Coale Impressed with First Practices

Post-Practice Video
Juniors Ashley Paris, Courtney Paris and Carolyn Winchester describe OU's first practice.
Sophomores Rose Hammond and Amanda Thompson talk after Saturday's workout.

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma women's basketball coach Sherri Coale was very pleased after her team's first two practices, one late Friday night and the next early Saturday morning. In both sessions, the Sooners displayed high intensity and proved to quickly correct mistakes.

"The thing that sticks out to most is that our young guys really seem to be learners," Coale said. "They take what you teach and then immediately make changes in what they're doing and those changes have seemed to hold. Obviously, we're only two days in, but things we correct yesterday stayed corrected today."

OU was picked second in the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll and have been a consensus top 15 pick nationally in early rankings.

"The young guys seem to have a high basketball IQ and, for the sophomores," Coale added, "things are starting to make sense. You can just tell that they are more relaxed and more aggressive because of that. All the little things they were taught last year are starting to link together and that helps them make quick, correct judgments.

"I've been very pleased."

Spectators at practice also noticed how quickly the team progressed in just a short time together, including Coale's son, Colton.

"My son had not been around the team during workouts at all and he came to practice for about 30 minutes last night. When I got home, I asked Colton what he thought and he said it was really good. When he found out it was our first practice, he was blown away because, to him, it looked like we had been on the floor together for a long time."

Other guests at practice included former Sooners Jenny Bramer, Caton Hill, Leah Rush, Desiree Taylor and Chelsi Welch.

AP National Player of the Year and Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Courtney Paris rejoined the team Friday night after spending most of the past month with the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team, helping them qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games by winning gold at the FIBA Americas Championship in Validivia, Chile.

Paris acknowledged that switching between systems took some adjustment, but that she was very happy for the experience.

"I think the mentalities are kind of different." Paris, who also won a world championship in July with the U.S. National Under 21 team, said. "Basically, I've been through three different types of practices since last season, played three different kinds of defenses since last season. It's an adjustment to come back and play Oklahoma basketball again.

"But that's the cool thing about playing with USA Basketball -- I've had the opportunity to play with some different types of players and in different types of systems. I've learned a lot about basketball."

Though Coale is excited about the early chemistry her team has shown, she knows there is still a lot of work to be done before the regular season begins.

"It's always communication, at this stage of the game," said Coale about what most needs improvement. "There's no such thing as talking too much on the basketball court.

"Even though they've done a good job of it, I think they still could improve particularly in purposeful communication, saying things that matter. They are very good at encouraging one another and continually talking. But saying those things that actually change physical behavior on the court, I expect that they will get a lot better."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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