OU's D-Rob: "It was a great experience"
KANSAS CITY, MO -- I'm wrapping up posting the transcripts of my 1-on-1 interviews from the 2009 Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day (October 21); and, here's my chat with Oklahoma Sooners junior point guard Danielle Robinson.
D-Rob discussed playing with USA Basketball this summer in the World University Games; "life after the Parises" this season for the Sooners; Abi Olajuwon; and last season's tough loss to Louisville in the NCAA's Final Four.
HRR: Tell me what you did this summer to improve your game?
D-Rob: Well, first off, I played with USA Basketball (World University Games) – with Danielle McCray (Kansas) and everybody else. It was a great experience. I got out there to Colorado, where it’s not easy to breathe, worked hard; then, we went to Serbia for two and a half weeks and helped win the gold medal. I definitely hand to extend my range out there and handle the basketball – a basketball which doesn’t feel like a basketball. We won games; and, I helped lead a team. I definitely think the experience was huge in helping develop my game.
After that, I went home to California and rested since I hadn’t done that since the Final Four (in April). Then, I came back to Norman (Oklahoma) and went to work.
HRR: How different was it playing international basketball compared to the Big 12 or non-conference basketball?
D-Rob: Oh, wow! International ball is WAY more physical. The girls are a lot bigger and older. They’ve been playing together for years; and, they’ve won a lot of games; so, us going there not playing against anybody before nor playing together was an adjustment. But, we kind of smooth things out playing in Colorado; and, we went to Serbia as a cohesive unit and played and represented the United States.
HRR: Does USA Basketball instill in the players that you are representing your country.
D-Rob: Definitely. They talk about that when you show up for the first tryout. You’re not only representing your school or your family, you’re representing your whole country and that it is expected that you win – especially in basketball. For us to carry on that legacy is going to be HUGE. We had a great coaching staff in Julie (Rousseau, assistant coach, Pepperdine), Charlie (Turner-Thorne, head coach, Arizona State), and Suzy (Merchant, assistant coach, Michigan State). I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.
HRR: Talk about this season and life after Courtney and Ashley?
D-Rob: (laughs) Every team loses seniors. They were great for this program; but, we have Abi Olajuwon; Lyndsey Cloman; and Joanna McFarland. They’ve been coming to practice every day willing to work. Abi practiced against Courtney the past three years. What other post player has done that? Teams may play against her game in and game out; but, they didn’t practice against Courtney. Abi has gotten so much better with them being here. I definitely think now is her time to shine. She’s doing that and leading Joanna and Lyndsey every day.
Of course, we’re definitely going to be more guard oriented because our guards have more experience; but, I definitely think that the post presence is going to be huge as well.
HRR: Talk about how much better conditioning Abi is in right now.
D-Rob: Oh yeah. She made a commitment to not only herself but to the team to lose weight; and, she looks amazing. She did some things on her own besides the conditioning in the morning and the stuff in the summer that helped her lose weight and it showed how true she’s going to be to not only herself but to us. Plus, she’s keeping it off and that’s what so great. She’s not satisfied. She did it and she’s keeping it off. She’s knows it’s going to help our team win games. We’re definitely proud of her.
HRR: Have you gotten over the loss in the Final Four, yet?
D-Rob: Aww man. I think it will be hard to get over it. You still think about it every once in a while; but, once we start playing games and get into the NCAA Tournament, I think maybe it’s a possibility I’ll get over it. But, until then, until we start playing, it’s still in the back of your mind – ‘that’s how we ended our season’.
But, we’re all right.
D-Rob discussed playing with USA Basketball this summer in the World University Games; "life after the Parises" this season for the Sooners; Abi Olajuwon; and last season's tough loss to Louisville in the NCAA's Final Four.
HRR: Tell me what you did this summer to improve your game?
D-Rob: Well, first off, I played with USA Basketball (World University Games) – with Danielle McCray (Kansas) and everybody else. It was a great experience. I got out there to Colorado, where it’s not easy to breathe, worked hard; then, we went to Serbia for two and a half weeks and helped win the gold medal. I definitely hand to extend my range out there and handle the basketball – a basketball which doesn’t feel like a basketball. We won games; and, I helped lead a team. I definitely think the experience was huge in helping develop my game.
After that, I went home to California and rested since I hadn’t done that since the Final Four (in April). Then, I came back to Norman (Oklahoma) and went to work.
HRR: How different was it playing international basketball compared to the Big 12 or non-conference basketball?
D-Rob: Oh, wow! International ball is WAY more physical. The girls are a lot bigger and older. They’ve been playing together for years; and, they’ve won a lot of games; so, us going there not playing against anybody before nor playing together was an adjustment. But, we kind of smooth things out playing in Colorado; and, we went to Serbia as a cohesive unit and played and represented the United States.
HRR: Does USA Basketball instill in the players that you are representing your country.
D-Rob: Definitely. They talk about that when you show up for the first tryout. You’re not only representing your school or your family, you’re representing your whole country and that it is expected that you win – especially in basketball. For us to carry on that legacy is going to be HUGE. We had a great coaching staff in Julie (Rousseau, assistant coach, Pepperdine), Charlie (Turner-Thorne, head coach, Arizona State), and Suzy (Merchant, assistant coach, Michigan State). I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.
HRR: Talk about this season and life after Courtney and Ashley?
D-Rob: (laughs) Every team loses seniors. They were great for this program; but, we have Abi Olajuwon; Lyndsey Cloman; and Joanna McFarland. They’ve been coming to practice every day willing to work. Abi practiced against Courtney the past three years. What other post player has done that? Teams may play against her game in and game out; but, they didn’t practice against Courtney. Abi has gotten so much better with them being here. I definitely think now is her time to shine. She’s doing that and leading Joanna and Lyndsey every day.
Of course, we’re definitely going to be more guard oriented because our guards have more experience; but, I definitely think that the post presence is going to be huge as well.
HRR: Talk about how much better conditioning Abi is in right now.
D-Rob: Oh yeah. She made a commitment to not only herself but to the team to lose weight; and, she looks amazing. She did some things on her own besides the conditioning in the morning and the stuff in the summer that helped her lose weight and it showed how true she’s going to be to not only herself but to us. Plus, she’s keeping it off and that’s what so great. She’s not satisfied. She did it and she’s keeping it off. She’s knows it’s going to help our team win games. We’re definitely proud of her.
HRR: Have you gotten over the loss in the Final Four, yet?
D-Rob: Aww man. I think it will be hard to get over it. You still think about it every once in a while; but, once we start playing games and get into the NCAA Tournament, I think maybe it’s a possibility I’ll get over it. But, until then, until we start playing, it’s still in the back of your mind – ‘that’s how we ended our season’.
But, we’re all right.
posted by Kris G @ 8:52 PM
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