October 27, 1998
Opening statement“This year we’ve been fortunate to have our full roster practicing. We have all 13 girls and that has enabled us to be ahead of where we were a year ago, or any year since I’ve been here. We’ve been able to run up and down the court and scrimmage at full strength.”
On returning players“All of the returning players are committed to taking this program to the next level.”
Tiffany Wait“Tiffany has become a real leader on this team. I’ve told her she has to focus more on scoring and I think she’ll put some real pressure on defenses this year.”
Jaye Barnes“When Jaye got here last year, we knew she was a raw talent. Over the season, her experience made her a better player and her development continued over the summer. She’s worked on her ball handling and will have a bigger impact this year. She’s also improved her inside skills and is finishing plays even against our bigger players.”
Laura Meadows“After her experience with USA Basketball this summer, Laura now understands defensive intensity. Her high school coach didn’t ever want her to foul out for obvious reasons, and her defense lagged a little bit. But she really stepped it up over the summer and I think she’ll be ready when she gets out there on the court. We’ll even play her some at the four this year. She can step out and hit the jumper and that will put real pressure on some defenses.”
Natalie Martinez“Natalie has been solid in practice. We’re going to give her some time at the two-guard this season. We recruited her to play both positions (point and shooting guards), but her mentality has always been to shoot. She’s worked really hard to overcome that and has been truly unselfish on the court.”
Erica Jackson“I’m really excited about Erica. She’ll be a big help. She’s cut and physically fit and will be strong in transition. She’s a quick, penetrating guard who can drive and kick out to our shooters. She was recruited by some big-time schools, but let them know early that her heart belonged to Kentucky.”
Shantia Owens“Shantia will give us that versatile inside presence. She can rebound and outlet and will really help our transition game.”
Tanesha Seaton“Tanesha will play some minutes for us because of her offensive skills. She can shoot the three, run the floor, hit the 18-footer and pass the ball. She has great hands.”
Rae Keith“She can really penetrate and get to the rim.”
Carolyn Alexander“She needs some defensive work, but is a shooter with good touch. She’ll be a big-time help.”
Katie Vieth“Katie gives us a big body inside. You need that size in the SEC. She’ll play a lot of minutes for us this season.”
On the schedule“We’re going to use our non-conference schedule to get us ready for the SEC. Our road schedule is tough, but these girls have played on the road before.”
On the Hawaii trip“The tournament will have four teams in the top 25. To go up against that caliber of teams on the road is a tremendous experience. It will really be good for our team.”
On UK’s improvement“We’ve made some great strides here at Kentucky and we’re going to keep moving in that direction. I think we’re close to being an SEC contender. We’re developing as a team and I think we’re a lot closer than people realize.”
Player Quotes
#30 Jaye BarnesSenior/Forward
“We’re going to be a lot better this year. We’re much more athletic and the team spirit has been very positive. The coaching staff has been very positive towards us and we already want to play harder.”
#4 Natalie MartinezJunior/Guard“When I came in as a freshman, Coach Mattox told me that we were going to turn this program around. I definitely believe in Coach Mattox. We’re going up against the best conference in the nation.”
“Coach Mattox wants a more collective effort this year. I know she wants more scoring from me. So far, I’ve been playing the point guard position, but shooting is one of my favorite things to do.”
#11 Tiffany WaitJunior/Guard/Forward
“It gets more exciting each year. I’m impressed with all of our new players. There’s an exciting atmosphere around our program right now. Our mentality is to be a run, shoot and pressing team. The fans can expect to see an up-tempo game from us this season.”
“I think we’ll be a threat this year. We’ve got a lot of new people coming in and the older people who are still here. There are a lot of players who already know the system, and will be able to teach the others what needs to be done in order to be a threat in the conference.”
“This year, I came in thinking about what Coach Mattox said to me about being more of a role model in the scoring aspect. I don’t go out looking for the shot. I just let the shots come to me.”
“Everybody was here this summer. We ran every day, played pick-up games every day and lifted every other day. All the freshmen have impressed me and everyone’s working hard. There’s a really positive atmosphere this year.”
#21 Rae KeithJunior /Guard
(On Junior college)”I think it helped me a lot. I had a lot to learn and I’m still learning here at Kentucky. I think I needed those two years of maturity before coming to a big school. It helped my game by giving me a good foundation to build on.”
“I just really want to be a part of this family. I want to continue to work hard like we’re doing. As long as we work hard and keep a good work ethic, we should have success.”
#44 Laura MeadowsSophomore/Guard/Forward
“I’m really excited to get this season going. We have all of our veterans back except for one. We have a good nucleus on this team.”
“The Southeastern Conference is the best conference in the country. All you can do is go out and give it your best.”
“Anytime you can make yourself more versatile is always an advantage. We all encourage everybody to work hard and to keep up the intensity.”
