UT Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt:
On teams performance against Notre Dame...
"I thought considering we had a good number of days off, we got back in the gym and really worked hard to prepare for Notre Dame. In the first half we had a sub-par performance, but the second half we really did a great job of extending our defense and disrupting what they wanted to do in the full and half courts. It was good for us to understand the difference in how we played and how we needed to play."
On starting SEC play tomorrow...
"We're looking forward to opening the SEC, starting with Alabama. As I look at them statistically, they are a team that has a lot of different people as far as scoring. It's very spread out and I think for us it all starts with our defense and what we have to do to bring the intensity in that aspect. It'll be nice to be at home to open the conference."
On facing Connecticut on Saturday...
"Going to Connecticut will be another good road game for us. Our other road games this season have been challenging but for us. To get outside of our environment and be in Hartford, that will allow us to see where we are and how we handle that type of environment and a very fine opponent."
On Shannon Bobbitt...
"I think guard play is key for this team. If you go back to Arizona State and evaluate Shannon's play and Cait McMahan's performance, they were both very unsettled throughout that game. Bobbitt got better in the second half of that game. Against North Carolina they both had better games and at Texas some good things happened. I do think that's where we have to have stability from our guard play, not just the point guards, but getting Alexis Hornbuckle and Alberta Auguste in the mix and to be able to rely on the guard positions is key for us as we move forward into league play and playing at Hartford and that type of environment this weekend."
On the tough road schedule helping guards develop...
"This weekend at Hartford will probably be the biggest crowd that they've played in front of on the road and I think it's good for them, that is why we choose to play a lot of tough road games. We'll learn a lot more about them and our team from this game."
On Cait McMahan coming back from being sick...
"I thought yesterday was her best practice. We need for her to be healthy and we need to have two point guards ready to play."
On Connecticut's team this year...
"The numbers are very impressive, looking at them statistically and the balance that they present. Renee Montgomery has improved, she was an up-tempo guard last year but she has a more aggressive mindset now. Kalana Greene is a lot better as well. If you're just looking at their team, those two have really improved. The addition of Tina Charles has been significant and Kaili McLaren started in the last game and she is a player that brings in a lot of size and physical presence for them."
On Connecticut's dominating the boards this season...
"It presents a concern for us; we've been very inconsistent in that aspect of the game. If we can't match their physical intensity on the boards, it will be a long afternoon for us. That's always a key step when you play an opponent like Connecticut and particularly one that is dedicated to rebounding like they are. They generate a lot of points off their defense and rebounding."
On winning 30 games in a row over Alabama...
"I think the one thing that has been a constant for this program has been the emphasis that we place on the conference games and the consistency that we've had in winning road games in the SEC. That's the big challenge. You expect to win at home, but you don't always win at home. You really have to put a lot of emphasis as a coach and as a program on winning road games. We've had some tough ones over the years, but I'm pleased that our players, year in and year out have understood what they have to do on the floor both home and away."
On breaking up the SEC schedule with non-conference games...
"I think when you play the series like Connecticut one, which has been a set CBS game for a while and the Duke game as well on ESPN; it's a situation when you have those kinds of marquis matchups that television gets the priority on where to place the game. We can and have benefited from having TV games and the great exposure for our program. Our conference schools and other schools have always been accommodating to us and to TV. A lot of times with TV games, the final say is trying to work out the best window of opportunity."
Comparing the Connecticut game to the UNC game...
"I think it will be a good read on the accountability of our players. We have to have players across the board step up and play every night. In games like this when you're on the road, accountability is a must and in particular, for us, taking care of the basketball and we have to pound the boards. Watching tape on our rebounding, we'll sometimes go to the glass, but we're not fighting or jockey for position. To me that is what we have to do a better job of."
Is this team across the board not an instinctive rebounding team...
"They are a better offensive rebounding team, we're pursuing the ball there and not on the defensive end. I feel like we have to be consistent on both ends and our numbers reflect that we are not. Rebounding is all about heart and desire to play defense and having a nose for the ball and that kind of mentality. I think a lot of people sit around and watch Candace Parker go to the boards. Nicky Anosike and Alex Fuller have to be as committed to rebounding as Parker is. Alexis Hornbuckle to me should be one of the best rebounding guards in the country. Alberta Auguste, who backs her up is a pretty instinctive rebounder. She is always making an effort to get to the paint and rebound. Shannon Bobbitt is not getting rebounds to speak of and you may say that's her size but I've always encouraged defensive rebounding from point guards, because they can help start the break. That is something we're going to have to watch and pinpoint and be aware of as we play through games. Bobbitt is just not involved in rebounding at all; she's more involved in positioning herself for an outlet. With her speed, she and Cait McMahan both, could position for rebounds and still lead the breakout."
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