Photo by Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Texas A&M Women's Basketball
* Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert played very well last night against Kansas State. The team is getting better in practice, and when you get better in practice it translates to success on the court during games. Ran the man offense very well last night. The zone offense was a little iffy but Standish was able to hit a couple of big threes which is good to see. Tyra White also played extremely well.
* Thinks the team is becoming more balanced. Looking at other schools around the league, it’s obvious that balance is key to doing well. Baylor is a very balanced team and that is a big reason why they have done so well this year. The team is still a work in progress but is showing improvement. Over the last eight games, the team has gone 7-1 with six of those games coming against the former Big 12 North. The Big 12 North plays a little bit of a different style than the Big 12 South and the team will need to adjust to that in the next few games. The team still has games at Baylor, at Oklahoma, at Missouri, versus Texas Tech at home, versus Baylor at home, versus Oklahoma State at home and at Texas.
* Tyra White is playing well but he is not going to go out and anoint her right now because she is still taking a few plays off here and there. She realizes that when Adaora Elonu or Kelsey Bone are shooting from the post that the other team is having trouble rebounding the ball so she is able to sneak in and rebound it herself. She has not been shooting the three ball well so the staff told her to stop trying to shoot it from long distance. They also told her to start taking it to the basket and to go fight for the offensive rebounds. She has also been working on getting involved in free throw misses and finding an open shot off of those. She is becoming a complete player on both sides of the ball. Last night, she was able to shut down Brittany Chambers and that was one of the keys to the game.
* In order to come away with an upset victory in Waco on Saturday, the team is going to need to play smart, play hard and play together. Each one of those things along with having balance in scoring is vital to the success of the team. No one has been able to score in the low-post against Brittney Griner this season. The team is not necessarily going to try to score against her, but they won’t shy away from it either. You are never going to be able to foul Griner out of the game because her leverage is too good. She protects the basket just as well as anyone who has ever played the game on the men’s or women’s side. Baylor is a very good defensive team around the perimeter as well. With Griner’s inside presence, sometimes you have to leave someone else open and hope they miss their shot. The most important thing for A&M right now is to continue to play well and keep the game in range until the last five minutes.
* Went into the game last night knowing the team needed the win. Knowing that they have yet to play Baylor and also knowing that Kansas State and Oklahoma, who are right on their heels for 2nd in the Big 12, were finished playing Baylor pushed this team to get the victory needed. The team is not interested in anything but playing better and winning every game they compete in. March will come eventually, but right now February needs to be taken care of.
* Kelsey Bone and Brittney Griner battled in high school and it got a little old after a while. Neither kid is hurting for confidence, but both kids respect each other very much. The key is going to be keeping Bone and Gilbert out of foul trouble in order to keep the size in there for as long as possible. You can’t just foul Griner because she is shooting 80% from the free throw line. Wants everyone to watch the game on television and get geared up for when Baylor comes back to College Station.
Gary Blair talks KSU win, Bone's emergence & Baylor
Notes from Gary Blair Interview
* Getting excited about baseball season watching the progress being made on Olsen Field at Bluebell Park. Thinks Gary Darnell needs to get back into coaching.* Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert played very well last night against Kansas State. The team is getting better in practice, and when you get better in practice it translates to success on the court during games. Ran the man offense very well last night. The zone offense was a little iffy but Standish was able to hit a couple of big threes which is good to see. Tyra White also played extremely well.
* Thinks the team is becoming more balanced. Looking at other schools around the league, it’s obvious that balance is key to doing well. Baylor is a very balanced team and that is a big reason why they have done so well this year. The team is still a work in progress but is showing improvement. Over the last eight games, the team has gone 7-1 with six of those games coming against the former Big 12 North. The Big 12 North plays a little bit of a different style than the Big 12 South and the team will need to adjust to that in the next few games. The team still has games at Baylor, at Oklahoma, at Missouri, versus Texas Tech at home, versus Baylor at home, versus Oklahoma State at home and at Texas.
* Tyra White is playing well but he is not going to go out and anoint her right now because she is still taking a few plays off here and there. She realizes that when Adaora Elonu or Kelsey Bone are shooting from the post that the other team is having trouble rebounding the ball so she is able to sneak in and rebound it herself. She has not been shooting the three ball well so the staff told her to stop trying to shoot it from long distance. They also told her to start taking it to the basket and to go fight for the offensive rebounds. She has also been working on getting involved in free throw misses and finding an open shot off of those. She is becoming a complete player on both sides of the ball. Last night, she was able to shut down Brittany Chambers and that was one of the keys to the game.
* In order to come away with an upset victory in Waco on Saturday, the team is going to need to play smart, play hard and play together. Each one of those things along with having balance in scoring is vital to the success of the team. No one has been able to score in the low-post against Brittney Griner this season. The team is not necessarily going to try to score against her, but they won’t shy away from it either. You are never going to be able to foul Griner out of the game because her leverage is too good. She protects the basket just as well as anyone who has ever played the game on the men’s or women’s side. Baylor is a very good defensive team around the perimeter as well. With Griner’s inside presence, sometimes you have to leave someone else open and hope they miss their shot. The most important thing for A&M right now is to continue to play well and keep the game in range until the last five minutes.
* Went into the game last night knowing the team needed the win. Knowing that they have yet to play Baylor and also knowing that Kansas State and Oklahoma, who are right on their heels for 2nd in the Big 12, were finished playing Baylor pushed this team to get the victory needed. The team is not interested in anything but playing better and winning every game they compete in. March will come eventually, but right now February needs to be taken care of.
* Kelsey Bone and Brittney Griner battled in high school and it got a little old after a while. Neither kid is hurting for confidence, but both kids respect each other very much. The key is going to be keeping Bone and Gilbert out of foul trouble in order to keep the size in there for as long as possible. You can’t just foul Griner because she is shooting 80% from the free throw line. Wants everyone to watch the game on television and get geared up for when Baylor comes back to College Station.
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