Bears Prepare For NCAA Tournament

Select comments from Coach Smith, Kayla Williams and Ioanna Krimili ahead of Saturday's matchup versus Mississippi State

On Selection Sunday, the Cal Women’s Basketball Team had to sit through 40 minutes of coverage of the first three regions, 50 teams total, in anxious anticipation of Cal’s placement in the bracket. Coach Smith had been talking the last few weeks about avoiding the 8/9 line. Georgia Tech was the first ACC team called, earning a 9-seed in the same subregion as overall #1 seed UCLA. Tech finished 8th in the conference, right behind Cal, though their NET and several other metrics were ahead of Cal. Heading into the last region, seven other ACC schools had been announced, with Louisville (6th in conference just ahead of Cal) earning a 7 seed. It was easy to predict Cal would fall on the 8-line.

While Coach Smith would have preferred a higher seed, she was relieved for the LA placement. In her comments Sunday afternoon, Coach Smith said ““I think we can bring a lot of fans to Southern California,” adding, “we’ve got to get some fans down to SoCal and be there for us. Mississippi State is really good…we (the fans) have got to show up.” Later in the week, Coach Smith added “Maybe the USC fans from the first game will be cheering for us, another California team.”

The Athletic gives Cal a 44% chance to beat Mississippi State, and miniscule odds to go farther

Cal practiced Monday and Tuesday, before wrapping up Berkeley-based preparation and traveling down to LA on Thursday. Coach Smith, Kayla Williams and Ioanna Krimili were available for comments after Tuesday’s practice. Below are some excerpt from their overall remarks.

Coach Smith’s Comments

On where team team stands right now;

“I think we’re ready. I think it’s just up to us to be the best version of ourselves. We know we’ve got to take care of the ball. And we know we have to defende without fouling. We do those things, we’re a tough team to beat. We’ve worked on press breaks, and how to handle pressure all week long. We know what we can do well, and we’re just excited to have another opportunity.”

On not looking ahead;

“When you have an SEC team that’s beaten Vanderbilt, and beaten Oklahoma, there’s no looking past them….we know how good a team Mississippi State is.”

On the matchup against MSU’s two primary threats, leading scorer Jerkalia Jordan and 6’ 6” Center Madina Okot;

“Okot’s a big body in there. Michelle’s got to be smart. I think both players (Okot and Jordan) have had some foul issues. I’m hoping Michelle can win that battle and stay out of foul trouble.“

“Jordan, we’ve got to be in a stance, and keep her in front and contain the best as you can. We’ve played a lot of athletic guards in the ACC and have done well against those. I’m hoping we can continue that.“

On how the ACC has prepared Cal for NCAA Tournament success;

“The guard play is something we’ve had to get used to. A lot more athleticism than the PAC-12 on the perimeter. This team (MSU) is more of that. And then with their center, she’s just big. We haven’t had a ton of that in the ACC. But Michelle thinks back to her PAC-12 post days. She’s guarded some biggies, so I think she’s going to be ready.”

On her recent new contract, and her relationship with the Athletic Department;

“I’m really grateful, for (AD Director Jim Knowlton) and for Cal to just investing in me. I had a lot of time to get this thing to where it is today. I acknowledge that. In this new contract he has made even more of a commitment with the locker room, and a commitment on revenue sharing if the house settlement passes. So we can be competitive in the ACC. We don’t want to show up and be a one-hit wonder. We want to stick around and be good for years to come.”

Ioanna Krimili’s Comments

On the team’s conditioning, with the starters playing heavy minutes all year;

“I think it’s gotten better. Our strength and conditioning coach is doing a very good job of preparing us. Very to the point, when we’re going to have a hard practice, when we’re going to be on the lower side, especially for the people that have all the minutes. I’ve been feeling really good.”

Kayla Williams’s Comments

On returning to play at USC, and passing on her postseason knowledge to her teammates.

“For me it’s fun. You know, family, home….and just for the team to staying locked in. What we can’t do is take this moment for granted, becausse its one-and-done. So, just making sure we’re focused, and we’re ready to play and.."

a brief pause, then she continued,

“…having fun with it. I think that will translate to on the court. And that will really impact us a lot.”

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This game is forecast to be a tight battle, typical of 8/9 matchups. Cal is favored by 1.5 points on most betting lines. The Athletic and ESPN Analytics both lean approximately 56% towards a Bulldogs victory. Nick provided a thorough matchup breakdown earlier this week. Be sure to read it before the tipoff on ESPN2 at 230pm on Saturday.