Louisville-Valparaiso Postgame Quotes
December 05, 2015 | Women's Basketball
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Head Coach Jeff Walz
Question: Coach, a lot of different combinations out there today, what did you see out there that you like and what did you see that these combinations need to work on?
Coach Walz: It was just nice to have the opportunity to get kids the opportunity to play. Through the first six game we didn't have that game that we could put some people out there that might be struggling defensively in practice and give them a chance to say 'okay I'm going to put out in the game, if you get beat two or three times it is just going to give us game footage to be able to show you. This is what you have to work on.' We didn't have those opportunities for six, so you know I was able to get some in a lot more today, which was great. Then we'll be able to break down the film and say 'look at your footwork. This is what we've been trying to talk to you about I practice and why you've got to change it for games. So that was a good thing. It was nice to be able to play Myisha, Mariya, and Briahanna not a bunch of minutes because we've been putting a lot of pounding on them. So I was pleased with that. I thought Erin DeGrate came in and did some good things. You know, it is just going to take her some time. It's going to take some time to learn how to play the defensive end of the floor. That's really going to be her biggest challenge because she has always just been told to stand behind somebody and stand with her arms straight up, but that's not going to work at this level. You've got to move your feet and get them off the block and be a presence. I thought Taja Cole played much better tonight. I thought she was more aggressive off the ball defensively. She's always done a nice job on the ball, and now she is finally learning 'my man passes it. They turn their head. I can go dig.' Her hands are becoming a lot more active, which is what we need. Sam Fuehring it was nice to see her score. Her big thing is that I've got to get her to continue to play harder and stronger. She's really nonchalant at times and that's why she'll turn it over because she's just wiry out there, like 'oh it's no big deal.' No it matters. So trying to get her to understand that. But overall I was very pleased. It was nice to actually see us try to defend someone. We did give them some open looks and they actually made those, but for the most part I thought we made them try and take contested shots.
Question: With Asia Durr back in for her second game and another good game, is she pretty much good to go for the rest of the year?
Coach Walz: Well you know what, I'll find out. We'll see how she's feeling tomorrow. We'll see how she's feeling on Monday. I'm hoping she's good to go right now because I think this is a big test for us because it is similar to what our conference play is going to be. You know, you play on Thursday and come back and you might play on Sunday, instead of on Saturday. But our first game we've got, I think it's Florida State on a Friday night at Georgia Tech on Sunday. We've got to make sure that she can play both games in a weekend. Not just play on Thursday and 'I can't play on Sunday' and come back the following Thursday. So I think that is why today is really important to see how she can do pain wise because that is really what it is. It is being able to play through all that pain.
Question: “ With Asia Durr back in for her second game, and another good game, but is she pretty much good to go the rest of the year, can you tell?”
Coach Walz: “Well we will see how she's feeling tomorrow, how she is feeling Monday. I'm hoping that she's good to go right now because I think this was a big test for us because it's similar to what our conference play is going to be. You know you play Thursday and then you might come back and play on Sunday instead of on Saturday. But our first game we got I think it's Florida State on a Friday night and then I think it's at Georgia Tech on Sunday. You know we have to make sure she can play both games in a weekend, not just play on Thursday and then go oh no I can't play on Sunday but I will come back the following Thursday. So I think that's why today is really important, to see how she can do pain wise. Because that's really what it is- it's being able to play through all that pain.”
Question: “It seems like there's a few times you guys are good on the ball players but sometimes you get lost when they're not guarding the ball. Is that a defensive breakdown?”
Coach Walz: “Yeah. That's what we have to work on. We are trying to guard off the ball. You have to be able to move without the ball and not stare at it. Your man slides up, you slide up. It's all about communication.”
Question: “Sydney Brackemyre doesn't get off the bench for the second game in a row. Is that continuing knee trouble?”
Coach Walz: “Well yes. She's still got some pain in that knee. She's a great kid. She works her tail off and does everything we ask her to do. She's a great asset to our program- there's no question about it. I feel bad for her. You know she does all the rehab she is supposed to do , everything that she's asked, but unfortunately, she just can't get to that point where her knee is feeling good. And I don't want her to go out there and possibly injure something else because she is compensating for how her knee feels. And I specifically told her you let me know if you think you can go then boom, let's go. If not, then we have to just keep making sure we are doing everything we can to figure out what we can do to get her to feel better.”
Question: “There's instate rival Kentucky. What takeaways do you take from today to prepare for them? What do you expect from Kentucky?”
Coach Walz: “Well they play extremely hard. They've been shooting the ball very well from behind the three point line. They defend. We are going to have to really try to contain their triple drive. We are going to have to keep the ball in front of us. We are going to have to execute at the offensive end and it should be a good game again. You know, it should be a very competitive basketball game. Two very good ball clubs.”
Question: What's the learning curve been for this team the last two weeks?
Coach Walz: “I'm losing more hair and its getting grayer. It's been exhausting. Our biggest problem right now is-we'll have two really good days and then our workout this morning, our shoot around this morning was awful. Film session was terrible, they weren't prepared for it. They really hadn't looked at their scouting report and they think its ok and it's not, because you're just cheating the process. We've to figure out a way to get these young ones especially that the little things matter. It matters that you come prepared with everything you're supposed to bring; and to them, they're like well I forget this I forgot that, it's not a big deal I'm ready to play. It affects how you play, so it's been a little frustrating at times but we're just going to continue to work on it and hopefully the lightbulb will go from dim to bright and they'll realize, hey it all matters.”
Question: Have you seen any leaders in that group?
Coach Walz: “The freshmen, we don't have any leadership from them yet and we're not going too. They're still trying to figure it all out; Myisha, Mariya, Cortnee, and Briahanna Jackson, those four have really been consistent the past two weeks in their effort; and that's something we have to continue to get, they have to continue to bring it every day.”
Student-Athlete Quotes
(On the 15-0 run to start the game)
Cortnee: “I think that the one thing we have really been focusing on is defense. The past games we haven't really been stopping them. We are a pretty good shooting team, so we knew we were going to get shots, but I think what was really getting us going was the fact that we were stopping them and we were really getting into them on defense.”
(On counting passes and slapping the floor during the game)
Myisha: “The counting passes is one of the defenses that we run, so that was what that was for. Slapping the floor is something that coach Sam (Purcell) wants us to do a lot more. It gets us ready – it's the point guard who is asking everyone else, 'Are you guys ready?' and then we slap the floor saying let's go, let's get a stop here because we have to start emphasizing defense more.”
(On intensity on defense to start the game)
Cortnee: “I thought that is what was really getting us going because, like I said, we've been really focusing on it and that is something that coach has really been harping on us for is getting stops. I mean, because if the other team scores more points than you, you lose. If you stop them, we win, and that's what our problem has been is in the crucial times we haven't been getting stops, so that's what we've really been focusing on.”
(On the different combinations of the lineup on the court and what you learn from that)
Myisha: “You pick up chemistry. You get to see who you can play with and get ready to play with everybody on the team. In another, game it would probably just be the starting five playing a lot of minutes and the bench just helping us and cheering us on. For this type of game, everyone is able to get on the court and help contribute.”
Cortnee: “We need to really try and give our freshman a lot of minutes. Not only so that they have game experience, but so they can see it on film and understand the mistakes on film because practice is one thing, but we don't really want them going into a big game like Kentucky and then make mistakes out there. If we can get the lead and put them out there so they will be able to learn from their mistakes, then they will be able to help us more down the line.”
(Thoughts on Louisville's five freshmen lineup at one point in the game. Is that seen in practice at all, or was that the first time they've seen that lineup?)
Myisha: “No, it happens in practice a lot sometimes, so it was nothing new for them to play out together.”
(On the rivalry with UK and if freshmen know of the rivalry)
Myisha: “I think they kind of know it's something serious. Just from the football game too, all of us watching that, they know it's a really big rivalry, and they have to come prepared if they want a chance to win.”
(On having Asia Durr back and how well she's playing.)
Cortnee: “I'm so proud of her, because of what she's been going through, and it's hard coming back from injury, and I think with Asia, she kind of worries about what other people think. I've had several conversations with her like, 'Don't worry about what other people think. You're a great player.' And it's kind of crazy to think one of the, I mean, the number one player in the country coming out, and other people having to tell her she's a great player. She's just a people pleaser. She wants to do so well that it kind of freaks her out. But having her out there, it's really comforting, because it kind of takes pressure off of everybody else, because she's hitting open shots. She's doing a great job of getting more confidence, and we tell her, 'Shoot that!' or 'Is this a great shot?' Sometimes she thinks that we think she shoots too much, but if it goes in, I don't care. So, she's doing a really good job.”
