Oct. 24, 2001
Comments from the Tigers during the Big 12 Conference women's basketball media day held Wednesday in Dallas.
Head Coach Cindy Stein:
On the season: "We felt that last year's success was a dividend of having to play in such a strong conference as the Big 12. We look forward to this year. We know it will be a great challenge for us to repeat that kind of success, but we feel that we are ready for that. Today I have our only senior, Natalie Bright, and Kerensa Barr. We are really looking for Bright to do some things for us at the point guard position. Barr was the starting point guard last year and we will move her to an off guard position this year."
On its 10th place finish in the coaches' preseason poll: "Traditionally, Missouri is picked lower than it has ever finished. There are two ways of looking at it, our conference is so good that being 10 out of 12 kind of puts a perspective on things. We think we are better than that, but it all comes down to you have to prove it. We have a lot to prove, especially with such a young team. Nine of the 12 young ladies on our roster our freshmen or sophomores. We think we can challenge people, but we know we will have to play at a high level. We have some very good players and they are going to have to step up. We will look more from Barr, Bright and Evan Unrau. We feel good about where our program is right now."
On Evan Unrau: "We felt right from the beginning that Evan Unrau could be a very good player for us. She is such a great rebounder and with our style of play, rebounding is very important for us. She did not feel comfortable with an offensive role, but that grew on her as the season progressed. This year she is like a whole different player. She wants the ball all the time and we have the luxury of playing her at several different positions. We will play her inside, but we have experimented with her on the perimeter and she looks really good. She will play multiple positions, and she knows the system well enough where she can do that."
Guard Natalie Bright: On the difference this year from last year: "The biggest difference this year is that we are going to have to run more of an offense. Losing the seniors (Amanda Lassiter, Marlena Williams and Tracy Franklin) we had last year is tough, but we can fill that. We have a good chemistry with the players we have right now, and we are up to the challenge. We will do the same things we did last year. We are an up-tempo, fast-paced team."
On the postseason run Missouri made last year: "The run we made last year was a big step for our program. We have advanced further and further every year that I have been here. I think we will build off of our Sweet Sixteen appearance last year. We now what it takes to get there, and everybody wants to advance past the Sweet Sixteen. It is that hunger we have and it is going to continue."
Guard Kerensa Barr: On playing summer basketball: "I try to play a lot of basketball every summer, and this year I had the opportunity to go overseas twice and play. Touring Europe with the Big 12 was a good experience not only with basketball, but also getting to meet other players from around the conference. It definitely helped me because I got to play with some of the best players in our conference, which are also some of the best players in the country. This past summer will definitely help me in the upcoming year."
On her position change to the off guard: "There is a difference because when you play point guard you have to be more team oriented. When you are at the off guard you have to be more offensive minded and that is an adjustment I am going to have to make. I will still be looking to bring the ball up the floor when I am out there. I do not think my game will change much this year from last year."