March 25, 2009
Coquese Washington Postseason Press Conference Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Opening Statement
I am really excited for our men's basketball team and congratulate them. I just think what they've accomplished this year in this post-season is great for Penn State basketball, both of our basketball families, and the women's basketball team is just really proud and excited for what the men have accomplished in the post season. We'll be pulling for them to get some wins down in the (Madison Square) Garden.
Q: Reflect back on your season now that you have had some time to digest it.
A: Well we've had a little bit of rest, but I think one of the things we talked about with our team is that we really didn't meet our expectations this year. We improved in a lot of ways that didn't necessarily show up in the win/loss column and as a team, both from coaches and players, we recognize that and see the gains we have made, but also we felt like we underachieved in some respects. We could have had a bigger impact in the win/loss column. There were some games that we just felt like we gave away a little bit, for whatever reason, for different reasons sometimes, not closing out games down the stretch, in particular once we got into conference play, not closing games out down the stretch. And maybe not coming with the right focus early in the season in the non-conference portion. We just feel like there were quite a few games that we felt like should have won, we were in a position to win, but we didn't close them out and that was disappointing for us. So that's one of the things that we're vowing not to repeat next year is the games that we're in position to win, we've got to get them. We've to have the fight, we have to have the focus, we have to have the tenacity to go out there and close those games out and if we can do that I think we'll be in a position next year we're we'll still be playing at this point in the season.
Q: Talk about the point guard position next year with the loss of Brianne O'Rourke and Mashea Williams.
A: Well, you know, we're losing two significant contributors. They contributed a lot in terms of points and steals and defense. They were on the floor quite a bit and made big plays for us in a lot of our games so we're definitely going to miss them. Having said that, I do feel we're in good shape; we're going to be young on the perimeter. Alex Bentley coming in, I think she can definitely give us a lot in terms of scoring, ball handling and control of the game. And even for a freshman, I think she'll be able to give us some leadership out there and I think Emily Phillips and Zhaque Gray will be able to give us some punch. I think they'll get better over the summer. I think they'll step up to the plate in terms of filling in where those guys left off. And I'll tell you this, we'll be looking to Meggan Quinn to step up with some leadership for our guards. Between her and Tyra Grant, they're the elder statesmen of our guard crew so we're going to be looking to them to provide a lot of leadership, a lot of stability for us at our guard spots.
Q: What do you see as Tyra Grant's position next season?
A: I think [Tyra] will be a wing. We'll have a little bit of versatility. I think sometimes we can go big and in terms of position number, maybe she's a No. 2. There are times when we'll go small and she'll play the three or the four. But I think she'll play her same position, which is being on the wing and being a big scorer for us, a big contributor for us offensively.
Q: What are you asking the team to improve upon during the off-season?
A: Well, a lot of individual stuff. I think the biggest thing is for each player to continue to get better with their individual skill work. I think as that happens; we'll definitely get better as a team. But in terms of the team-type of focus, I want us to continue to get better defensively. I think we've got to get better at containing the ball, and not letting the ball get in the paint so easily. So defensively, working on our individual on-the-ball, one-on-one defense. I want us to continue to get better at rebounding and then offensively, I think we have to become better at our decision-making in terms of our assist-to-turnover ratio, learning how to share the ball. Making better decisions in terms of shot selection, knowing when to shoot versus when to pass. Those probably are the three big areas; our defense - our individual on-the-ball, one-on-one defense, - our rebounding and our assist-to-turnover ratio.
Q: Where do you assess yourself in the Big Ten and how far are you away from being one of those top-level teams?
A: I don't think we're that far away at all. We finished tied for seventh in the conference, which is definitely a step up from last year and we're mere points from being sixth place. You look at the Wisconsin game, at Wisconsin, where we had a chance to win that game if we closed that game out, maybe we would have finished in sixth place. You look at Indiana, and both those games were fairly close. You look at Minnesota, the teams that finished 6-5-4 ahead of us and we're right there with them, it's not a big, big leap. So I don't think we're that far from being able to go from finishing seventh in a conference to, if we have the dedication, if we have the focus and we get better and with the talent that we have coming in, if we can put it together, I don't think it's a big stretch for us to go from seventh place to competing for one of the top four or five spots in the conference and being in a position to getting post-season play next year. It's going to take a lot of work, but I don't think there's a big jump.
And I will say this, I'm ecstatic and not surprised at all that the Big Ten has three teams in the Sweet 16. We have the best winning percentage of any conference in the tournament right now, 60% of our teams are in the Sweet 16. I think the Big East got eight teams in, and they only have three left. The other conferences had seven and six teams in that still have three teams left, and we got five in and three of them are still playing so I think that speaks volumes about the competition in our conference. We were maligned all year about the Big Ten isn't as competitive as the ACC or the Big East but we see that that isn't really true. We rounded out, as a conference, in form during conference play. And for me, looking at our team, we competed. We competed at Purdue and we competed with Michigan State. So again, we're not that far away. We've got a tough conference and we've got a competitive conference and I believe we are inching and making small steps to being a team that can compete for our conference title.
Q: There are high expectations for the incoming freshmen, what are your expectations for them?
A: We're definitely going to count on [the incoming group] to contribute right away, but all four of them wanted that challenge. While I think that they will have high expectations, I don't know that they won't already have put those expectations on themselves. They're competitors and they wanted the challenge of coming to Penn State, given where the program is right now, and helping to rebuild, and restore our tradition of excellence. That was the thing that really got all of four of them here is because they wanted that challenge. All of them could have gone to other programs in a major conference, and probably programs that were further along in their development and competing for being in post-season play and all that. All of them had that opportunity, but they specifically wanted to come to Penn State because of the opportunity and the challenges that lay here. So there will be big expectations, but I think they will put the same type of expectations on themselves to come and perform and be productive early on.
Q: What do you expect out of Nikki Green?
Some dunking hopefully. (laughs) Quite honestly, I expect her to give us the presence in the post that we've lacked for the last two years. I mean it's no secret we've been a little undersized and less athletic in the post position than a lot of the teams in our conference, but I think Nikki will be able to help change some of that. I think her size, and her athleticism will give us the punch inside that we need, the ability to score inside, give us an ability to go inside-out a little more and have a more balanced offensive attack. Also she can block shots and defend and I think that will give us a little bit more muscle in the middle defensively. And I think we'll get that both from her and Marissa Wolfe. I think they'll both give us that inside presence that we haven't really had the last two years.
Q: Your players have been through a few losing seasons, do you need to do something to help them have a winning attitude?
A: You know I'll say this about our current team: they hate to lose. They're competitive. They haven't quite figured out how to win games, but it's not because they don't care about winning, it's not because they don't want to win, it's not because they're not invested in the things you have to do night in and night out to win, it's just a slower process. Sometimes it can be a slow process. But I think they have the attitude that it takes to become winners and it's just a matter of putting the pieces together on the floor in terms of talent, in terms of positions and all that kind of stuff to be competitive in our conference. But one of the biggest things, one of the intangible things about our team this year was the growth that we saw and the competitiveness. We really had the same team from our first year to our second year, but you could see the competitiveness was different; the fight was different. There was no giving up. There was a lot more intensity and effort than the first year. So I think our kids, our returning kids, have the attitude, they have the fight that you need to continue to build into that winning tradition. I think it's just a matter of us continuing to talk about those things, to understand how to expect it from yourself, and to continuing to grow along that path. But I'm happy with the attitude that our kids have.
Q: Do you feel like they are starting to fight through at the end of games when things are going their way?
A: I think so. I think that's the next step. The first step is learning how to compete and getting it where the games are close. And then the next step is learning how to close those games out and learning how to do it consistently. We did it a couple of times. We did it at Michigan, we did it here at home against Wisconsin, but doing it consistently. And I think as year in and year out, as they have more expectations on them, and they get closer and closer and they can see their own progression along that path, that the hunger now to close out a game becomes even more engrained in them. So that's a step we have to make next year. This year we were competitive. This year we were in games. This year we fought to the end and now we got to continue to do that but take the next step, which is close out the games that we're supposed to close out and not lose games down the stretch out of insecurity, out of mistakes from being too tight, playing relaxed and having confidence that we can make the plays to win the game.
Q: Do you have thoughts on a lineup for next year or is it an open competition?
A: Open competition, always an open competition. I have high expectations for our returning players in terms of their ability to get better over the summer and I have high expectations for our incoming freshmen, but they are freshmen and you never know their learning curve. You know, how long it takes them to get things, how tough the transition will be from high school to college for them individually. You look for a good example, Tennessee [who] had the number one recruiting class in the country. So from a talent perspective, these freshmen should have been able to come in right away and pick things up, but they had a long learning curve. You know, I would have taken that bad season for Tennessee, but it was one of the worst seasons that Tennessee's ever had. So you don't know how the freshmen are going to make the adjustment. But is the talent there for [the incoming freshmen] to come in and have a big impact for us? Absolutely. So it'll be an open competition from day one and the five players that give us the best chance to be successful and that work the best together and that's my definition of giving us the best chance to be successful. We could very well start five players that are not our most talented players, but they work the best together and so they'll give us the chance to be successful.
Q: What are the future plans for the graduating seniors, in terms of playing basketball?
I know all three (Brianne O'Rourke, Mashea Williams and Rashida Mark) of them would like to [still play] if the opportunity is there. In terms of the WNBA, this is a bad year to come out, given the economics of the league. They trimmed their roster numbers, they've trimmed their training camp numbers, just even in number of players that they can invite into training camp has been cut down. So it's a tough year across the board to make an impact in the WNBA or to make a team, but I know they'll have opportunities and we'll see what happens with them in terms of making it into the WNBA. But if they don't I'm sure all three of them will try to play overseas. So they're still here working out and trying to stay in shape for that.
Q: Talk about your appointment to the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee.
It's great. What specifically [the committee] does is we picked the 19 and under team, and also the World University Games team for this summer. So we spent a lot of time talking about not only the players, but the coaches for those teams and talking a lot about some of the high school players and some of the top college players. So it's an exciting opportunity. I think it definitely gives us an opportunity to put Penn State out front as one of the nation's programs and get some publicity and keep our name out there and I think it helps in recruiting that we're in a position to kind of impact the next Olympic team in a small, a very small way. So I'm excited about working with the caliber of coaches that we're working with and hopefully we can keep putting gold medal teams together. The last few years the younger teams have just been winning gold and gold and gold, so it's our task to put some more gold medal wining teams together. So it's fun I'm looking forward to it.
Q: Are you expecting Meggan Quinn to return in time for next season?
A: I would expect her to be [back]. She'll be having surgery in the next week or so, which will give her from April to October to rehab and since it's only the ACL, there weren't any other ligaments or tendons or anything like that, it's a pretty straight forward rehab. So we're expecting there aren't any setbacks over the summer, we're expecting her to be back and ready to go at the start of the season. Whether that's October 15th or our first game I don't know, but sometime in there I would expect her to be ready to go and be able to get on the court for us.
Q: Is it harder for her to come back from a second serious knee injury?
A: Well you know she came back from the first one and that one was a longer rehab and more serious and her first one. So this will be her second one and as Julia [Trogele] told her, "Oh once you get through one, the second one's easy." But I tend to think she knows that she can come back from it. She knows that she can be a good player again. So it's just a matter of going through the rehab and she's had a great attitude about it.