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NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: DALLAS

March 27, 2016

Dallas, Texas

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the Oregon State Beavers, Coach Scott Rueck, his student-athletes, Ruth Hamblin, Gabriella Hanson, Sydney Wiese, Jamie Weisner and Deven Hunter. Coach?

SCOTT RUECK: Happy Easter, everybody. Last night was a great night for the program. We took a minute to enjoy it and then the team rested and we want to work. We're excited to be here today and for the next challenge.

Q. Scott, natural progression has been one of your big phrases over the last couple of weeks. Would the next natural progression be to knock off a perennial power like Baylor and by the way if you do that, you also get to the Final Four?
SCOTT RUECK: Sure, yes. That's next on the schedule so that's the next focal point for us, certainly, and you take 'em as they come.

It's the next game and you do that by playing possession-by-possession and preparing the same way that you have, so yes, that would be natural.

Q. Ruth, you're going to see a lot of the two freshmen centers? Beatrice Mompremier and Kalani Brown tomorrow night. Can you talk about what you've seen from them and what challenges you expect to see from them tomorrow night?
RUTH HAMBLIN: I think they bring a lot to the team, size and defense and O boards are good for them, running, getting easy layups. So definitely going to have my hands full tomorrow night.

Q. Jamie and then Sydney, obviously you're getting to the point, Baylor has been there, done that, they've had a motto all year about eight is not enough. Talk about the challenges of facing a team with such a drive and determination to what they have similar to what you guys are trying to do?
JAMIE WEISNER: They have a confidence and they know what at that to expect and they have been there and they've played the biggest stage. So they have that confidence, but I think we have confidence, too. We're going places we've never been before, and that alone is a lot of confidence we can ride on.

SYDNEY WIESE: Entirely a very talented team. They've been around the block a few times. They've been here before. They know what they're doing, how to win at this level. But I think we're having fun and enjoying the moment and the challenge that comes with it. I know that this group, our group is capable of doing big things and we don't want to be done yet.

Q. For Deven and Gabriella, guys, talk about Baylor, what are your impressions after watching them in person, watching them on tape, Gabby?
GABRIELLA HANSON: Huge key for them is transition. They push the ball like no other team we've kind of seen before. They're very versatile. Their posts are extremely physical. They have size that we're not necessarily -- we haven't seen. I won't say we're not used to it because we have it every day in practice.

So they're a versatile team, different team, but, you know, we're prepared just like -- we will prepare just like we prepare for any other game.

DEVEN HUNTER: I think watching them, they know how to play well with each other. They have been through it all. They know where each other are and find each other and they know how to work their system really well.

Q. Ruth and Jamie, Coach was talking yesterday remembering back in the early days of the program when you guys were first starting out about a ten-game Pac-12 losing streak and all the things you were going through. When you reflect on it, how does that compare to where you guys are now, one game away from a Final Four?
RUTH HAMBLIN: Seems like a lifetime ago in some regards because we've come so far and developed the program so far since then. But we have really experienced it all just climbing up this mountain and I think we're excited for the next step.

JAMIE WEISNER: Obviously it feels better to be in this position than four years ago, but like it's been said before, it's a natural progression and each year we have gone further and further. So it's just fun to be a part of.

Q. Ruth, having the success that you've had, what's that do for your confidence? And as a shooter are you worried about shooting backgrounds? Or are all gyms the same?
RUTH HAMBLIN: I think every gym has a little different atmosphere, but coming here is wonderful. Beautiful gym, great facilities and to play in a place where the greats have played before, it's fun. But I try to come in and not worry about my surroundings. It's just a ball and a home and I've shot the ball the in the hoop a million times, so that's all it is for me.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, ladies. Questions for Coach?

Q. Does this need to be a half-court game to you guys?
SCOTT RUECK: Defensively, certainly that is who we have been. That's why we have the numbers that we do, defensive points and field goal percentage. We make teams work typically and we don't want to give up anything easy, keep 'em off the free-throw line, away from the basket, out of transition and challenge everything. So, yes, that's our MO and that's what we've done all year. Needs to be another one of those.

Q. Scott, you mentioned a moment ago letting your team step back and enjoy the moment and not automatically looking ahead. Talk about how the team handled that and clearly their focus now is on what's next. Talk about their ability to do that. It's not easy just to enjoy and move on.
SCOTT RUECK: You mean last night?

Q. Yes.
SCOTT RUECK: Well, that's who this team is. We've had adversity this year. We got beat at Stanford late in our season and needed to respond two days later against Cal. That's just one example. So this group is so mature. I think that's -- everybody got to see that yesterday. Just the way they carry themselves, the way we prepare, the way we handled adversity last night.

DePaul made a run at us, didn't phase us, shook off, had a great progression, hit two big shots back-to-back to separate again in the fourth quarter. That's just who they are and handling success is adversity as well, and that's sometimes tougher than adversity, and this team has done that.

This is a team of juniors and seniors for the most part that have seen a lot! Moving from last night into this game, no concern there at all.

Q. This was new ground for the program going back 30 years just to be in the Sweet 16 and the way they responded without the jitters, and playing off the last question, maybe an unfortunate analogy, but is this team playing with house money right now? Is this team just kind of loose and whatever happens at this point?
SCOTT RUECK: I think this team is really confident. I think that's what we saw last night. This is a team that's prepared. We're all seeing how good the Pac-12 is. That's one thing that -- it surprises me a bit how surprised I think people are across the country. You listen to just the general narrative of the Pac-12 and people are surprised, surprised Washington could beat Maryland. We're not! We've played against them.

We know how hard it is to play against that team and defend that team and how you can't blink or Walton is going to light you up and that's not even mentioning Kelsey Plum, and that's just one example. But going to UCLA, Stanford, Cal, all across the board in our conference. This team has been to Notre Dame. They've played Tennessee. They've been to Carolina. They've been to Tennessee.

They're battle tested, so the environment last night, I think, speaks to their maturity and their experience more than just a team that's super loose playing with no cares. I don't see that at all. I see a team that just understands what competition is and knows how to rise to that and knows themselves well enough to know, well we can't focus on the outside stuff that doesn't matter. We need to focus on this possession and that's what we've taught from day one.

It's one of the things that's allowed us to win when number expected us to, to be honest. This was a team two years ago when we were just learning how to win. You gotta forget the fact that we haven't won much previously. You gotta forget that. You gotta put that out of your mind. All that matters is you win this possession right now. Going into last night's game was the same. I talked about Jamie Weisner, the confidence she gives everyone, and we have players within our roster that give everybody confidence in that regard and so you get over those things quickly, and I think that's maturity and high-level competition.

Q. When Kim Mulkey took over her program it was coming off a 7-20 season with very little success and there were building points and moving up. She talked about one of the things she saw was you with your kids and how special it was to see your kids. There is an image of her up on the ladder with her two kids, one who is now her assistant coach and one who is playing baseball, the progression of that program, and when you look at that moment and thinking about sharing that moment with your kids?
SCOTT RUECK: Nothing better. I ran into her in the hallway yesterday when we were walking in and Cole was walking with me and she said, "That's what it's about right there." And I agree. That's what it's about. I was that kid at one time at the high school level, my dad was a coach, took me everywhere. So I've been immersed in this game from the day that I could be around it, even before to be honest I was in the gym.

I know that it is a bigger picture like that and I think -- it does have an interesting impact on the team itself, I think when everybody sees that this is family and it's a bigger part of a family it allows the players to feel like they're truly part of your family. They're taking care of because they see your kids taken care and our assistant coaches' kids, and so, yeah, to me that's what this whole thing is about and I pray some day that I can be his assistant. (Chuckles.)

Q. Coach, Nina Davis is a little bit unorthodox player, I guess. Talk about trying to defend her and her game.
SCOTT RUECK: Yeah, dynamic. Just a knack for putting the ball in the basket. They're shot-makers and she is one of them. She just has such a gift of timing, relentless effort, and she has just a mind-set, an attacking mind-set. It's her job to get the ball, put it in the basket and go get the ball in a lot of cases as well.

So I agree, unorthodox is a good word to describe her. You look at her shot, you think, that's somebody we don't mind if she shoots, but then she knocks down five straight 15-footers are or 17-footers. So matching her intensity is one thing, maintaining position and she is so quick back up, you know, once she does shoot the basketball.

So she is a tricky match-up, no question. She looks like a guard, plays like a forward and, yeah, brings just a relentless energy, so, tough.

Q. Scott, before you go to sleep tonight what will be the one thing that prevents you from going to sleep about the match-up with Baylor? I know there are probably a lot of things, but are there one tor that jump out to you?
SCOTT RUECK: I think overall if you look at their team they have that combination of power and finesse. That's what makes -- I think everybody playing still does. Where you can hurt a team from everywhere, outside, inside, all that. Rebounding is, I think, the number one key. I think we have made people miss shots all year. They are an outstanding shooting team. Can we make 'em miss? I hope so, I hope so.

Then we can't give 'em second chances. That's what -- you look at a team that has as much size as they have and the athletes. That's going to be the game. The game is going to be, do they get second opportunities? So if we can win the boards, that will go a long way in saying what type of game this is going to be.

Q. You touched on this a moment ago about other Pac-12 teams and the success they have had in this tournament. By the end of the day a Pac-12 team is going to have one of those Final Four slots. What confidence does that give your team knowing that, hey, we can be in the same spot. We did win the conference title and won a tournament?
SCOTT RUECK: I think everyone is feeding off each other, I think. You look around and everybody realizes what kind of gauntlet this Pac-12 schedule was this year. We all know it. We all know how well that league is coached how dynamic it is how great of athletes there are now and everybody used to talk about west coast athletes leaving, certainly Tennessee has three Oregonians on their roster. That hasn't happened the last few years. They have elected to stay, the majority anyway, so it's getting better and better.

I think seeing each other have success certainly helps. I think everybody is watching each other closely, pulling for each other, "Back the Pac" is what everybody is saying. It's fun to see. I don't think anybody is surprised, but certainly I think we would be lying if we didn't say it was giving each other confidence, watching each other succeed.

Q. Coach, about the size and Baylor this season has had a lot of games where they have beaten people solely off size because they bring so much of it off the bench. You carry a lot of that same size in the lineup and on the bench. Do you feel like you guys can be that team that can finally neutralize their size advantage?
SCOTT RUECK: I hope so. I absolutely hope so! You're right, there is not a ton of teams across the country that have size. Yesterday we were in shoot-around and somebody not associated with our program said, are you guys the tallest team in the country? And I said, maybe. I don't know. I would be curious to know, but across the board ironically for having a very small coach we have a lot of tall players! I love that!

So in this match-up, certainly Ruth matches up well with their post players and their post players match-up well with Ruth and you go across the board and whether it's Marie that comes in, or Sam or Bre, you go down the list, we have length even at the guard spots. We have length and that's been a contributing factor to our shot percentage defense.

So, yeah, will we neutralize each other? I don't know. I hope so. So then it becomes a game of position and who can use the their size the best.

Q. This is not about looking ahead to next week, but we've all seen what Connecticut is doing. They've won three straight National Championships. We've seen the lopsided scores in this tournament. When you look at what they're doing and other teams are doing what's your perspective of what Geno has been able to do and what the Huskies are doing and is it good for women's basketball?
SCOTT RUECK: I think excellence is inspiring. That's my -- I got to coach Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson this summer as an assist on the Pan-Am team, and I got to be around them for three weeks and watch them work, and the way they carried themselves, the way they were teammates, the way they were coachable and what they brought to each game and each practice and the standards by which they do it. It's elite. It's elite. The standard is elite. For that, I don't know how that could be bad. I think the bar is just really high. The bar is really high!

To watch it is nothing short of inspiring. I don't know how inspiring can never be bad. Do we want them to drop down and not be as good so others can have a better chance? I think we're thinking incorrectly there. I think we all need to raise our level, continue to anyway. I think that's the challenge to basketball across the country, the AAU level, the high school level to continue to turn out more and more Breanna Stewarts. That's what we need. We need more and more.

So I don't think you can argue with anything they're doing certainly, and I love to be inspired, personally.

THE MODERATOR: Anymore questions for Coach? Coach, good luck tomorrow.

SCOTT RUECK: Thank you very much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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