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BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 15, 2008Morenike AtunraseGary BlairA'Quonesia FranklinTakia StarksKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI COACH BLAIR: They don't want to go home early because they're on per diem and they want to get all three meals on Sunday and try for Monday, too. You just saw a heck of a basketball game. They did when it was going to take for them to win by playing us a lot of different zones they ran some effective zones. And the first half we had every shot that we wanted and we could have blue it open but how many times is Starks going to go 1 for 7 and Danielle 3 for 11 and you're going to be up by 9 at half. It was a tribute to our other kids who stepped up, made some big-time shots in that ballgame. Isn't it funny when you start looking at our conference, Kansas State goes from worst to first. The two bottom programs in our conference to now having the top two programs. At least for today. This is what parity is all about and this is what hard work, coaching and good recruiting will do for you. I would like to commend both staffs of Oklahoma State and Texas A&M for getting Coach Kurt Budke and I up to this platform. We have good assistants, both of us have good players and good backing at home by administration and fans but there was a great basketball game and the most important thing, the nation was watching, because we were the last game in town that was going on. And I'm just happy to be a part of something of this magnitude and I would really like to thank Kansas City for putting on a first class show, because we were treated great, the Big 12 did a great job of running the tournament. That's what we're known for, the little things that make you proud to be a Big 12 coach in the conference. This is why this is a destination league. You don't see coaches from this league going anywhere else. You see them move to this league because of how well we're treated and the competition in this league. THE MODERATOR: Questions for student athletes. Q. (No microphone.) A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: We are veterans. Our chemistry is great, especially on defense. We've been in big games before, and we love to play together. MORENIKE ATUNRASE: I would reiterate, we have a lot of chemistry. We have learned how to play together over the years and I think it's something a ball club has to learn. Just to add one more thing, like A'Quo said, we have been in big games before. Riley is hard to guard, and sometimes she is unguardable, and you need about three people to guard her sometimes, but, you know, those cases, if somebody messes up, somebody is there to pick 'em up. Q. Down there at the end, it was you and A'Quo there. Talk about what was going through your mind as you guys answered every one they had. MORENIKE ATUNRASE: As for me, I've struggled thinking about or hesitating with my shot, and that's one thing that I focused on more, not hesitating on my shot. And when it's there, take it. Coach gave me the green light, so I took it when I was open. A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: Coaches told me to take the open shots when they were there, and that's what I did. Q. Riley hit that big 3-pointer, and she threw up the next one that got stuck in the rim. Did y'all think it was going in? And once it got stuck, what went through your mind? MORENIKE ATUNRASE: I knew the first one was going in, and I thought the second was going in. I don't know if at that time we had the last possession and Coach Schaefer said, "It's okay. Stay calm." And once again, that's where our experience came in. A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: Riley has hit a couple of those. She hit one to win the game for them, and I wouldn't have been surprised if the second one went in, and just knowing that we had the jump ball possession, we knew that it was in our hands now. Q. A'Quo, you had the assignment of having to guard Andrea tonight more of the time than not. What's the number one thing you tried to do to keep her from scoring? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: It's hard to keep her from scoring. It's a team effort, all-out team effort. I just tried to keep her in front of me, and she goes past me, my team has my back. So it's an all-out effort to guard Andrea. She is a great point guard. Q. You guys, put this in perspective, what it means. Was there a point you thought -- you knew you were going to do this? MORENIKE ATUNRASE: For me I knew we were going to do it before we came into the game. That's the mentality we came into the game with. That's the way we prepare for every game; we go in and do our X's and O's, and if we execute and play defense like we do day in and day out, then we know we'll be okay. Q. When the season started with the struggles, the conference season and the Nebraska game where you had the turnovers, did you ever really imagine that you could be here as conference champions? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: In Nebraska, after that loss, we went into the locker room and talked among each other. The coaches didn't come in, and we were basically talking and saying what we needed to do to get back on top. What we did last year to win the Big 12 Championship, so we got back into the gym and worked on the fundamentals, back to defense and back to offense and that's what got us here. Q. Takia, can you talk about the play where she forced the ball, and was that something you felt like you could take advantage of? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: I thought it was going out. I was nervous for that pass, and I thought it was going out-of-bounds; it was a great pass and she finished it. TAKIA STARKS: Danielle is a go-getter. When Mo passed the ball, I knew it was going in. As far as Riley, I watch her, and players tend to back off of her. I said I was not going to back off, and it was a bait move. And I tipped it out-of-bounds, and I took a risk, and we got the ball on that one. Q. A'Quo, do you think that you guys after this hard-earned victory, do you deserve a No. 2 seed? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: Yes, sir. Coming into this we had great momentum, winning our last four conference games over two top-10 teams. I believe that speaks a lot for our team, and coming into the tournament, seeing how -- what a power house the Big 12 is. I think we deserve a 2 seed, yes, sir. Q. Mo, expanding on that, I think you guys have won 13 of your last 14 games. Are y'all comfortable with the fact that you'll be labeled as one of the hottest teams in America? MORENIKE ATUNRASE: I think we can handle it. Being Big 12 champions last year you saw how that went, and we opened up with a 1-4 start, but after that we had a team meeting -- the first 5 starters and myself, and the coaches, we sat down and talked and went over, you know, what was it that was missed and go we went back to the hardwood and we got to it. It helped. A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: Just to add to that, we're the most humble team in America, and we stick to our defense and that's how we win games. Q. What is there this year that wasn't there last year last year? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: Oklahoma State played a zone, practically the whole game, and we didn't play that well against zones. MORENIKE ATUNRASE: T.K. has always been a great shooter, and last year I struggled with my 3-point shots, and it's been great to expand the zone by hitting those. And they usually play with a wide match-up zone, and tonight they stretched out, and even if it's not at the 3-point line, you have to step back and shoot the 3. And that's how I think I helped my team. Q. Getting past the second round, though, what's different about this team now? Where do y'all want to go? MORENIKE ATUNRASE: I think just experience. That's the difference. That will carry us over the hump this time. We've been there in the past and we saw -- and I think for myself playing it's been different -- playing different -- she was saying toughness -- yes, Coach Schaefer stresses how tough we have to be coming into the game. He stresses how tough we have to be physically and mentally, and I think we did that tonight, it worked. Q. Morenike, is this going to be an anxious couple of days for you guys finding out where you will be going? MORENIKE ATUNRASE: I don't know all the sites. I don't want to say anxious; we'll be excited to go wherever we go and play. Our fans will follow us wherever we go; they always have. Q. A'Quo, can you talk about when Buchanan came off the bench? We haven't seen a lot of her in quality minutes. Can you talk about her performance? A'QUONESIA FRANKLIN: She did a great job coming off the bench. And before the game the coach said the game would be won by a bench player. And earlier this year Damitria was doing a great job of pushing us and making us better, and she did a great job on defense and getting offensive boards and putting them back up. We thank Damitria for her great play tonight. THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions for the Coach. COACH BLAIR: Rebounding was the key in the ballgame. By them playing zone, we got 19 offensive boards and finished plus 10. They're one of the best rebounding teams in our conference right there. I thought that was huge. The other thing that was huge was our bench. 20-2. We felt like that was the was going to be the key to the ballgame. We felt like our eight was going to be able to produce better than their five or who they had coming in as far as points. Damitria Buchanan and Micheaux might be the unsung heroes coming into this game, but we had fouls and all of the sudden Buchanan came in, 6 points, 9 boards. We haven't seen that since December. And Coach Schaefer works with those post players every day, and sometimes it's hard for those kids to have the confidence, knowing that you're playing with all Big 12 performers, knowing that he does a great job of teaching them the game and believing in them and getting them to believe in themselves when the time comes. Micheaux cleared people out and made great offensive boards for us and she kept us in. The 3-point play by Gant, I'm not sure when it was, but it was late in the half and we finally got it inside against the zone, and she hit that one. Then when she hit sideline play, 2-point ballgame. We ran a streak play for Gant and she got that easy layup right there. Two huge plays, and then Riley came back and nailed that 3 in front of Kurt Budke, and A'Quo hit the four key free-throws down the stretch. I thought it was a tremendous job. This was not our normal type of defense that we normally play all over the Court. Coach Schaefer is going to explain the strategy of what we wanted to do tonight, but it was the 6th straight team that was held under 60. I'm going to let Coach Schaefer explain what we were trying to do. COACH SCHAEFER: They can get 80 on most nights when they want to, and they got 80 in this tournament. I think when you play Oklahoma State I think you've got to worry about points in the paint; you've got to worry about dribble penetration and rebounding. Our kids, those of you that followed us, we have unbelievable warriors. They are tougher than any kids I've ever coached. Physically and mentally they're as tough as any kids -- I'll take them and we'll play anybody anywhere right now, because they have got it hooked up. I think you can see that if you followed them any in the last month. They are really zeroed in on what they're trying to do, especially defensively. So I think tonight going back, you know, I'm sure everybody was wondering what we were doing, but you've got to take away the dribble penetration. They had 30 points in the paint of 59, and that was from experience. At our place we got out, pressured, played like we liked to, they had 37 at half. Same thing in Stillwater. Each time the adjustment was to play like we played for 40 tonight. It's not rocket science; we don't need to be stubborn. Let's make the adjustment the day before and go into the ballgame thinking this is what we're going to do, and the first half it worked. They scored 24, which is the most they've scored in a half against that style, so we played well. They shot 60% the second half but they only took 20 shots. Again, I think our kids did a fairly good job, even in the second half. Shaunté Smith made a couple of huge fade-away step-backs, but you've got to keep Riley in front of you, and you have to make her make that shot that she made in front of Kurt Budke. You can't let her get by you. I thought our kids -- you guys have to remember Takia is the one that was guarding her at our place with 6 seconds left, so she had extra focus tonight. When I moved her over there on her and moved A'Quo off, that gave -- we put a kid over there that was highly motivated, if you follow me. She did a tremendous job on that kid. She really made her take some hard shots, and the kid can make hard shots, as y'all have watched during the course of her career. Those three things are what we wanted to do tonight. I thought our kids were awesome, and they are as hard-nosed as any kids I've ever coached. They're great kids, good, Christian kids. It's a lot of fun being around them right now. They're deserving of what's happening to them and it's truly a blessing what's happening to them, and they'll tell you that. THE MODERATOR: Questions for both coaches now. Q. A little bit about your seniors down the stretch. You said A'Quo hit those four free-throws, it was a senior hitting a pass, a senior hitting shots when Oklahoma State had the run. Talk about them. COACH BLAIR: I think we did not panic every time they made a run. When Riley went on a 10-0 run herself down there, we were very much in the ballgame, and we did not have to use time-outs to stop a run. We can stop a run by an experienced team out there, and when you have A'Quonesia, look at her line. They were going to make A'Quo beat them, and that's what happened tonight. Morenike, what a scorer she is, clutch shots. Reado came in. We didn't use her so much for one reason: We had to have four shooters on the court, and that's when you put Morenike and D.G. in there, because she can do the same thing Reado can down at the 4. We're going to need Reado again, so don't worry about her, but the seniors make good decisions and we trust them. Q. Gary, talk about the maturity of the program. A few years ago your two leading scorers were 9 of 29, you might lose a game to TCU or someone, but now you talk about Franklin and Atunrase stepping up. Does that speak about the maturity in the program? COACH BLAIR: I think it does. Oklahoma State did not stop us in the first half. They stopped us in the second half with their defense. The first half we had every shot that we wanted. Maybe that's what happened, Starks wasn't used to being that wide open. It just happened. But all of the sudden Gant was not making the right reads and was having troubleshooting over Byford or whoever was coming out of the high post. Sometimes it's more fun when you can walk into the press room and say, "Look what our 5s did!" Instead of always T.K. and Gant. Our kids are unselfish and they'll share the spotlight. You're right, we might have lost it, but we're not afraid to go on our other options. That's the key to good basketball teams. You need balance, and we do have balance. Q. I know that you had a bad patch at the start of Big 12 play. What was causing that? What would you say that you could tell us about what caused the turn-around to where you are today? COACH BLAIR: Sometimes we get into the press room and we're always trying to find out what we didn't do right. Let's say when we lost to Nebraska and Kansas State, I would like to tell you what they did right. They just flat beat us. Coaches get up here, and we're always talking, we done this -- sometimes give credit to the your opponent. Then we lost two games on 3-point shots that we dominated. The game against Oklahoma State and you don't score for the last 30, and you're supposed to lose. And at Baylor, we played their butts off in front of a ton of people, and another 3-pointer. One that we were playing good, and our opponents were playing good, and we went back and said, "Hey, we've got to do something about this or we're going to be in the WNIT or something like that." We didn't want it to happen. We were not that bad, our opponents were that good in Jan. We put a run on in February, and now in March, that I will always remember. Too many teams cave in when things are not going your way. This coaching staff didn't. We went back more to the fundamentals of practice. We did a good job and stayed with the few defensive drills and started doing them better and better every day. As a result, when your defense gets better, isn't it funny how all of the sudden your offense sort of picks up because it's the same kids playing both ends? Q. (No microphone.) Considering the runs you guys have been on, are there any limitations going into the tournament? COACH BLAIR: Every press release I get they put the thing in -- this is our record against Texas in the last 58 years. I don't want to talk about that. All of the sudden all our press releases talk about what we haven't done. I want to talk about what we are doing, okay? History is good, but kids today don't want to know about what happened 5, 10, 15 years ago. We need to start from our era. Let's talk about what we're doing under this regime, and I would like that. I'm sorry, your question again? Q. (No microphone.) COACH BLAIR: We've had no fear. What have we lost, what, seven ballgames this year? I would rather go back and play all of them, because we were in every single game except the United States Olympic team that handed us our lunch, and that was humble pie, baby! We thought we were ready to move our game up to that next level, and maybe that told us a little bit what was happening in nonconference play, that we were not as committed as we thought. People were patting us on the back too much and it took me and my good friend here to do a little butt-kicking to get us back on the same page and I think that's what happened to our team. Q. Coach, five years, where does tonight's win rank? COACH BLAIR: We followed the game plan, we executed our zone offense a whole lot better than we did last year against G.W. and Iowa State. We're executing, we had a lot of good looks, but this is it, cutting down the nets! It's more special doing it in the tournament than doing it last year in the regular season. That was special! All of America was watching! We're the last game in town, just about, with all the major conferences. Q. Coach, last year you haven't played that well in the Big 12 tourney. Heading into the NCAA's, how is that different this year? COACH BLAIR: I've got a better team. I have a coaching staff -- we can tell you what they're going to do offensively and defensively. We know everything about our team, and we can make the adjustments. We can see a mistake happening before our team can actually go through it. I can see it on offense, and he can see it on defense. And a lot of times we verbal coach, probably more so than any other coaching staff in America, but it works for us. We might be the odd couple. He's odd and I'm not, okay? (Chuckles.) But we're -- we work together, and it works. Okay? It works. For all you A.D.'s out there, this is the best damn coach in America that has not had a chance to coach a major, major program, and you've got about five jobs open right now. I don't want to lose him, but, yes, I want to lose him, because I would feel proud to see him take over a job and move it to the same level that we've moved Arkansas and Texas A&M to. It's time for A.D.'s to start hiring the most qualified person, okay? And this man needs a chance. THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, best of luck and congratulations.
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