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Duke Coach, Players Talk About Tennessee Game

By Duke University Media Relations

Jan 27, 2008

Joanne P. McCallie

On big games at home this season:

“Rutgers was pretty significant. This is a great game [versus Tennessee], we’re excited. We’re trying to get better. It’s like anything else though, every game counts, and I know that doesn’t make great press, but it’s true. Every game is very, very important to us and this one certainly as well. We’re excited; they’re a very good team. But, I like our schedule that way. We’ve played a lot of very good teams so far, and that’s the only way to get better is to play strong opponents. They’re certainly a strong opponent.”

On last year’s game film against Tennessee:

“[It’s] not really [helpful] when you graduate two All-Americans; you know, Lindsey Harding and Ali[son] Bales are pretty substantial people. So, you can always glean and learn from any film, but at the same time our personnel, this team, is what we have to focus on. This team playing any team. I wouldn’t know what they, [Tennessee], have looked at. I really wouldn’t know what they know. I just know they’re a very good team; they play with a lot of confidence, and that national championship has a way of fortifying confidence there. They’re a very different team than last year because they have a banner behind them now, and that’s a little bit of a different construct I think.”

On this Tennessee team never having beat Duke:

“That might motivate them, and that’s great. We’re focused on us, and what we need to do as a team to get better and how to defend. And, you know, [Candace] Parker is all that and a bag of chips, I guess. So, it’s exciting and again it takes a team effort, no different than any game. We’re going to have to be a very good team defensively.”

On the team’s health:

“It’s good. Karima [Christmas] is back in practice, so we’re back to 12. Except Karima, I don’t know about her playing because she hasn’t practiced that much.”

On one thing, above all others, to focus on against Tennessee:

“We’ve been talking about rebounding an awful lot this year. It’s a sore spot with coaches, and I tell you, they are a terrific rebounding team. They are very, very physical, and they really hit you hard. They are an aggressive rebounding team. They are long and lanky in terms of their stature, but they are very, very aggressive to the ball. I would certainly want to see our team do a great job on the rebounding end. That would bode well for us if you saw the rebounding stats and we really did some nice things there. I think it’s going to be very critical for this game.”

On Coach Pat Summit’s contributions to women’s basketball:

“The duration and the longevity. It’s really hard in this business; longevity is hard. It’s a very demanding business, and it’s gotten to be more demanding in the past ten years or so. She’s had great success; there’s nothing she hasn’t done in terms of her accolades and her championships. She’s a terrific coach. She’s just done a great job at Tennessee, and she’s been there a long time. There won’t be another Pat Summit, don’t look for that, it’s not going to happen. There isn’t one. When she retires, I don’t know who would want to take that job.”

On coaching against Pat Summit in the past:

“Yes, I coached against her a few times, a lot at Auburn as an assistant. We beat them in the National Semifinal in 2005 [while at Michigan State]. We lost to them the next year at the Virgin Islands. I certainly feel respectful for what they do, but I feel very knowledgeable for what they do. I’ve been around Tennessee for my coaching experience in the SEC; Auburn beat them several times while I was an assistant. So I’m learning Tennessee, but the reality is that it comes to the floor, the aggressiveness, the physicality, the rebounding, and the intangibles and they’re very good at those. So, we’re going to have to be really sharp with how we defend, how we rebound, and how we dictate the physical play.”

On the team getting better each game:

“You’re always driven by process; this is all a process. Right now we’re getting better every game. We watched film on Georgia Tech this morning so that we could finish out and close out that game. We always close out a game we’ve played. There are always many things that aren’t so good. One of them was missed box-outs, and also defending penetration off the dribble was a little suspect at times. You’re not driven by outcomes, and I know we won by a wide margin, but you can always glean from film and learn from it. So, it’s kind of a process; you get into a rhythm. I do like our team; I think we’re getting better. I want the guards to rebound more. I’ve been clamoring for more guard rebounding. KJ [Keturah Jackson] did that at Georgia Tech. It’s going to have to be more than KJ. Nish [Wanisha Smith], Abby [Waner], and Jasmine [Thomas] are going to have to pull that ball and rip down boards. They won’t discriminate in a game like this.”

Senior Wanisha Smith

On the game last year and the game this year:

“I don’t think that I had a particularly good game. Our team won. I’m definitely going to try and do the same things. We’re expecting a hard fought game just because they are one of the top teams in the nation and they have some really tough players. We’re expecting a really good match up Monday.”

On rebounding and keeping Tennessee off the boards:

“We pressed the issue today in practice with a lot of rebounding drills. It’s going to be a key because they have some really physical players. We’re going to have to get it done on the boards.

On how Tennessee’s seniors have not beaten Duke:

“That’s a great motivational statement for her team. Any team is going to want to come out and play their best. Hopefully, our team will come out and do the same.”

On why Duke has been able to beat Tennessee:

“Determination and fight are the two words that I would use to describe it. They’re a really good team, it just came down to the wire and we were able to defeat them.”

On the type of game they expect on Monday:

“We’re expecting fast paced, transition, a lot of threes, a lot of shots by Candace Parker. It’s going to be a hard fought game, two of the top teams in the nation are going head to head. It’s going to be a great game.”

Junior Chante Black

On guarding Candace Parker:

“We’re going to make sure we focus on limiting her touches. She’s a great player, I’m sure she’s going to try and get off her shots and we’re going to do our best to limit that.”

On her leg and coming back:

“I try to get that out of my head every time and not think about it. Being a player, you’re going to get nicked and you try not to think about it because it’s going to hinder your game.”

On trying to get Parker to work on the defensive end to take her out of her game:

“Those are just how the game plays out. Every team wants to execute and hold the ball and make the other team work more on defense, I don’t know what Candace is going to do or what defense they are going to be playing; that’s going to be up to her and the energy she exerts during the game. It’s hard to determine.”

Junior Abby Waner

On getting her shot back:

“Sure, I feel like it’s coming back. I hit a couple against Georgia Tech; I guess it’s just about getting into a flow. Hopefully it carries over to Tennessee, but it’s not my focus. There are multiple other parts to basketball that you can focus on. As long as we get the win and if I’m still shooting eight percent, I’m ok with that.”

On her increased responsibilities besides scoring:

“I guess that’s something that I’ve really had to focus on. I was pretty much labeled a shooter my first two years. With this team I can’t just be a shooter, or if I just want to be a better all around player there are other things that I need to focus on, particularly on the defensive and rebounding end.”

On the sellout crowd for the game and the buzz surrounding it:

“There is the usual article in the school paper and people will be excited about it. It is just a great time of year; it’s an excellent atmosphere. I say this about all big games but it’s great for women’s basketball. To be a part of something like this, three years in a row now is something really special and I’m really glad to play in this kind of environment.”

On the defensive strategy:

“I think that for a good defensive team, it’s difficult to prepare for, a lot of it just happens out on the court. Our defense has been coming around. Our focus needs to be not fouling. In all of our big games, we tend to foul and let the other team go to the line a lot and win it there. There are certain things they can scout, but a lot of it happens on the floor.”

On the importance of rebounding by perimeter players:

“All season we’ve needed more out of our perimeter players for rebounding. Especially with this game, with Candace and Nicky [Anosike], plus Alexis [Hornbuckle] is an outstanding rebounding guard. They’re a bigger, physical team and those types of games are generally won on the boards.”