Photo by: Greg Anderson
Transcript: Kelsey looks ahead to season opener
November 09, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Head coach Bobbie Kelsey met the media Monday for her weekly conference
MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin women's basketball head coach Bobbie Kelsey met with members of the media Monday at Camp Randall Stadium to preview Wisconsin's upcoming exhibition game against UW-Eau Claire and the season opener against Louisiana Tech.
Video of Kelsey's media session can be found above, and a complete transcript of her remarks is below.
KELSEY: It was nice to get out and play another team besides our practice players, or each other, so exhibitions are always tough, because it's no good match-ups. Usually the team coming in is a D-2 or D-3 team, and it's not a good match-up for your bigs, especially, but I thought our kids did a really good job of coming out and playing hard, in the beginning. The quarters are a little different; I like the quarters. The game just seemed to go faster to me.
But we had some good things, some things that we can work on. Obviously when you have game film, those are teachable moments for the kids, and -- but all in all I thought they did a good job. We had four people in double figures, couple of people with double rebounds. I thought Avyanna Young looked really good in her debut and also Marsha Howard, and the usual suspects, Tessa, Nicole and Dakota did a good job.
So we're just going to build upon what we did yesterday for our game on Wednesday.
QUESTION: Michala (Johnson) didn't play, and I know you're taking it slow with her. How is her progression going and her availability when you start playing real games?
KELSEY: Mic will be available. We are just trying to be cautious. Obviously these exhibition games don't count, so we don't want any freak accidents, anything happening to her. You can't bubble wrap 'em, as I always say, but we definitely want her to be able to get in there. She has been going up and down at practice, not a full scrimmage situation, but she looks good. She feels fine.
So we're going to leave that to the trainers, but the first game we expect her to be out there, maybe not the whole game, obviously she is coming back and trying to get her game legs under her, but she'll be out there.
QUESTION: Do you view Avyanna as someone that can continue to produce for you offensively?
KELSEY: Certainly. We didn't have her last year. You can tell what we were missing. To come out and get 15 points and 15 rebounds, and she probably could have 25 points, she missed some layups. Just trying to get herself -- she hasn't played in a year. Practice is not the games. You can practice all day long, but when you get under the lights and you are sitting on the bench with the uniform on and you have to sub in, and you have officials and crowds and family there, it's totally different.
For her, she is only going to get better. Marsha (Howard) is only going to get better. If I didn't know her team, I wouldn't pick her to be the freshman, maybe some other folks, but -- so she did very well. I was very proud of her and her effort last night.
QUESTION: How much different is your team with Michala out there, having that post presence?
KELSEY: It's really different. Anytime you have a post that you have to double, pay attention to, account for, who can do some things that maybe others on your team can't, she is only going to take pressure off of other people. That will open up Avyanna to get even more baskets-- because you can't leave her one-on-one -- I hope they do, I really do. But anybody that we have ever played does not leave Michaela one-on-one with their post player, unless they maybe have a height advantage, but still she can pull out and shoot a jumper.
She showed that last year in the game against Northwestern, I guess last year -- well, two years ago. She had 32 points. I mean, so she can do a number of different things, and her game is only expanding. She has the goal of playing in the WNBA, and she is going to have to show that versatility. But she would be undersized in the WNBA. She is not undersized for us, but she would be for that league.
She is going to have to learn how to be on the perimeter, be up at the high post. She shot a three or two. I tell her, don't get too excited about that. Every now and, again if you feel the need to do that, but I want her to be able to expand her game, so that's a good thing for us.
QUESTION: You're working with a new defensive system, probably take a little bit of time, but have the girls bought into it and excited about it?
KELSEY: I think so. Our problem last year was we were so worried about the 3-point shooters, not people getting to the basket, and you run the risk of fouls. So now you're going to have to beat us from the outside, and if your game is on that day, it will be tougher for us, but you still have to make that shot.
But anybody can make a layup. I mean, I can make one right now, and I have haven't played in 20 years, but -- so we are trying to keep them out of the paint. Make them make a pass, make them -- no straight-line drives. Everybody around here is familiar with the packed line defense. Now, ours wasn't as packed as we want it to be. I don't think Dick Bennett would be too proud of that packed line last night, but that's a defense that I think would work for us, it would really make it tough for the other team to get those straight-line drives that most of the athletic teams are used to getting, all the way to the rim, no problem.
So we're going to have to really pack it in on that ball and make them hit outside shots. And I think that would bode well for my team. Now, other teams I've been associated with you can play this deny and get up on people, but why do that if they can't really shoot anyway. So I think the strategy is to pack it in and make them beat us from the outside.
QUESTION: Roichelle Marble, seven rebounds, seven assists. She has had a tough year leading up to this. What did you see in Roichelle going forward?
KELSEY: You know, she is a really resilient kid. It's been tough on everybody, but mostly on her, because her dad was the big influence of her life, obviously he played basketball, was one of the best players in the country for his time at Iowa, so she is not out there putting pressure on herself to do -- you know, to live up to some standard, but it's there, and she wants to make her dad proud even though he's not here to see her, and unfortunately he never got to see her play it a Badger uniform.
You can't do anything about it, but I know she is motivated to play the way he would want her to play, better than what he would want her to play, and she hasn't played in a year -- she hasn't played since her high school -- last year, she didn't play. So for her to come out and get seven assists and seven rebounds in the 13 minutes that she played, I think that's a great stat line. I think she only had two turnovers or something like that, so coming in at the point guard spot, trying to, you know, back up Dakota, who has done a really good job for us through the years, it's a lot of pressure on Shelly. And we're trying to take some of that off of her by easing her into it, getting her -- putting her on the wing a little bit so she doesn't have all that pressure to try to call plays and run the offense, because she is just not used to doing it.
But she is capable, and we expect that from her and she expects it from herself. She is going to be fine. She just has to get her game legs under her, too. We have a lot of people that are new but not freshmen, if that makes sense. They've been here, they've been in practice but, again, practice is not the games.
QUESTION: What can you tell us about Louisiana Tech? I think people hear Louisiana Tech, and they think about the tradition that they had for so many years?
KELSEY: They're a formidable opponent. They did well last year. I think they were over 500 last year, they lost a lot of players. They lost some of their top scorers, but, again, every year you expect someone to step up. Now, we have the fortunate -- the situation of having our veterans back, but that doesn't mean anything -- you still have to go out and win the game. So they're going to be tough. They have a post player that's really good coming back, not sure about their guards, because they have some transfers that they're going to have out there. So we really don't know -- and that's the tough part about these games at the beginning of the year, you're really going by tape from last year, just trying to get some idea of what they run, maybe not personnel, because all those players have graduated. But you can get an idea of what -- because it's the same coach. Most times, coaches are going to run the same stuff, for the most part.
But, Tyler, he's a good coach. Obviously his pedigree, with mom. We all know who his mother is, and he grew up in that program at Tennessee. Mickie DeMoss is his assistant. That was Pat's right hand for umpteen years, so I expect 'em to be tough, but I expect us to be a lot better by the time that game rolls around.
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Video of Kelsey's media session can be found above, and a complete transcript of her remarks is below.
KELSEY: It was nice to get out and play another team besides our practice players, or each other, so exhibitions are always tough, because it's no good match-ups. Usually the team coming in is a D-2 or D-3 team, and it's not a good match-up for your bigs, especially, but I thought our kids did a really good job of coming out and playing hard, in the beginning. The quarters are a little different; I like the quarters. The game just seemed to go faster to me.
But we had some good things, some things that we can work on. Obviously when you have game film, those are teachable moments for the kids, and -- but all in all I thought they did a good job. We had four people in double figures, couple of people with double rebounds. I thought Avyanna Young looked really good in her debut and also Marsha Howard, and the usual suspects, Tessa, Nicole and Dakota did a good job.
So we're just going to build upon what we did yesterday for our game on Wednesday.
QUESTION: Michala (Johnson) didn't play, and I know you're taking it slow with her. How is her progression going and her availability when you start playing real games?
KELSEY: Mic will be available. We are just trying to be cautious. Obviously these exhibition games don't count, so we don't want any freak accidents, anything happening to her. You can't bubble wrap 'em, as I always say, but we definitely want her to be able to get in there. She has been going up and down at practice, not a full scrimmage situation, but she looks good. She feels fine.
So we're going to leave that to the trainers, but the first game we expect her to be out there, maybe not the whole game, obviously she is coming back and trying to get her game legs under her, but she'll be out there.
QUESTION: Do you view Avyanna as someone that can continue to produce for you offensively?
KELSEY: Certainly. We didn't have her last year. You can tell what we were missing. To come out and get 15 points and 15 rebounds, and she probably could have 25 points, she missed some layups. Just trying to get herself -- she hasn't played in a year. Practice is not the games. You can practice all day long, but when you get under the lights and you are sitting on the bench with the uniform on and you have to sub in, and you have officials and crowds and family there, it's totally different.
For her, she is only going to get better. Marsha (Howard) is only going to get better. If I didn't know her team, I wouldn't pick her to be the freshman, maybe some other folks, but -- so she did very well. I was very proud of her and her effort last night.
QUESTION: How much different is your team with Michala out there, having that post presence?
KELSEY: It's really different. Anytime you have a post that you have to double, pay attention to, account for, who can do some things that maybe others on your team can't, she is only going to take pressure off of other people. That will open up Avyanna to get even more baskets-- because you can't leave her one-on-one -- I hope they do, I really do. But anybody that we have ever played does not leave Michaela one-on-one with their post player, unless they maybe have a height advantage, but still she can pull out and shoot a jumper.
She showed that last year in the game against Northwestern, I guess last year -- well, two years ago. She had 32 points. I mean, so she can do a number of different things, and her game is only expanding. She has the goal of playing in the WNBA, and she is going to have to show that versatility. But she would be undersized in the WNBA. She is not undersized for us, but she would be for that league.
She is going to have to learn how to be on the perimeter, be up at the high post. She shot a three or two. I tell her, don't get too excited about that. Every now and, again if you feel the need to do that, but I want her to be able to expand her game, so that's a good thing for us.
QUESTION: You're working with a new defensive system, probably take a little bit of time, but have the girls bought into it and excited about it?
KELSEY: I think so. Our problem last year was we were so worried about the 3-point shooters, not people getting to the basket, and you run the risk of fouls. So now you're going to have to beat us from the outside, and if your game is on that day, it will be tougher for us, but you still have to make that shot.
But anybody can make a layup. I mean, I can make one right now, and I have haven't played in 20 years, but -- so we are trying to keep them out of the paint. Make them make a pass, make them -- no straight-line drives. Everybody around here is familiar with the packed line defense. Now, ours wasn't as packed as we want it to be. I don't think Dick Bennett would be too proud of that packed line last night, but that's a defense that I think would work for us, it would really make it tough for the other team to get those straight-line drives that most of the athletic teams are used to getting, all the way to the rim, no problem.
So we're going to have to really pack it in on that ball and make them hit outside shots. And I think that would bode well for my team. Now, other teams I've been associated with you can play this deny and get up on people, but why do that if they can't really shoot anyway. So I think the strategy is to pack it in and make them beat us from the outside.
QUESTION: Roichelle Marble, seven rebounds, seven assists. She has had a tough year leading up to this. What did you see in Roichelle going forward?
KELSEY: You know, she is a really resilient kid. It's been tough on everybody, but mostly on her, because her dad was the big influence of her life, obviously he played basketball, was one of the best players in the country for his time at Iowa, so she is not out there putting pressure on herself to do -- you know, to live up to some standard, but it's there, and she wants to make her dad proud even though he's not here to see her, and unfortunately he never got to see her play it a Badger uniform.
You can't do anything about it, but I know she is motivated to play the way he would want her to play, better than what he would want her to play, and she hasn't played in a year -- she hasn't played since her high school -- last year, she didn't play. So for her to come out and get seven assists and seven rebounds in the 13 minutes that she played, I think that's a great stat line. I think she only had two turnovers or something like that, so coming in at the point guard spot, trying to, you know, back up Dakota, who has done a really good job for us through the years, it's a lot of pressure on Shelly. And we're trying to take some of that off of her by easing her into it, getting her -- putting her on the wing a little bit so she doesn't have all that pressure to try to call plays and run the offense, because she is just not used to doing it.
But she is capable, and we expect that from her and she expects it from herself. She is going to be fine. She just has to get her game legs under her, too. We have a lot of people that are new but not freshmen, if that makes sense. They've been here, they've been in practice but, again, practice is not the games.
QUESTION: What can you tell us about Louisiana Tech? I think people hear Louisiana Tech, and they think about the tradition that they had for so many years?
KELSEY: They're a formidable opponent. They did well last year. I think they were over 500 last year, they lost a lot of players. They lost some of their top scorers, but, again, every year you expect someone to step up. Now, we have the fortunate -- the situation of having our veterans back, but that doesn't mean anything -- you still have to go out and win the game. So they're going to be tough. They have a post player that's really good coming back, not sure about their guards, because they have some transfers that they're going to have out there. So we really don't know -- and that's the tough part about these games at the beginning of the year, you're really going by tape from last year, just trying to get some idea of what they run, maybe not personnel, because all those players have graduated. But you can get an idea of what -- because it's the same coach. Most times, coaches are going to run the same stuff, for the most part.
But, Tyler, he's a good coach. Obviously his pedigree, with mom. We all know who his mother is, and he grew up in that program at Tennessee. Mickie DeMoss is his assistant. That was Pat's right hand for umpteen years, so I expect 'em to be tough, but I expect us to be a lot better by the time that game rolls around.
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