Arizona’s 2012-13 women’s basketball squad met with the media on Monday to preview the upcoming season and reflect on preseason training. Below are quotes from Coach Butts and select players.
“We’re excited about the start f the season. We plan to start the season stronger than we finished last season. I think our team is ready. I think we’re hungry for another challenge. I hope we can keep everybody healthy and take Davellyn (Whyte) to the tournament.”
On which of the newcomers has stood out:
“Alli Gloyd has really stood out to me. Not only is she a good athlete and a good talent, but I think she’s a good kid.”
“With Davellyn Whyte stepping up as our leader, even more so this year than in the past, will really benefit us this year. Davellyn will need to be a little more vocal this year and control her frustration a little bit better, not just with the outcome of the game, but with herself. When you’re a talented player like Davellyn, sometimes when your team is not getting the results you want, you take it on yourself and internalize that. So she has to handle those things a little bit better. For the most part, we just need her to shoot the basketball, defend and rebound the basketball like we want her to.”
On any pressure to succeed:
“I’m competitive in my nature, so I put a lot of pressure on myself. When you look back at the second half of last season, Candice Warthen getting hurt and losing Cheshi Poston at the end of the first semester really hurt us. But this year, we’re hoping to start faster and our goals are nothing short of the field of 64.”
On the team’s strength:
“I think we’re going to have a solid rotation. In the past, our bench has been really short and this year we’re going to have players coming off the bench that could potentially start. We have a newcomer by the name of Carissa Crutchfield from Oklahoma State and she will be able to play right away for us and I think that helps a lot. Pick any five and you could argue that they could start. I feel really good about that because I think depth at every position is key.”
“We changed the culture. This year, the players bought into it a lot earlier. So based on that mindset, this team is better than past teams.”
On the chemistry with the newcomers:
“We’ve been working out together since June, so the newcomers didn’t have any time to slack off, they were just thrown right into the swing of things. The new kids didn’t really have any choice but to just go with the flow, so I think they’re doing very well.”
"The feeling is totally different. We're on fire, everybody is ready to compete, everybody is ready to go. We're embracing the intensity. All the hard work we've done since we've been here, after last season, I think we're ready and it is a good feeling."
On how the newcomers have contributed:
"They've been great actually. They came in and worked right along with us and we know we've made a family. They are also entertaining.”
On what she hopes the team will accomplish:
"We're looking to be one of the top teams in the Pac-12. We're ready for that and it's very possible, very possible."
On what she has been working on in the off-season:
“I’ve been working on my ball handling and my leadership. Coach Butts want me to be a leader out there, being the point guard. I’ve been working on whatever they need me to work on.”
On what she brings to the team:
“I can benefit the team any way they need me: being vocal, dishing out assists. We’ve got a lot of players on this team that can score, so I just have to get them the ball and let them do what they do.”
On her goals for this season:
“Going the NCAA Tournament and going far. This team didn’t go to the NCAA Tournament last year, so just get in and finish the season strong.”
“We’re really anxious. We’re excited for our scrimmage on Saturday and obviously our game on Monday.”
On the team’s chemistry:
“It’s definitely coming along. With new teammates it takes time to build and we’ve definitely built.”
On working with Coach Butts:
“I approach every day and each practice and even in my school work, I go 110%. If the coaches tell me to do something, I do my very hardest to do it.”
On finishing strong:
“It’s very important for us to finish strong. It’s something we talk about every day and we’ve been working toward that.”
On the team’s strong point:
“We really don’t have a weak link. We all work very hard and we work hard together. Everybody’s on the same page; everybody’s all in.”
On Davellyn Whyte’s leadership:
“I’ve competed against Dav since high school and I’ve always thought she was an excellent player. It’s definitely been an honor for me to be able to play with her, even if it will only be for one year. Already, she’s an excellent leader.”
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