NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - TENNESSEE TECH VS INDIANA

March 17, 2023

Jordan Brock

Anna Walker

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

Tennessee Tech Red Raiders

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome back to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first and second round games of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Congratulations to Tennessee Tech on advancing with a victory last night over Monmouth, and best of luck during your continued stay in the bracket. We are currently joined on the dais by graduate student Jordan Brock and junior Anna Walker. For those of you joining us on Zoom, please use the hand raise function and we will get to you during the press conference.

Q. What have the last 14 hours or so been like for you guys, and a 36-and a-hour turn around is not a lot of time to prepare, so could you talk a little bit about that?

ANNA WALKER: The past few hours have been really exciting for us and our team, and yes, it's a very quick turn around, but we are used to this just playing Thursday-Saturday throughout conference all year, or really Friday-Saturday. But we're really excited, and we're using today's practice just to get ready for tomorrow, and we've watched a lot of film. So I think we'll be ready.

JORDAN BROCK: I think back to what Anna was saying, like we're all giddy and excited because this is something that we've all dreamed about, but like she said, we are prepared for this, and we do this on a normal in conference, so we're just going to focus on us and really get to practice and kind of focus on what we're doing.

Q. Ladies, I asked your teammates last night when they came in here the start for you guys was incredible last night, and it kind of fueled you through it. But have you ever been a part of a game where a team comes out and is so locked in from three-point range?

JORDAN BROCK: I think we can say that we have been a part of it. I mean that's kind of what we do well, and Coach Rose preached today, like it only takes one and I think Peyton Carter was a good example of that. And she was the one that got it started, and we just kept rolling after she started hitting them.

ANNA WALKER: Yeah, I think our start was very impactful on the rest of the game. It gave us a lot of confidence going into the first game of March Madness just for us not being here. But, yeah, I think it showed us that we are capable, and we showed that last night.

Q. You guys are used to the quick turn around, obviously, and having a game on the floor here in assembly hall, how big of an advantage do you think that helps you guys prepare for tomorrow's game?

ANNA WALKER: I think it gives us a huge advantage just being in the gym and already having one practice, shoot around and a game already in here. So just getting used to the different feel, different atmosphere, I think it's really helpful.

JORDAN BROCK: I think I agree with what Anna said. We've been in here, and I think last night we kind of showed that we are used to the gym, and we did shoot the ball really well. So I think we just need to take that and build confidence off of it.

Q. Ladies, we talked to Coach and a couple of your teammates last night, but one of the words that kept coming up was confidence, and just talk about where that confidence comes from, and Coach talked about how much the staff pours into you guys. How much has that staff built you up to get you prepared for these moments?

JORDAN BROCK: I think -- I mean I cannot say enough about the coaching staff and what they do for us, not only as basketball players, but as young women. And I think them caring more about the person really helps us have confidence of who we are out on the floor. And I also think that us and our belief in each other goes from the coaching staff to us being teammates really is what gets us going and gets our confidence.

ANNA WALKER: Yeah, Jordan said it perfectly. The impact that they've made on us just as young women, I mean I can't say enough about it. But we also know that all of our teammates, we have each others' backs. So that builds our confidence as well.

Q. Ladies, you had a pair of three game winning streaks early in the year. You had a four-game streak to end the season and now are riding a four-game winning streak into the first round of the tournament. What do you think it will take from your group to run that winning streak to a season-long five games and really nine in a row?

JORDAN BROCK: I think the biggest thing for us to do is just focus on our process and what we do best. And I think for us that is getting out in transition and just doing our -- just discipline in the details and making sure that we're focused on us and not making the next game the biggest moment. And just taking it as the next game because it's the most important one.

ANNA WALKER: Yeah, we've talked a lot about discipline in the details, like Jordan said. We've really been preaching that I'd say for the past month. But especially over these past few games. Obviously we could have kind of made the conference tournament and last night we could have made it bigger than what it was, but we kind of just stay focused and just focused on our game plan.

Q. Over the years in your career you guys have played some incredible competition, even last season at Tennessee in Thompson-Boling, so you've faced big opponents against big crowds. How do you think those games like that prepare you for tomorrow's matchup?

ANNA WALKER: Obviously that's not something we're really used to, but it makes it exciting, but that's something where we just need to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves and not let the game be bigger than what it actually is and just have each others' backs and just be focused in on what we're good at.

JORDAN BROCK: I think like what Anna said, we have to have a zoom focus tomorrow. We know how loud it's going to be in there. But that's the exciting part. We live to play on a stage like that, but I think as long as we stay together and stay with what we do best as a team, I think we're going to be fine.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you for your time at the dais. Best of luck tomorrow, and can you join your team in the locker room for the remainder of the open locker room period.