Lisa Bluder, Gabbie Marshall, Sydney Affolter interviews
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00:00 (thudding)
00:02 Sorry.
00:05 Mm-hmm.
00:06 So, what type of game are you guys expecting
00:09 from Penn State tomorrow?
00:10 They seem to be like a similar team,
00:12 like to go fast, like to score a lot of points.
00:13 Just what kind of game are you guys expecting?
00:16 Yeah, I think they've put together
00:18 a pretty good team this year.
00:19 Have some returning players that are really good,
00:22 and then they've added a couple additions
00:24 that have helped them a lot.
00:26 I think they have really good guard play,
00:28 and they like to score in transition.
00:30 I think they score in transition more than us,
00:32 so that's gonna be a big focus for us,
00:35 is just defensive transition,
00:38 keeping the guards in front of us,
00:40 guarding the drive, guarding the three-point line.
00:43 So, I think it's gonna be a really competitive
00:45 and fun game, a great environment,
00:46 so I think we're really excited.
00:48 They all shoot, I mean, the perimeter players,
00:50 they're all gunners as well as drivers.
00:53 So, you really have to get 'em playing each zone?
00:58 I think we'll try to switch up the defense a little bit.
01:00 I mean, keep 'em on their toes, obviously.
01:02 We like to do that a lot to a lot of teams,
01:04 so I think just playing man, playing zone,
01:07 making them just kind of switch up
01:09 what they're doing is important.
01:10 How much different are they this year than last?
01:15 I mean, they have like nine kids
01:16 that start someplace else and transfer.
01:19 They've still got McKenna, Marisa,
01:22 and they've still got Chesky,
01:24 but it's a pretty different kind of team, isn't it?
01:28 Yeah, a little bit different.
01:29 I think like some of their underclassmen have,
01:34 like they had a starting freshman last year at Point Garden,
01:36 now she's a sophomore, and just having those games,
01:41 like she's not a freshman anymore,
01:43 and having upperclassmen is really important,
01:45 so I think the chemistry for their team has grown too.
01:48 Gabby, does Owusu remind you at all of Owusu
01:52 when she was at Maryland?
01:54 Well, I haven't played against her
01:55 since she was at Maryland,
01:56 so I'm not sure, but just from watching the film,
01:59 yeah, she's just as quick, and she can get downhill,
02:03 and I think she's really improved her shot as well,
02:05 so just kind of trying to keep her in front of me
02:07 is gonna be really important.
02:09 Could be a big week, obviously.
02:13 Just, I mean, how has the vibe been
02:18 just as Kaitlin gets closer to the record and everything,
02:20 and then are you guys ready to be done with it,
02:23 or just kind of how is everything as,
02:26 you know, there's always additional elements,
02:28 it seems like, to everything you guys do now?
02:31 I think with Kaitlin's scoring record,
02:33 I mean, yeah, like she's the best player
02:36 in college basketball right now,
02:37 but that's not a focus for our team,
02:39 and Kaitlin's not talking about it,
02:41 we're talking about winning
02:42 and how we can improve each and every day,
02:44 and with two big games coming up, that's our focus.
02:47 How have you guys handled just the crush
02:52 of fans and media and all that?
02:55 I mean, a lot of it's centered around Kaitlin,
02:57 but it's centered around this team.
02:59 You know, what's that like to be part of this?
03:03 I mean, it's gotta be kind of like
03:04 being part of the Beatles or something, doesn't it?
03:07 I think, I mean, obviously it's really cool,
03:09 just all the attention our program has gotten,
03:11 and I think Kaitlin handles it really well,
03:14 and she has so many media obligations,
03:16 and you're in season, so just being a student athlete
03:21 and top of all the media stuff she has to do,
03:23 it's a lot of pressure,
03:24 but I think she handles it really well,
03:25 and she leans on us, she leans on the coaches,
03:27 and so, I mean, it's awesome,
03:31 but it can be a little stressful and tiring at times,
03:34 but I think just our focus is winning the next game
03:38 and improving as a team,
03:39 and we kind of just always talk about
03:41 focusing on our circle and not letting opinions
03:44 of people on the outside wreck our chemistry
03:48 or, I mean, get us on focus, so.
03:51 Speaking of keeping that focus,
03:53 you guys both had a really intense game against Maryland,
03:57 nine offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter,
03:59 it's a stat that I don't think I've ever even heard before.
04:03 Three for you.
04:04 So, how do you process a game like that,
04:07 even though you won,
04:08 but it seemed like it would have been
04:10 a pretty exhausting game,
04:11 how do you keep that focus past a game like that?
04:16 Either of you.
04:18 Yeah, I think just making sure
04:19 that we do keep our focus for a full 40,
04:22 I think we were up 18 or 20 at half,
04:25 and we knew they were gonna come back
04:26 and they weren't gonna give up, so.
04:30 But having those fourth quarter extra possessions
04:32 were really important,
04:33 and not taking any team lightly,
04:35 no matter at what point in the game it is.
04:37 I think it's also like playing until the final buzzer,
04:39 like, yes, they went on a run,
04:41 and we were up 18,
04:43 but just, I think the maturity and the chemistry of our team
04:46 kind of helped us withstand that run and win that game.
04:50 I mean, the O boards by Sidney and Hanover were huge
04:52 and kind of sealed the game,
04:53 so I think just kind of keeping that focus
04:56 through the full 40 is really important in those big games.
04:59 Against Ohio State, you guys had,
05:00 not necessarily an 18,
05:01 it was a 12 point lead against Ohio State,
05:02 and you guys lost that game.
05:04 How important was it to withstand Maryland's comeback
05:07 and come out victorious in that game
05:08 and not let a repeat of Ohio State happen?
05:11 Yeah, I think you can learn from your mistakes
05:13 that you made, obviously.
05:15 It was kind of similar situations in the games,
05:17 but I think we kind of talked about,
05:20 like, we can't let that happen.
05:21 Like, we have to not let the crowd, the environment,
05:24 get in our way of what we're trying to do,
05:26 and I think we did a really good job of that
05:28 during the Maryland game.
05:30 Offensively, what do you guys want to do with this team?
05:33 Just run with them?
05:36 I mean, I think we want to share the ball, obviously,
05:41 and we always talk about that.
05:44 These games are just a game of runs,
05:46 so each team's going to make their runs,
05:47 and we really want to capitalize on each run that we have.
05:51 But, yeah.
05:54 Speaking of runs, you guys had two big ones.
05:57 I think it was at the end of the first quarter
05:58 and the end of the second quarter,
05:59 where it was like 9-0 in a minute and a half
06:02 or something like that,
06:03 almost like a NBA run.
06:06 How backbreaking do you feel that does to opponents
06:10 when it looks like, hey, we might be down one,
06:13 going into the quarter break,
06:15 and all of a sudden it's an eight-point hole
06:18 to climb out of?
06:19 How big are those runs for,
06:22 especially the ones that come in short spurts?
06:25 Yeah, I think it's really important.
06:27 I think it just shows,
06:29 even if they score, you're down one,
06:30 we can come right back at you and score in transition
06:33 just like that, and we're up 9-0.
06:36 I think that just speaks to the maturity of our team
06:40 and just how fast we like to play and our style of play,
06:43 and I think those runs are really what can get you,
06:48 can let you win big games,
06:50 so I think that's really important.
06:52 You talked about soaking it all in.
06:54 You're in your fifth year.
06:56 The finish line's not here yet,
06:57 but you can see it now.
06:58 What's this like for you as far as soaking it in
07:03 and just enjoying it?
07:05 Yeah, I think my mentality this year
07:07 is kind of just focus on my teammates.
07:10 (laughs)
07:11 Focus on my teammates and just kind of making the most
07:14 of every opportunity that I get,
07:16 all the memories that we're making.
07:18 I think it's really bittersweet.
07:20 I think in my other years,
07:21 I've kind of just focused on improving in basketball,
07:24 which I'm still doing, but at the same time,
07:26 I know I'm nearing my end of my basketball career forever,
07:29 and so I'm just trying to soak in all the memories
07:32 off and on the court.
07:33 Your basketball career could end in your home state.
07:37 Have you envisioned that connection?
07:40 I have, and my dad lives in Cleveland,
07:42 and so I would probably have a lot of people at the game,
07:46 so it would just be nice to be surrounded
07:48 by friends and family.
07:49 I know you had, sounded like a squad at Columbus.
07:52 Yeah.
07:53 Another game didn't go the way you wanted,
07:54 but how cool was that to have?
07:56 It was awesome.
07:56 I always loved going back to Ohio.
07:59 I probably had 40 to 50 family/close friends there,
08:03 so, I mean, just feeling the love and support
08:06 in my home state was awesome.
08:08 What are you going to do when all this is done?
08:10 As far as after school's over,
08:11 are you going to try to play overseas?
08:13 Are you going to get on with life?
08:16 I'm probably going to get on with life.
08:18 I've applied to get my Master's of Occupational Therapy.
08:21 I've gotten into two schools now,
08:22 just waiting to hear from one more,
08:24 so that's my plan for when this is all over.
08:28 Syd, is it a little bit different for you
08:30 to actually have eligibility to come back?
08:34 As one of the few rotation players that do,
08:36 is it -- I don't know, is it a different experience for you?
08:39 Well, all your team -- not all, but so many of your teammates
08:43 are, you know, sort of heading toward their finish line?
08:46 Yeah, I mean, I think we're really just, like,
08:48 focusing on this year as it is, like, being where our feet are,
08:51 but in the grand scheme of things,
08:54 like, a lot of girls are graduating, my best friends,
08:59 and I think that's the hardest part, like, outside of basketball.
09:02 I've made so many great relationships
09:04 and memories with them that I won't see them every day
09:08 like I do now this year,
09:10 but it will definitely be different next year for sure.
09:12 I think with rotation players right now,
09:15 it's like me and Hannah, really, so it will be different,
09:21 but I'm excited, and that's a ways away, so.
09:25 Did you have a lot of people at Northwestern?
09:28 Yeah, I did.
09:29 It's, like, 45 minutes from my hometown, so.
09:33 You guys, you know, you expect a lot of people at Northwestern
09:36 because Chicago has a lot of Iowa fans.
09:38 What did you guys think?
09:39 I think it was Jada put it on Instagram.
09:40 You guys came out of the hotel, and it was just packed
09:42 with Iowa fans.
09:43 What was that like to see that so far away from here?
09:45 Yeah, it's always packed.
09:46 I mean, even at Maryland, we had so many people waiting for us
09:49 as we came down the escalator.
09:52 I mean, just the way Hawk fans travel is awesome,
09:55 and the support that we get every single game,
09:58 no matter where it is, it's just crazy.
10:01 I mean, Hawk fans know how to fill arenas,
10:03 and so it's always fun playing home and away games.
10:07 Has that helped at all as you go through this season?
10:10 You know, I'm sure this is kind of the dog days
10:13 of the Big Ten schedule, I guess,
10:14 but every game is, like, a huge production,
10:17 whether it's here or elsewhere.
10:20 Has that helped with kind of treating every game
10:23 like it is a huge game because, you know, for so many people,
10:26 it is and everything that's going on around you?
10:30 Yeah, I mean, I think we treat every game the same
10:32 no matter what, whether it's sold out or not,
10:35 but it is so cool to see how many fans
10:37 travel to watch us play,
10:38 and I think that's so big for our team,
10:41 but other than that, just for women's sports,
10:44 it's so cool to see the support and how many people watch
10:47 and talk about women's sports now compared to the past, so.
10:51 Thanks, guys.
10:54 Well, not too much of an opening statement for me
10:57 other than to just tell you
10:58 this is probably my first time up here since 2007,
11:00 so take it easy on me here a little bit,
11:02 but, yeah, just excited to be here.
11:04 Every game in Carver has been a lot of fun this year,
11:07 and four of them left in the regular season,
11:09 so excited to get out there.
11:11 Should be a high-scoring game and a lot of fun,
11:13 and we're looking forward to it.
11:15 Okay, since you were here in '07,
11:18 would you have ever thought this program
11:21 would get to this level,
11:23 you know, just the attention and all this?
11:25 I mean, I don't want to say in your wildest dreams,
11:28 but, you know, did you ever see this coming?
11:32 Yeah, I mean, probably not exactly the way it's played out
11:35 and where it is today.
11:36 I mean, I believe Kaitlin was discussed
11:39 at Super Bowl media days yesterday, you know,
11:41 so that type of thing is really kind of mind-boggling,
11:44 but I do think, you know, just the growth each year,
11:48 you know, with this program
11:50 and women's basketball as a whole,
11:52 you know, I don't think I could step back that far ago
11:54 and project it, but you could see it happening
11:57 year after year, and I think the coolest part about it
11:59 for me is just having been a player
12:01 on one of Lisa's teams, earlier teams,
12:04 and being with her the whole way as a staff member,
12:07 really understanding that she's done it,
12:10 you know, with her values in mind
12:11 and the way that she believes in coaching women
12:15 the entire way, and so to see it take off
12:18 and be here now has been a really rewarding thing
12:21 to be a part of and to be able to witness.
12:23 What is the biggest difference
12:24 for maybe women playing to now?
12:28 I mean, definitely, you know, the fans in the stands,
12:30 the attention, the notoriety,
12:33 just, you know, people recognizing, you know,
12:35 everywhere we go, but again,
12:38 all of that is kind of the outside, right?
12:40 So I think the thing that we really preach
12:43 and we really remember and I think helps keep everything
12:46 in perspective is it's the inside that matters the most.
12:49 You know, it's what we're doing from June until now,
12:53 until March, inside that locker room,
12:55 on the court, conversations that happen in our,
12:58 you know, staff war room, all that kind of stuff.
13:01 That's what hasn't changed,
13:02 and that's what is the most important,
13:05 you know, on a daily basis for how we operate.
13:08 I don't think many people had Penn State.
13:11 Being an NCAA tournament team this year,
13:12 it looks like they're going to be that.
13:13 Just what do you guys see on film
13:15 that maybe stands out as dangerous tomorrow?
13:17 Yeah, absolutely.
13:19 I mean, they're a really high-scoring team.
13:20 I think they're second in the league,
13:22 but as far as, you know, three-point percentage,
13:23 field goal percentage, they shoot the ball really well,
13:26 and they shoot it well on the road also.
13:28 You know, we're familiar with McKenna Marisa,
13:30 obviously, having played against her a number of years,
13:32 Ashley Wilsu coming back,
13:34 having played at her at Maryland.
13:36 Shea Chesky does a great job as well, a younger player,
13:39 but we've had the chance to play against her, too,
13:42 and Kapanis, honestly, you know, we're very familiar,
13:45 you know, really with their starting lineup,
13:46 even though they've had quite a few transfers,
13:49 but they just, you know, ever since Coach took over,
13:52 they just play really hard, you know,
13:53 no matter what the score,
13:55 no matter what they have for a record,
13:57 they're going to play hard.
13:58 They're going to, you know, they're going to press you.
14:00 They're going to rotate well on defense.
14:02 They're going to try to make you make mistakes,
14:03 and then they're going to play fast,
14:05 and I think what you've really seen this year,
14:06 I mean, she's running the same system that she's had
14:09 since she took over at Penn State,
14:11 has had a little different level of talent
14:13 and has really been successful with it.
14:16 They are very balanced,
14:17 and then they're just really going to play,
14:19 play hard and play fast,
14:20 and so we're expecting a fast-paced game,
14:22 and it's a great opportunity, right?
14:23 Like you said, NCAA tournament team,
14:25 I absolutely think they are,
14:27 and any time we have one of those coming into Carver
14:29 Hockey Arena, that's a big night for us.
14:31 I think Augusta's only played seven or eight games
14:33 since I believe she had an injury or something.
14:35 What do they look in terms of with her?
14:37 What makes them look different
14:39 now, make them a little bit better with her on the floor?
14:41 Yeah, well, unfortunately, you know, when she came back,
14:44 then they sustained another injury
14:45 to one of their other guards, a transfer,
14:47 Tay Valadie, who was really playing well for them,
14:49 shooting the ball really well, really quick and explosive.
14:52 So for them, unfortunately, you know,
14:54 they didn't have them both back
14:55 for a whole lot of games there,
14:57 but, you know, Uosu is just such a tough matchup.
15:00 Obviously, you know, she can really get downhill on you.
15:03 She hits a lot of tough two-point shots.
15:05 You know, she can pull up on you,
15:07 and so it's just one of those things
15:08 where you got to do your best
15:09 to keep making her take tough shots,
15:11 knowing that she's still going to put up probably,
15:13 you know, 12, 15, 18, I think she's averaging.
15:16 So, you know, we're going to work as hard as we can on her.
15:18 We have a couple things that we're going to try to do
15:20 to help out there, but she's just a tremendous player,
15:23 and it'll be a big matchup for us.
15:25 Given that they want to run all the time,
15:27 is rebounding kind of critical in this game?
15:31 Yeah, absolutely. I think rebounding, number one.
15:33 The other thing, you know, when a team
15:34 really wants to get out and run,
15:36 you know, we always really stress shot selection, right?
15:39 So the better you shoot,
15:40 obviously, the more you slow them down,
15:42 the fewer opportunities they have
15:43 to really push on those missed baskets.
15:44 So you got to really take care of the ball,
15:46 and then you got to hunt for good shots
15:48 to make sure you're shooting, you know, a high percentage,
15:49 and that helps limit them as that is.
15:52 I think we've done a pretty good job
15:53 taking care of the ball this year.
15:55 We feel confident even going up against their press,
15:57 but it's going to be one of the more aggressive presses
15:59 that we've faced in the Big Ten.
16:01 Kelsey Plum said the other day
16:03 that when she was pursuing the national scoring record,
16:06 she was basically miserable.
16:08 You know, she felt like she was under a lot of pressure.
16:11 How good is Kaitlyn as far as deflecting
16:14 that kind of pressure,
16:15 and what is kind of the role of the staff
16:18 as far as just kind of --
16:20 because it doesn't seem like this is something
16:22 that really bothers her a whole lot.
16:25 Yeah, I mean, I think you hear her say it,
16:27 that she is still having fun
16:29 playing basketball with her teammates,
16:30 and that's something that we see every day.
16:32 I mean, the kid is the first one to crack a joke,
16:35 to say something crazy that, you know,
16:37 nobody can believe she really just said.
16:39 And, you know, even when she makes,
16:41 you know, a steal and a layup on the other end,
16:42 it's in practice with no one in the arena,
16:45 she's still going to go crazy and have a blast
16:46 with her teammates celebrating that kind of thing.
16:48 And so, yeah, I mean, I think it's just kind of that simple,
16:52 and I think it's always been kind of that simple
16:54 with our staff and our team and our program, too,
16:56 is, you know, they put a lot into basketball.
17:00 We put a lot into this.
17:02 We're also humans, you know.
17:04 They have studies that they really pour into.
17:06 They have relationships.
17:07 They have, you know, social life, too,
17:09 and we just -- we want them to be well-rounded
17:10 in all those areas,
17:12 and I think that that really helps keep perspective,
17:15 you know, when you step on the court
17:16 and you're managing some of these pressures.
17:18 But, I mean, Kaitlin is just remarkable,
17:19 absolutely remarkable with how she handles it all.
17:21 So, speaking of, like, coaching Kaitlin,
17:23 and there's obviously only so much you as a coach
17:27 can sort of help her out in a lot of plays
17:29 that, you know, you just sort of can't coach.
17:31 And it sort of seems like we're seeing
17:34 a little bit of that from Molly Davis, too,
17:36 like some of the plays she makes.
17:38 Like, it sort of seems like coaches
17:40 can only take a little bit of credit for.
17:42 What's it like to actually be their coach
17:44 and to see that development and sort of try to guide it?
17:47 Yeah, that's a great observation, a great question.
17:51 You know, I think that is one of the first things
17:53 when I moved into coaching or into this with Coach Bloor.
17:57 I think that's one of the first things I really noticed
17:58 is, like, she is a player's coach,
18:01 and they're the ones that are out there
18:03 making the plays, making the reads.
18:05 We're going to do our very best to give them
18:07 everything they need from a resource standpoint,
18:09 from what they're going to do in the offseason,
18:11 how they're going to train,
18:12 how they're going to take care of themselves.
18:13 We're going to do a lot of work, you know, in the offseason
18:16 and throughout the season on Xs and Os
18:17 and making sure we're getting them in spots
18:19 that they can utilize their strengths.
18:21 But at the end of the day, she's giving them,
18:23 you know, the reins to go out there and be successful
18:25 and really take over and just play basketball.
18:28 And I think that that's what you have seen with Kaitlin,
18:30 you know, over her career.
18:32 I mean, she got here, and the thing is, you know,
18:35 she shows up every day the exact same way.
18:37 You know, she is going to work hard, every possession,
18:40 compete every possession, no matter what.
18:43 And that is where you see, you know, even Kate Martin,
18:46 you know, you think of the sixth year,
18:48 but, wow, what somebody got out of six years
18:51 by really tapping into all those resources,
18:53 really making the most of every possession,
18:54 really buying into what Coach Bluter
18:56 and the rest of our staff are really trying
18:58 to provide them with,
19:00 I think is where you're seeing that kind of success
19:02 for these student athletes.
19:03 -Oh, let's go. -Okay.
19:04 -You were talking about Kate Martin,
19:06 and she's kind of had a good stretch of games
19:08 these past couple of games.
19:10 It seems like she's a big vocal presence out there
19:12 with a lot of the players gravitating towards her.
19:14 And I was just kind of curious,
19:15 kind of going into the tournament play
19:17 in these last stretch of games, like how beneficial it is
19:19 to have, like, a veteran leadership out there on the court.
19:22 -Yeah, definitely. I mean, Kate's leadership,
19:24 I know there's been a lot, you know, said
19:25 about Kate's leadership and how important it is to this team
19:28 and this program as a whole,
19:29 and just that behind-the-scenes culture piece,
19:32 how much, you know, she makes a difference in that.
19:35 I think, you know, when you talk about on court,
19:36 I think you're seeing that across the country
19:38 really right now is there's a lot of veteran teams
19:40 due to this COVID year.
19:42 And that just goes a long ways, especially in, like,
19:44 you know, you see the Maryland type of situation, right?
19:47 We come out, we get a bad start, we can't get a layup to go,
19:51 we're in front of 18,000 people on national television.
19:53 There's a lot of times that that might,
19:55 you know, affect a team, affect a staff differently.
19:58 This team, I think, has been in a lot of situations
20:01 over the years together
20:03 to be able to withstand that mentally.
20:05 And I think Kate is a huge part of that,
20:06 you know, when they come to the timeouts,
20:08 when they come to the huddle.
20:09 I think she has, you know, just that veteran voice
20:12 and ability to kind of refocus her teammates
20:14 and get ready for the next timeout.
20:15 How has coach evolved, changed in your --
20:19 you talked about 2007.
20:21 How is -- or is she just the same person
20:23 she was back 20 years ago?
20:25 Yeah, same person, absolutely.
20:27 Way easier on the players, Jeff.
20:30 No, no, no, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
20:31 But, no, you know, that's what I think has been,
20:34 you know, the coolest part.
20:35 And with a lot of my teammates, and obviously,
20:37 you know, with the run last year,
20:39 there's just been a lot of opportunity for folks to --
20:41 alumni to really get together, talk, tell stories.
20:45 And I think that's what you find,
20:46 is she's just been the same person the entire time.
20:49 You know, she just really, really cares about her people,
20:52 you know, her athletes, her staff, her people,
20:54 everyone that's in that group.
20:55 And at the same time, she really, you know,
20:58 demands success and demands result.
21:00 And there's just not a lot of leaders
21:02 that I think can do it with the balance that she does.
21:05 Growing up in Iowa, playing for Iowa,
21:07 coaching in Iowa, is this kind of a dream job?
21:10 Absolutely is a dream job. Yeah, definitely.
21:12 Very thankful for it each day.
21:14 And the dream job, certainly, to be at Iowa.
21:16 But I think, along with that, the type of people
21:19 that we bring into this program makes it even more so a dream job,
21:23 just the type of people I've been able to meet
21:25 throughout my, you know, playing days, career,
21:27 just a lot of really inspirational, positive people
21:31 that have been really good for me in my life.
21:32 How hard has it been just maybe raising a family, too?
21:35 I mean, but you have a good role model in Coach Bluter
21:37 and also doing this. Yeah, definitely.
21:39 I mean, yeah, I think my first year as an assistant coach
21:43 was the same year that I had my first child
21:46 and now have two of those little ones.
21:48 And so, yeah, it's, you know, it's certainly, you know,
21:51 anybody who's working and trying to raise a family,
21:53 it's a challenge, and it has meant a lot to me
21:56 to have Coach Bluter's support.
21:58 And, you know, a lot of things that when you're in the locker room,
22:00 you don't necessarily have the perspective
22:01 to appreciate as much as you do once you're outside of it.
22:05 But, yeah, definitely think back to some of those days
22:07 when she was running around with her three kids
22:09 and just have a lot more appreciation for what she's done.
22:12 You guys like to go fast offensively.
22:14 Penn State's another team that likes to go fast.
22:16 Do you guys like matching up against a team
22:18 that likes to run with you, or would you rather, you know,
22:20 try to get a team out of their comfort zone
22:21 if they were, like, to run slower?
22:23 Yeah, I mean, I think we've seen both, right?
22:26 So we definitely see some teams that really try to slow us down.
22:29 I think that just takes a little bit of a conscious effort
22:31 for us to not get antsy and not let that affect us.
22:35 I think maybe a few years ago that might have.
22:37 I think now we've kind of learned
22:39 to play with that a little bit.
22:41 I would say, though, to answer your question,
22:43 we like to play fast. We like to get up and down.
22:45 What would you say -- oh, sorry.
22:47 What would you say is maybe your biggest role now
22:50 in just kind of making this kind of run like a ball
22:53 or a machine?
22:55 That is a good question, and sometimes
22:57 a little bit harder one to answer,
22:58 and you probably get that from a lot of the players on our team.
23:01 I think we just try to all, you know,
23:03 do our role as best as we can,
23:05 and then sometimes we don't always value our role
23:07 as much as we need to.
23:08 But I think my role, you know, now is just really I try
23:11 to be there for our players, you know,
23:13 really try to build them up,
23:15 try to be a positive influence, you know,
23:16 on a daily basis in their lives.
23:19 They've got a lot going on, like I said,
23:20 and just try to be there for them as best I can
23:22 and then support the staff in all the ways
23:25 that are required of me.
23:28 What sort of presses does Penn State use?
23:31 So they use a number of different presses.
23:34 What we've seen most of is a full court
23:36 where they'll be on the ball,
23:37 and they'll look to be really aggressive
23:39 and trap out of that.
23:40 They sometimes get up and try to take away their reversal, too,
23:43 so they're trying to make you, you know,
23:45 either turn it over or beat them long, really,
23:47 and that's what we've had some success with in the past.
23:50 They'll also do a couple different three-quarter court
23:53 looks where they're more looking to kind of just slow you down,
23:56 and then they'll get matched up typically back
23:58 into a player defense
23:59 when they get back in the quarter court.
24:01 You have, obviously, the best point guard in the country,
24:04 and you really haven't had trouble with presses.
24:06 Is there anything about the way they handle it
24:10 that is more of a problem?
24:13 You know, right, I think the trapping,
24:15 I think they're very aggressive, very --
24:18 they have a little more depth with it this year, too,
24:20 so I think they stick with it longer.
24:23 In the past, maybe if they gave up a couple easy ones,
24:25 they might pull back away from it,
24:26 or as the season wore down,
24:27 their press got just a little less aggressive,
24:30 but I haven't seen that necessarily from them this year.
24:32 I think they're just going to be willing to keep with it,
24:35 and I think that's kind of been, you know,
24:37 some of the teams we've played against, too.
24:38 Once we beat it, they kind of take it off,
24:40 but we just have to be prepared, really,
24:42 to handle that press for all 40 minutes tomorrow night.
24:45 Thanks, Coach Evans. Thank you.
24:47 (thudding)
24:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]