posted November 19, 2008
Pat Summitt Teleconference After The Virginia Loss
Opening Statement on first game against San Francisco and loss to Virginia:
“First of all, I thought our team in the opening game against San Francisco, I thought we were just really kind of baffled by playing and playing together and playing in front of a big crowd, and we raised the banner and it was a little overwhelming for them. It took us until the end of the first half to step up and play a little bit better and went on a nice run. Finally we settled down and I thought in the second half, it was much better play. Certainly, after Monday, we have a lot to improve on and I think that was a game that got our attention. It was a game where we made a good run and go up 13. We obviously struggled after their run and just the fact that they obviously had two go-to players who just took over for them. I did not think that we had the concentration offensively. I was really disappointed with our defense and it was a valuable learning experience. I think, more than anything, for our coaching staff, to recognize with young players, you have to be very specific about your coverage. We didn’t talk our action as much as we should have. We had a lot of open threes and our defense – it shouldn’t surprise me because that’s been our shortcoming in practice, as well, going against our practice guys. Not identifying the ball and inconsistency in denying one pass away and I don’t think that they aretotally comfortable with – I won’t say I don’t think they’re not committed to – I will say notcomfortable with how we want to play on the defensive end, and that’s key for us.
Obviously looking forward to playing Chattanooga and it’s certainly impressive to see that they have fiveplayers in double-figures so they’ve got good balance, and they are a team that can put uppoints. They scored 77 points and again had good balance on the offensive end. Wes (Moore) does a great job and they spread you out, play some four out, one in, and that is really going to be a good test for us. I don’t think some of our players yet quite understand bringing the help and doing a great job of ball pressure. We’re going to have to do that, we’re going to have toclose out long, we’re going to have to defend the dribble-drive, and the fact that they have a very skilled team that shoots the three-ball well.”
On quick turnaround with one day to prepare for Louisiana Tech on Sunday and Western Carolina on Tuesday:
“Two teams I know nothing about at this moment. I’m living in the moment and the team wehave to get ready for now is UT-Chattanooga. Certainly, Louisiana Tech, I haven’t seen them, but Betsy (McAllister), in just looking at film of them, all she said was ‘they are really quick, athletic, aggressive’ and that’s about all I know today because I haven’t seen them and I’ll wait and scout them after our Chattanooga game. With Kellie Jolly-Harper, it’s great to have her coming in, just like Tanya Haave bringing her San Francisco team in, our fans love it.
Certainly, Kellie Jolly is a fan favorite and I know our fans are already excited about Kellie bringing herteam over from Western Carolina. I’m just excited to have time with Kellie and see her team play.”
On defense and the challenge of getting a young team to understand the different concepts:
“I think because of our youth and a lot of these incoming players did not play pressure man; they might’ve played more of a sagging man or zone defense, but getting them to reallyunderstand how to defend, especially in the half court or quarter-quart, is all about understanding how you defend the ball, how you defend one pass away, how you support in help-side defense and basically, when there is player or ball movement, we have to be alert and respond quickly to whatever action we’re guarding. I think it’s one of the more challenging defenses, but if you can play it, I think it’s one of the toughest, most aggressive ways to attack the basketball and defend an offense. Should I choose to play man-to-man, you have so muchmore teaching time invested because you have to defend ball screens, back screens, cuts,high-low action, and there are multiple actions that you may have to defend in one series. We’re still learning and I think that we’ve gotten a little bit better, particularly in the half court, but where we struggle now is so many of these young players, when we transition from offense to defense, we’re not pointing, talking and identifying, and slowing the ball down. It’s all, as I say, about what the ball can see. It’s going to take us, I’m sure, just a lot more commitment and repetition to get where we need to be because we’re not there yet.”
On one senior, 11 underclassmen and the role of Alex Fuller:
“Alex has really done a good job for us. I’m sure she feels like the mother hen of our team andthe policewoman of our team to make sure we wear the right sweats or everybody arrives on time at a designated place. No matter what we’re doing, I think, Alex is one that probably feels like she has to really have the pulse of this group and also have an influence. I have a lot of respect for her and her leadership and what she has invested in this team, and I think that started in summer school when the majority of them attended summer classes. I’m counting a lot on Alex. She has not only been a voice for all of our young players, but I feel like she has really nurtured, in certain situations, some of the players that she felt needed that and challenged the ones that needed to be challenged. Without that I think that, we might have struggled even more.”
On turnovers in Monday’s game and specific things on the nature of those:
“First of all, I do think there are some things we have addressed and will address before our next game as well. I think they were playing at a different tempo. I think Virginia really did agreat job of getting after us defensively and pushing tempo. I think that right there was a place when we tried to play faster and took more risks. At times, we just threw the ball away. I don’tknow if that’s giving in to fatigue or some of those turnovers, we just didn’t read the passing angles and we got very impatient, so we just threw the ball. It does happen with young teams. They get impatient or nervous and want to do something and only to force a shot or force a pass. I saw a number of those situations on tape. And that’s a point we have to do morerepetitive drills on feeding the post. We get impatient and we have a number of players that really get impatient and I think that is not a good thing when you’re going against really athletic teams.”
On how this team, collectively reacts, and what responses are you hoping to get:
“I will be expecting our team to commit to stopping the ball and, in particular, understanding they have to point and talk and identify the ball early, and take away easy passes and put more pressure on the passing lanes. The support has to be there. We just got to understand we have to guard a player and a half. I don’t know how we will respond because it is our first road game. I expect the place to have a great environment – we will have some Tennessee fans – but I would say UTC is going to have the majority of fans there. We’re going to have a hostile environment to deal with and that’s the unknown because we have been in Thompson-Boling Arena and we have to leave our court and go play on the opponents court. This is a first for this group.”
If the team is better served on a number of games in a few days or prefer to have more practice:
“Coaches always want practice time. I always prefer to have at least one weekday in which we can get on the court and get back into that classroom setting to really go over and discuss – not so much our tape – but our system on the floor and get them to just walk through some things isabout all we we’re going to do at this point in time. The way we play we definitely need our legs and need to be sharp. We’ve got a number of games coming up in a short period of time. Watching film was a priority for us yesterday and a priority over being on the court. If I had tosay we’ve got to do one of two things, I thought films would be at the top of the list. I do think they absorb some of the concepts and teachings and things that we need to address
immediately in our film sessions. We had a decent practice, I wouldn’t say it was a great one, but we got in some things we wanted to get in and I think it was just good for them to get back on the floor.
On a lineup for Friday:
“Not sure yet. Basically right now, I would say, we might go big at the point. I’m looking at going with Shekinna at the point. I would say if we do that that would be one of our commitments topush the tempo and go with a big guard. Obviously Syd, Alex and kind of waiting to see what’s going on with everyone else. I have to find out what Kelley’s status is. Certainly, Glory. I’m not sure what I want to do with the other guard if we go in that direction at this point in time…I have to game time to decided, don’t I. Right now, it’s kind of a wait and see. With Alex, I like her onthe perimeter, but she does bring more stability to our inside game. It’s just kind of a wait and see."
On Sydney Smallbone playing 36 minutes against Virginia:
“I knew she played a lot of minutes, but I felt like she was one player that was really looking toscore and obviously, with her range, I felt that opened up some things on the inside and we definitely needed that. The thing right now is she is getting her shot off a lot quicker and shooting with a lot of confidence, and from that standpoint, I felt that she really needed to be onthe floor. They definitely had to defend her and again, I thought we opened up some good options for us inside. If she could commit to rebounding, I’d feel a lot better about her play.”
Does a game like Monday, underscore the decisions you have to make as a coach from game to game:
“Especially with having two of our players we were counting on out in Angie and Vicki, that’s been really frustrating. But the good part of it is that people are having to fill different roles and it has kind of been an unknown as to who was going to step up and perform. Just like in the game against Virginia, we played so much in a panic and we didn’t have the consistent play. And you look at that and say ‘well you put up enough points to win the game’, but we just lacked an understanding and commitment to the level that we had to have on the defense. I’m just tryingto look at it one day at a time and one game at a time. There are going to be some situations, where yes, we may shorten the bench or we’ve got to figure out who is ready to play. And sometimes you don’t know that until they get into game situations. As for as the rotation, I think so much of it depends on what they bring that day; I feel like at times you don’t know until you put them on the court, specifically our freshmen.”
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