Oct. 22, 2008
Texas A&M head coach Takia Starks, La Toya Micheaux and Oklahoma City native Danielle Gant also talked about the upcoming 2008-09 season.
Opening Statement ...
"It's good to be back here in Oklahoma City. The last time we were here, we were looking to write a new story in the last five minutes of our ball game, but it didn't work out for us against Tennessee in the NCAA Elite Eight. We learned a lot from it. We're a better basketball team this year, because of the expectations and learning and knowing how to win big ball games."
On the strength of the league, being picked fifth and how tough the Big 12 is going to be this season ...
"It is similar to what is happening in football right now. You have four teams ranked in the top 8 in the country and you have a few more knocking on the door. It's going to be this way for a long time to come. The Big 12 top-to-bottom is the best conference in the country and I'm glad to be a part of it. We are a legitimate top 10 to top 15 team. Now, it is up to us to live up to it just like any other team in our league. Being picked fifth in the conference doesn't bother us. We are going to be pretty darn good and I like my basketball team. We've had six good workouts so far. This is the most depth that I've ever had in a basketball team, any time, anywhere, and that's all the way back to my Louisiana Tech days."
On his coach-speak during the press conference ...
"Coach-speak? Well, there is no more Lou Holtz in me, I guess. It's time for us to become a power. You have to think like a power. You have to expect it every day. We used to come to this media day wanting to be champions. We know the formula to be champions now. It's not taking away from the other teams in our league at all. I'm talking about Texas A&M. We expect to be playing in a championship game. We expect to be at the front. We expect to be in the top 25 polls and in the magazines.
We expect to get some of the top recruits in the country now. That's what this coaching staff was brought in for and I think we are delivering. I like that role. But, at the same time, let's give credit to the league. Our league is pretty special. Eight teams made it past the NCAA first round. Eleven out of the 12 were in the NCAA or the WNIT last year. What other sport do we have in the Big 12 right now, which is doing what we are doing in our sport? Women's basketball - that's where it is at."
On referring to former point guard A'Quonesia Franklin as his "Energizer Bunny" over the last four years. Which player will take on that role or will he spread it out more among the team?
"As most of you know, Takia Starks is having to play the point right now, until we get healthy. We are hurting right now. But, it's making our defense look good. When you are coming off an ACL, even if she plays well, Sydney will only be at 85 percent this year. That's when we get her back. But, she is going to be very special. She is similar to former Texas Tech point guard Erin Grant. They both have the same frame and same type of attitude. Sydney can create points and she might be a little more of a scorer than Erin. Erin was more of a distributor. They are much more similar to how they play the game."
On Danielle Gant ...
"Danielle led our team in steals. She led it in field-goal percentage, in free throw percentage and in offensive rebounds. She led our team in rebounds, averaged 14.7 points a game and she is not preseason first team All-Big 12. She hasn't gotten worse. She has gotten better over the summer. This is her first media day and it's very special to bring her back home to Oklahoma City. You have Danielle and Earnesia Williams both coming home and that's a tribute to high school ball here in Oklahoma and what those two kids have meant during their careers. Now, they get a chance to play against each other twice a year. Danielle Gant is the hardest-working 5-foot-10 player I've ever coached in my life. Any time, anywhere, she comes to play and that next level - they are drooling and really want her. She has been out for most of the summer due to a scope on her knee at the beginning of August. She is practicing, but we are very limited with her right now. We want to save her for the real dance."
On how much he expects to get out of the younger players on the team this season ...
"This is one of our best recruiting classes that we've brought in. You have a lot of balance in it. Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Tanisha Smith is going to be very good for us. She can play the 1 through 4 positions. Tanisha is going to be a very good player in our system. I hope she will have the same impact that Dominic Seals had for Texas Tech last year. She is very versatile and doing a good job for us. I really like a player that you haven't heard a whole lot about, Morenike Atunrase and A'Quonesia Franklin, is hard to replace players that have been there and done it. These new players coming in have the potential to do it, but they have not done it yet."
On the team's inside game ...
`At the post presence, La Toya Micheaux and Buchanan, like a two-headed center for us inside. We are going to move Kelsey Assarian, a freshman from Florida, who scores well in there. She gets it done like Carolyn Savant used to at Missouri or Rachel Allison at Baylor. Kelsey is that type of player. She is going to be good for us. Yes, we need more scoring inside. If we cannot get it this year, hopefully, we can get it this next year on the recruiting trail. That's all to be determined and we'll just have to see how it all plays out. But, I like my players. If I'm not mistaken, the Chicago Bulls won about six world championships. Can anybody think of any post player that scored more than eight points a game for them? It didn't happen. There's a lot of ways to win in basketball, in football or any sports."