PREPARATION
"We worked really hard this summer getting into the best shape we can. Our strength coach (Jared Aurich) said that he wants us to be in the best shape out of any team in the Big 12. I think that especially training at altitude, that gives us a really big advantage. So I think we're going to run a lot of teams off the floor this year."
ON THE TEAM RANKING
"It doesn't really matter to us. We just go out there every day and play, and just take one game at a time."
ON EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FRESHMEN
"Our two freshmen are actually really mature compared to a lot of freshmen who have come in. I expect pretty big things from them. You kind of give a little lee-way with freshmen, but these freshmen are definitely capable of playing a lot and helping out our team a lot."
Jr. G. Bianca Smith
ON THIS YEAR'S BIGGEST CHANGES
"This year, we're a lot more 'guard-heavy,' and so I think some of our offenses are going to be different and geared more to a guard-heavy offense and keeping Kara as a post so she won't have to do that much roaming around the outside, and getting a lot of buckets inside while still remaining an inside-outside team."
ON TEAM THREATS
"You can't necessarily replace a player like Jackie [McFarland], but we are out of the mindset of having one person that's taking on the scoring load. We have a lot of people this year that can score. We just want to distribute the ball and get as many people to score as possible. I think that is one of our biggest threats. I think that a lot of people think that because we lost Jackie that our scoring is going to go down, but I think that the exact opposite is going to happen; we're going to have more scoring because we'll have more people on the floor that can score."
ON THE TEAM RANKING
"We're not motivated by the polls. We just want to go out and practice and work hard every day. Our motivation is each other and just trying to win games and to do better than we did last year and to keep getting better."
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Iowa WBB Media Day Quotes
The following is courtesy of Iowa Sports Information Department
2008 Iowa Women’s Basketball Media Day Player Quotes
Wendy Ausdemore – Senior, Forward
(on her goals for her season season)
“We want to have a great senior year and are looking forward to it. The freshmen have come in and worked hard. Our goals are to defend our home court, be Big Ten champions again and make the NCAA Tournament. We want to be able to play in front of our home fans here at Carver (Hawkeye-Arena).”
(on responsibilities of being a senior leader on this team)
“The underclassmen are doing a great job. They are excited to be here and they are working hard. We just try to do the little things to help them and show them the intensity level that is needed. Also, we make sure they are doing alright on and off the court.”
(on defensive rebounding)
“Defensive rebounding was one of the reasons we had such a successful season last year. We lost some great defenders and rebounders from last year’s team and that has been our focus. We all need to step into those roles and improve in those areas.”
(on the five seniors)
“We have been really close since our freshman year. It is fun that we all play the one through five positions so we possibly could all be out there at the same time. We are looking forward to a great senior year.”
Megan Skouby – Senior, Center
(on motivation to have a successful senior year)
“I really want to do well this year. Not just for me, but for the entire team. I would love to get us back to where we were last year. I know we can repeat some of the things we did last year and improve as well.”
(on being a senior leader)
“As freshmen we came in not knowing what to expect. I really think that this year we are really prepared and so ready to go out there and show everyone what we really can do. We are looking to continue our leadership roles as seniors. The underclassmen will be looking up to us. They are great players and I am really excited to see what they can do. “
JoAnn Hamlin – Junior Forward/Center
(on when she found her comfort level after transferring)
“I became the most comfortable here at the end of last season. Some could probably tell that I was playing better and a little bit more like myself. I was able to get that comfort level with my teammates and was able to read them better. With the freshmen coming in over the summer we have been able to play together and I feel we are all comfortable playing with each other so far. “
(on the frontcourt losses due to graduation)
“We all have to step it up. We are going to have to make up for all the rebounding we lost and we all have to pick it up. I am prepared to log more minutes than last year and I am in much better shape than I was last season so hopefully that will help.”
Kristi Smith – Senior, Guard
(on how the senior class has matured)
“We’ve all really matured on and off the court. We’ve built lasting relationships and they’re like my sisters so I’ve enjoyed being able to play with them the last three years.”
(on being more of a vocal leader)
“Being a senior captain has made me step out of my box a little bit to become more vocal. I have always been a quiet person and let my play talk for me, but I do realize I have more responsibility on the team now and I need to help out my teammates by being more vocal.”
(on her leadership role)
“Yeah, we got thrown into the fire right away. Coach Bluder was always really honest with us and she told us up front what she expected from us. We’ve just tried our hardest to not disappoint her and do our best.”
Kachine Alexander - Sophomore, Guard
(on last season)
“Last year was hard for me. I worked on my game in the summer and during my time off. The mental strength and stability that I had to have to get over that has really carried over into this year. When the season comes everyone will get to see how hard I worked.”
(on helping the freshmen adjust)
“I help them get to classes, bus routes and we’ve gone out to dinner. We’ve talked about everything [being a student athlete] as an individual. Just little things that help, they’ll call me if they need help getting something or where to get it. It’s been really great.”
(on her role this year)
“Rebounding and defense like last year, but a lot more offense this year, too. We lost a lot of offense from last year, so I need to step up on the wing. All summer all I worked on my shot. Defense had to take a backseat a little bit so I could improve my shot and be a threat on the arc.”
(on working on her offensive game)
“Yeah, I have worked on my shot a lot. My offensive skills have gotten a lot better. I wanted to be an option for my team to go to. I think that I have accomplished that and they have that faith in me that they can trust me.
(on playing with Megan Skouby)
“I have never ever played with anyone that big. The Big Ten has some big girls in it and my freshman year I had to learn the hard way. Skouby blocked every shot I took and I kept thinking ‘How am I going to get this around her?’ It helped me though, going against Michigan State’s Allyssa DeHaan you have to alter your shot somehow. That’s an even bigger girl!”
Kamille Wahlin – Freshman, Guard
(on team chemistry)
“Everyone is getting along really well. We have five seniors that have great leadership and they’re very helpful with us four freshmen. They know they’ve been there and had to adjust themselves so they have been there when I have questions and they’ve shown us the ropes.”
(on envision her first game as a Hawkeye)
“I’ve thought about that a lot and talked about it with Hannah. I know I’ll be nervous and there will be butterflies. But, I’ll also be very excited because when you are at the point of achieving a big goal of playing in the Big Ten, you’ll just be ready for it because you’ve been preparing for it forever.”
(on the coaching staff)
“They’re a great coaching staff. I have had my individuals with them and it has just been a lot of fun so far. They’re very good teachers and very patient to make you a better player.”
(on the freshmen and seniors)
“Chemistry has developed really well. Three of us were here this summer and we just got to know each other. We look to the seniors for help and they’re very good people whether we have questions with school or basketball. They’re always there to help us.”
(on similarities between her and Kristi)
“We both are scoring point guards; Kristi is very good at getting to the basket and penetrating as well as she’s a very good outside shooter. We’re kind of the same in that we both like getting to the basket, dish the ball or find the outside shot.”
(on playing with Hannah in AAU)
“We played together for a year in AAU. She’s a very good outside shooter and a good rebounder. She has a good all-around game. I think she’ll just bring scoring and rebounding and she’s a really good defender too, so she’ll bring a lot of aspects to the game.”
(on her role on the team)
“I guess we will have to see when the games come. I’m just going to do my best to get in there and maintain the tempo she’s (Kristi) set. She sets the tempo for the game so when I come in I’ll learn from that and just do my best to do what she’s doing.”
Iowa WBB Coach Bluder Q & A
The following is courtesy of Iowa Sports Information Department
THE MODERATOR: Coach, the stage is yours.
COACH BLUDER: Thank you for coming out today. Excited about another year beginning. Can't believe it's already here. But last year I think was really proof to this team that great things can be accomplished when everybody's working on the same page, when you're working hard, you're working confidently. I know this year's team is equally excited about having another remarkable season.
There's plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the year this year. We return three key players from last year. Kristi Smith, who I think is the best point guard in the Big Ten conference. Wendy Ausdemore, who is ranked as the best three-point shooter in the Big Ten conference.
Megan Skouby, who has had the most experience of any center in the Big Ten conference. Those are three very key positions. We return exceptional people at all those positions.
We also have the addition of Kachine Alexander back to our team. I don't think I get a lot of arguments that people would think she was probably one of our best defensive players on our team last year. She was really coming into her own when obviously she had to leave our team because of academic reasons. But she's had a great spring and a wonderful summer academically. She's doing well. She's excited about being back on the floor, being able to contribute on the floor.
We have JoAnn Hamlin back. JoAnn Hamlin I think is ready to be a factor this season, after sitting out, after her transfer, and playing behind Krista VandeVenter last year. I think this is her time to be a big factor in our basketball program as well.
We have four freshmen that I feel will contribute almost immediately for our basketball team.
Kamille Wahlin, very excited about her potential as our future leader on this basketball team, as our future point guard. She reminds me a lot of Kristi Smith, but at the same time she's got a little bit more size than Kristi Smith. So I think that's a good thing for her. She will be a great player. This is going to be a wonderful year for her to learn from Kristi and play behind Kristi but get valuable minutes in preparation for her leading our team in the future.
We also have Hannah Draxten as a freshman. Hannah is a great shooter, scoring over 2,000 points in her high school career. Could play the two or the three for us. Again, another good defensive player, but a really nice offensive scorer for us.
Kelly Krei, our local recruit, what a great athlete. Kelly could play in so many different positions on the floor. I think that makes it fun to coach her because she can do so many things that you just by looking at her don't think she can do. She is going to be a factor for us, a tremendous defensive player, very coachable, works extremely hard. I think Kelly is going to be an exciting player for everybody in this community to watch after her successful career at City High.
Then Shante Jones. Shante could play a two or a three for us. She's from Dayton, Ohio. Again, a really nice scorer for us. But is going to have to play catch-up a little bit because she wasn't here this summer. That will put her behind just a little bit.
But just like last year, I don't think teams do remarkable things without special seniors, and we have five special seniors again this year, just like we did last year. In fact, I think we kind of have this unique combination right now of successful experience and youthful enthusiasm. If we can get those two things to blend together, I think we've got a really, really good product on our hands.
Another tough and challenging schedule. In fact, 20 of our 29 games are against teams that were in post-season play last year. We have a lot of highlights, including hosting Iowa State, hosting the University of Northern Iowa. Again, our Hawkeye Challenge, we're having Boston University, Providence and Portland in that tournament. We are going on the road to play at Kansas, at Duke, who is ranked No. 5 in the country right now, and at Drake University. Then at our neutral site in The Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving, we'll be playing Texas Tech from the Big 12, South Florida from the Big East, and California, a team that's currently ranked No. 2 in some polls. So we're going to have a great challenge there in The Virgin Islands, a great schedule that will prepare us for the Big Ten season.
Then, of course, at the end of the year playing host to the NCAA tournament is something we have not done in 10 years here at the University of Iowa. Our players are very excited about the opportunity to host the tournament. What that means is if we are selected, and I'm not going to say if, when we are selected, we will be playing at home in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
Q. This senior class, four years ago when you brought these five girls in, I remember you saying, Wait to see what these girls can do. Is this what you had in mind?
COACH BLUDER: You're right, this was a special class. I was thinking about that as we prepared for this. One thing, I can't believe they're seniors already. It's gone incredibly fast. It's also kind of sad, too. It's my last opportunity to coach them.
But that's what brings special things out of kids. I think we saw that last year with our seniors the remarkable things they did in their senior year. When you're a senior, you have a different way of approaching things. I think that these guys have had marvelous careers so far, but they're really ready to put a stamp on it this year.
Q. There was one game, their freshmen year, all five of them together on the floor at the same time. Is that going to happen again this year?
COACH BLUDER: It could. Not able to look into the crystal ball. It may. They're obviously five very talented individuals. It would be fun to have that happen.
Q. Lindsey and Nicole have been nicked up their whole careers. Are you hoping to get them healthy the whole time?
COACH BLUDER: Yeah, you know, Lindsey and Nicole have had obviously some injury problems coming in here. Right now Lindsey's having a little bit of foot pain again. We just hope to get her pain free so that she can, you know, be able to really show everybody what she can do in her senior year.
Q. Kelly Krei, thought maybe she would be a wing coming into college. Are you going to need her more as a four?
COACH BLUDER: You know, we could use her as four, definitely. I think she's so versatile, she could play in a number of different positions for us. You know, Kelly is really a kid that's capable of playing the two, three or four. But we'll probably need her more at the four position. We have a little bit more depth at the two and the three position.
Q. It seems like the graduation from last year, the area maybe you're going to be hardest hit at is rebounding.
COACH BLUDER: I agree with you.
Q. Who is going to pick up the slack there?
COACH BLUDER: That's the challenge we've been giving them during individual workouts this year. We've been trying to point out to them that we did lose a lot of great rebounders from last year. When you think of Jenee Graham and Johanna Solverson, Krista VandeVenter, or Stacy, what they did for us in the rebounding part of it, we have to have some other people assume new roles in rebounding.
Also on the defensive end, too. Those were some of our best defensive players. We've really been challenging them in individual workouts that that's an area we need to work on because we were very good in those two areas last year and we need to continue if we want to have a successful program to do that.
You're exactly right, other people are going to have to step up and assume those responsibilities. I think we have people that can do that. When you look at JoAnn Hamlin, she's a natural rebounder. Kachine, 10 rebounds at Minnesota, she's a tremendous rebounder. Wendy can be a great rebounder. Megan. We have people that can assume that responsibility, but now they're going to have to instead of talking about it.
Q. Last year Iowa made 197 three-pointers, which was 40 more than the previous season. You were ranked first in the Big Ten in three-point shooting. Talk about the three-pointer and will it again play an important part in your offense this season?
COACH BLUDER: It will. As long as we've got great three-point shooters, we're going to work around it. That doesn't mean that's what we're going to solely rely on. I believe you have to have a good inside attack to make your outside shots more available.
I think that's why we were successful at it last year. That's not what we only did. But definitely when you've got Wendy Ausdemore, Kristi Smith, you've got to be putting up a lot of three-point shots. And we will continue to do that.
Q. How is it different coming into a season as the defending Big Ten regular-season champion?
COACH BLUDER: You know, the only difference is it gives the kids confidence. It gives them proof that what we did last year works, so let's continue doing those same things.
But truly, that's over, and now besides the confidence it brings you and the lessons, it's over, and now it's ready to start again. I think these guys are ready. They want their own legacy here.
These five seniors, especially.
Q. Defensively last year the team made huge strides. You were second in the Big Ten in defending field goal shooting, first in defending the three, held teams to 60 points a game. Talk about the defense this year and the role it has to play.
COACH BLUDER: Again, that's something we really challenged our team with. Again, last year was such proof that we have to have those two elements, rebounding and defense, for a team to be a championship team, for a team to be successful. So we've got great lessons to draw upon. We just have to keep reminding them of that and their commitment to doing a good job in those two areas.
We haven't made a lot of changes in our defense from last year. A couple minor things. But we haven't made a lot of adjustments. We think what we did last year worked really well. We just need to continue to bring that intensity that we established on defense last year.
Q. Johanna Solverson, she was probably the most aggressive player as far as creating her shot. Do you need somebody like Johanna to become the person that will take the initiative or do some creating?
COACH BLUDER: Right. I'm smiling because I think she was the most aggressive in everything. You know, first in line for the water cooler. Now she's over in Greece playing, enjoying a professional career now. Very happy for her.
But you're right, Johanna was an aggressive player, but not just offensively really, I mean, defensively, rebounding, get out of my way. We do have to have that type of personality. I think that type of personality on your team raises everybody else's intensity. I think we have people that are capable of being that aggressive, assertive type of person. I think Kachine Alexander is very much like that. I think JoAnn Hamlin is very much that personality.
Now, as far as creating offense, I don't know if we've got a replica of her, just to be able to put out there. But I think Kachine Alexander really worked on her offense over the summer. I think we're going to see improvements in her offense there. And, again, I think with Wendy and Kristi, we've got some really good guns in there offensively.
Q. Last season the team seemed fueled by maybe it was the disappointment of the previous year. How are they handling the success of last year?
COACH BLUDER: Yeah, you know, that's always a fine line because you want to enjoy last year's success, but you also at the same time don't want to rest on your laurels either. I believe that they have enjoyed last year's success, and you have to have success. If you don't have any success ever, you start to lose motivation, you start to lose the belief. So I think those things have really intensified from last year.
But at the same time I think as coaches we have to keep them hungry. We've got to keep reminding them of what it takes to be successful.
I think the team is pretty smart, though. They realize we did lose some pretty important elements of last year's team. And I think that alone has kept this team hungry. I think if everybody would be returning, it would have been a little bit harder. But I think with the loss of some pretty important seniors, it almost makes this team realize, yeah, we do have to keep working hard because we've lost some really good players from last year.
So I think that's almost made them a little bit more hungrier because of that.
Q. Do you think they have the swagger of a Big Ten champion returning or still that chip on their shoulder?
COACH BLUDER: I hope that they have more of the swagger versus the chip on the shoulder. But I don't know that I've been around them enough in practice situations yet to really give you a complete answer on that. But I hope that they have the swagger. I think you have to have the confidence and you have to have the belief going to play on the road in the Big Ten, going to play at Kansas, at Duke, playing against the competition we're going to play. You better believe in yourself or it's going to be over quickly.
Q. When you look at the schedule, you can't help but zero in starting late November, eight days when you are going to face Cal, Duke, come home to host Iowa State. Looks like a pretty critical and challenging part of the schedule for you. Your thoughts on that section?
COACH BLUDER: It's going to be extremely difficult, as we know. We're playing on the road, on a neutral site, obviously getting to host Iowa State, who is going to have an excellent basketball team. That's a tough segment.
But, you know, you can't look at it as a segment. We've got to look at it as one game at a time. If we start looking at the overall picture, I think it gets overwhelming. Just focus on one game at a time and that's how we'll keep our team focused.
Q. Was this schedule designed to be that tough early, knowing the girls you had coming back, wanting to challenge them right away?
COACH BLUDER: Some of it is definitely by design, knowing we had a pretty good team coming back this year. That's why we started the Kansas series. We will be hosting them here next year with that series. We think that's a great series to add.
To play at The Virgin Islands, that is one of the premiere women's basketball tournaments in the country. Great competition, three games in three days. That's very difficult to do. You're playing in The Virgin Islands, which is really nice. So it's a great tournament. It's a premiere tournament, like I said.
But, you know, the Duke game, we had no control over that. We don't know who they're going to give to you. You have no idea who they're going to match you up with in the Big Ten/ACC series. That's the only one we really don't know what's going to happen until after the season.
Q. You talk about Kristi, Wendy and Megan. Have they changed much since they got here? What were they like as freshmen versus now?
COACH BLUDER: Oh, my. You know, I think they've all changed. But Kristi has really changed because she's had to become more of a leader. Kristi was always a leader by example. She always worked hard and did what you asked of her. But she's had to become more of a vocal leader. And that's really not something she's comfortable with. And even now she's still not. Even though she's so much better than when she came as a freshman, she is so much better in understanding that.
Wendy, same thing. Wendy is the type of person that would really cheer people on, but holding other people accountable wasn't really something that she was comfortable with. And she's had to learn to as a senior and as a captain on our basketball team, they've had to learn those roles.
But I think both of them, all of them, their game has changed tremendously from when they came here as a freshman. But I think more than anything, it's their leadership that has really developed, and what really shines.
And then one thing that's been a constant is the type of people they are. I mean, they are wonderful human beings. They're incredible role models. They excel in the classroom. And that's one thing that's been a constant throughout their career that I'm extremely proud of them for doing.
Q. Megan, seemed like when she came in, she had all the natural talent. Seems like she's had kind of adjusted to the years to add the grit to her talent.
COACH BLUDER: Yeah, Megan has probably had to make the most adjustments to anybody, from being a starter to being a non-starter, from being a person being the leading scorer on our team to somebody who wasn't.
I have a lot of confidence in Megan this year. I think she can have a tremendous year. Has she made the big huge strides that maybe Kristi and Wendy, that we saw with them? You know, probably not. But at the same time she came in at a pretty good level. I mean, she came in as a great, great basketball player. We just want her to leave that way as well.
Q. Only two Big Ten teams, Ohio State and Michigan State, have gotten any mention in the top 25 pre-season rankings. Is the Big Ten being overlooked or taken for granted?
COACH BLUDER: I think those two teams deserve to have that type of attention. I think Purdue also deserves to have some of those type of notoriety. I think people look at us and see that we were hit by graduation. So that's going to give you nothing in the early season as far as attention. And that's fine with me. I've never really been a big believer in that you have to have those early season rankings. I'd rather have them at the end of the year, like any coach would.
As far as the Big Ten, we didn't do extremely well in post-season play last year. So it's probably where we should be. We need to go out and earn it this year, earn that respect nationally.
Q. With Megan, has anybody had a career path quite like hers? It seems unusual.
COACH BLUDER: I'm not sure if any athlete ever -- if two athletes ever have the same career path. They're all so individual. They're all unique and different in how they respond to coaching, how they develop.
I just think we saw Megan develop very early. Was almost a surprise on the scene her freshman year at how much she contributed right away. How much bigger jumps can kids make? I mean, that's pretty tough when you come in, maybe on a scale of 1 to 10, a 9 on your scale of your development. You don't have as big a jump to make as a kid that comes in that hasn't been developed as much.
So I don't know if I've had another player that's had her same career path, but I'm not sure that I've had a Wendy or a Kristi either.
Q. Is she still going to be coming off the bench this year? Do you know that yet?
COACH BLUDER: I don't know that yet. That's the kind of carrot I like to keep out there until the week before the game as far as keep the kids guessing as to who's going to be a starter and who's not going to be a starter. I'm sure they can kind of look around the room and figure it out for themselves. So can you guys.
But, you know, is there surprises? There always is. And I certainly am not going to say who is going to be a starter right now because that would take a lot of the competition out of the first month of practice for us.
Q. Looking at the Big Ten schedule, you play Ohio State only once. We play Michigan State once in East Lansing. The first five games in the Big Ten, three are on the road. What are your thoughts about the Big Ten schedule for Iowa this year?
COACH BLUDER: You have it analyzed much more than I do, to be quite honest (laughter).
I did realize that we had Ohio State and Michigan State only once, which from a perspective right now, that would be really good for post-season and for rankings in the conferences. They're the two highest-ranked teams in our conference. At the same time that can hurt your RPI because you're not playing the top teams twice.
Obviously we love to have the opportunity to have Michigan State on our home floor. We've fared very well against Michigan State on our home floor in the past. The three road games to begin the season, I really hadn't even realized that. I know we have one against Wisconsin before the Christmas break on the road. I didn't realize we had two right away to begin the Big Ten, which almost surprises me, because that's one of the things they try to avoid, having so many road games in a row. So I'm surprised, quite honestly, that you bring that up, that is true.
But, you know, on the other hand that means we're going to have a lot of home games late and it means we're going to have a lot of home games in a row. That can be a real positive. If you can get some of those road games early, boy, it makes the latter part of your schedule really attractive.
Q. Of the seniors, Nicole maybe got lost in the shuffle last year. Does she have the most to prove this pre-season to get back in the rotation a little bit?
COACH BLUDER: I'm not sure if she's got the most to prove of anybody. I don't know if Nicole has to prove anything to anybody on our team because we all admire so much what Nicole brings to this basketball team, what Nicole has done with having diabetes and being able to perform at this level. To perform at this level alone is challenging. To add that type of health issue to it is amazing what she accomplishes.
So I don't think Nicole has to prove anything to anybody because we all recognize when she comes in the game, the spirit she brings, the enthusiasm she brings, and what a competitor she is every single day in practice.
So I know that Nicole, because she's a competitor, wants to be out on the floor more. She'll have that chance just like everybody else will.
Q. Do you think at the end of the year Hannah will have probably the most minutes of all the freshmen?
COACH BLUDER: I think Hannah will log a lot of minutes. But I think Kelly, Kamille as well. Those three probably the most of our freshmen. But I wouldn't want to single out one of them because I'm not sure right now. I mean, Kamille will be backing up Kristi. Again, we need to give her valuable minutes. We need to make sure Kamille gets those minutes for our future program.
Q. Play her at the one or two?
COACH BLUDER: We're going to have her stick to the one. We don't feel like right now we need the depth at the two for one thing. As a freshman, I would rather they concentrate at one position, especially when you're talking about a point guard, because it's such a demanding position. Not only are you a freshman adjusting to just being a Division I basketball player, but now you're expected to lead the team, call the offenses and defenses. That alone, I think for her just to concentrate on being the backup point guard, is probably enough to ask of her as a freshman.
Thank you. Appreciate everybody coming out.
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