University of Richmond Athletics
Q&A With Women's Basketball Head Coach Michael Shafer
10/13/2006 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2006
VIDEO: Shafer Talks About Opening Practice On Friday
PHOTO GALLERY OF FIRST PRACTICE
How has Richmond treated you in your first year? It's been a great! We've had a wonderful experience with the city and the people have been very hospitable. Erin and I have found a niche in the city. It has been a great place to raise a family. The University has been great - the support from administration, faculty and staff has been wonderful - it's just a great school to be at."
Last year had to be frustrating at times with several injuries and an ever-changing line-up. How do you think the team handled and adjusted to the adversity?
I think the adversity helped in having a better basketball team. It affected everything we did from putting in a new system and the overall chemistry. We didn't know who was going to be on the floor on any given day and the overall talent of the team was affected. The kids did a great job of fighting over and over again and, we did succumb to the adversity once or twice during the year, but for the most part, we fought it and held our own.
What impact do you see the five newcomers having?
I look at them from two views. The two point guards HAVE to have an immediate impact - they have to play and I think they are suited to do the job. The other three are going to be able to change our game; they are more athletic and can apply more pressure on both ends of the court. We can play a more up-tempo style because of our five newcomers. The great thing is that they all come from winning programs. Their high school and AAU teams were all winning teams, so they are all coming in naturally competitive.
What will be the major differences between this year and last year?
We have a consistent number of people on the floor this year and we are more athletic than last year. We are also smaller in the paint than last year, which is a concern if we don't rebound, but at the same time, I feel that we have potential to be very good at the post.
Who will you look to for leadership after losing two great leaders in Araceli Gil and Saona Chapman?
We will obviously look to DeUnna; she was a captain last year and is a senior and a captain again this year. She is certainly a proven leader. We will look to our other captain, Christina Campion, not to fill a vocal role - that's not her style - but she will lead the team with her "follow me" style. I also hope that our point guards will take on a leadership role, either vocally or by action.
What are your realistic goals for this team this year?
Well, every year starting out, we want to win the Atlantic 10, and in doing that, we should be in the NCAA Tournament. I'd also like us to win every game at home and knock of a Big Six Conference school.
You are playing a difficult schedule. What are your reasons behind scheduling so tough with a young team?
Our goal is to get our basketball players prepared mentally and physically for where we want them to be and go. Any time you have competitors, they want to compete against the best. Competitors don't want to play a team they are going to beat by 30 points. We are putting our kids to the test and playing the best and challenging them. This is not a year-to-year thing; it's about moving the program forward, so scheduling difficult teams hopefully prepares our team to take another step to being a nationally competitive program.
What are some areas of concern for your team this season?
Rebounding - it was an area of concern last year as well. Scoring was also a concern going into last year and now it is going into this year, but I feel we have different ways to score this year than last year. Getting eight new kids to play together quickly is also a concern of mine.
What are some areas where your team will be improved from last year?
We are a better transition basketball team this year; we can get more easy baskets from defense. They can run the floor. We have a few more natural scorers, and that enables us to not rely on so many set plays. Defensively, we are very good, even though we are young.
You signed a class that had been ranked as high as #21 in the country. How difficult is it to recruit to Richmond?
It's not difficult at all; once you get a kid on campus with their parents, chances are good to get the kid. We look to find the right fit academically and athletically; it is something we work hard at. We are not always perfect, but I feel good about our five and the type of students we've recruited. It is what I've expected when I took the job. Richmond is an academic environment that has basketball. I loosely call it the "Richmond fit." If you can find a kid that is interested in academics and can play basketball, then they will excel here.
With basically eight new players on the floor, how do you develop chemistry?
We've done several things. We've implemented situations and we hold the kids accountable, which forces them to take an interest in each other. We also are doing a ropes course, which builds chemistry. The great thing about the kids that come to Richmond is that we have good solid people and if you can get them to buy into two or three common goals, you can build chemistry. I think they are well on their way.
How do you motivate your players?
They are all different. Some need me to be stern with them and push them. Some need me to put my arm around them. Some can't take any of that and just need me to tell them that the world is not ending. The mark of a good coach is someone who can motivate a group of kids individually and as a team and we work at it every day. The biggest thing to me is that I believe you can motivate in a number of ways as long as you let your players know that you care - that you truly care - about them. It is then that you will be successful in getting through to them.
Where do you think the team is now compared to where they were at this time last year in preparation for the first day of practice?
I think we are a lot further along and that goes back to the fact that we have more healthy players. Last year we had seven players out at this time. We were able to do a lot more preseason conditioning and individual workouts this year. That, coupled with the fact that our returning players have had a year of experience with me. So overall, we are certainly further along than last year. The couple of things that I think we aren't as far along with are that not all of the positions are settled as they were last year and that we lack a lot of the experience that we had last year.
CAPTAIN SPEAK: Redshirt-Junior Christina Campion adds her excitement for the beginning of practice:
We have worked really hard this preseason to be in the best shape to start practice this Friday! We are really excited to get going everyday and prepare for the tough schedule we have ahead of us this year. With five new freshmen, we have spent time really getting to know each other, and it will be great to bring that chemistry onto the court this season. I know that we have given 100% this fall to make sure that we are where we need to be come practice time. Now it is time to really excel on the court and prepare ourselves both mentally and physically for the long season ahead.
