Oct. 16, 2008
Fighting Illini head coach Jolette Law addressed the media as her team prepares to begin official practice on Oct. 17. Below is the press conference transcript as Law begins her second season at Illinois.
Opening Statement:
"I just want to say that I'm extremely excited about this upcoming season. We have, right now, nine players and we'll be the nine strong. I can say that the leadership of my upperclassmen has be fantastic all summer long and we're just trying to build from where we were last year in the Big Ten Tournament. We have been motivated since that day and my young ladies have been working extremely hard. We know that come Friday, it begins our season and we're just trying to continue where we left off last year."
On the practice agenda:
"When we start on Friday, it's going to be rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. We always did rebounding, but now we're going to be a little bit more focused. We're going to throw some different zone schemes to protect our inside because Jenna (Smith) and Lana (Rukavina) are our only two legitimate post players. Definitely we're going to be much more conditioned. That helped us out last year. I think my kids understand now - they didn't understand it last year - but I think going through the four tournament games and not being winded helped us get through the tournament and I think they've embraced that this summer.
"Our defensive schemes are going to have to improve a lot more because, again, we have nine players. Last year I could rotate Stephanie Chelleen, Audrey Tabon and Erin McCarthy in and out just to get some breathers for Jenna, but this year we really only have two (post players). I'm playing Lacey (Simpson) at the four spot and taking her off the perimeter, so this year we're really going to have to improve on a lot of defensive schemes."
On what has changed since last year:
"The culture has pretty much changed. Last year I wanted so badly for the group to go to the NCAA Tournament, but I think just getting that close and tasting it, we're more of a cohesive unit. My upperclassmen have taken the freshmen in and they're actually teaching and saying the things and helping prepare them for the season. I just love being around the young ladies, they're energetic, they're ready, and they're hungry."
On Jenna Smith:
"Jenna's been working 10 times harder than she did last year. I keep telling her: `Last year you were the hunter. Now you're the hunted. You're going to have to be that much more focused and your moves have to be that much quicker. Your ball handling skills and shot have to be that much more consistent.' But she's embraced it and has been working so much harder. She's been that leader. She and Lacey Simpson and Chelsea Gordon have been really working extremely hard. In the skill work, we've been working on different double teams and triple teams, getting her ready for what she's about to embark on this upcoming season."
On the team's strengths and what the newcomers will add:
"Our quickness. I think we're going to be extremely quick. I think Fabiola Josil is probably one of the quickest guards I've seen in a long time. She can shoot the ball and she can push the ball up the floor so our tempo will be a little faster. Defensively, she's sound and I'm looking forward to her bringing a little bit more of the scoring mentality at the point guard position.
"I think
Eboni Mitchell will help us on the outside. Her shot is extremely consistent. She's been playing with a minor injury but she'll be ready this season. Watching her on the sideline, I'd put her against any guard in the country in shooting.
"Lana Rukavina, I think she's going to come in and surprise a lot of people. Each and every day she's getting better. Once she gets through the transition from high school to college she's definitely going to have an impact on our team.
"Macie Blinn is a phenomenal shooter. I'm getting her into that mindset that you have to score - I have to count on you to come in and not play like a freshman, to come in and want to shoot the ball. Each and every day that I see her in practice, she's getting better and better.
"Whitney Toone has a little more experience. She's a junior college transfer, so the transition going into the college game probably won't be that hard for her because she's already lived it. She's played two seasons so I'm looking for her leadership to come in and play right away."
On redshirt freshman Lydia McCully:
"I'm not even considering Lydia a freshman. That's a bonus for us. She had an opportunity to go through a whole year with me. She knows what to expect, she's watched it, and I'm going to put it out there that she'll probably be in the running for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She's seasoned, and I think that her not playing last year was a blessing for us."
On the defensive press:
"Like I said before, we're going to have to do a lot of things a little differently. I'm pretty much up on the press for 94 feet. Knowing that my bench is a little limited, I'm still going to press but probably introduce a little more at three quarter court, perhaps a little half court press. Show man and fall back into a zone. It's going to be a chess match this year, keeping people off balance, keeping them off guard and just utilizing our defensive schemes to protect our inside. We're not going to sit back and back down from anyone, we're going to give it our best effort. I know that this year is definitely going to be different schemes and probably not as much full-court pressure as we did last year."
On the small roster:
"I like my team right now. I'm going to breathe life into them. Right now we have nine players, but we're going to be the ants that take down the elephants. We're going to play and we're going to have that same mentality like we only have five. Five people start the game, but we're going to be nine strong. Everybody has to play their part. I'm not even going to try to look at having nine players, because last year we had nine players and look at what we did late in the season. I don't want the newcomers to be afraid, I want them to have that same mentality that they are going to come in here and compete. That's our mentality and I'm not even going to use that as an excuse. We were there last year and we had pretty much the same numbers."
On practicing with only nine players:
"We have practice guys. That's why I didn't want to get rid of the practice guys on campus, I'm a stickler for having them, because right now in my situation I need them. Right now I have eight guys ready to go, rotate them in and our practice will go on. Even if I have to tell my coaches to lace up their sneakers, the show is going to go on."
On Lana Rukavina's shooting ability:
"Lana shoots the ball extremely well. My post players are shooting the ball just as consistently as my guards, so I'm going to use her facing up and I'm going to use her with her back to the basket. I think in high school she really didn't have to do a lot of that, but in skill work and skill development I think she's become a lot more comfortable playing with her back to the basket. Right now we're making her more versatile - pulling her out, facing up, and also I'm going to need to get her a little stronger in playing with her back to the basket."
On the non-conference schedule:
"It will be a test to build on what we did last year and be consistent. In order to be the best, we have to play the best, so our pre-conference schedule is a tough one. People across the country look at it like, `What are you thinking, are you crazy?' No, very confident because I want my kids early on to see where we are so when we get into the Big Ten they'll know what to expect. Making it into the NCAA Tournament is our goal so we might as well give them a taste of it early."
On Erin McCarthy:
"Erin is with us. She has an injury that won't allow her to compete with us this year, but she's very much involved with our team. Actually, she's up in the office now helping out any way that she can."
On Eboni Mitchell's health:
"Eboni is fine. She'll be ready. We just need to take our time and not rush anything because I need her going forward. She'll be ready to go."
On how last season's Big Ten Tournament run benefits this year's team:
"Last year we started peaking at the right time. We peaked late. It was good that we got there and our kids now see and they believe in the University of Illinois. We're playing with a level of confidence. We see now that we can compete with anybody in the country. The motivation going into this season is that we're a blockout away, a shot away, a second away. We're going to use that as motivation and continue to carry it over the remainder of the season."
