Louisville Postgame Quotes
February 26, 2015 | Women's Basketball
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Head Coach Jeff Walz
(On if he's ever had anybody make that many threes against him?)
"You know what ... not that I know of. But I mean they shot it well. We knew coming into the game that they were a very good three point shooting team. They made - the first two they make starting off, No. 11 hits in transition where we just lost her and those are things we had talked about. The importance of making sure we communicated in defensive transition. So that didn't happen and unfortunately we go on an 8-0 run to start the game, get momentum going, then give up back to back 3s. So that kind of gave them a little bit of excitement and fire, and from there on, they shot it well and they made a few tough ones. But once you start making them, you start to believe that they're all going in. You go 12 of 26 from the 3-point line and they only made 22 field goals overall. We kept trying to say 'Make them finish the layup. Make them finish the layup' and that's hard. Because you go the whole year of preaching help, get help side, get help side, don't give up a layup, and now all of a sudden you're telling them, 'Don't help. Do not help on the drive. Make them shoot a layup.' Because they do a very good job of knowing what their strengths are. I mean Erik does a fantastic job with that ball club. They're good. I mean your starting three freshmen, two sophomores, and your second leading scorer is a junior who comes off the bench. So it's a team that I was worried about because they have not quit. You know there are some teams you play; you know they are just waiting for spring break. But this ball club, you know, they have it. I've watched them play Florida State; they're down 20 in the first half, they cut it to an eight point game their last home game of the year. So we knew it was going to be a ball game."
(On if Boston College reminded him of the Villanova teams he used to face)
"A little bit. You know Harry's five player was always probably a little bit better of a three point shooter. You know Sweeney back then when she was in the league. But I thought 42 did a really nice job of rolling at times. She ends up three for three from the field. But you know what we did do a good job of is when we did defend, we turned them over. You know I told our kids in the first half 'If they don't continue to turn it over, they're going to beat you.' Because they're shooting 58 percent at one point in time when I looked up. But they had 17 turnovers and we were doing a great job of converting the turnovers into points."
(On the senior class on senior night)
"It was fun to watch. It was fun to see them be able to be out there and play and put all five on the floor a lot together is what I wanted to try and do and it was great that we could. I thought Shawnta' started off the game great. I mean she gets offensive rebounds, she's putting it in, she's finishing. She was a big lift for us. I think she had our first eight points of the game. You know Jude passed the ball extremely well again. She knocked down some shots, things that we're going to need from Jude. We're going to need her to knock down the open three. Seven assists to one turnover, she comes up with four steals, you know she's playing a very solid floor game. Bria, five assists tonight, seven steals, did some really good things. And that's what we need from her. The biggest challenge for our ball club right now is we've got to find players, somebody on this team that can understand and see what's going on during the game. Jude hits a 3, the next time down the floor we don't even throw her the ball. Mariya hits a 3, the next time down the floor we don't even throw her the ball. You know that's what I'm challenging them with: trying to get them to become just basketball IQ smarter, basketball IQ players. Just to be aware when somebody's got something going, let's try and see if we can't get them another shot. You know that's one thing we did last year and I thought we did pretty well. You know that Memphis game here when Shoni hit the eight straight threes or seven straight threes, I mean we looked for her every time down the floor. And those are the things I'm trying to get our current players to understand, that we've got to become better at. But the entire senior class...I thought Sara played hard. It wasn't her best night shooting the basketball, but I thought she competed, I thought she did some great things. Sharon made a really good...I was really excited for her on the one post move to see the ball go in. She's been through a lot, her and Shawnta' with their injuries. It was nice to see them both do well tonight and have success.
(On how important everybody on the team getting involved is going forward)
"I think it's very important. We have to continue to have good bench productivity. For us, that's an important part of our game, it's an important part of our identity as a team. We're going to have to have that on Sunday. We're going to play a very good Virginia team that just lost at Carolina by two tonight, I believe. So they haven't quit. So we know it's going to be a battle. And you know you go from there to the NCAA tournament where it's going to be crazy. We're a three seed right now, we know that for sure with Duke's loss tonight. But we don't know who that six seed could be. It could be Duke, it could be North Carolina, so it's not like you're sitting here looking at an easy game in that quarterfinal ball game. We know that we're going to have to continue to get better."
(On if the Schimmels have any more young daughters)
"They've got a few, yes."
(Jude talked a little bit about how he is portrayed in her book, would he like to see it?)
"I have not seen it yet. I have not seen it. So yeah I definitely would like to see exactly what is being said. I'm really proud of Jude. Jude's had a great four years here. She came in as Shoni's little sister obviously but she's leaving as Jude Schimmel. I mean there's no question about that. She's made a mark on things herself. She just...you look at her on the floor and she just gets a lot more done than anybody expects her to and that's because of her basketball IQ and just her hard work. So I was really, really excited for her.
(On if he's still 'Jamie's brother')
"Always will be. You better believe it. You better believe it. That's one thing I'll wear with pride, I have to say. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be sitting here right now I guarantee you that much. This is a crazy business and you have to find a way to get in."
(On the fans and the crowd at the KFC Yum! Center)
"Our fans have been fantastic, and I always try to tell them that on the postgame radio because I want everybody to understand we don't take any of this for granted. We've traveled on the road, I've sat there and I told the kids tonight, I said, 'you know, there's been a game or two where we've had more people at one game than some of our conference foes will have an entire season combined, at home games, ACC home games.' So it speaks volumes, and we don't just think it's everyday that's what happens. That's why the kids wanted to go around and wave to everybody after the ball game, they wanted to do that because they understand and they appreciate it, and that's why they're upstairs right now signing autographs in the Woodford Reserve Room until everybody's finished. Whoever wants an autograph, we're staying until everybody's finished. Last year when we played UConn here, there was 22,000 and the kids were up there until 1:30 in the morning, but I'm a big believer in in women's basketball, if your fans can feel a part of it, if your fans can feel that they are actually a part of it and not just a fan, like it's part of them, then you'll continue to get them to come back. You have to reach out and you've got to let your women's basketball fans know that hey, you're a part of our success. You enjoy the success and you hurt as much when we lose too."
(On if it was his plan all along to let the seniors come out at the end of the game at the same time)
"That's what I wanted to try and do, yes. I wanted them all to be able to get a good round of applause, each kid, that's why I tried to sub one person at a time, so each one could get a great applause from the crowd. I thought our crowd was fantastic, and we're fortunate that we were able to do that. It's nice when you're able to win that last game and you've got a little bit of a cushion to be able to do it. And I wanted them to be able to play as long as they could, so that's why I subbed at a minute. I could have subbed at two or three and let some kids play, but I thought let's let these seniors enjoy some time on the floor."
(On where he thinks the team will be seeded for the NCAA tournament)
"Well, I'm never right on this stuff, but I'm thinking a 3 or 4 seed. A 3 seed is what I think we should get, you know when the NCAA RPI was out today, we were No. 6 in the RPI, so I would think a 3 seed is being optimistic. It's not being too optimistic, I think it's reality, but it wouldn't surprise me if we were a 4 now, because part of the problem is we can't host, so a lot of it is going to come down, okay, if we're a 3 seed, what 6 seed put a bid in that's willing to host, because if there's not, I don't think we can go down to Shawnee Park and throw it up. So it's going to be interesting because it might, all the sudden, there might be a 5 seed that's put a bid on to host and all the sudden we might get bumped to a 4, I don't know. But I think we've earned a 3 seed. Now we have to go down and take care of business at Virginia, which I know is going to be a very tough game, and then we'll have a hard game in that first, in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament."
(On if a No. 7 seed might put in a bid to host)
"I would think some have, yes."
(On if the team is where he envisioned it would be earlier in the season at 24-4)
"We're further than I thought we'd be. I'm not going to sit here and lie and tell you that I anticipated to be 24-4. Playing-wise we're doing some good things. I think we are starting to show a lot more minutes of good than we are bad. Because at the beginning and midway through it, our good minutes could be really explosive and we could score 16 or 18 in about a two minute stretch and then we could go four minutes and not score. And now all the sudden we're becoming a lot more consistent. Our good minutes are lasting a lot longer and we're able to cut the bad minutes down, and that's something we have to continue to do. Because again, I think you saw tonight, when the shot clock winds down we aren't a team that can just blow by you and get up a shot. We need to get quick ball reversal, go inside-out, and then get somebody an open shot. We're going to play teams, when the shot clock rolls down, you throw it to one persona and they're clearing out, and they're going to get a shot up on the rim, and it's gong to be a pretty good shot. For us, that's just not who we are right now, and that's okay. I think the important part is you have to know what you do well and try to continue to do that, and what you do bad, don't do it very often."
(On how much he's had a chance to think about the foundation the senior class has built for the younger players)
"It's been great. I think it goes back, all the way back to year one when Patrika Barlow, Angel (McCoughtry), Candyce (Bingham) for us, Des Byrd, kids that balled into doing things a little bit different than what they'd been doing in the past. I tell people all the time, they're all like, 'where this program was when you got here...,' this was a good program. I don't know what everybody thinks, but they were a good program. Bud (Childers),Tom (Collen), Martin (Clapp), Sara (White), they'd all done a really nice job. They hadn't gotten past that second round of the NCAA tournament, it's not like it's a program that'd never been to the NCAA tournament. SO when we got here year one, we just changed a little bit. Not much, just tried to change the mentality, and those kids embraced it. And that's what got things going. And then Angel has the success she has, Candyce comes in here, we move Dez (Byrd) to a point guard her sophomore year and everybody thought we were crazy. The kid leads us to a Final Four at the point, and then we start to have some success recruiting, and now, because the fan base is continuing to grow, we play in a beautiful facility, Tom (Jurich) is wonderful with the way he supports women's basketball, and now you get kids like Mariya (Moore), Myisha (Hines-Allen) from all over the country, and everybody starts seeing what we're doing. Because I'm telling you, there are a lot of people that did not expect us to be 24-4 right now. They were like, 'Oh, it's going to be a rebuilding year.' When you go back to that Maryland game, we returned eight points, eight points from that Maryland game. And I was a little concerned about where we were going to get our scoring from also. But, what we've done this year is we've cut our turnovers down significantly, our assists have gone up significantly, and ids have bought in to what we're doing. I tell people all the time, we aren't a program that just plays one style of basketball. We're going to figure out what personnel we have, then I'm going to adapt our style of play to our personnel, and I think that's what helps us be successful. Last year, we were a really good 3-point shooting team, so we shot a lot of them. Now for us tonight, we end up 7-of-19, which is outstanding for us, and I think it's probably the most 3s we've taken in a game all year."
(Final Statement)
"Thanks everybody. It's been a great year and I appreciate what you all do. It's not the norm, I know it's not. We go on the road and play places that they don't get their games covered, and we're just really fortunate to have great media, and whatever we can do for you all, please don't hesitate to call and ask us. Thank you."
Sheronne Vails, Shawnta' Dyer, Bria Smith, Sara Hammond, and Jude Schimmel
(On their time at Louisville)
Sheronne Vails: "I will definitely cherish all the games, all the moments I've spent with these people. I've built some great relationships. Hopefully I keep in touch with all of them. I really want to thank Card Nation for everything they've done. This is one of those things that you just never will forget."
Shawnta' Dyer: "Just to go along with what Sheronne said, I couldn't agree with her more. You take away a lot from having five years at the University of Louisville, especially academically and for basketball. All the road trips, that's what I'm going to remember the most; all the bonding and all the inside jokes that the coaches don't get. Those are the things that I'm going to miss the most. I'm taking away a lot. I'm walking away with almost two degrees, so I'm very fortunate for that too. Louisville has been great to me and I'm appreciative for everyone supporting me along the way."
Bria Smith: "I'm going to keep my answer short because I'm the crybaby of the group, and they all know I don't do well with taking that on. My experience here is just amazing. I think we all can say is the main thing that we're going to take away is the relationships that we built with everyone, not even just the team, everyone around the area of Louisville. I think our success on the basketball court is a reflection of how hard we've worked over the four years, and how hard we worked together and the goals that we had in mind. Before my voice gets shaky, I just want to thank Card Nation and everyone who has helped me throughout the time I've been here. Before I start crying, I'll pass it to Sara."
Sara Hammond: "These passed four years, it's been a great journey. We've had lots of ups and downs, all of us, but for the most part it's been fun. I never would have dreamed being from where I'm from being able to play for a national championship or go out to L.A. for an ESPY Award. Things like that have changed my life. Coach Walz and this staff and the University, they've helped me grow into the young lady and the young woman that I am today. They've prepared us for life after basketball. I'm trying to play as long as I can, as long as my body is healthy and as long as anybody will take me, I'm going to play. The coaches have done a tremendous job of teaching us about life. When we go into the real world and have to pay our own bills, they've done a good job. It's more than just a basketball program. We're a family. When I got recruited to come here, that's what I wanted to come to. We're a sisterhood, like all these girls said. We're going to stay in touch with each other after we graduate and we move on to whatever our next plans are, but I'm just thankful for Coach Walz and the staff and every person in the city of Louisville who have watched us over the last four years, for welcoming me into the U of L family and accepting me and allowing me to grow along this journey and this stage of my life. I'll never forget it."
Jude Schimmel: "The way I see it is, I couldn't have made a better choice than to come here, because it's like the perfect mixture between sports and academics. Kind of like Shawnta' said, I'm on my second degree now at the University and I feel like if I went somewhere else, I might not have had that opportunity. But also, just the relationships I've built with my teammates and coaches and everybody around the community, they're very welcoming and I feel like we have the best fans in the nation. At the end of the day, it's the perfect place to be. It's a huge sports city, and we value academics, but like they all said, the relationships that we built and the personal growth that we've got from these last four or five years, it's irreplaceable."
(On what they will miss most about Coach Walz)
Schimmel: "Sarcasm."
Dyer: "The jokes."
Smith: "The stuttering."
(On moving on from senior night and focusing on the postseason)
Hammond: "For us seniors it was a big night, but Coach Walz said before the game, 'Thank goodness this isn't the end of the season.' This is a big thing for us, but we have a game on Sunday. We play Virginia, then next week we prepare for the ACC tournament. We're just trying to get better each game. Tonight that was our focus. Let's as a team get better. We need to prepare for postseason, because everyone knows it's a new season. You scratch your record, you scratch however you played in the regular season, because you win or go home. Of course every year that we've been here, we've had great success in the postseason. I think our coaches know how to get us prepared, but with five freshmen playing in their first postseason tournament, it's going to be a challenge. They've never gone through what we've gone through mentally and physically. In the ACC tournament, you play everyday until you reach the championship game, so we've just got to physically rest ourselves and know how to mentally be ready for the next game. Our coaches are going to do a great job of getting us ready for the postseason, so we just have to continue to take it one game at a time and just have a new mentality."
(On overcoming the emotion of the pregame ceremony)
Dyer: "We all thought we were going to be a little more emotional than we were, but it happened so fast and so quickly that we really didn't have the time. Coach was like, 'Ok, let's go back out.' So we had to switch our mentality pretty quick. To me individually, I just wanted to do the best I can in my last game at the KFC Yum! Center."
(Schimmel's assessment of her own performance)
Schimmel: "I think I owe a lot of credit to my coaches and my teammates. I say this all the time, my freshman year I lacked confidence. All the growth that gotten over the last three years, I feel like it's helped me a lot. Everybody has flaws, obviously, I don't play a perfect game every night. All the assists I get, I owe the credit to my teammates for making the shots. The steals I get has a lot to do with our rotations on defense. I thought I played a decent game. Honestly, we have so many different threats that you can't guard us all. You have to pick which one you're going to guard. Overall I thought everyone played a really great game."
(On the amount of guests Schimmel had in attendance)
Schimmel: "I think there was 18. Most of them are siblings. Two of my cousins that grew up with me are basically my siblings. My parents, my grandparents, my great grandma, my brother, his wife, and my nephew."
(On the book Schimmel is writing)
Schimmel: "So I talked about it at the beginning of the year at media day how I wanted to write a book. I'm actually in the process of it. I'm just hoping I can finish it and it comes out after the season. That's about it."
(On whether there was surprise that Smith was the only player to cry during the pregame ceremony)
Hammond: "No, because all day she was like 'This is our last free-throw, this is our last time we're going to go out there.'"
Smith: "I swear I didn't think I was going to cry. I really didn't, but then I looked at my parents and they were getting a little emotional, and then I started tearing-up just a little but and I looked at my teammates on the said and they're like 'Bria, don't do it.' Then it just came down. I couldn't help myself. They know I'm a crybaby."
(On her time at U of L)
Smith: "Just like I said before, I've had an amazing time here, just spending time with these girls. What I'm going to take the most from this is just my relationships that built over the years. I cherish these girls, they're like my sisters. That's what I'm taking away from this. Of course I had a great time basketball-wise, but basketball is just, it's pretty much our job while we're here, but the outside things are what's really special."
(On any words of advice to the underclassmen)
Hammond: "Don't take anything for granted. Enjoy the moment. Don't waste any time. Take advantage while you're here, because we have all the resources possible for everything, for basketball, for education, to get a career. That's one thing coach talks about a lot is, get to know people. After you're done here at U of L, somebody is going to want you for a job if you do a good job of representing yourself, representing the University. So take full advantage of everything you're given around here. Appreciate what we have. Who get to play in the KFC Yum! Center in front 10,000 fans. Coach was talking about it before the game. There are five teams in the ACC that don't even have over a thousand people come watch their games. Just appreciate what you have and all the opportunities that you get here. All of us, we cherish it now. Of course as freshmen we didn't probably think like that then, but as you grow and as you're here over the four years, you start to realize how thankful you are for everything and everyone that does stuff for you. Just don't take things for granted and don't waste time away. Just enjoy it while you're here."
(On the emotion of senior night after overcoming injuries)
Vails: "I think it means a lot for us to get to this night. I know last year, me and Shawnta' we sat out and we actually got to watch the game. I think you learn so much more when you're sitting out than actually being out there. I actually got to know coach Walz better from sitting out. I learned you've just got to laugh at him sometimes, because he can say some things to you and you might want to get down on yourself, but it makes you want to play harder and play for your teammates. That's what I took mostly from my journey."
(Schimmel on being a role model in the Native American community)
Schimmel: "I would just because I had the opportunity to go out to college and get my college degree and play Division I basketball. My sister and I have become very big role models in the Native American community, so obviously we're very influential people in that realm. I think it's pretty special. I always say that as much as we're an inspiration to them, the fact that they support us and the fact that they come clear across the country just to watch my senior night and Shoni's senior night last year, that's an inspiration to us to want to do better and be better for them and to continue to be role models for them."
