Preview and Q&A with Sherri Coale

NORMAN, Okla. - - Oklahoma women's basketball head coach Sherri Coale sat down with SoonerSports.com and talked extensively about her program. Below is a transcript of that interview. Also included is a brief preview of the season and a link ot the 2005 women's basketball summer prospectus:

On the 2004-05 season:
I am still disappointed in the outcome of last season. I felt like we were good enough to win a couple games in the NCAA Tournament and certainly that NCAA game against Arizona.

It was a tough year by our standards. We are our own toughest critics and we have set the bar so high for ourselves that we are not satisfied unless we are in the Final Four or bringing home trophies. We didn't do either of those last year, so I think there is a sense of hunger, determination and renewed commitment on behalf of the returning players.

On the loss of Lauren Shoush and Dionnah Jackson:
Every time you lose seniors it hurts the program and you have a void that needs to be filled. You don't replace them. You may replace what they gave you, but you don't replace the person and their personalities because they are imprinted on the program and are forever a part of what you do.

2005 Summer Prospectus | Complete 2005-06 Schedule | PDF

(We will miss) Shoush's intangibles, her diving on the floor and always being up and finding a way to ignite her team. Those traits will be tough to come by, as will Dionnah's eight rebounds a game, not to mention her points and her minutes played.

We will miss them both and each was a huge contributor to our perimeter game last season. On the same note, all of our returning players have experience and know our program. Finding the leadership qualities in the returning group is certainly going to be something we address in the upcoming months.

On the offensive potential of the 2005-06 team:
I think we will be different from last year but I will be very disappointed if we do not score points at the rate that we are accustomed to and more. The general consensus is that if you gain size, you slow down and we have always been an up-tempo program. I don't see that happening at all. Courtney and Ashley (Paris) are both very mobile and we have the guard presence to push the ball and run the floor. We won't have that pure speed that Dionnah provided, but we are still going to manufacture easy baskets and that is how you score a lot of points.

We have the potential to surround dominant post players with great shooters on all sides. We have a chance to put three outstanding 3-point shooters on the floor at the guard positions and make teams choose. It should gives us a lot of options offensively.

We have not spent enough time with the twins (Ashley and Courtney Paris) yet to know exactly what style of team we will be. We are definitely going to be different because we will have tremendous size at the block unlike we have ever had.

On the leadership roles left by the departure of Lauren Shoush and Dionnah Jackson:
What is the old quote, You don't designate your leaders, you find them one at a time.' I think we really challenged our players in the spring to see whose team it would be and who would take on that leadership role.

There is no doubt that Leah Rush is one of the leaders of this team. The way she has carried herself, the actions that she has taken and the responsibility that she has accepted over the summer have shown that. Along with Leah, Britney Brown has stepped up. Those two have shown that they want the reins.

We will still examine the situation when the fall arrives, but those two have separated themselves from the rest of the squad at this point.

On the national buzz created by the signing of the Paris twins:
It is so far reaching that it is hard to explain. For the average fan it is immediate productivity, you have a big player in the block and now Texas' center can't score 30 because there is someone talented enough to guard her. That should be true and that is obvious, but the ripple effect from signing someone like that is incredible.

The media attention has increased tremendously. We were on the front page of the sports section in the middle of spring football and that never happens.

It shows up in recruiting. Every prospect we call says, We know you have the twins and my daughter would really like to play with them.' It really is amazing how well known they are, how well liked they are and how respected they have become.

Their potential is somewhere off the charts. I don't know how good they can be. A lot of that will depend on their minds, competitive streak and work ethic. We will find out about those things in the coming months.

Their influence will be for more than just four years, it will really be like 16 years because they will influence players to come to OU and that will trickle down from generation to generation.

I heard a coach say on the road this year that, I have been living off player X for 20 years.' That great player got him in with another, who led him to another outstanding player and the cycle just continued. It is really fascinating how that works.

On controlling the pressures and expectations put on Ashley and Courtney Paris:
I can compare it in some ways to when Stacey Dales came in. She didn't have the national or even state wide attention of Ashley and Courtney Paris. In fact, she was somewhat of an unknown recruit because she was from Canada. Regardless of her reputation, we were very excited about her potential and didn't shy away from broadcasting it. We knew she could become the face of our program.

We built up quite an image for her to fulfill. Prior to arriving in Norman, she was the second coming. Then she injured her knee as a freshman and the myth continued to grow as people watched her work back from the injury.

For the twins there is a little bit of that, except they have national reputations. There is true pressure from all across the country. Some people who have seen them play are convinced they will be great college players. Others want them to go prove it and wonder if they are as good as the projections. The biggest determinant will be what goes on between their ears. There is no doubt about it.

It is up to all of us to make sure that we remember that they are 17 years old. Six months ago they were playing against 14-year-olds on the high school court. We have to be careful that we don't expect them to be Sheryl Swoopes incarnate in their first year.

Both are gifted and talented enough to make an immediate impact. I believe the fact that they are surrounded by hard-working players who really understand the game will play a role in keeping them humble. It should also help their development.

At the same time we still need to stretch them as far as we can and always keep the bar just outside their grasp because their ceiling is way up there.

On the potential effect of a low post presence on Leah Rush and Erin Higgins:
They (Ashley and Courtney Paris) are a shooter's dream companion. For a guard, your best friend is a post player. People have to choose, you guard Courtney one-on-one and you take a risk.

Teams will have to make a choice this season. Last year teams could cheat because Leah did not have the size of other centers in our league. Now they (opposing teams) are going to have stay home to protect against the inside presence. That gives Erin Higgins a breath and that is all she needs sometimes.

If people want to put a chaser on Erin and a chaser on Chelsi Welch, then they will have to pull someone off of Leah. What are they going to do? It is exciting because we are going to make teams pick their poison.

On the effect of point guard Britney Brown starting the final four games of 2004--05:
It was huge. It was big for her confidence, which has always been strong, but there is a difference between believing you can do it and actually getting on the court and succeeding.

She actually made the transition at a very pressurized point in the season. At that point we were on the chopping block. Our (NCAA) tournament life was in the balance and she delivered. She was terrific in terms of getting us to that point and then in the NCAA game against Arizona.

She has earned the respect of her teammates as a capable leader and performer. She is not the type of player that is going to blow you away athletically. You are not going to watch our team and say, Wow, your point guard is unbelievable.' That is unless you are a basketball connoisseur and then it is apparent that Britney is the reason it all works because she runs it right.

That is what we need her to be. We may need her to be the glue that goes in between those guys. She is tough and resilient. Additionally, she has worked with an impressive resume of consistency this summer.

On concerns about depth with an 11-player roster:
I am not concerned. If all those 11 players know their role and perform their role appropriately, we will be in great shape. There is no doubt about it.

On the potential for a change in style of play:
To a certain extent iy is a situation where we will get on the court and see what we have and what we can do. We have decided some things already. Schematically, we know things we want to do different defensively.

Offensively, we won't ever veer far away from the motion offense because I believe it is the right way to play. Regardless of who is on the floor there are a lot of options within the system. The formation we play motion in will depend on who is on the floor.

I believe one of our strengths is going to be our versatility. We can go big, which is something we have never been able to do. Or we can go with five guards, because Leah (Rush) has proven she can play in that capacity.

It may be one of those things that is dictated by the personal that is on the floor at the time. The motion offense gives you the liberty to do that. The concepts and philosophies are really the same regardless of the lineup. The only thing that really changes is the spacing.

On the schedule:
Without a doubt, the schedule is very daunting, especially when viewed as a precursor to the always difficult Big 12 season.

In my view, the non-conference season should be used as preparation for attaining a Big 12 Championship. I don't see the good in having a strong non-conference showing if it doesn't translate to conference play. Our goal is always to win the Big 12, that is what OU basketball is all about.

I couldn't tell you what my win/loss record is as a coach and I could care less. You can't go play cupcakes in November and think that you will be ready for Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech. You will put your kids in culture shock if you do that. By the same token, you can't play the caliber of Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech all season and not be absolutely exhausted at the most important point of the season.

There has to be a balance in the schedule and at the same time a balance in the mental equilibrium of your players.

I look back at the Final Four team and we opened against Purdue in the State Farm Classic. We played terrible and had a ton of players in foul trouble, but in the end we won the game and it was a perfect way to start the season for a team that was new to the national spotlight. Any doubt or quiet nagging was laid on the table for everyone to see. There were all kinds of what ifs' coming into that game and we answered them all.

I think that was the key to our confidence level for that season and was a major factor in our run to the national championship game against Connecticut. So you take on opportunities like that and try to use them. The (preseason) WNIT gives us a tremendous opportunity to make a national mark. The thing about that tournament is that it will put you on people's radar screen and with the difficulty of our conference, you will stay on that radar screen. It can give you staying power in the national picture.

One thing is for sure, we will make Ashley and Courtney (Paris) grow up early. The rest of these guys know how to do it. They have been there before.

On the excitement of possibly playing three WNIT games in Norman:
The WNIT is such an opportunity event. Sometimes it is hard for a coaching staff or administration to grasp because it is like the NCAA Tournament. It is a scramble. You don't know who you are going to play, where you're going to play or how you are going to travel. In this case, you start the season with that scramble.

At the same time there is a great amount of excitement because these are teams you would not normally face at this time of the season. We can play high quality home games for our season ticket holders and our fans in the opening days of November.

It is also a chance to put on an attractive event that entices people that may not have even come to a game until Texas in January. Hopefully we can attract them to this great product early and if the product is as it ought to be, they are going to come back. Then they will get attached and hopefully want to become a season ticket holder.

It is by far the most lucrative and exciting opportunity we have had of catapulting our fan base to another level.

On the prime objective entering the fall:
For the season the primary objective is to win a Big 12 Championship. That never changes.

For the preseason, it is to have 11 healthy bodies going into that first game. We have gotten pretty fine tuned about that goal.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2005-06

Who's Gone?
Five student-athletes from the 2004-05 Oklahoma women's basketball team will not be back in for the 05-06 campaign. Guard/forward Dionnah Jackson (14.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and guard Lauren Shoush (6.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) concluded successful four-year collegiate careers, while sophomore Casey Walker (3.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg) decided to just pursue a degree, freshman Kelly Lam (1.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg) transferred to Marquette and freshman Stephanie McGhee (2.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg) left the program midway through her rookie season.

No player will be more sorely missed that the do-it all Jackson. The versatile athlete, who was an All-American as a senior, was drafted in the first round of 2005 WNBA Draft. The energetic Shoush had her most productive season as a senior. The instant energy and intangibles she brought to the Sooner squad will not be instantly replaced. Both Jackson (public relations) and Shoush (elementary education) are expected to graduate from OU in December of this year.

None of the other three departed players were regular contributors last season, although the depth they would have provided will be absent in 05-06, when OU fields an 11-member team.

Who's Back?
Nine letterwinners will be back in the fold for the upcoming season, including two of the top four scorers and rebounders.

In the front court, All-Big 12 foward Leah Rush returns after leading the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) as a sophomore. The crafty forward was also second on the squad in rebounds (6.3 rpg) and free-throw percentage (84.7 %). She has spent a portion of her summer as a finalist for the USA World University Games Team and is expected to be a team leader on and off the court this year.

Rush is among four returning front court players and will be joined in a leadership role by returning senior starter Laura Andrews.

Andrews started 17 games last season while averaging five ppg and 3 rpg. With the front court full of other contributors, Andrews may also take her versatile skill set to the off-guard spot.

Senir forward Antoinette Wadsworth will look to build on a productive junior campaign in which she averaged more rebounds per game (3.0) than points (2.9). The tenacious defender enters camp as the primary back-up at both foward positions.

New Mexico native and senior center Beky Preston was one of the first players off the bench last season when she averaged 5.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg.

Offensive-minded foward Krista Sanchez saw action in 17 games last season and averaged 3.4 points per game. She will battle for time at the three and four.

The front court returnees are headlined by senior guard Erin Higgins, who started every game for OU last season. A s a junior the long range assasin averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She also averaged just over two three-point baskets per game.

Former Big 12 Freshman of the Year Chelsi Welch started 15 games in her sophomore campaign and will attempt to improve on her averages of 5.9 ppg and 2.2 rpg.

Taking over the ball handling reigns from the departed Dionnah Jackson will be Britney Brown and Kendra Moore.

Brown started at the point in the final four games of the season when she averaged 8.3 ppg, 5.3 apg and 3.0 rpg. During that stretch she also displayed tremendous consistency at the free throw line (80 %) and from behind the three point line (60 %).

Moore received time in 20 contests and tallied averages of 2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 1.1 apg.

The aforementioned Andrews will also likely work her way into the rotation at the No. 2 spot.

Who's New
Usually it takes more than two players to comprise the consensus top recruiting class in the country.

But then again, there is nothing usual about the towering twin duo of 6-3 Ashley and 6-4 Courtney Paris. The identical twins make up the most highly touted recruiting class of the Sherri Coale era.

Ashley was consenus top-8 recruit, while Courtney was No. 1 on nearly every national ist.

The duo is expected to provide an immediate boost in the low post for OU.

Ashley is the most versital of the twins and can play at either foward position or center. She averaged 18 ppg, 13 rpg and 4.5 apg during her senior season at Piedmont High School. Ashley is more likely to run the floor and shoot from the outside than her sister.

Courtney, nicknamed Baby Shaq', is a traditional center in definition. She breaks the mold in her ability to dominate around the basket. As a senior the Piedmont, Calif., native averaged 27.4 points and 18.9 rebounds. She was busy this summer with the USA U19 World Championship Team, on which she was the leading rebounder (7.4) and third-leading scorer (12.1).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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