Oct. 13, 2008
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair enters his sixth season in Aggieland and met with members of the media on Monday in preview of the upcoming 2008-09 season.
On Maroon Madness ...
"Look at the direction our basketball program has gone over the last five years. We have the best story going in the country. We hosted Maroon Madness in Northgate a couple of years ago and in front of a full house at Reed Arena with Soulja Boy last year. It gets bigger and better each year. We are excited to start the season this Friday. We have seven new players including (redshirt freshman) Tyra White back and ready to go. This is the deepest team we've ever had at Texas A&M."
On this year's team and the senior class leadership ...
"We have a good basketball team. How good we are going to be, will all depend on our three seniors. We have two of the top players in the league in Danielle Gant and Takia Starks. We are going to have to get them the ball more. Gant and Starks have been sharing the basketball with Aqua (Franklin) and Morenike (Atunrase) for the last three years. This year, we will have to make sure we get them more touches and more opportunities, while we bring our young kids and junior college players along a little better."
On the preseason polls ...
"The three preseason polls that are out so far are pretty accurate. Some list us in the top 16 or No. 11 or No. 4. We are in the middle. Sometimes newspaper or magazine writers are looking for a team to breakthrough out of the blue. They are looking for a Cal and a Texas A&M to say hey, `they have been together three or four years and maybe, it's their time to be in the forefront' knowing Tennessee lost all five starters and Connecticut's top player (Elena Delle Donne) will not be playing basketball this season. Maybe, there is a little bit of a change going around right now."
"We were selected fifth by the Big 12 coaches. What has happened since June is that I lost my point guard (sophomore Taniqua Hollis) and (junior college All-American) Tanisha Smith who could compete for the job. When you look at the (preseason top 25) polls, five teams from the Big 12 South were selected. The South is going to remain strong. When you have a very good team as strong as Kansas State was last year or what Iowa State will be this year, it is easier to pick the North schools higher in the conference than for those of us who are going to knock each other off in the South. We will use it as a rallying cry."
On the new Cox-McFerrin Center For Aggie Basketball ...
"We toured the facility again on Saturday and it is spectacular. It will be very similar to the Bright Complex. When we first moved into the Bright Complex, no one in the country had anything like it. The Cox-McFerrin Center is state-of-the-art just like the pro facilities for the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Cowboys. Our players are going to love it. I involved my entire staff in the designing of the facility. Coach (Kelly) Bond took care of the design of the locker rooms with the architects. Coach (Vic) Schaefer took care of the design of the practice gym and former assistant coach Amy Tennison oversaw the design of the office areas. It is really going to help us in recruiting and be able to compete at the highest level. We are excited to get into our new locker rooms this Thursday (prior to the official start of practice on Friday)."