Texas A&M Aggies
Albany Great Danes
Texas A&M Women's Basketball
On coaching against Albany Head Coach Henderson…
"She played at Iowa and Georgia, I followed her in the recruiting trail way back when I was at Arkansas. When she went to Southwest Missouri, she had to replace a legend. She was so competitive. Our second year here, we make the WNIT and won our first two ball games. Then we went to Southwest Missouri, I played there a number of times at Arkansas and it’s just a great venue there and we were 22 points down and had a chance to win it in the end. Katie (Hutchinson), I like her confidence, she’s got swag. That’s what you have to have as an athlete and a coach. But she’s so good to her kids. I think y’all have got a winner right there. But be proud of who you have and let her take her team to the next level. I know this is your first dance, but this is not her first dance. She’s been there before, she’s a veteran and I told her she could do everything except her husband cannot call the ballgame. He’s a former NBA official. I’m excited about playing against her. What I will not do is play her one-on-one. I’ll let my players do it."
On getting to play at home, and how his team differs this year…
"The team differs a whole lot just because of the personality, and the three strong team leaders that we had on and off the court. We knew who our go-to player was, who our go-to person was in Sydney Colson. A player who could create points for others and not let a turnover bother her. Then you had Maryann Baker, 6th man player of the year, but she was our leader in the locker room. Any problem, she would step right up and attack it. This team is trying to find its identity, and I think we’re doing it as a collective group. Carter talks the most just because her defensive presence, that’s what you do on defense, I wish we had some more talkers. But on offense, we have some quiet players out there with Standish at the one, Tyra at the three and Adaora at the four. We have to share who’s going to be the go-to person on the court. There isn’t one. We didn’t have a single player of the week, first time ever that has happened in the Big 12 for A&M. It shows you there’s a lot of we in us instead of a lot of me. When you hear a Kelsey Bone speak, just think about what she’ll sound like in a couple of years. She will be our go-to person then. That’s the biggest difference in the team, and I’m not afraid to pull any of those kids in at any time. I was the most nervous person in the world knowing we didn’t have Tyra, but we’re going to have her for Saturday though."
On Alexia Standish’s first NCAA Tournament and what he expects from her…
"She’ll make a mistake early, we all do. As a rookie head coach as a rookie point guard, get it out of your system early, we all make mistakes. Don’t’ be afraid of a turnover, but don’t be afraid of creating for others. She’s doing well in reversing herself to the outside and knocking down threes on the outside. She’s shooting the shot that she’s most comfortable with, that little running three pointer. The rest of her offensive game, we’re still working on. But that’s the same things that those three WNBA players had to do when they first got here. Standish is getting better and better. But we also play the point guard by matchups. If Pratcher fits better in the matchup, I have no hesitation starting Pratcher and having Standish come off the bench."
On the announcement of Vic Schaefer leaving and how that has affected the team…
"You think about the last two weeks, we beat Tech, I go into the hall of fame. We lose in Austin, Baylor is in there somewhere at our place in a sellout. Then you come to a Big 12 and play tremendous two ball games. The Vic thing had been going on for about two weeks. No one but Vic and I was aware of it. Then you go to the Big 12 tournament, you get the job done, you’re acting like a defending National Champion then you run into the best team in the nation in Baylor. Then the selection show, we felt good about our draw, not the teams we’re playing, but we’re at home for the first time. We’ve hosted every other National Championships besides women’s basketball. We wanted to show the country that we’re a basketball power. That we’re going to be one of the top-5 in attendance in this regional. You put all those things in perspective with Vic leaving. I guess it helps that we have so much going on that we can’t think about Vic leaving as much as we think about Vic here producing.. Doing his work at night, doing what he does best, which is preparation. Most marriages don’t last 15 years. Vic and I lasted 15 years, but we’re not getting divorced, we’re just doing a communal marriage. I’m happy for Vic, I’m happy he’s getting his chance, and he’s going to be very good at Mississippi State."
On having Tyra White back and her being ready to go…
"She’ll blend in. She’s not the type that comes over and takes over a ball game. She’s capable of doing that, but it’s not her personality. She’s going to get her 12-18 points, that’s her normal range. Her shooting percentage has not been quite as good as the firs three years, but we’re expecting her to make the tough shots. I think she’ll be fine, but if I can monitor her a little these first games, then I will, because I can play my bench more to get them used to an NCAA situations, not just playing time. Can they handle the pressure of an NCAA game, that’s what you want to do in your first round game to be able to make it to a second round game."
On Kelsey Bone’s progress in her first year…
"We probably made a mistake last year as a coaching staff not being demanding enough on her to become a better player. We were just ecstatic having her here, so we just let her go at her own pace. If I could do it all over, I would’ve made her more accountable in everything we do. This is her first summer not to play USA basketball in three years. I think in the last month, you’re starting to see the Kelsey Bone that we all expected. She has the ability to take over a ball game. She’s getting double teamed a lot. She’s turned into a very good passer in the last half of the season. She’s second in our league in field goal percentage. But the shots that she takes, she could be first in the league sometimes. Those hanging 12 footers. I want her to be more of a power player and be able to get people in foul trouble. She’s not been going to the foul line enough for us because she’s shooting fade away shots, and I want her to get somebody into foul trouble."
On the Big 12 Tournament and the growth in terms of chemistry…
"There was confidence, a little bit of a swag about us, a no fear attitude when a player would go down another person would step up. Kids would take coaching and stick to a game plan and we wouldn’t have to start drawing plays up in the sand. This team is starting to get it. We know we can’t just throw a Danielle Adams out there and say ‘hey give me 22 and 10.’ We know we have to do it as a collective team. The team is very good about sharing the spotlight. But we learn in here, did you see how good Standish did there. She’s not usually up here with these two who are a reporter’s dream because they’ll give an instant quote. But I wanted Standish to be up here and feel that responsibility with those other two who love the microphone. So it was good for her."
On how excited this community is and how excited he is about the first two rounds being in College Station…
"We sold somewhere 5,500 tickets. I hope we’re a last minute sell, because I want to get around 8,000. I know we’re on Spring Break, but I know there are another 140,000 people here too. Whether there are Aggie fans or basketball fans, come out and support something special. I’m doing great because it’s March Madness. I want to feel good about March Madness. We’re trying to make Bryan College Station more into a basketball town not an Aggie town. To do this, we have to keep having events on campus to educate. We had to do this to go up last year to the regional in Dallas. We were in Dallas and our fans I knew would jump on the bandwagon. The last thing I want to say about that, have y’all looked at Barrack Obama’s bracket? He has us losing in the second round. He has zero chance of carrying the state of Texas. He has us losing in the second round, I love him. We’re defending national champions … he’s a defending national president. You’ve got to start backing the teams that got you there."
On getting to coach against Arkansas and Coach Tom Collen…
"Getting a chance to coach against Tom is going to be very special. When he went to Colorado State and Lousiville, we didn’t get an opportunity to play. Think about it, Tom Collen and Vic Schaefer, 19 years of my life. 19 years, two people. Tom for 4, he got me the first class that took me to the Final Four. Tom left went to Colorado State, and then we went to the Final Four in Vic’s first year. In Vic’s last year, I would love nothing better to keep him coaching here into April then send him on his way. There’s nothing like your family tree, your family tree as a person as a coach. Those kids have helped make me who I am. They’re good people and I knew our paths would cross someday."
Guard Alexia Standish
On what she knows about Albany…
"They have a good point guard. They’re a very fundamental team. But we have Sydney on the ball, so we’re not too worried about it. I think they’re a very good team."
On her emotions going into her first NCAA tournament…
"I’m definitely very excited, but nothing changes. I’m going to keep playing how we’ve been playing as a team. I look forward to being that leader on a floor that I’ve been this year. I’m just going to play my best, play hard and try to do well."
On this senior class and what it’s meant to be playing with them as a freshman…
"We’ve had a great senior class, they’re awesome role models, they work hard. They’re leaders off and on the court. They all just work extremely hard they’re very coachable. To be able to se them play and listen to their advice has been good for me."
On following in the footsteps of Texas A&M’s great point guards … how she plays like them and how her game is different…
"They’re all three great players, also extremely athletic and fast. That’s where I lack in my ability is athleticism. But in that way, I watch film watch what they did with their film, just to learn the game a lot and become a student of the game to make up for maybe the athleticism that I don’t have."
Guard Sydney Carter
On how the tournament last year will affect her play this year…
"I think we just went into the tournament last year with confidence. We knew we were a good team and we knew everyone doubted us because they saw they put us in the same bracket as Baylor, who already beat us three times. I think that game stunned so many people. That win was our motivation and our fuel not just to be satisfied with the Final Four but to keep going and win the whole thing. I think we had so many outside motivations outside our goals as a team that it gave us a lot of confidence going into the game. I think that us winning the championship last year gives us confidence for this year, we know what we are capable of. It isn’t the same team but we know what we are capable of. I don’t think this is a year where we lost something, I think it is just a reloading year where we have players that can do the exact same thing any given night. We know what we are capable of and we have the same coaches leading our team, so we have trust in our coaches and trust in our teammates that we can get it done."
On what impresses her about Albany’s team…
"They are definitely fundamentally sound and I think they have really good chemistry and know what each player is capable of. They know when to give the right player the ball at the right time."
On playing at home…
"I definitely like it because I hate to pack and I’ve been laying in my bed as long as I possibly can. I think as college students everyone wants to lay in their bed all day. I think it being in our gym, I think its big, and me being a senior its nice to finally get the first two rounds here and get the fan support behind you. The fan support here has been great and has really carried us through a lot of our games. I am just happy we are able to host this year and am very grateful for the opportunity."
Guard-Forward Tyra White
On team’s overall feeling going into the tournament…
“We’re feeling pretty good, just trying to get our momentum back from the couple of losses that we had in the Big 12. I think having the first two rounds here will give us an advantage and more of the crowd. Once you get to the NCAA tournament, every team prepares just as hard as we do. So I think towards the second-round game, if we make it there, it will probably be even more of an advantage.”
On team’s focus for the next game…
“I just think we are more focused on our defense because we know that our defense creates our offense. Sometimes we have problems scoring, so I think if we can get some easy turnovers on the other team, that will lead to easy baskets for us.”
Forward Adaora Elonu
On A&M’s biggest asset as a team…
“Having good chemistry. I think we started to build our chemistry pretty strong starting with the Big 12 tournament, and I think that helped us win the games that we did win. I think with this tournament that is something we really need for us to move forward because, without team chemistry, it is a one-on-one game where we are not fully connected and cannot execute.”
On having home court advantage…
“I think it’s a big advantage, although they do their part in not making it all the way a ‘home court.’ I know the fans are definitely going to make a difference for us, and I think that is something we are really going to need and really appreciate. We like playing at home and I think we play well at home, so hopefully it will carry on into this tournament.”
Center Kelsey Bone
On her excitement going into the tournament, especially as a host…
"As a team we are just appearing, its time to play basketball again. We got to have a couple days off, we’ve been working harder and we’ve also been working smarter. We are excited to play at home again. We got tomorrow and if things go well, we got Monday. I think for us we are just excited to be playing, myself in particular, it’s the thing I have dreamed of as a little girl as soon as I started playing basketball and now that the time is here and we get to play two games in front of the best fans in the country, it’s really exciting."
On what she knows about Albany…
"The night I heard we were going to face them I went to their website and I saw they had a player that was 6-8 and I was like really, again? But I think they are just a great group of girls. Coach was talking about how players up north are a little different from players down south because they are such gym rats. What they lack in talent or speed they make up for their love of the game. When you watch them on film you can tell how they’ve developed a chemistry with each other. Their big guard and their post players, when they come in they just know the game of basketball, and they know what they are doing and do it well."
On the development of team chemistry as the season rolls along…
"I think building from the Big 12 Tournament our chemistry has gotten a lot better. We got some really good wins without Tyra [White]. I think that helped the rest of us understand what we were all individually capable of. Lexi [Standish] came in, she had to step up, so I think it helped everyone understand themselves a little bit better individually. It gave people an opportunity to see its still just basketball. Now we put Tyra back in and we keep the train moving."
On the conversations about making a big run for Coach Vic Schaefer…
"Initially we were really bummed about it, but its part of the game. It is definitely a motivating factor, aside from him just being our coach, he’s an Aggie. It's not just about us, its about winning for him now, and its been talked about and its something we are focused on and sending him off on the right note. I went up to the gym last night to practice my free throws and it was 10 o’clock at night and he was still here and to see something like that and to see his focus is still with us, it gives us something to play for."
On her message to the group as they prepare to take on the defending National Champions…
"Probably not everything that you are all saying. We have played a lot of high caliber teams, and our biggest message is they’re a relentless team but so are we. I’m a big believer that any team, not taking Texas A&M out, it’s not the name on the shirt, but it’s the heart and will power and the fortitude of any player on the floor. It’s the moment that makes them the most nervous, it’s not playing individually. It’s not playing the national championship team, we haven’t really talked about that. But for us, the reason we got here is because we’re very confident, we play very hard, we’re relentless. We’re actually a very good offensive team too when we put our minds to it. But they can only play 5 players on the court, and the basket is the same, the ball is the same, the rim is the same, the floor is the same. We just have to get through those first five minutes of nerves. And obviously they’re a lot bigger than us in the post, so we’ve got to box them out. They’re good on the boards, they live on those boards. That’s been our main thing for about a week that we’re going to box them out."
On Gary Blair and the man and coach…
"He’s a legend in women’s basketball, he actually recruited me. We’ve played against him before, I love his teams, I love the way they play. They play a lot like we do, very relentless. Coming from him, it’s an honor. He’s one of my models, he’s one of the best coaches out there and he’s been doing it a long time. He would take this bad, but I would call him a dinosaur in this business, and that’s a good thing not a bad things. A lot of coaches don’t stay in this business, and he’s stayed in it at several different schools and he’s been successful at several different schools. He’s a great man, I spent almost an hour with him today and he didn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to do that, most coaches don’t walk opposing team’s coaches, not just me, but the other coaches around. That’s a lot of time with us. That’s class, he’s a first class man first and obviously a great basketball coach."
On where Blair recruited her and why didn’t you sign with her…
"Because he wasn’t number one in the country at the time. I came out of Iowa at the time, and I won’t say this much but I was one of the top 5 players in the country. So Georgia went to he Final Four and I ended up playing in Georgia. I don’t know if he was at La. Tech or where he was at the time, I’m not going to age myself. I’ve known him for years, and I know we played against them and we beat them and I think he remembers that. I think that’s where he got that respect for me, and now I’m not a basketball player and not a student athlete any more, I’m a coach. I think that’s where he gets that respect from."
On the team’s specially-made jackets made for the tournament and it being their first time in the NCAA tournament…
"It’s a first, a first time for these young ladies. What we did is really neat. Obviously our athletic department let us get them something for the conference tournament for the first time. I brought these to them blank before we played in the final game of our championships game, we had a week off in our conference. I brought them to them Thursday, we played Saturday, and they were like ‘ooh, these Jordan sweats are sweet.’ And I said, ‘There’s nothing on them,. it depends on what you want to put them on them. Do you want them to say 22-10 or 23-9?’ Those are the little motivational things I do for them. I wanted them to be proud and walk around with their chests out and they’ve earned all that. So it just gives them a little bit of swagger as you say and walk around and be proud of what they are and what they’re doing."
On the message that is on the jackets…
"They say ‘NCAA and 23-9’ on the side and on the back they say really big ‘American East Champs’ because now we’re going to put a banner up in our gym, we’ve never had anything like that before. It’s a lot of neat things that are happening with these phenomenal young women, they’re great young women. Julie Forster is one of the top students in our university, she’s 3.999999, she’s brilliant They’re not just basketball players, they’re fantastic young women. They deserve everything they’ve earned."
Guard Cassandra Callaway
On what stands out for A&M defensively…
"They’re very relentless team, they get after you, they stay with you man to man. They basically smother you. They’re definitely a team that gets after you- they’re relentless."
On it being Albany's first NCAA tournament…
"When we first won our tournament, we’re very excited to get here. And actually to be here right now, it’s a great experience for all of us. But now that we’re here, we know it will be tough to play against the defending national championships. We’re just here to play hard and to give it our all, but we definitely know that we have a challenge. I guess you can call that a negative that we’re playing such a great team, but we’re going to play as hard as we can."
Guard-Forward Ebone Henry
On what stands out for A&M on defense…
"They’re relentless. They go hard. That’s what stands out the most to me."
On playing against the defending national champions…
"As for advantages, it’s still basketball, they have to put he ball in the hoop, we have to put the ball in the hoop. I know they’re defending national champions, but we have to remember it’s still a basketball game. We just have to go out there and do what we’ve done in previous games and play hard."
On the moment of the NCAAs making the players nervous…
"I think it’s the moment that makes us more nervous. Since it’s our first time here on the big stage. I think it’s definitely the moment."
On mirroring A&M as a defensive team…
"[We're] just how Texas A&M is. We’re definitively a relentless tam on defense. We’re more of a defensive team, we really get after it as well. I think we’re definitely just a defensive team."
Forward Julie Forster
On playing the defending national champions…
"I think we just look at it as an opportunity. Clearly they’re very talented. We look at it, we need to play harder, we need to play smarter. We need to go hard. It’s going to be a tough game--they’re a great team. But we need to play hard, that’s what we can control."
On the experience of playing in Texas and in their first NCAA Tournament…
"It’s going to be a great experience, it’s all of our first time here. We just want to focus and realize we have a game ahead of us. We’re not here to enjoy Texas, we’re here to play basketball. Looking back, I’m sure it will be a great experience, but right now we’re just focused on the game. When you first get here, you notice the nervousness. But once you get playing, once the first whistle blows, you’re playing basketball, it’s something you’ve been doing all your life. I think at first we tend to get nervousness, but at the same time once you’re playing, you’re playing.
On how the trip has gone so far…
"It’s been good. Actually, it’s finally got to be good weather in Albany so we left good weather to come to a little better weather. I’ve never been to Texas, I don’t know if any of us have, but it’s been good."
Forward Keyana Williams
On reaction to finding out Albany made the NCAA tournament…
“It was just pure excitement. Coming from where we were my freshman year and not even seeing an NCAA tournament to now being here, that was just exciting enough. And then playing Texas A&M, and they took it all last year. It was just like ‘wow, we get the big dogs this year.’ It was nothing but excitement, and this is a great opportunity. But we still have that mentality of wanting to come in fight and win.”
On team’s best attribute…
“Defense. We are a defensive team. If there was anything I could say we do, it is play defense. Sometimes our offense does not get there, but we make it up on the defensive end.”
Forward Tabitha Makopondo
On team’s overall feeling going into the tournament…
“It’s really exciting, especially because I am a senior. Our freshman year record was not what it is right now. All of those years, the five of us seniors have seen the program grow from where we began when we were freshman to right now. We are just really excited to come in and play.”
On playing A&M on its home court…
“All season we have had people doubting us and believing we were underdogs, even though we did not feel that way. We are just going to come out and fight. That is what we have been doing all year, just fighting for everything.”
A&M, Albany hold pre-NCAA press conference at Reed
Texas A&M Quotes
Head Coach Gary BlairOn coaching against Albany Head Coach Henderson…
"She played at Iowa and Georgia, I followed her in the recruiting trail way back when I was at Arkansas. When she went to Southwest Missouri, she had to replace a legend. She was so competitive. Our second year here, we make the WNIT and won our first two ball games. Then we went to Southwest Missouri, I played there a number of times at Arkansas and it’s just a great venue there and we were 22 points down and had a chance to win it in the end. Katie (Hutchinson), I like her confidence, she’s got swag. That’s what you have to have as an athlete and a coach. But she’s so good to her kids. I think y’all have got a winner right there. But be proud of who you have and let her take her team to the next level. I know this is your first dance, but this is not her first dance. She’s been there before, she’s a veteran and I told her she could do everything except her husband cannot call the ballgame. He’s a former NBA official. I’m excited about playing against her. What I will not do is play her one-on-one. I’ll let my players do it."
On getting to play at home, and how his team differs this year…
"The team differs a whole lot just because of the personality, and the three strong team leaders that we had on and off the court. We knew who our go-to player was, who our go-to person was in Sydney Colson. A player who could create points for others and not let a turnover bother her. Then you had Maryann Baker, 6th man player of the year, but she was our leader in the locker room. Any problem, she would step right up and attack it. This team is trying to find its identity, and I think we’re doing it as a collective group. Carter talks the most just because her defensive presence, that’s what you do on defense, I wish we had some more talkers. But on offense, we have some quiet players out there with Standish at the one, Tyra at the three and Adaora at the four. We have to share who’s going to be the go-to person on the court. There isn’t one. We didn’t have a single player of the week, first time ever that has happened in the Big 12 for A&M. It shows you there’s a lot of we in us instead of a lot of me. When you hear a Kelsey Bone speak, just think about what she’ll sound like in a couple of years. She will be our go-to person then. That’s the biggest difference in the team, and I’m not afraid to pull any of those kids in at any time. I was the most nervous person in the world knowing we didn’t have Tyra, but we’re going to have her for Saturday though."
On Alexia Standish’s first NCAA Tournament and what he expects from her…
"She’ll make a mistake early, we all do. As a rookie head coach as a rookie point guard, get it out of your system early, we all make mistakes. Don’t’ be afraid of a turnover, but don’t be afraid of creating for others. She’s doing well in reversing herself to the outside and knocking down threes on the outside. She’s shooting the shot that she’s most comfortable with, that little running three pointer. The rest of her offensive game, we’re still working on. But that’s the same things that those three WNBA players had to do when they first got here. Standish is getting better and better. But we also play the point guard by matchups. If Pratcher fits better in the matchup, I have no hesitation starting Pratcher and having Standish come off the bench."
On the announcement of Vic Schaefer leaving and how that has affected the team…
"You think about the last two weeks, we beat Tech, I go into the hall of fame. We lose in Austin, Baylor is in there somewhere at our place in a sellout. Then you come to a Big 12 and play tremendous two ball games. The Vic thing had been going on for about two weeks. No one but Vic and I was aware of it. Then you go to the Big 12 tournament, you get the job done, you’re acting like a defending National Champion then you run into the best team in the nation in Baylor. Then the selection show, we felt good about our draw, not the teams we’re playing, but we’re at home for the first time. We’ve hosted every other National Championships besides women’s basketball. We wanted to show the country that we’re a basketball power. That we’re going to be one of the top-5 in attendance in this regional. You put all those things in perspective with Vic leaving. I guess it helps that we have so much going on that we can’t think about Vic leaving as much as we think about Vic here producing.. Doing his work at night, doing what he does best, which is preparation. Most marriages don’t last 15 years. Vic and I lasted 15 years, but we’re not getting divorced, we’re just doing a communal marriage. I’m happy for Vic, I’m happy he’s getting his chance, and he’s going to be very good at Mississippi State."
On having Tyra White back and her being ready to go…
"She’ll blend in. She’s not the type that comes over and takes over a ball game. She’s capable of doing that, but it’s not her personality. She’s going to get her 12-18 points, that’s her normal range. Her shooting percentage has not been quite as good as the firs three years, but we’re expecting her to make the tough shots. I think she’ll be fine, but if I can monitor her a little these first games, then I will, because I can play my bench more to get them used to an NCAA situations, not just playing time. Can they handle the pressure of an NCAA game, that’s what you want to do in your first round game to be able to make it to a second round game."
On Kelsey Bone’s progress in her first year…
"We probably made a mistake last year as a coaching staff not being demanding enough on her to become a better player. We were just ecstatic having her here, so we just let her go at her own pace. If I could do it all over, I would’ve made her more accountable in everything we do. This is her first summer not to play USA basketball in three years. I think in the last month, you’re starting to see the Kelsey Bone that we all expected. She has the ability to take over a ball game. She’s getting double teamed a lot. She’s turned into a very good passer in the last half of the season. She’s second in our league in field goal percentage. But the shots that she takes, she could be first in the league sometimes. Those hanging 12 footers. I want her to be more of a power player and be able to get people in foul trouble. She’s not been going to the foul line enough for us because she’s shooting fade away shots, and I want her to get somebody into foul trouble."
On the Big 12 Tournament and the growth in terms of chemistry…
"There was confidence, a little bit of a swag about us, a no fear attitude when a player would go down another person would step up. Kids would take coaching and stick to a game plan and we wouldn’t have to start drawing plays up in the sand. This team is starting to get it. We know we can’t just throw a Danielle Adams out there and say ‘hey give me 22 and 10.’ We know we have to do it as a collective team. The team is very good about sharing the spotlight. But we learn in here, did you see how good Standish did there. She’s not usually up here with these two who are a reporter’s dream because they’ll give an instant quote. But I wanted Standish to be up here and feel that responsibility with those other two who love the microphone. So it was good for her."
On how excited this community is and how excited he is about the first two rounds being in College Station…
"We sold somewhere 5,500 tickets. I hope we’re a last minute sell, because I want to get around 8,000. I know we’re on Spring Break, but I know there are another 140,000 people here too. Whether there are Aggie fans or basketball fans, come out and support something special. I’m doing great because it’s March Madness. I want to feel good about March Madness. We’re trying to make Bryan College Station more into a basketball town not an Aggie town. To do this, we have to keep having events on campus to educate. We had to do this to go up last year to the regional in Dallas. We were in Dallas and our fans I knew would jump on the bandwagon. The last thing I want to say about that, have y’all looked at Barrack Obama’s bracket? He has us losing in the second round. He has zero chance of carrying the state of Texas. He has us losing in the second round, I love him. We’re defending national champions … he’s a defending national president. You’ve got to start backing the teams that got you there."
On getting to coach against Arkansas and Coach Tom Collen…
"Getting a chance to coach against Tom is going to be very special. When he went to Colorado State and Lousiville, we didn’t get an opportunity to play. Think about it, Tom Collen and Vic Schaefer, 19 years of my life. 19 years, two people. Tom for 4, he got me the first class that took me to the Final Four. Tom left went to Colorado State, and then we went to the Final Four in Vic’s first year. In Vic’s last year, I would love nothing better to keep him coaching here into April then send him on his way. There’s nothing like your family tree, your family tree as a person as a coach. Those kids have helped make me who I am. They’re good people and I knew our paths would cross someday."
Guard Alexia Standish
On what she knows about Albany…
"They have a good point guard. They’re a very fundamental team. But we have Sydney on the ball, so we’re not too worried about it. I think they’re a very good team."
On her emotions going into her first NCAA tournament…
"I’m definitely very excited, but nothing changes. I’m going to keep playing how we’ve been playing as a team. I look forward to being that leader on a floor that I’ve been this year. I’m just going to play my best, play hard and try to do well."
On this senior class and what it’s meant to be playing with them as a freshman…
"We’ve had a great senior class, they’re awesome role models, they work hard. They’re leaders off and on the court. They all just work extremely hard they’re very coachable. To be able to se them play and listen to their advice has been good for me."
On following in the footsteps of Texas A&M’s great point guards … how she plays like them and how her game is different…
"They’re all three great players, also extremely athletic and fast. That’s where I lack in my ability is athleticism. But in that way, I watch film watch what they did with their film, just to learn the game a lot and become a student of the game to make up for maybe the athleticism that I don’t have."
Guard Sydney Carter
On how the tournament last year will affect her play this year…
"I think we just went into the tournament last year with confidence. We knew we were a good team and we knew everyone doubted us because they saw they put us in the same bracket as Baylor, who already beat us three times. I think that game stunned so many people. That win was our motivation and our fuel not just to be satisfied with the Final Four but to keep going and win the whole thing. I think we had so many outside motivations outside our goals as a team that it gave us a lot of confidence going into the game. I think that us winning the championship last year gives us confidence for this year, we know what we are capable of. It isn’t the same team but we know what we are capable of. I don’t think this is a year where we lost something, I think it is just a reloading year where we have players that can do the exact same thing any given night. We know what we are capable of and we have the same coaches leading our team, so we have trust in our coaches and trust in our teammates that we can get it done."
On what impresses her about Albany’s team…
"They are definitely fundamentally sound and I think they have really good chemistry and know what each player is capable of. They know when to give the right player the ball at the right time."
On playing at home…
"I definitely like it because I hate to pack and I’ve been laying in my bed as long as I possibly can. I think as college students everyone wants to lay in their bed all day. I think it being in our gym, I think its big, and me being a senior its nice to finally get the first two rounds here and get the fan support behind you. The fan support here has been great and has really carried us through a lot of our games. I am just happy we are able to host this year and am very grateful for the opportunity."
Guard-Forward Tyra White
On team’s overall feeling going into the tournament…
“We’re feeling pretty good, just trying to get our momentum back from the couple of losses that we had in the Big 12. I think having the first two rounds here will give us an advantage and more of the crowd. Once you get to the NCAA tournament, every team prepares just as hard as we do. So I think towards the second-round game, if we make it there, it will probably be even more of an advantage.”
On team’s focus for the next game…
“I just think we are more focused on our defense because we know that our defense creates our offense. Sometimes we have problems scoring, so I think if we can get some easy turnovers on the other team, that will lead to easy baskets for us.”
Forward Adaora Elonu
On A&M’s biggest asset as a team…
“Having good chemistry. I think we started to build our chemistry pretty strong starting with the Big 12 tournament, and I think that helped us win the games that we did win. I think with this tournament that is something we really need for us to move forward because, without team chemistry, it is a one-on-one game where we are not fully connected and cannot execute.”
On having home court advantage…
“I think it’s a big advantage, although they do their part in not making it all the way a ‘home court.’ I know the fans are definitely going to make a difference for us, and I think that is something we are really going to need and really appreciate. We like playing at home and I think we play well at home, so hopefully it will carry on into this tournament.”
Center Kelsey Bone
On her excitement going into the tournament, especially as a host…
"As a team we are just appearing, its time to play basketball again. We got to have a couple days off, we’ve been working harder and we’ve also been working smarter. We are excited to play at home again. We got tomorrow and if things go well, we got Monday. I think for us we are just excited to be playing, myself in particular, it’s the thing I have dreamed of as a little girl as soon as I started playing basketball and now that the time is here and we get to play two games in front of the best fans in the country, it’s really exciting."
On what she knows about Albany…
"The night I heard we were going to face them I went to their website and I saw they had a player that was 6-8 and I was like really, again? But I think they are just a great group of girls. Coach was talking about how players up north are a little different from players down south because they are such gym rats. What they lack in talent or speed they make up for their love of the game. When you watch them on film you can tell how they’ve developed a chemistry with each other. Their big guard and their post players, when they come in they just know the game of basketball, and they know what they are doing and do it well."
On the development of team chemistry as the season rolls along…
"I think building from the Big 12 Tournament our chemistry has gotten a lot better. We got some really good wins without Tyra [White]. I think that helped the rest of us understand what we were all individually capable of. Lexi [Standish] came in, she had to step up, so I think it helped everyone understand themselves a little bit better individually. It gave people an opportunity to see its still just basketball. Now we put Tyra back in and we keep the train moving."
On the conversations about making a big run for Coach Vic Schaefer…
"Initially we were really bummed about it, but its part of the game. It is definitely a motivating factor, aside from him just being our coach, he’s an Aggie. It's not just about us, its about winning for him now, and its been talked about and its something we are focused on and sending him off on the right note. I went up to the gym last night to practice my free throws and it was 10 o’clock at night and he was still here and to see something like that and to see his focus is still with us, it gives us something to play for."
Albany Quotes
Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-HendersonOn her message to the group as they prepare to take on the defending National Champions…
"Probably not everything that you are all saying. We have played a lot of high caliber teams, and our biggest message is they’re a relentless team but so are we. I’m a big believer that any team, not taking Texas A&M out, it’s not the name on the shirt, but it’s the heart and will power and the fortitude of any player on the floor. It’s the moment that makes them the most nervous, it’s not playing individually. It’s not playing the national championship team, we haven’t really talked about that. But for us, the reason we got here is because we’re very confident, we play very hard, we’re relentless. We’re actually a very good offensive team too when we put our minds to it. But they can only play 5 players on the court, and the basket is the same, the ball is the same, the rim is the same, the floor is the same. We just have to get through those first five minutes of nerves. And obviously they’re a lot bigger than us in the post, so we’ve got to box them out. They’re good on the boards, they live on those boards. That’s been our main thing for about a week that we’re going to box them out."
On Gary Blair and the man and coach…
"He’s a legend in women’s basketball, he actually recruited me. We’ve played against him before, I love his teams, I love the way they play. They play a lot like we do, very relentless. Coming from him, it’s an honor. He’s one of my models, he’s one of the best coaches out there and he’s been doing it a long time. He would take this bad, but I would call him a dinosaur in this business, and that’s a good thing not a bad things. A lot of coaches don’t stay in this business, and he’s stayed in it at several different schools and he’s been successful at several different schools. He’s a great man, I spent almost an hour with him today and he didn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to do that, most coaches don’t walk opposing team’s coaches, not just me, but the other coaches around. That’s a lot of time with us. That’s class, he’s a first class man first and obviously a great basketball coach."
On where Blair recruited her and why didn’t you sign with her…
"Because he wasn’t number one in the country at the time. I came out of Iowa at the time, and I won’t say this much but I was one of the top 5 players in the country. So Georgia went to he Final Four and I ended up playing in Georgia. I don’t know if he was at La. Tech or where he was at the time, I’m not going to age myself. I’ve known him for years, and I know we played against them and we beat them and I think he remembers that. I think that’s where he got that respect for me, and now I’m not a basketball player and not a student athlete any more, I’m a coach. I think that’s where he gets that respect from."
On the team’s specially-made jackets made for the tournament and it being their first time in the NCAA tournament…
"It’s a first, a first time for these young ladies. What we did is really neat. Obviously our athletic department let us get them something for the conference tournament for the first time. I brought these to them blank before we played in the final game of our championships game, we had a week off in our conference. I brought them to them Thursday, we played Saturday, and they were like ‘ooh, these Jordan sweats are sweet.’ And I said, ‘There’s nothing on them,. it depends on what you want to put them on them. Do you want them to say 22-10 or 23-9?’ Those are the little motivational things I do for them. I wanted them to be proud and walk around with their chests out and they’ve earned all that. So it just gives them a little bit of swagger as you say and walk around and be proud of what they are and what they’re doing."
On the message that is on the jackets…
"They say ‘NCAA and 23-9’ on the side and on the back they say really big ‘American East Champs’ because now we’re going to put a banner up in our gym, we’ve never had anything like that before. It’s a lot of neat things that are happening with these phenomenal young women, they’re great young women. Julie Forster is one of the top students in our university, she’s 3.999999, she’s brilliant They’re not just basketball players, they’re fantastic young women. They deserve everything they’ve earned."
Guard Cassandra Callaway
On what stands out for A&M defensively…
"They’re very relentless team, they get after you, they stay with you man to man. They basically smother you. They’re definitely a team that gets after you- they’re relentless."
On it being Albany's first NCAA tournament…
"When we first won our tournament, we’re very excited to get here. And actually to be here right now, it’s a great experience for all of us. But now that we’re here, we know it will be tough to play against the defending national championships. We’re just here to play hard and to give it our all, but we definitely know that we have a challenge. I guess you can call that a negative that we’re playing such a great team, but we’re going to play as hard as we can."
Guard-Forward Ebone Henry
On what stands out for A&M on defense…
"They’re relentless. They go hard. That’s what stands out the most to me."
On playing against the defending national champions…
"As for advantages, it’s still basketball, they have to put he ball in the hoop, we have to put the ball in the hoop. I know they’re defending national champions, but we have to remember it’s still a basketball game. We just have to go out there and do what we’ve done in previous games and play hard."
On the moment of the NCAAs making the players nervous…
"I think it’s the moment that makes us more nervous. Since it’s our first time here on the big stage. I think it’s definitely the moment."
On mirroring A&M as a defensive team…
"[We're] just how Texas A&M is. We’re definitively a relentless tam on defense. We’re more of a defensive team, we really get after it as well. I think we’re definitely just a defensive team."
Forward Julie Forster
On playing the defending national champions…
"I think we just look at it as an opportunity. Clearly they’re very talented. We look at it, we need to play harder, we need to play smarter. We need to go hard. It’s going to be a tough game--they’re a great team. But we need to play hard, that’s what we can control."
On the experience of playing in Texas and in their first NCAA Tournament…
"It’s going to be a great experience, it’s all of our first time here. We just want to focus and realize we have a game ahead of us. We’re not here to enjoy Texas, we’re here to play basketball. Looking back, I’m sure it will be a great experience, but right now we’re just focused on the game. When you first get here, you notice the nervousness. But once you get playing, once the first whistle blows, you’re playing basketball, it’s something you’ve been doing all your life. I think at first we tend to get nervousness, but at the same time once you’re playing, you’re playing.
On how the trip has gone so far…
"It’s been good. Actually, it’s finally got to be good weather in Albany so we left good weather to come to a little better weather. I’ve never been to Texas, I don’t know if any of us have, but it’s been good."
Forward Keyana Williams
On reaction to finding out Albany made the NCAA tournament…
“It was just pure excitement. Coming from where we were my freshman year and not even seeing an NCAA tournament to now being here, that was just exciting enough. And then playing Texas A&M, and they took it all last year. It was just like ‘wow, we get the big dogs this year.’ It was nothing but excitement, and this is a great opportunity. But we still have that mentality of wanting to come in fight and win.”
On team’s best attribute…
“Defense. We are a defensive team. If there was anything I could say we do, it is play defense. Sometimes our offense does not get there, but we make it up on the defensive end.”
Forward Tabitha Makopondo
On team’s overall feeling going into the tournament…
“It’s really exciting, especially because I am a senior. Our freshman year record was not what it is right now. All of those years, the five of us seniors have seen the program grow from where we began when we were freshman to right now. We are just really excited to come in and play.”
On playing A&M on its home court…
“All season we have had people doubting us and believing we were underdogs, even though we did not feel that way. We are just going to come out and fight. That is what we have been doing all year, just fighting for everything.”
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