Ags' Blair: "All of us are Changing"
KANSAS CITY, MO -- This transcript is from my interview with Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair. This part centers around the Aggies and Coach Blair's thoughts on the 2009 - 2010 season.
HRR: Give me your thoughts on the team thus far through these practices.
Coach Blair: We look like a talented AAU team with a lot of athleticism and speed. Now, what we’ve got to do is turn that into basketball players that can recognize situations and that can play.
Our core that we’ve had the last three to four years has all graduated; so, we’re trying to develop a new core and; I think we’ve got tremendous depth. I think that’s going to be good for us; but, sometimes that depth can confuse because you really don’t know.
We’ve got competition at the point guard position. We’ve got great competition at the two-guard position with (Sydney) Carter and Tyra White. Tanisha Smith is holding her own at the three. Probably, the surprise has been Adaora Elonu. She’s been the most solid kid from June on because of her work ethic. I think we’re going to be good.
‘Who’s going to be there at the five (center spot)?’ It will either be (Damitria) Buchanan, Kelsey Assarian; or the JUCO All-American Danielle Adams. We’ll play sort of a three-headed center right now until we see what we have. We’re probably going to need all three of them because of the non-conference schedule that we have.
We’re having to teach so much more because kids haven’t been in our system long enough or haven’t been in starting roles for us; so, all we’re doing every day is teach, teach, teach. There’s been very little coaching.
HRR: How has Danielle Adams adjusted to Texas A&M? Practice, etc.
Coach Blair: She’s adjusted; but, the whole first month – hamstring. She didn’t work out one day the whole first month; and, this is a kid that has to have the conditioning for how we play. The hamstring is better now; but, the hamstring lingers with you, sometimes, the whole year. We’ll just have to see how it is. Because of that hamstring, we haven’t been able to get her in the condition that we want; but, when she gets the ball, she can score. Anywhere on the court. That’s her strength. Now, obviously, she has a few weaknesses that we don’t want to put in the press (laughs); but, her strength is on the offensive end.
HRR: How about the team’s perimeter shooting this season? Will that be a strength?
Coach Blair: We have to get Tanisha to become a little bit more consistent with her perimeter shot. Tyra White; Carter; (Sydney) Colson is healthy now. I think when you look at a four-guard rotation of Colson, Carter, Tyra, and Tanisha that’s similar to what we had before when we had Aqua (A’Quonesia Franklin), (Danielle) Gant, Morenike (Atunrase), and (Takia) Starks.
Now, those kids have done it. These kids are trying to do it. That’s what we have to do is see if we can get the same type of production on both ends of the court. But, those four are solid. We know that they’re ready to start the season. We’re just trying to find out which freshmen, which role players are going to come in and be that fifth guard, that fifth player that we have to have in the rotation when talking about the one, two, and the three.
HRR: Talk about losing D.G. (Danielle Gant), T.K. (Starks) and (LaToya) Micheaux and what they meant to the program.
Coach Blair: It’s sort of like graduating your own kids from college. Gant and Starks meant so much. The four years that we had were so special.
Us, Oklahoma and Baylor the last three years have been the top three programs in the Conference as far as records. It’s been a battle among the three of us. Now, all of us are changing. The Parises (Courtney and Ashley) are gone. Baylor’s great class is coming in. My new kids are ready to step up. Then, you’ve got the teams like Texas and Kansas that are ready to go. Nebraska is healthy again. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will be very much improved. They’re not going to roll over for anybody. Then, you’ve got other teams that have good players; but, they might not have the core the teams I just mentioned have.
I think in this league you can’t get by with just one good player. You better have three good ones, two role players, and you better have at least three or four on the bench that can produce for you.
HRR: Give me your thoughts on the team thus far through these practices.
Coach Blair: We look like a talented AAU team with a lot of athleticism and speed. Now, what we’ve got to do is turn that into basketball players that can recognize situations and that can play.
Our core that we’ve had the last three to four years has all graduated; so, we’re trying to develop a new core and; I think we’ve got tremendous depth. I think that’s going to be good for us; but, sometimes that depth can confuse because you really don’t know.
We’ve got competition at the point guard position. We’ve got great competition at the two-guard position with (Sydney) Carter and Tyra White. Tanisha Smith is holding her own at the three. Probably, the surprise has been Adaora Elonu. She’s been the most solid kid from June on because of her work ethic. I think we’re going to be good.
‘Who’s going to be there at the five (center spot)?’ It will either be (Damitria) Buchanan, Kelsey Assarian; or the JUCO All-American Danielle Adams. We’ll play sort of a three-headed center right now until we see what we have. We’re probably going to need all three of them because of the non-conference schedule that we have.
We’re having to teach so much more because kids haven’t been in our system long enough or haven’t been in starting roles for us; so, all we’re doing every day is teach, teach, teach. There’s been very little coaching.
HRR: How has Danielle Adams adjusted to Texas A&M? Practice, etc.
Coach Blair: She’s adjusted; but, the whole first month – hamstring. She didn’t work out one day the whole first month; and, this is a kid that has to have the conditioning for how we play. The hamstring is better now; but, the hamstring lingers with you, sometimes, the whole year. We’ll just have to see how it is. Because of that hamstring, we haven’t been able to get her in the condition that we want; but, when she gets the ball, she can score. Anywhere on the court. That’s her strength. Now, obviously, she has a few weaknesses that we don’t want to put in the press (laughs); but, her strength is on the offensive end.
HRR: How about the team’s perimeter shooting this season? Will that be a strength?
Coach Blair: We have to get Tanisha to become a little bit more consistent with her perimeter shot. Tyra White; Carter; (Sydney) Colson is healthy now. I think when you look at a four-guard rotation of Colson, Carter, Tyra, and Tanisha that’s similar to what we had before when we had Aqua (A’Quonesia Franklin), (Danielle) Gant, Morenike (Atunrase), and (Takia) Starks.
Now, those kids have done it. These kids are trying to do it. That’s what we have to do is see if we can get the same type of production on both ends of the court. But, those four are solid. We know that they’re ready to start the season. We’re just trying to find out which freshmen, which role players are going to come in and be that fifth guard, that fifth player that we have to have in the rotation when talking about the one, two, and the three.
HRR: Talk about losing D.G. (Danielle Gant), T.K. (Starks) and (LaToya) Micheaux and what they meant to the program.
Coach Blair: It’s sort of like graduating your own kids from college. Gant and Starks meant so much. The four years that we had were so special.
Us, Oklahoma and Baylor the last three years have been the top three programs in the Conference as far as records. It’s been a battle among the three of us. Now, all of us are changing. The Parises (Courtney and Ashley) are gone. Baylor’s great class is coming in. My new kids are ready to step up. Then, you’ve got the teams like Texas and Kansas that are ready to go. Nebraska is healthy again. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will be very much improved. They’re not going to roll over for anybody. Then, you’ve got other teams that have good players; but, they might not have the core the teams I just mentioned have.
I think in this league you can’t get by with just one good player. You better have three good ones, two role players, and you better have at least three or four on the bench that can produce for you.
posted by Kris Gardner @ 9:37 PM
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