Nov. 10, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
The Samford University men's and women's basketball teams held their annual preseason Media Day on Wednesday, as the head coaches and specific players from each squad met for interviews with members of the local media at the Rotunda Club here on campus.
Samford head women's coach Mike Morris and men's coach Jimmy Tillette each addressed the assembly to begin the proceedings and then held question-and-answer sessions with the local TV stations. Both coaches touched upon the upcoming 2004-05 season and outlined the goals for their respective teams.
The following is a transcript of the coaches' question-and-answer session:
Samford Head Women's Coach Mike Morris
On the upcoming season
"I think that we're going to be better. We worked on getting stronger in the offseason and I think that we really have. It was one of our points of emphasis to get physically stronger and the young ladies have made an excellent commitment to that in the offseason. After one season in the OVC, we know exactly what we've got to do to get ourselves in a situation to win the league."
On how the strength translates to on-court success
"Last year, we were just getting physically pushed around and our league is a physical league. There's not necessarily a bunch of 6-3, 6-4 or 6-5 ladies in this conference, but they are just strong. We want our players to be strong enough to be able to hold their ground when they're fighting for position or guarding someone, and also it helps us from a confidence standpoint. We've been bouncing around a little bit more, cutting better and just moving around quicker in general."
"We're not trying to turn our players into middle linebackers, but we had a lot of room for improvement in that area."
On the goals for the team this season
"We've given each player a similar goal of wanting to have a winning season. We were 10-17 last year and a winning season would be a huge accomplishment. We want to win at least half of our league games and then make the conference tournament. I think that those goals are realistic and I think that is something that can be accomplished."
On recruiting against teams that have had long-established women's basketball programs
"The Samford name is starting to get out in those circles and the success that we had on the men's side has helped us. Also, having a football team helps, because girls watch football too on Saturday and they see the Samford name on the ticker. That helps us, but our academics are the biggest sell."
"We are a very young program. This is only our eighth year of competition and there are four or five teams in our league that have won more OVC championship than the amount of years that we've had a program. We recruit against teams that are rich in tradition, while we are not establishing our tradition."
Samford Head Men's Basketball Coach Jimmy Tillette
On the difference between this year's team and last year's team
"We are a lot more youthful this season. Last year, we were more experienced. Our personality as a team is different. We have a group of guys that are more animated and extroverted, while last year our team was introverted and phlegmatic."
On playing more zone defense this season due to some preseason injuries
"I think it is a myth that the zone defense is an energy-saver, whereas how we're trying to play the defense is one that is more disruptive and will take a lot of energy in order to do that."
On the players this year being a lot more team-oriented than self-oriented
"I think that our guys have always been committed to an extra pass. The mantra of our program is "One More", which is one more pass, but these guys really look for each other and they are a close-knit group of guys. They have outstanding chemistry and combine that with their competitive spirit and they are really good teammates, because they compete against each other with integrity on a daily basis."
On his goals this season
"Obviously, we would like to win the Ohio Valley Conference and to return to the NCAA Tournament. We were picked down in the preseason rankings, but those are probably some of the same people that were involved in the exit polls for the presidential election. I don't know where we're going to finish, but our guys work harder than any other group that we've had to this point, so that's a good sign.
On the team's offensive style of attack this season
"We have changed our emphasis of attack in terms of trying to score with some different type of action. But, I think, it's just our demeanor, I think we have a group of kids who are very feisty and competitive and are a really highly-energized group. They are a little different; last year's guys were older and more laid-back. So, these guys, while they are youthful, are a lot of fun to be around."
On playing a more fast-paced style of offense
"We are playing a little more up-tempo, but some of that can be misleading because we really haven't played a real game yet. As we step up into some competition, we will have to shorten the clock a little more. But, we are not intent on taking the ball as deep into the shot clock as we have in the past."
The Samford University women's basketball team will begin play in its competitive 2004-05 season on Monday, Nov. 15, as the Bulldogs host Montevallo in an exhibition contest at 7 p.m. The Samford men's team opens its regular-season schedule on the road in the Mohegan Sun Classic on Friday, Nov. 19, against Cal-State Fullerton in Hartford, Conn.
