|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONALS SEMIFINALS & FINALS: SPOKANEMarch 28, 2008Jillian HarmonJ.J. HonesTara VanDerveerSPOKANE, WASHINGTON THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started. We'll take an opening statement from the coach and then take questions. COACH VANDERVEER: First of all, us an all know, we're very excited to be here. Our season feels like it's gone really fast. I just, it's hard to believe that we could only play a possibility of four more games. And we just really want to put everything on the floor and I thought we had a really good game against UTEP, I thought we played well against Cleveland State, we're playing with a lot of momentum. Actually, finishing the Pac-10 tournament and the feeling in the locker room is that they just people want to just keep playing together. THE MODERATOR: Take questions. Q. Pittsburgh hasn't been to this game before in their program's history, your program has, but most of your players haven't, because you're start ago fairly young lineup. Does experience matter at this point? COACH VANDERVEER: I think that experience can help you. The fact that maybe just even all the different routines of the NCAA, practices, it is exciting. But having players that have been here before I think can show some of the younger players make them feel comfortable. A lot of it is seeing yourself being successful at this level and hoping to go beyond. Q. When I team like Pittsburgh plays Connecticut twice in one year, even though it was lopsided losses, how much does that prepare them for this type of competition and especially maybe playing a program that maybe runs a similar style of offense to yours. Do you think that can help them even if they were pretty much blowouts? COACH VANDERVEER: I think that Pittsburgh has had a great season. They do play in, they do play excellent competition, whether it's on -- the Big East played a double round robin, so did Pittsburgh play like Notre Dame place, Rutgers twice? Q. No, but they met Connecticut twice because of the Big East tournament. COACH VANDERVEER: Okay. So but I think that they have played really good competition. I don't know that our style and Connecticut's style is really similar. I think that they play a lot more extended defensively or they play a different defense, but the fact that they have played against really good talent and really good teams I think it's a plus. And we have done the same thing. Playing Connecticut, playing Tennessee, playing Rutgers, a lot of the same teams you're talking about. I feel that the competition that we have had in our conference a lot of people feel that it hasn't prepared us, but in a lot of ways I think it has prepared us for the tournament. But to answer your question directly, I think that Pittsburgh's here for a reason. They're prepared and they have some really talented players and they're playing really well right now. Q. You guys, your players and you have talked a little bit about how the pressure's of playing at home. Last two games at home in the tournament and how in a way that can be a little bit of a disadvantage and now that you're on the road, it's a chance to kind of bond and all this stuff. Have you guys started getting into that, that sort of road trip coming together getting really getting down to business kind of thing? COACH VANDERVEER: I think one of the things for us hosting like hosting at home, we hosted, Maryland hosted, when you're at home for us this year one of the things that was really great for us was that our team was finished with their finals. We did have people stay in a hotel just for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday in preparation for the games. And I think that having kind of having the separation and having the focus helped us this past week end. Being up here we just got here last night, but my sense is that people are, there's really a very comfortable, they're excited to be with each other, they enjoy spending time with each other. They're just, you're in the meal room and people are, there's a lot of laughing and very relaxed. And when we're at practice, we're very focused there. And they know that it's a one game show. And I just feel like our team doesn't want to waste maybe how well we have played lately. Having played well against UTEP, having played well against Cleveland State, played well in the Pac-10 tournament, finishing strong and just really wanting a crack at some of the teams that maybe we played earlier in the season and play them again. Q. For those of us who aren't familiar with Candice, can you share a little bit about who she is on and off the court a little bit? COACH VANDERVEER: Well, we're really fortunate at Stanford to have a player of Candice's physical talent and physical ability. But that only really scratches the surface in terms of what she does for our team and who she is and our program. Candice came on as a freshman and she basically the first day of practice in my mind she practiced like the Olympians that I had worked with. She practices hard, she's very intense. I made the mistake of trying to guard her in a drill and she jammed my finger. I mean, it doesn't matter who is guarding her or whatever, she goes really hard and she has, she I think the number one thing is she's extremely competitive, she really is very dedicated and very committed and she's very focused. The off the court -- just in terms of a player, she can shoot, she can rebound, she can defend, she's very unselfish -- but off the court she just is kind of like all the college kids. She has a lot of friends, she's in a sorority, she has -- I just think she has real, she's a real special human being. She is a very humble person and a humble player. And she's just really, she's a joy to be with every day. I love coaching her and I have made a point of telling her that basically every game before every game I just said, "Boy, I'm excited about the game, but it will just be one less that I'll have to yell at you." And she's really someone that I'm very proud to say I'm her coach. Q. A bit more on Candice, do you recall the first time that you met Candice and her mom and what kind of struck you about the relationship that those two share? COACH VANDERVEER: With Candice and her mom? Well I met Candice first, I watched Candice play at it was a Nike camp in the summer. And she was a young player. And my assistant coach pointed her out to me and I'm like, wow. And then she came to our basketball camp and she basically, I put her through all the drills all day long with all the campers and then she would tear up the coaches at night. And one of our more astute players said "Tara, she's really good." And I'm like, "Yeah, and she's really smart too." And so that player made it a point to have breakfast and lunch and dinner with her every day. And we're really, really excited that she was thinking about Stanford. And I met Candice's mom on a home visit. And just I could just see kind of the special relationship that they have. And her mom and her whole family has never been anything but extremely welcoming and positive with me and just I remember her mom just saying, making a comment to me about how much Stanford, how much Candice loved being at Stanford. And just how happy she was and how sad it was it was only four years. And I said, yeah, I'm sad about that too. But her mom to me has been really, really special. And her whole family, I met her grandmother and other members of her family. Q. Is there a different feeling you didn't get to this round last year, but is there a different feel now compared to the three years prior? Do you feel more comfortable about where your team is, more confident or what? COACH VANDERVEER: I think that's a great question. In that every year you kind of feel different. But like, just as an example three years ago this was before Candice's class, so three years ago this game I saw, I'm talking to Melanie and she goes every year I've gone to a regional it's always with Stanford. And so three years ago we were playing Vanderbilt, which they were a two seed, we were a six. And at that point we were playing in Oklahoma and the preparation for that game and just to win by like maybe I mean just at the buzzer when it was just an incredibly exciting game and really a thrilling game. And we know that this game is going to be a great game to play in. The next year I think we were playing Oklahoma in this game. And again, just we, you know, a lot of preparation and we have done the same thing this week just really get ready to play Pittsburgh. And we know that this is obviously going to be a great game. Last year it was very disappointing not to be in this game. For whatever reason, I feel like our team is very excited to be here, but they're also, they're very relaxed. Maybe some of it was the pressure that people felt at home and honestly I think that this is something that really helped our team a lot and I don't mean this in a bad way at all but to see the pain that Cal experienced coming right down our tunnel where, for their coaches and players were there, it was an extra reminder to our team of how fast something is over. And they know it's all about tomorrow night's game if you want to be playing on Monday night or if you want to have a shot at going to the Final Four and this particular team doesn't talk about stuff much. They're not like looking down the road or they just, this particular team I think feels very kind of comfortable in their own basketball skin. They're just really enjoying just hanging out in that locker room out there or at the hotel or they get together and watched, they're excited to watch the men's game together and things like that. But it's a, it feels, I said the other day, I said this team's growing on me. THE MODERATOR: You've been at this a long time at Stanford, 22 years, there had to be that first time you got a team in the Sweet 16, that's where your opponent is tomorrow night. Can you just remember back to that first time and how that felt? COACH VANDERVEER: I think that it actually happened when I was at Stanford you mean or when I was -- THE MODERATOR: Either. COACH VANDERVEER: 22 years is a long time. I think my, I think the first time that the Stanford team was in the Sweet 16 was when we played at, we played Texas. And I guess I would have to check but we had, we were, we played Montana, won in overtime. And I think that we played in Texas and it might have been like in the '88, and it was thrilling. We were absolutely thrilled to be in the Sweet 16. And once you get a taste of it, you just want more. But it was really exciting and I think it did great things for our program and we just, we got there and we had a young team and a lot of the young players were like, wow, this is really fun, we want to come back. Q. Who was the player who had lunch with Candice every day at the camp? COACH VANDERVEER: Clare Votensteiner. I'm not sure if it was, she might have wanted the free lunch. No she was working camp, she was really cute. She was like, "Boy, Tara, she's really good." And I was like, "I know, Clare." THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, coach, good luck. We'll now take questions for the student-athletes. Q. For either of you guys to start, can you talk about the matchup. What you guys have seen from Pittsburgh on tape, what you're anticipating is going to be the keys to the game tomorrow night. J.J. HONES: From what the coaches have shown us they're very long, very athletic. They have a very big post player in Walker. So we'll have to just follow the scouting report. JILLIAN HARMON: Just to add on, I think they also have a good combination of inside and outside. They have got Zellous on the outside is their leading scorer, I think they pride them self on their toughness so we just have to come ready to play. Q. Do you guys feel relaxed? We talked a little bit on the phone the other day with some of the players about being away from home now and having this really feel like a road trip and the tournament in another arena and that bonding that you guys will get for the last few games that you'll play together. Is this a relaxed team? J.J. HONES: I feel like compared to last year when we were staying in the dorms, while we were at Stanford this year we were in the Westin and we were staying, kind of playing Stanford like it was a road trip, which is interesting, I feel like that definitely helped for this road trip. So I felt like we didn't necessarily have home court advantage. And so I feel like it's not really much of a difference for the second time around. JILLIAN HARMON: I think we're definitely relieved to be out of Stanford, we love playing at home but we're really glad to be here in the Sweet 16 in Spokane. Q. For Jillian, can you tell us, talk a little bit about playing with Candice, what she's like on and off the court and then J.J., if you would comment. JILLIAN HARMON: Candice is just a tremendous player. I think everyone saw that in her 44 point effort against UTEP. Not only did she have 44 points, she had 10 rebounds and 8 assists and she just brings so much energy to the program. She's a great friend off the court to everybody, she's there for everyone. And we, I think we all feel just so lucky to have gotten to play with her. And I've gotten to play three years with Candice. J.J. HONES: I agree with what she said. Even if Candice doesn't have 44 point, 10 rebound, 8 assist games, I feel like she still comes ready to play. And if maybe she is having an off shooting night, she does a very good job of rebounding the ball and setting people up. And any time Candice is on the court I feel like the defense has to know where she is at all times. And so that definitely does open it up for perimeter players and even the post players. And I feel like she's just so genuinely happy when other people do well that I feel like you just want to do well for her. And I definitely feel like being here in the Sweet 16 and then, you know, hopefully we'll get to where we want to get, would be a great tribute to both Candice and Cissy. Q. As a follow-up, do either of you have a favorite story about Candice? J.J. HONES: Maybe not one for the record. (Laughter.) JILLIAN HARMON: I don't have a specific story, but Candice is just so competitive in everything she does. If we're playing cards she wants to win and she's probably going to win. And you can kind of see that on the basketball court, every drill, in practice, every possession in the game. So she's just so competitive and I think that's why she's so successful. Q. Pitt's making its first appearance in the Sweet 16. You guys didn't play in this game last year, Jillian you played in this game before. Does experience count at this point in the tournament? JILLIAN HARMON: I'm not so sure it does. I think that everyone who is in the Sweet 16 is a great team and they deserve to be here. And this, our team's, we're a young team as it is, we didn't make it past the second round last year. And I think it's just whoever's executing and playing well in that specific game. THE MODERATOR: When I introduced you, I talked about the northwest ties, just comment about how many folks are heading up from the Portland area for the tournament. J.J. HONES: Are there a lot of people headed up? THE MODERATOR: Yeah, you have a lot and what's that mean to you. J.J. HONES: Actually I feel like someone told me that my high school coach is coming up, but I didn't even know that. So I don't really feel like -- it's very something special to know that you're playing in front of people who have watched you growing up or grow up and I don't know, I feel like not only do you want to do it for your teammates but you also want to kind of show them just what you've accomplished in your career. JILLIAN HARMON: I think that, I just am so glad to have the opportunity to play in front of my family and friends. I probably got about 15 people driving up. It's just a great experience to be in the Sweet 16 and they're all really excited to come up and watch. THE MODERATOR: Okay. That will do it. Thank you, ladies. Good luck in the tournament. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|