Oct. 19, 2010

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Head coach Brenda Frese and Terps met with media for the first time this season Tuesday afternoon. Beat reporters, columnists, television stations and radio personalities got a chance to spend time with the 2010-11 Terrapins.

Head Coach Brenda Frese

Opening Statement:
"It's hard to believe that I'm going into my ninth season at Maryland. It seems like every single year is a little bit different. I know that this is a season we're very excited about.

It all begins with your offseason as you prepare as a team. This offseason, we made a commitment as a team and as a coaching staff that we wanted to come back and be, not only one of the fittest teams in the ACC, but one of the fittest teams in the country. Of all the years that I've coached, this year's team has had the biggest presence in terms of what they've done with the amount of work in the off-season. They've really committed to one another and to the coaching staff. I think seeing the hard work, the results are going to pay off for them.

When you look at our team right now and as we go into this upcoming season, I think you're going to see a team that has a tremendous amount of depth, something that we were lacking a season ago. You will see a team that has a lot of height, we're extremely tall and our players are extremely versatile in their positions."

On the addition of strength and conditioning coach Kyle Tarp:
"We were able to get Coach Kyle Tarp from the University of Texas, which is known for its strength and conditioning program. He is cutting edge with what he's been able to do from a basketball end. We felt that he has separated us into an elite category.If you combine the players and the coaches; we lost a combined 133 pounds. With just our players, we've lost 72 pounds as a team. When you talk about converting that into strength and muscle, you should see a lot of great results."

On this year's returning players:
Lynetta Kizer is the lightest and the fastest she's been. She's lost 65 pounds since her senior year of high school. She will be a go-to presence for us inside. A junior, she is someone we're looking to on the vocal end, as a leader. She's someone who we feel will be able to play a lot more minutes this season because of the shape she's in. It is exciting to see where she's at with her progression as a junior.

Diandra Tchatchouang had an exciting summer. She played over in France with the U-20 team at the 2010 European Championship. She led her team in scoring and rebounding and was on track to be named MVP of the tournament until she sustained an ankle injury. We were able to get her back here with our athletic trainers and doctors. She is fully rehabbed from the ankle injury. She's a versatile player for us that can play multiple positions at the wing as well as the post position. She's someone that we're really counting on to have a great year for us this season.

Kim Rodgers is another redshirt junior that I feel is ready to have a breakout year for us. She is in the best shape of her life. It has been a healthy off-season for her. She's been able to work out after sustaining the numerous knee injuries that she had going into her past few years. She looks phenomenal. She is shooting the ball from the 3. She has a very high IQ. Her vocal leadership and presence have been things that this team really needs.

Tianna Hawkins is a step quicker, she lost 15 pounds. She devoted her summer to being able to work with Coach Kyle. She spent the entire summer here training and with her academics, she is separating herself to really get ahead. We feel that she should have a really special campaign for us.

Dara Taylor came back with a lot more confidence. She is someone who is starting to shoot the ball with some consistency. She went back to the point guard college and really learned a lot of the things which will allow her to really provide some great leadership at the point guard position.

Anjale Barrett is another player with her versatility at a number of positions. She has gotten into tremendous shape. She is a lot lighter and is moving defensively. She is someone that we're looking for in terms of her veteran experience on this team.

Essence Townsend has been able to utilize Coach Kyle with the strength and conditioning component. She has gained over 18 pounds.

Yemi Oyefuwa is the only player now that is slowed. She had an offseason knee surgery and hasn't practiced with the team. She is starting back doing form running and is slowly getting herself back in the mix with the team.

On this year's freshman class:
"Our freshman class is a class that, every single day, they compete, whether on the basketball floor or in the classroom. It's a very mature group. I'm just looking forward to seeing all of them contribute this season.

Alyssa Thomas is someone who has, from day one, prepared for this moment. She comes in with a tremendously high skill set. She can pass, she can rebound and she can make difficult shots. At 6'2, she can play a lot of different positions and pass left and right handed. She was the first person on our team to pass our conditioning test. She is someone who I think our fans are really going to enjoy when they see her presence on the court.

Laurin Mincy is another nice player. She's been slowed a little bit from her offseason knee injury last summer, but she is really ahead of schedule in terms of her development. She is another competitor. You can see her timing and her quickness come back for her, given her ACL injury. She is a very long, athletic guard who does a tremendous amount to create her own shot as well as shots for others. She is another player who can give us a tremendous defensive presence, she has tremendous length and is someone that can help this team in a lot of ways.

Alicia DeVaughn is 6'4 and is someone that has a lot of potential. Her mom is the former WNBA MVP player Yolanda Griffith. If you've seen Yolanda's game, you can see where Alicia is headed in her progression. She is long and athletic.

Natasha Cloud is just a natural floor general. She is someone that can play multiple positions. Her energy level, leadership, poise and confidence as a freshman are things that have been very exciting for our staff. She is always the first one to speak in our huddles. You can see that she is going to bring a tremendous presence to our team this season. I think she has just barely scratched the surface in what she can bring to our team.

Whitney Bays has been slowed a little bit due to her ACL knee surgery last season. She continues to be day-by-day. We see snapshots of her competitiveness when she is able to be out there. She is someone that we're taking through slowly as she gets to be 100 percent.

Sequoia Austin is a great story. She approached us in the offseason. She has been a pleasant surprise in terms of her speed and her quickness as a point guard. She has been able to help give us additional depth for us this season."

On blending new players with returners:
"Our staff has done a tremendous job early. There have been a lot of team-building activities to get us prepared. I feel that our upperclassmen, specifically our junior class, have done a tremendous job welcoming our underclassmen and guiding them along the way."

On Maryland's style of play
"You're going to see a team that can run. We've spent a lot of time with our transition game. We have a tremendous amount of depth and we feel like we can send waves at people. With the talent that we have on our roster, we feel that we can wear our opponents down."

On Lynetta Kizer:
"I believe Lynetta is going to have a tremendous season. She has two years under her belt and was named to the ACC Freshmen team; she knows what to expect. She has players around her that can help her, with getting the ball to the post. I think she is going to be very successful."

On the point guard position:
"We've been working very diligently with that position. Our coaching staff has spent a lot of time with repping shots and film work and just being on the court. It's a work in progress. We're not seasoned with our upperclassmen in terms of the point guard position.Just the work that they've put in through the off-season, it should allow a tremendous amount of confidence."

Sophomore Guard Dara Taylor
On the dynamics of having such a young team:
"We have 14 people so everyone has to contribute and lead. We need to feed off of each other, it doesn't matter if you're young or old, everyone has to contribute and lead."

On the focus of the team being faster paced this year:
"I'm very excited about it. Everyone on the team is a great athlete and they have put in great work so far. We are going to be up and down the floor fast breaking. We are going to be a hard team to guard this year."

On the offseason workout routine:
"We had the mindset of being the fittest team in the country, and everyone has bought into it, both the coaching staff and the players. When we had the tough days of conditioning we went back to our goals of being the fittest team. It is showing now, everyone is in great shape."

Junior Center Lynetta Kizer
On the team's offseason fitness routine:
"Some of us were just used to eating three meals a day, we had to expand that to six meals a day to make sure that our metabolisms were working at a fast pace, especially with the workouts that we were doing. Also dedicating ourselves in the weight room, wanting to get the extra set in and run the extra lap and have the best form that we can have. Everything is important, even coming in and getting extra stretching done, little things like that produce the results that you will see on our team this year."

Freshman Guard Laurin Mincy
On who has helped her and has been someone she has looked to for help:
"All of the upperclassmen have helped me get affiliated and used to everything. Whether its on the court or academically, showing me around campus or showing me some of the plays, everyone has been a big help to me."

On what to expect from her this season:
"Expect a lot of energy, both on the court as well as on the bench motivating my teammates. We all need a little bit of a push so that's what I want to do."

Freshman Forward Alyssa Thomas
On what she brings to the team:
"I like to rebound, crash the board and take people off of their dribble. I like to run as well and help push the ball up the court."

On the differences from her high school and Maryland basketball:
"Our conditioning has been a lot different. It's a lot more running and the plays in general. It's a lot freer, I'm able to curl and create my own opportunities. "

On how the veteran members of the team have helped her make the changes to college:
"When they see us struggling they help us and make sure that we are in the right spots. They try to get us on the right page and up to speed with things. Lynetta is someone that I look up to as a leader and has helped me so far."

Junior Guard Kim Rodgers
On the advantages of conditioning over the summer:
"I feel lighter on my feet, and it helps take the pressure off of my knee that I have had issues with in the past. I have been moving faster laterally and my weight loss has made me a better conditioned player all around."

On the desire to copy the success that the women's team has had in years past:
"I think it's very important, a lot of the girls have been around and any time I see highlights from the national championship game I get chills. I think everyone of us wants to be a part of something that great and that intense and it would be something that we would never forget. The ACC championship we won a couple of years ago gave me a taste of the success but winning on a national level would be even better."