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NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOURApril 1, 2015Brenda FreseTAMPA, FLORIDA COACH FRESE: Obviously it's great to be one of the last four teams standing and couldn't be more proud of what this team has accomplished up to this date. If anyone's seen us play, I mean, you can obviously tell it's taken a total team effort for us to be able to get to this point. But I'm really proud of our consistency factor, when you talk about back‑to‑back Final Fours, for us to be coming to Tampa, so many things that take place behind the scenes to be able to accomplish such a feat. So we are really looking forward to getting down to Tampa, and for our preparation in terms of getting ready for UCONN. Q. Just from the work you've done and what you've seen, what's the blueprint, what will it take to beat UCONN? COACH FRESE: It's going to take a collective team effort. Obviously in that Stanford game, they did a tremendous job collectively as a team. But I think you have to‑‑ you know, defensively, they are a great scoring team, and you've got to be able to try to take some things away. And then I think you have to have your own team that's got to be able to keep pace in terms of being able to score the basketball. Q. When you go to the Final Four for the first time, is there an awe factor you have to deal with before you play basketball, and how were you able to deal with it so effectively in 2006? COACH FRESE: No question, I think you're kind of blind‑sided by how many obligations you haves as a coach and with your team. So there's a lot of things that kind of take your energy away from preparation in terms of getting ready. I think for us in 2006, one thing we were really fortunate, we were playing common opponents, when you talk about North Carolina and Duke, so scout specific. I mean, it was teams that we knew and were already prepared for. I think when you have different teams that maybe you've never played before, it makes it a much harder element. Q. And when you're going into something like this for the first time, as opposed to going in multiple times, is the pressure kind of off to a degree? COACH FRESE: To a degree. I think it probably matters what your mind‑set is. I know when we went in, our goal wasn't just to get to a Final Four. I think if you're happy to make it to a Final Four your mind‑set might be different versus going in and knowing that you're going to win the whole thing. So I think different approaches matter in terms of everything that you have to balance when you get there. Q. You guys obviously scored 58 in your win over Tennessee. UCONN in just about 50 percent shooting from the field, they scored 91 in their win. What are you going to change about your game offensively or defensively to compete with such a high‑scoring offense? COACH FRESE: I think we've been fortunate that we have been an up‑tempo type of team and we have to get back to our transition. The Tennessee game lended more to a halfcourt, physical defensive style of play, where I think both Maryland and UCONN really like to get out and like to push the tempo. So you've got to be able to score the basketball with Connecticut. You've got to be able to make your own runs and try to get stops on the defensive end. Q. You talked about how now coming into the season, you talked about a young team in your conference; do you think playing against such a legendary program in UCONN has really solidified your place? COACH FRESE: We hope that people are able to see on a national scale now our consistency factor. I think what this team has been able to accomplish this season, going undefeated in conference, winning the Big Ten Tournament and now making it to back‑to‑back Final Fours, I would think there would be a consistency factor that continues to show up. Q. You won a national title in 2006. This is your fourth year in, and some of the other coaches are talking about it being so long until they got to that point. How did that change your coaching style from then on after winning the national title and knowing you're one of the youngest to ever do that? COACH FRESE: I think first and foremost in leading up to that, it was the talent pool. We had a rich talent pool in our game when you talk about that cycle of players that went to a lot of different programs. After winning the National Championship, I felt like we were able to recruit probably a smaller, elite level, pool of players. So I think when you're able to do that, that allows you to kind of put those pieces together to help gel to hopefully allow you to be able to have success on a consistent basis. Q. After the early success, is it what you expected and did it change your view of where you wanted to go with your coaching career? COACH FRESE: I always knew when I took the Maryland job that I felt like it could be a national power type of program. In my wildest dreams, I didn't think we would win a National Championship in four years. Definitely the timetable was sped up in terms of how it unfolded and how it took place. We were just really fortunate that we had so many great, elite players in our backyard and in our region that we were able to be able to sell our vision to. So that piece for us is a huge part in terms of becoming who we are today. Q. We all know Lexie didn't have the first half ‑‑ (inaudible)‑‑ but then she ended up scoring 15. How do you get her going or is that just her independent mind‑set? Did you say anything at halftime to get her going in the second half? COACH FRESE: It's definitely, for Lexie, her confidence level. She needs to have a big assist or a big shot in terms of, you know, feeling the ball going through the net. So that shot before halftime just kind of helped her settle in I think, settle down in terms of the stage and the moment and obviously she played with an extreme level of confidence in the second half. THE MODERATOR: Thank you and we look forward to having you in Tampa Bay this weekend. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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