Maryland Women's Basketball Holds Its Annual Media Day
10/18/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 18, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
On Tuesday afternoon, the Maryland women's basketball team held its annual Media Day in Comcast Center. Fourth-year head coach addressed the media in a press conference to open the afternoon, followed by a team photo then players were available for interviews on the arena floor. Below, read what the Terps had to say about the upcoming season.
Brenda Frese
Opening Statement
We're extremely optimistic for this upcoming season. How could we not be? Coming off 22 wins last season, back-to-back NCAA Tournament wins, nine letterwinners returning, including four starters. For the first time, we have six Parade and McDonald's All-Americans, and two Wade Trophy and Wooden Award candidates, with Crystal Langhorne and Shay Doron coming in for this season.
After the tremendous summer we had, we were very fortunate to have three members on our team win gold medals and Shay Doron played with in the Israeli National Team and participated in the Maccabi games, where it was just a tremendous summer for her leading both teams to gold.
Our two freshman coming in this year, obviously we're extremely excited about; two McDonald's and Parade All-Americans.
Marissa Coleman comes in at 6'1 and she is going to be a miss-match nightmare for our opponents on the court. She can score, defend, rebound, and really play multiple positions. She can pretty much play one through four, any position out there. She's going to be someone that we're counting on for a lot of minutes this season.
Kristi Toliver, another McDonald's All-American. For the first time in a long time, it's our first true point guard. She's a scoring point guard. She can defend, and really has a feel for the game. She's going to have a tremendous impact for this team given that we haven't had this option in the past. She's going to be exciting to watch.
Christie Marrone - she will be redshirting for her transfer year but will be a three-point threat in the following season, as well as, giving us a tremendous presence at practice with her experience having played in the ACC for one season.
We're a little banged up right now. Angel Ross is not going through full practice right now having had off-season surgery. Kalika France had some off season surgery and is limited day-to-day with her practice as well. We are proud she is coming back from that surgery and is doing tremendously well.
Laura Harper is coming back from her Achilles tendon rupture. She hasn't missed a beat, you wouldn't even realize. She's ahead of schedule and participating full, going through a three hour practice and really is going to provide a big presence for us inside this season.
Our most improved player from the summer coming back this season would be Jade Perry. She's a different kid in terms of her confidence, her strength. She's really bulked up. She ended up maxing 190 pounds with the bench press. You're going to see a different player and a different presence inside, which is going to make us a better team having her so confident.
It's going to be the toughest schedule we faced up to this point. We open up against Xavier, which was a very difficult contest for us last season. Then we have the rough trip out to the Virgin Islands. Those games are really going to show us where we're at early in the season. We've got Gonzaga coming off a 28-4 record, then we've got Michigan State who was in the Final Four last season, and then Tennessee in our third game. We're excited for the match-ups and really looking forward to having the experience and the trip over there.
We're playing a lot of teams to get ready for the ACC season. As you can tell, we are really looking forward to the non-conference schedule to get us prepared for the rigors of the ACC.
Overall, our biggest question mark is whether we can stay healthy this season and how our young talent is able to handle all this. It is the most talent we've had, but we're still very young.
We're excited about having expectations for the first time. We're going to take one day at a time and working as hard as we can work. I really believe that that controls your destiny.
Talk about the difference between the three recruiting classes you have brought in.
Each recruiting class is different. When Shay Doron and Kalika France came in they needed to have an immediate impact and took on the bulk of the scoring for us where Kristi and Marissa coming we have a ton of options. Scoring is not going to be a problem for us; it's going to be where we're at defensively. They're going to be key players and have an immediate impact--they have from day one.
What are the team's expectations this season?
They see the goals and they want to win championships. We're very team oriented. The chemistry we have is the highest we've had in the four years I've been here.
How deep is the team?
I see our rotation being able to go eight, nine, 10 players deep this season. As long as we can stay healthy, we are going to be able to play a lot of players and a lot of different minutes.
Talk about the leadership this team. Who will the responsibility fall on?
Shay and Crystal provided a tremendous developing their leadership skills this summer. Shay's international experience -- she's a different player coming back. She's so worldly and is able to go out and play against the best, has really developed a lot of confidence in herself and her abilities which translates onto her teammates.
For Crystal, the USA basketball team members she played with are some of the best college players in the country and for her to be named as one of the tri-captains of that team was just a tremendous accomplishment as well as MVP. We've seen a big difference with Crystal coming in, in term of her confidence and her leadership which we really needed to see.
What about the loss of Anesia Smith?
Anesia gave us a ton of experience, but the difference this season is we get both ends, offensive and defensive presence with Kristi.
What is the impact of Shay and Crystal playing internationally?
The international play was tremendous especially with the strength issues. You're playing against physically stronger players, you're playing all summer, and you're playing against some of the best competition in the world. As talented was Shay already, was she's come back at a different level this season.
Last year, the team played an uptempo style. What will be the style of play this year?
We've been working on our transition game and we're so far ahead of the game, especially considering that you are only adding two new players into the mix with Kristi and Marissa. They don't feel like or act like freshmen. They have a tremendous sense of confidence. I have been most impressed by how quickly they are picking things up that our returning players already know. They already feel like they've been in the program for a few years.
Are the expectations surrounding this team high?
The expectations are there, especially given the fact of what this team did last season and then when you add another top-five recruiting class and All-Americans into the mix. The exciting thing is these players are hungry for it, they want the expectations, they welcome the rankings. Now it will just be when we get out there, how we respond to having a target on our back this season.
How tough is the ACC?
That is the exciting thing about the ACC, on any given night anyone can beat anyone. With Boston College coming in, you get another NCAA tournament team. We had seven teams last year out of the twelve in the NCAA tournament. Our players and staff love it; you just welcome that kind of competition every night.
Jade started last year after Harper went down with injury. What will be her role this year?
We really have some battles going on in practice that are really fun to watch with Jade and Crystal, Laura Harper and Aurelie, and I see all of them really playing a lot. I think the big difference is the experience that Jade got last season with Laura going down. With four post players in the mix, that is a tremendous amount of minutes in the college game.
32 Charmaine Carr
On her expectations for her senior year:
Obviously, I have high expectations being my last year. We have a very good team this year, very positive. We're trying to go as far as we can go in the tournament and win the ACC title.
On expectations with high rankings:
We're not really taking it as pressure because we're not really worried about the rankings. We're just worried about getting ourselves together and being prepared for the season. We have high goals for ourselves and it feels good to be ranked so high because when I first came here, Maryland wasn't thought of as any type of powerhouse, so it's been a good change over the years.
40 Angel Ross
On her feelings about her last year under coach Frese:
I'm feeling like I've been a part of something special here at Maryland. Coming from freshman year, there have been some big advances that we've taken as a team, how hard we've worked, and overall goals for the season.
On expectations with high rankings:
I feel like that's a part of all the hard work paying off. I don't think we should be worried about being ranked so high. I think there should be something else that should drive us to do better. We have higher goals to work towards for the season.
1 Crystal Langhorne
On leading the team:
I think I have become a better leader coming into the season. I believe we have so many people that can score that I think I'll be better prepared to play and know who to pass it to at certain times.
On Harper coming back:
It's going to open up for the guards with her being back. She's going to get so many rebounds. She's going to open up the game for everybody, and she's really going to be a great defensive presence.
On team expectations:
I'm looking to go past the sweet sixteen. I think we have a great team and if we come together and play great defense and great offense I think we will do really well this year.
24 Kalika France
On the freshmen class:
I've definitely seen great things with them. Everybody is helping them out. They're doing a great job of taking things all in."
On expectations with high rankings:
We don't put expectations on ourselves depending on what we are ranked. That's the attitude that myself and Shay came in with. We weren't ranked our freshmen year yet we came in here with high expectations. For us, we set our own bar. No one except ourselves can rank us higher.
On Harper:
She looks good. Everyday is something new but she's definitely excited and glad to be on the court and we're glad to have her back. Her presence was missed last year. That's why we're ranked so high because everybody knows she's coming back.
44 Aurelie Noirez
On the freshmen:
I feel pretty confident. I know the two freshmen coming in are good players. I think we had two freshmen last year when we were ranked 25th and we were not ranked before. But I think we've learned from it and being ranked 7th in the country, it gives us more confidence and we're more willing to get better.
On working with coach Frese:
Coach B is my first woman coach and I love it. With her, we want to get better every single day. It's a good experience, having her as a coach.
20 Marissa Coleman
On her first year with high rankings:
It feels good to be a part of it all. I'm familiar with the girls so it's just the adjustment of high school to college and the practices are different. I've always played on highly regarded teams, so I'm used to the pressure but it's on a different level of more national attention.
On playing under coach Frese:
I'm very excited. Coach B is a great coach, very intense, like the coaches I like to be around - very passionate about basketball.
21 Ashleigh Newman
On her improvements over the summer:
Well, I worked on changing my shot this summer. I'm working on a quicker release and this summer I worked on getting in shape and things like that."
On playing for coach Frese:
I couldn't play for any other coach. I really enjoy playing under her.
20 Kristi Toliver
On expectations f for yourself and on her impact on the team:
I think we have so many scoring options on this team. My number one job is to get my teammates better, deliver the ball, distribute the ball, and yes, I'm a scorer. That's one thing I've been blessed with was a jump shot so that also opens up things, things for other teammates and for myself.
On expectations for the team
I think if you go into any season with the mentality of not of a champion, winning two championships, the ACC and the National Title, I think you don't need to be playing the game, so definitely ACC and the National Championship, trip to Boston, that's definitely the expectations.
22 Shay Doron
On being one of the leaders on the team:
Last year, I definitely think I was a leader but this year I've taken on a much bigger role. I try not to talk much, I work hard and, through my actions, by being here everyday first and by taking someone aside and explaining to them, helping them out, helping a freshman make a better transition, I think I'm helping the team along better then yelling at someone during practice. That's not me, that's not the way I work, and I think my teammates respect that.
On international experience this summer:
I'm just speechless about that, at how great it was. The experience playing, winning, the friendships I've made, the connections I've made, the countries I've seen. They are just unbelievable.
On the affect playing internationally:
I definitely think I improved basketball-wise. I definitely think me, as a person, I've changed. Just getting to see these different countries and being able to appreciate so much that we have here.
15 Laura Harper
On having to sit out last season:
Frustration. I don't think I've ever experience anything like that before. I'm just so used to playing and being a part of things and being active. So sitting back was really a strong wakeup call for me, really loving the game and, now, coming back I take pride everyday. Someone asked me about the tournament, I just want to practice tomorrow...That's all I'm looking forward to is the next day. I've been humbled so much through this and I really appreciate my teammates and my coaches and I realize how special of a place this is to play.
On role on the team after injury
Last year, I think I took on a vocal leadership role because that's all I really could do. I feel as though that's is what motivates me, what inspires me to lead my teammates. This year, I want to bring that that urge, that desire, that humbleness to the team and realize that we have to take everyday as a day of getting better, as a day of advancing. I think this year, the team will have a sense of urgency and I would like to bring it.
11 Christie Marrone
On transferring and sitting out this season
It's pretty hard just knowing I have to sit out. I get to practice with the team though, so that's a plus. It's just easier with my team behind me, the coaches are behind me, just pushing me everyday, so I'm using it just as a year to get back in the swing of things, learn the system because it's different from where I was, learn the way my teammates play, and just become a better leader. I'm using it as an advantage.
On using her height as an advantage:
Honestly, there is not real advantage or disadvantage. The only disadvantage is probably being posting down low because I'm such a small guard. In the weight room, I try and get in the weight room, be strong, I'm a lot stronger, so that evens out. So there is really no disadvantages.
55 Jade Perry
On what she worked on this summer:
I worked very hard over the summer to try and get better, in better shape. I got a year under my belt. My freshman year, it was all new to me and I wasn't confident and now I'm just very confident with my shot selection and I'm just stronger this year. I'm ready to go out and dominate and be the best that I was in high school.
On the expectations for this year:
We are all expected to do well. We're just trying to go out and be ACC Champions and make it to the NCAA once again.
On the freshmen
Kristi Toliver is going to be a heck of a player. She's good, she's a good point guard. Marissa is gaining confidence and her shot selection is getting better too.
