OU's D-Rob and Ashley
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Check out these HRR interviews with Oklahoma Sooners sophomore guard Danielle Robinson and senior post Ashley Paris from the 2008 Big 12 Media Day held in OKC on October 22, 2008.
Oklahoma senior post Ashley Paris
How do feel being a senior on the team this year? --
“I feel good. It’s a little sad though.”
Are you going to be more of a vocal leader this year? --
“Definitely. I feel like I’d be doing a disservice to this team to not be more vocal and not be more in a leadership role. I am one of the oldest players on the team; and, I’ve been here for a while.”
How is this team going to be different this season from your first few years at Oklahoma?
“My freshman year the team was a new experience for me. My sophomore year, I kind of had an old team. We had a ton of seniors and a ton of freshmen. Last year, we had a ton of young kids and we lost all of our seniors. This year, we have the same group of people as last year; but, we’re a year older now and more experienced and more mature and our chemistry is a lot better this year.”
What’s going to be key for Oklahoma to advance farther in the NCAA Tournament this year?
“Just taking care of business now in the preseason; and, I feel like we did that. We really matured and grew a lot as a team in the preseason. Making sure we make the most of the time we have now before game starts and really develop as a team and grow every game and every practice until that point.”
What did you do this offseason to improve your game?
“I worked on my all around game. I tried to extend my perimeter shot. As well as improve my physical fitness. I touched up my post game and just a little bit of everything.”
You seem to have lost weight. You look leaner. Is that right?
“Yes. I did lose weight over the summer in order to help get ready for this year.”
Do you have hopes to play professionally after Oklahoma?
“Yes. Definitely. Physically, I want to be able to play basketball for a very long time. I definitely want to play in the WNBA and overseas. I’m definitely not ready to give up basketball.”
Have you noticed a different attitude from Coach Coale thus far to try and get the team farther along in the NCAA Tournament?
“Not really. She adjusts with the players. I feel like she’s pretty consistent in how she coaches. In 2002, when she took that team to the Final Four, I don’t believe they were nearly as talented as the team she has now. We trust that she knows what it takes to get a team to the Final Four; and, we’re just trying to be mature enough and follow her lead.”
What are your thoughts on the Big 12 overall? –
“Very competitive. It’s a great league. Anything can happen on any given night. Every team is competitive. It’s obviously one of the strongest leagues in the country – if not the strongest. It’s a very excited league to play in.”
Oklahoma sophomore guard Danielle Robinson
How important is it to send the seniors off with a championship?
“I think it’s very important. As hard as they’ve worked over the years; and, all the different players they’ve played with and all the different players that have come through OU, I think it’s their turn to reap some of the benefits – Coach Coale, too. I think she definitely deserves a National Championship or at least another shot at one. And, this year, I think this team has the capability of doing that?”
What did you do this offseason to improve your game?
“Every day I shot one thousand shots. Lay-ups. Jumpers. Threes. I wrote down a list every day what I wanted to get done to make me better.”
Discuss the point guard situation on the team.
“I don’t think we’re going to struggle at all at the point guard position. Jasmine (Hartman) is real good. She’s a baller. She’s got speed. She’s got the handles and she can shoot the ball. She has a fire inside her; and, she represents Houston to the fullest. In addition to her, we have Rose Hammond who’s going play some point guard like she did last year. I think the experience Rose and I got last year playing point guard will help us this year. Jasmine and I worked our tails off in the individual drills with Coach Coale, too. Though I’m a sophomore and Jasmine is just a freshman, youth has nothing to do with our play. We don’t play to our class level. We have no worries about point guard this year.”
Do you feel more like a leader this year? Are you more comfortable this year?
“Yes. Definitely. I have a season under my belt; and, learning more about each player this year has helped. Coach Coale talks about having the connection you have and you can’t leave people you’re connected with. I think Jasmine and I have done a great job reaching out to all of our teammates and making sure we know them not just basketballwise but personally as well. Because you have to have a great connection with the people you’re going to lead.”
Discuss Oklahoma’s last five or six games to finish last season.
“We think about it. In the Big 12 Tournament, the Missouri loss (in the first round) hurt; but, we said to ourselves, ‘We still have the NCAA Tournament.’ But, we lost in the NCAAs, too; and, that was disappointing because we wanted the opportunity to play in front of our fans in the Oklahoma Regional. We definitely don’t want that to happen again. Even though everyone talks about the disappointment of last season, this is a new year. We have a sense of pride for not just the name on the front of our jerseys but also the last names on the back of the jerseys because that’s who we play for.”
What are your thoughts on Oklahoma being picked to win the Big 12 Conference?
“Last year, I was like ‘Okay, we’re picked number one.’ But, this year I’m like ‘Okay, we’re picked number one regardless of how we finished last season.’ We’ve worked extremely hard in the offseason; and, we’re just going to come out and play with the passion and fire that each of us has inside.”
What are your expectations for the team this year?
“I expect big things. Definitely. But, I’m not looking too far ahead. It’s going to be one practice at a time then one game at a time. Home or away. Not just conference play because our non-conference schedule is huge for us to be successful for us this year.
“The Big 12 Conference is the best conference in America; and, you have to come out and battle every night -- whether you’re at home or away – that’s going to be huge for our success this year. In the Big 12, we see every style of play: we see the shooting teams; the run and gun teams; the physical teams; those games will help us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
Oklahoma senior post Ashley Paris
How do feel being a senior on the team this year? --
“I feel good. It’s a little sad though.”
Are you going to be more of a vocal leader this year? --
“Definitely. I feel like I’d be doing a disservice to this team to not be more vocal and not be more in a leadership role. I am one of the oldest players on the team; and, I’ve been here for a while.”
How is this team going to be different this season from your first few years at Oklahoma?
“My freshman year the team was a new experience for me. My sophomore year, I kind of had an old team. We had a ton of seniors and a ton of freshmen. Last year, we had a ton of young kids and we lost all of our seniors. This year, we have the same group of people as last year; but, we’re a year older now and more experienced and more mature and our chemistry is a lot better this year.”
What’s going to be key for Oklahoma to advance farther in the NCAA Tournament this year?
“Just taking care of business now in the preseason; and, I feel like we did that. We really matured and grew a lot as a team in the preseason. Making sure we make the most of the time we have now before game starts and really develop as a team and grow every game and every practice until that point.”
What did you do this offseason to improve your game?
“I worked on my all around game. I tried to extend my perimeter shot. As well as improve my physical fitness. I touched up my post game and just a little bit of everything.”
You seem to have lost weight. You look leaner. Is that right?
“Yes. I did lose weight over the summer in order to help get ready for this year.”
Do you have hopes to play professionally after Oklahoma?
“Yes. Definitely. Physically, I want to be able to play basketball for a very long time. I definitely want to play in the WNBA and overseas. I’m definitely not ready to give up basketball.”
Have you noticed a different attitude from Coach Coale thus far to try and get the team farther along in the NCAA Tournament?
“Not really. She adjusts with the players. I feel like she’s pretty consistent in how she coaches. In 2002, when she took that team to the Final Four, I don’t believe they were nearly as talented as the team she has now. We trust that she knows what it takes to get a team to the Final Four; and, we’re just trying to be mature enough and follow her lead.”
What are your thoughts on the Big 12 overall? –
“Very competitive. It’s a great league. Anything can happen on any given night. Every team is competitive. It’s obviously one of the strongest leagues in the country – if not the strongest. It’s a very excited league to play in.”
Oklahoma sophomore guard Danielle Robinson
How important is it to send the seniors off with a championship?
“I think it’s very important. As hard as they’ve worked over the years; and, all the different players they’ve played with and all the different players that have come through OU, I think it’s their turn to reap some of the benefits – Coach Coale, too. I think she definitely deserves a National Championship or at least another shot at one. And, this year, I think this team has the capability of doing that?”
What did you do this offseason to improve your game?
“Every day I shot one thousand shots. Lay-ups. Jumpers. Threes. I wrote down a list every day what I wanted to get done to make me better.”
Discuss the point guard situation on the team.
“I don’t think we’re going to struggle at all at the point guard position. Jasmine (Hartman) is real good. She’s a baller. She’s got speed. She’s got the handles and she can shoot the ball. She has a fire inside her; and, she represents Houston to the fullest. In addition to her, we have Rose Hammond who’s going play some point guard like she did last year. I think the experience Rose and I got last year playing point guard will help us this year. Jasmine and I worked our tails off in the individual drills with Coach Coale, too. Though I’m a sophomore and Jasmine is just a freshman, youth has nothing to do with our play. We don’t play to our class level. We have no worries about point guard this year.”
Do you feel more like a leader this year? Are you more comfortable this year?
“Yes. Definitely. I have a season under my belt; and, learning more about each player this year has helped. Coach Coale talks about having the connection you have and you can’t leave people you’re connected with. I think Jasmine and I have done a great job reaching out to all of our teammates and making sure we know them not just basketballwise but personally as well. Because you have to have a great connection with the people you’re going to lead.”
Discuss Oklahoma’s last five or six games to finish last season.
“We think about it. In the Big 12 Tournament, the Missouri loss (in the first round) hurt; but, we said to ourselves, ‘We still have the NCAA Tournament.’ But, we lost in the NCAAs, too; and, that was disappointing because we wanted the opportunity to play in front of our fans in the Oklahoma Regional. We definitely don’t want that to happen again. Even though everyone talks about the disappointment of last season, this is a new year. We have a sense of pride for not just the name on the front of our jerseys but also the last names on the back of the jerseys because that’s who we play for.”
What are your thoughts on Oklahoma being picked to win the Big 12 Conference?
“Last year, I was like ‘Okay, we’re picked number one.’ But, this year I’m like ‘Okay, we’re picked number one regardless of how we finished last season.’ We’ve worked extremely hard in the offseason; and, we’re just going to come out and play with the passion and fire that each of us has inside.”
What are your expectations for the team this year?
“I expect big things. Definitely. But, I’m not looking too far ahead. It’s going to be one practice at a time then one game at a time. Home or away. Not just conference play because our non-conference schedule is huge for us to be successful for us this year.
“The Big 12 Conference is the best conference in America; and, you have to come out and battle every night -- whether you’re at home or away – that’s going to be huge for our success this year. In the Big 12, we see every style of play: we see the shooting teams; the run and gun teams; the physical teams; those games will help us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
posted by Kris G @ 2:33 PM
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