Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Coach Summitt gives her thoughts on the NCAA Tournament

Coach Summitt Teleconference

Opening statement on the practice schedule after the Southeastern Conference Tournament and the bracket announcement:

"After coming back from the SEC Tournament, we had three days off, went back to practice for another day then took another day off. Then we went to work for three really good, hard practices. Then we had the Monday off before the selection show, trying to keep them fresh, keep their legs fresh and minds fresh. For the most part, I think we've been a very focused basketball team. We had a lot of good practice sessions. One thing you're always waiting to see is who you're going to play. The unknown means you always have to focus on yourself and what you want to get better at. We've been able to put in a few new wrinkles here and there, both offensively and defensively, and are trying to keep our actions sharp.

"It always helps when you see a bracket in terms of having an opponent in front of you that you can start preparing to go against. As with Drake, our staff is watching tape this morning before we have practice in the early afternoon. It's a mentality you have to understand. You see a big bracket. You survive and advance. It's just being able to maintain your focus one game at a time.

"We're working now to learn more about our first opponent and, certainly, Drake is a new opponent for us. And obviously we are looking at our second round bracket, which is Pittsburgh and James Madison. There is the potential for us to face a team on their home court. The good news for us is that it is an unknown at this point. But if it does occur, our basketball team has been on the road and played in a lot of tough environments. You have to be warriors on the road just as you are at home. I think we understand that because our schedule has prepared us for it."

On Drake overcoming adversity to win four games in four days with eight players:

"I think that certainly in our postseason experiences we've faced a lot of hot teams and teams that have been able to get on a roll at the right time of the year. Our team understands that it's going to be important for us to establish our tempo. We are a team that likes to press and run, and that's not going to change and dictate our tempo. I think that we will prepare for it and look to play our style of basketball."

On the maturation of Candace Parker:

"The maturity of Candace Parker from last year to the present has been significant in terms of her composure on the floor and how she handles adversity on the floor. A year ago she could post up, face up and take you off the dribble. Now she's drawing a lot of defensive schemes, a lot of double teams and physical play. I think she's just much more composed and much more in touch with how she has to handle being in big-game situations and getting double teamed and the physicality of the game. That is how she's matured. She makes people pay for the double team. She gets her teammates really involved. She's become a better passer, and her composure has allowed her to be able to identify what she needs to do when she's facing a lot of different defensive schemes."

On Candace's mentality change:

"I think that has been one of the biggest changes. She has worked on her skill. She's a better ball-handler, her face-up game is a lot better, just because she's devoted a lot of time in the gym. She's worked on being able to knock down open shots and shoot threes. I think it's just a matter of repetition and being in the gym. She's very dedicated to improving her basketball skills and being our go-to player."

On the change of the team from last year:

"There are a couple things in particular that have stood out with this team. There is a maturity on this team from a year ago. There has been significant change in our maturity as a basketball team and that leads to much better leadership and better chemistry. You see that when you look at the improvement of Candace and Alexis and, obviously, Sidney is playing a bigger role for us. Nicky Anosike's numbers are not reflecting what she brings to this team. She is key for us. She's a post player who is willing to get out and defend full court or half court, the smallest player on the team or the go-to post player.

I think that having the leadership on this team, and also leadership by example in some cases, has been a difference for us when we've had to play on the road and in some tough environments and answer a lot of runs. Certainly our schedule has prepared us for what I think is the toughest bracket in the tournament."

On Drake head coach Amy Stephens:

"I know who she is, and I know she's done a great job. It's really an unfamiliar opponent to us, and we have the next few days to become familiar with the style of play and understand what we have to do."

On Alexis' offensive play at the SEC Tournament.

"I think Alexis' game has elevated significantly this year. I give her a lot of credit, from the standpoint that I think she's simplified and tightened up her skills offensively. She was a player in the past who maybe tried to do too much. She's playing within herself now and playing on balance and getting other people involved as well. It was good to see her perform the way she did at SECs.

"I do think she can carry it over, based on what I've seen in practice. I'm very pleased. When we look at her play, she's playing the best basketball of her career at Tennessee, and she did a great job for us at SECs. She's providing the example on the defensive end. As she goes defensively, so goes our team. The guards typically set the tempo, both offensively and defensively, and she is that example for us, particularly on the defensive end."

On not playing anywhere in the state of Tennessee:

"It's always great to play at home or in your home state, but clearly we've enjoyed the many opportunities of playing on our home court. A lot of people are accustomed to traveling and have had to do that much sooner than we have. The situation now with women's basketball is teams are going to have to travel and sometimes face opponents on their home floor. I certainly understand have been on the receiving end of hosting a number of events here in the postseason. I don't have a problem, certainly no complaints about having to take to the road."

On only five SEC teams making the NCAA Tournament:

"I thought we might get six in from the SEC, but it doesn't surprise me that we got five. I think those five are very strong teams. I think those five teams are dangerous and can make a lot of noise and stay alive in the NCAA. I would like to see our league a little stronger from top to bottom. Sometimes we beat up on each other. I think this year was not as strong a year for us, particularly in the bottom half of the league."

On the possibility that changes in coaches will increase the level of competition:

"I think there is certainly the potential there for us to see a change. Anytime there is a change in the coaching standpoint, you expect them to come in and have a positive impact on the direction the program is going in. I think we're seeing the salaries increase, and with that come greater expectations. People have to come in and make an impact. So I would say any time you have this many coaching changes in the country, and the SEC, you will see an improved strength in play overall."

On the five teams from state of Tennessee in tournament: "It's a tremendous compliment for the basketball programs that are in and just the strength of teams within this state. There is a lot of great talent throughout the Southeast and a lot of those players are from Tennessee. I think the history and the AAU programs have been a plus for these Tennessee kids and a lot of the programs in our state. I go back and credit the AAU programs and AAU coaches for the impact they have had on the development of girls' basketball in the state."

On Tennessee being the only team to make all 25 NCAA Tournaments:

"I'm not a person who focuses on numbers, but it is a great source of pride for our Tennessee basketball program what the athletes over the years have been able to do and how they've maintained that high level of success. It certainly is a great source of pride for us. Sometimes when I look at numbers, I shake my head and really think about how consistent we have been able to be in terms of winning games and being successful in postseason play. I never want to take that for granted. We've always had the administrative support. We've had a staff, not just coaching staff, but support staff around us. Jenny Moshak has been an important player. To have Debby Jennings with us and now Heather Mason, it makes me think there are a lot of people that have had an influence on the success of our program besides the immediate coaching family. The student athletes have carried the torch and done the hard work for us on the court. We have the best fans in the women's game. As we look at that number, you think there are so many people that have made this happen from the president right on down to the student-athlete."

On the bracket:

"It is what it is. It is a tough bracket, but there is no easy route to a Final Four or national championship. There are always going to be circumstances, teams and offensive and defensive schemes you may face that are different. There are different challenges every year. You just have to make sure that you are focused on the one game and what you have to do. You have to live in the moment, so to speak. That is a novelty for us to have that narrow focus and that commitment and be able to not look ahead. Like I said last night, we don't have to play everyone in this bracket. Right now our focus is a one-game approach."

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