March 24, 2007

Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt Quotes

Opening Statement: "Well, we are obviously excited to be in Dayton. We have played in two great games so far. Pittsburgh was a good test for us, we responded well to their defensive intensity. In addition, we rebounded and shot the ball well. Marist is a tough opponent with its style of play. That's why they have been successful since they are so balanced offensively and in their screens. We respect the fact that they have won by playing as a team."

On having fun coaching Women's Basketball: "I think that over time, I have realized that I love this game and want to coach it. But, I do think that it's important to enjoy the process. When I first started, I was trying to be a tough disciplinarian, but, as time went on, it's important to show them that I'm more than just a coach. They see me as a mom, and as a cheerleader (referring to the men's game when she dressed as a cheerleader)"

On the matchup with Marist: "I think our placement is going to be very important. Their point guard play is very good, and how we match up with them at that position is very important as is how we defend in transition. They do a good job pushing tempo and getting deep on the floor with their motion offense and penetration. They have three tough guards on the perimeter..We understand what we have to do. We have to work on our transition defense, while also extending it to guard the three-pointer."

On seeing upsets and results in the tournament: "I think it's good for the game. When you are a coach, you see the upsets and then go to the gym and play thinking "We can't let this happen". It's a great warning sign, and it speaks to where we are in our game right now. I haven't had a chance to follow the men's games (from last night), but, the women's tournament is having more upsets than the men. Our coaching is getting better, there are more players to go around and there are more quality teams. The team that comes ready to play has a chance to win. Seeding is not much of a factor."

On people revering Tennessee: "This was a game that I loved as a player, in addition to the teaching and coaching part. I think that the University of Tennessee said yes to women's hoops when I was hired, before a lot of people made that commitment. We started to make a lot of noise and had great performances when we went to the AIWA Championships. From the president of UT all the way down to the two women who hired me when I was 22, they have endorsed women's basketball. In the beginning, we didn't have a lot of people at our games. We started off playing Tennessee Tech, and UT had the vision to make the commitment to play teams like USC, Texas and Stanford."

Talking about Candice Parker: "She (Parker) has been a joy to coach. She loves the game and she is a self-starter. She gets in the gym and does a lot of things when no one is watching. She has recovered from her knee injury and has done an incredible job working on her offense. She is a player with great versatility and works great when she is double teamed and triple teamed, as she gets touches. She is a physical player, but she is the first player to hit an open teammate.Playing in the USA World Championship team I think inspired her for what she can do for Tennessee and what she can do on the next level."

On balancing motherhood and coaching: "I took my son on the road when he was 12 years old. We had a nanny on our trip to Illinois and I remember asking the players not to step on him in the van. He's been on our bench for 16 years. He's a point guard now, and it's tough to watch your son be a point guard."

On the state of the game, with big time jobs being open and big time money being offered: "Obviously, it's gratifying, since from where people started out. In the last four or five years, the women's game has grown tremendously with strong teams, television exposure and more marketing of women's basketball. For me, it's a dream come true. There are a lot more better teams in the game, better coaching and better players. A lot of coaches started out as high school coaches and are now being rewarded for the work they do with young student athletes."

On talking to Candice Parker about the Pittsburgh game: "We haven't really talked about that game. She's a go to player, and if she plays like that, we are a very tough team to beat. Candice is very focused and she wants to win a national championship. She makes us a better team."

Tennessee Player Quotes

Nicky Anosike: What is it like playing a team that you don't know much about?
"I know a lot about their team. I played against some of their players in high school, so its like a reunion almost so its nothing different, nothing I haven't faced before."

Sydney Spencer: "We've seen them play quite a bit and being that it's the NCAA Tournament we have to come prepared every game. We don't underestimate anybody."

Nicky Anisoke: Any added insight you told your teammates about Marist?
"I just told them what they knew from watching film, these girls can shoot and they are not to be taken lightly."

Sydney Spencer: On their lime green outfits they wore when they left Knoxville.
"We just wanted to go with a different color outfit. We have so much orange and we like green and blue so we picked the green outfits."

Nicky Anosike: Aware of people jumping on the Marist underdog bandwagon:

"We are aware of the fact that there are a lot of people rooting for Marist. There are always people who want us to lose because of our winning tradition, but its nothing we haven't seen before. We've played in hostile environments before where the whole gym is against us. We are prepared for anything and prepared for people who want us to lose."

Candace Parker: What are your keys to consistency?

"This is the NCAA tourney. This is what you dream of since you were a little kid, so I feel like it's my responsibility to bring energy to the floor and be a defensive presence and be consistent on offense as well."

Nicky Anosike: On why this years' team is better defensively than last years.
"Last year we didn't have right mentality, we felt that as long as we score we will be okay. This year we learned from a lot from our games, especially in the SEC Tournament when lost to LSU, that defense is just as important if not more important than offense."

Candace Parker: On her matchup for tomorrow's game?
"We have had a lot of different looks. We haven't had any specific match-ups in scouting, so nothing is set in stone. As long as we come out and play Tennessee basketball, we will be fine."

Candace Parker: On how important Tennessee's height advantage is.
"That's been our philosophy all year inside out and establishing the paint, whether its dribble drives or offensive rebounds, we have to use our height to advantage."

Sydney Spencer:
"Our team foundation is set with paint points. We have to make every effort to get the ball, and try to utilize and take advantage."

Nicky Anosike:
"Our biggest thing will be offensive our rebounding. We need to use our height advantage out there more than anything else."

Nicky Spencer: Her thoughts on Minty Price.
"I've guarded her before in the past. She definitely has a lot of energy and plays with a lot of energy. She never stops and is difficult to guard. She just plays with a lot of heart and energy and I think those are two words you have to use to describe her. Defensively...she is just a competitor. She wants to compete and doesn't want anyone to score on her, and those are the makings of a great defensive player."

Sydney Spencer- On Tennessee's winning tradition.
"This has always been a dream of mine so to be apart of all the legacy that coach has built around this program has always been a dream of mine. As a team we want to leave tradition for future players to come."