Vic Schaefer previews Big 12 Championship

Notes From Vic Schaefer Interview

* The team has shown signs of really playing well at times, but has also played without great focus and execution. He thinks it’s a very important time of year to play well, and typically the team does that. This has been an atypical team this year however, and it will be interesting to see how this team plays down the stretch. It’s a big week, that’s for sure.

* Thinks the team chemistry on the court is a big issue right now. One of the challenges of coaching is getting these kids to gel together and get them playing better as a team.  There are some kids on the team that have proved this year and in years past that they have the ability to help the chemistry of the team and putting those kids on the floor together is something the coaching staff will work on in the coming games. The team realizes that the season is winding down and that every game is very important, and for that reason, team chemistry is vital to success.

* Thinks that in order to change this team and make them a more cohesive unit, the right selection of girls needs to be on the court. The kids also need to play a little bit better and didn’t execute on some basic fundamental stuff on Sunday. As a coach, his job is to keep that from happening, so he was disappointed in himself as well as the girls on the team. The team had some inexperienced girls playing which led to the way they played, but at the same time it was a rivalry game against Texas.  You have to be ready to go in rivalry games, especially knowing that they were on life support. You have to give Texas credit because they knocked the team back on their heels and they were never able to get off of them.

* Texas played inspired. Yvonne Anderson played well last time and again this time. She is a gutsy competitor, much because of being the daughter of current Arkansas Razorback head coach Mike Anderson. You have to tip your hat to her because she played well and carried her team, but A&M got lit up inside at the four position as well. Texas had more juice than A&M did and it’s up to the coaches to figure out why and how to fix it. You only get to play so many games a year, and they need to be excited about representing the names on both the front and the back of the jersey. The team didn’t have the sense of urgency Texas had, and it led to their defeat.

* Kansas is playing without their best player and as good as they have all year. They just finished beating Oklahoma in Norman on senior night. Even without their best player, Kansas has some good players still on their team. They have been able to bottle the chemistry that has eluded A&M this year and they are fighting for their NCAA Tournament life. They feel like they have to win one in the tournament to get in and will be coming out full force against A&M. The team this year has had to deal with everybody’s best shot because they are the defending national champions. The girls need to stand up and be who they are, Texas A&M.  They need to be themselves and answer the bell against Kansas. He will be anxious to see how the team responds after the way they lost to Texas.

* It’s very important to use the Big 12 Tournament as a way to get the team back on the right foot before the NCAA Tournament. A&M has been notorious the past few years for peaking at the right time and playing well down the stretch. This team is not playing as well down the stretch so far as others he has coached have. It’s important that the team gets back to playing well and doing what they do best which is guarding and playing tough defense. No matter who is on the other bench, this team needs to lace it up and go get them. This team has been fun to coach and certainly has been a challenge at times, but that’s why coaches do what they do.