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A&M's Gary Blair on facing UConn: "It might happen."
Texas A&M coach Gary Blair is no stranger to shocking the women's college basketball world with improbable March Madness upsets.
Back in 2011 very few people expected the Aggies to win the national title. However, the Danielle Adams-led Aggies were the ones cutting down the nets.
Now A&M has the arduous task of trying to dethrone defending national champion UConn in Monday night's regional final.
"Hopefully we will be able to keep Karla (Gilbert) out of foul trouble and if not you will see a big dose of Rachel (Mitchell) in there so she will have to grow up to play against the best tandem post players in the country (Stefanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart), nobody can compare to what those two can do inside and out. Dolson is going to go out there an shoot the 3 ball at the top of the key.
Tomorrow is Sunday so we will probably hit church first.
"They counted us out in 2011 in 2011 too, they counted us out in the Final Four, Nobody except (ESPN's) Carolyn Peck at the end who said A&M is going to win the last game, everybody counted us out. Don't count Aggies out, we might be undermanned. I have a nice team, they have a great team but the difference is it is a 40-minute game and it is not a season series. If it was a series, best out of seven, I wouldn't like my chances. It is one game, 40 minutes, it might happen."
Here's more from the always quotable Blair.
"(Moriah) Jefferson might be their most valuable player. All the others are all-americans but Jefferson from what she is doing for their team, how she controls it and keeps an even temperament, she is very good. I have grown up recruiting her very hard.
"It is going to be fun, it is going to be a great matchup in Nebraska. Our kids are going to have a good time. Our kids are going to give a show. We are not going to back up, we are going to give everything we have. That is what the country deserves. You had four games today that were all won by double figures or more, hopefully that doesn't happen tomorrow. You need closer games to keep the people watching television and keep the people back home interested
"They went inside and got the baskets inside (after struggling in the first half). Connecticut did a great job in the second half. They still started hitting them (3-pointers) late, (Kaleena Mosqueda)Lewis is unbelievable. She hasn't met a shot she couldn't make or didn't like, she is very good. Stewart got by playing an average game for them herself, that is how good the best player in the country is."
Aggie guard Jordan Jones also discussed the challenge of facing UConn.
"If we follow out game plan, play hard and not worry about the fact that it says UConn on their jersey as so many teams get caught up with it being UConn and it is just that mental aspect of it."
Back in 2011 very few people expected the Aggies to win the national title. However, the Danielle Adams-led Aggies were the ones cutting down the nets.
Now A&M has the arduous task of trying to dethrone defending national champion UConn in Monday night's regional final.
"Hopefully we will be able to keep Karla (Gilbert) out of foul trouble and if not you will see a big dose of Rachel (Mitchell) in there so she will have to grow up to play against the best tandem post players in the country (Stefanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart), nobody can compare to what those two can do inside and out. Dolson is going to go out there an shoot the 3 ball at the top of the key.
Tomorrow is Sunday so we will probably hit church first.
"They counted us out in 2011 in 2011 too, they counted us out in the Final Four, Nobody except (ESPN's) Carolyn Peck at the end who said A&M is going to win the last game, everybody counted us out. Don't count Aggies out, we might be undermanned. I have a nice team, they have a great team but the difference is it is a 40-minute game and it is not a season series. If it was a series, best out of seven, I wouldn't like my chances. It is one game, 40 minutes, it might happen."
Here's more from the always quotable Blair.
"(Moriah) Jefferson might be their most valuable player. All the others are all-americans but Jefferson from what she is doing for their team, how she controls it and keeps an even temperament, she is very good. I have grown up recruiting her very hard.
"It is going to be fun, it is going to be a great matchup in Nebraska. Our kids are going to have a good time. Our kids are going to give a show. We are not going to back up, we are going to give everything we have. That is what the country deserves. You had four games today that were all won by double figures or more, hopefully that doesn't happen tomorrow. You need closer games to keep the people watching television and keep the people back home interested
"They went inside and got the baskets inside (after struggling in the first half). Connecticut did a great job in the second half. They still started hitting them (3-pointers) late, (Kaleena Mosqueda)Lewis is unbelievable. She hasn't met a shot she couldn't make or didn't like, she is very good. Stewart got by playing an average game for them herself, that is how good the best player in the country is."
Aggie guard Jordan Jones also discussed the challenge of facing UConn.
"If we follow out game plan, play hard and not worry about the fact that it says UConn on their jersey as so many teams get caught up with it being UConn and it is just that mental aspect of it."
Labels: Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Stefanie Dolson
posted by Jim Fuller at
10:14 PM
2 Comments:
UConn has two #1, one #2, and three other starters ranked in the top 20 or 30. BYU was built with players ranked outside the top 100. It was only a matter of time for the team with more talent to play slightly better than BYU. UConn coaches get more credit than they should get, because they do not play in the games. But you have to wonder what CD and Marissa could have accomplished in 4 years with BYU's 6'7" center. Her baseline jumper is unstoppable but rarely used. Texas A&M is built with recruits close to UConn than to BYU. I would not be surprised to see UConn trail for most of the game and possibly lose, unless the Huskies play to their "dreaded potential".
UConn Husky Fan -- I'd be very surprised if A&M lead at the half or even had a long stretch in the lead, and thus possibly lose. Indeed there are rare big upsets, but UConn 2014 is not Baylor 2013, albeit both heavily favored. BU had two AA's and UConn likely has 4-5 AA's (if you count 1st team thru 3rd from AP AA, then 4; if you count Honorable Mention, then 5). So A&M cannot use the L'ville playbook from last season. Plus UConn's defense is all over the court-based, whereas BU had an interior-based defense that couldn't slow or stop L'ville's threes.
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