Vic Schaefer emotional in discussing Arkansas victory

Notes from Vic Schaefer interview

* It’s an exciting time for him and his family. He’s neglected a little bit of what is going on with his new gig because he feels obligated to finish out strong at Texas A&M. He’s trying to help this team go as far as possible and they’re off on the right foot with getting into the Sweet 16. He’s proud of the team’s toughness and resilience and is glad that the team is still playing.

* It was special to be able to walk off of the Reed Arena floor as a winner. He has been blessed with tough playing kids and it was special to be able to share the time he has with them.

* The team played really well in the first half and they also did a great job of holding Arkansas to 20 points in the first half. The Arkansas coaches were able to make some adjustments and they were able to score 39 in the second half. A&M is such a talented and athletic team, and when they truly put their mind to something, it’s hard to stop them. He was really proud of the team only giving up 11 offensive rebounds, but it seemed like Arkansas got every miss down the stretch. Every time Arkansas put the ball up, A&M did a great job of boxing out and getting the rebound, and he was proud of that as well.

* Adaora Elonu answered the bell. He challenged her in pre-game because he felt that Arkansas could have been a tough matchup for her. She’s had some games this season where she flat-out dominates her opponent and she was able to do that last night. He enjoys watching someone like Adaora have success and carry the team when needed. She made some great decisions last night and took some charges that helped the team greatly.

* The in-bounds play to Sydney Carter that eventually led to her making the game winning free throws was not originally drawn up the way it played out. After receiving the pass, she bobbled the ball a tiny bit and ended up regaining control with momentum heading toward the goal and decided to take it on her own. Their coach was even shocked with how quick A&M attacked against their zone press because they had not ran that play all night. Once Carter got by the first defender, she knew that she had a chance to go make the collision and end up shooting free throws. Carter had the confidence to go to the line and make two of the biggest free throws of her career. She’s struggled lately from the line, but those free throws were huge and the coaches were extremely confident in her from the stripe.

* It’s going to be hard coaching without Sydney Carter. She is just like a daughter to him and has been exactly what a basketball player should be. Her mom had done a great job of raising her and her sisters, and she will be missed dearly. He has loved coaching her over the past few years because she never questions what she is told to do.

* He watched Maryland and Louisville play down to the wire yesterday. On Sunday, Maryland is going to try to outscore A&M by trying to run their fast-paced, up-tempo offense. They are not afraid to shoot the ball early in the shot clock, before any type of defense has been set up. They have some good size inside and it will be a great challenge for A&M. A&M is playing well however and has won four of their last five games. He thought they played well in the Big 12 Tournament until they ran into Baylor. There are not a lot of teams out there that can deal with this A&M team when everyone is firing on all cylinders at the same time. Maryland is a well coached team and it will be a good matchup. A&M is excited about the opportunity to play in the Sweet 16 once again, but they won’t be satisfied with giving up now. This team is good enough to win another one and can find a way to have another one-game winning streak.