Women’s basketball gets no respect

by Laurie Duffy
Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: Forward Kristian Kirkpatrick will suit up for the Ohio women’s basketball team for the first time this season after transferring from San Francisco. The Post’s Laurie Duffy sat down with her to discuss the preseason basketball rankings and how the team is adjusting to new personnel.

The Post: The team is picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division. Do you think the media and other teams in the conference are giving Ohio enough respect?

Kirkpatrick: I don’t think that we’re getting the respect we deserve, and I feel that as a couple of games go by and we prove ourselves then that will show what we can do.

The Post: What’s the biggest difference between San Francisco and Ohio?

Kirkpatrick: The biggest difference is that (here) we try to be intense all of the time. It’s a lot more demanding and coach (Bria) is a lot more demanding of all of the players. It’s a lot more hard work that we put into it.

The Post: Where do you see yourself fitting into the lineup?

Kirkpatrick: I see myself as possibly playing a lot. I want to go for a starting position; that’s my goal. I just want to contribute to the team as much as I can.

The Post: How has the team responded to coach Bria’s new offense, which only puts one post player in the paint?

Kirkpatrick: I think that we’re learning it pretty well. She just put it in this summer, and I think that we’re starting to come along with it.

The Post: Being somewhat of a small team, how do you plan on defending some of the bigger teams in the MAC like Kent State?

Kirkpatrick: I think that we’re a quick team, and we can use our quickness to defeat bigger teams. Bigger teams tend to be slower; so therefore, we can get in the passing lanes and we’ll be quick to the ball.

The Post: From your perspective as a veteran on the team, how are the freshmen responding to their new environment and to college basketball?

Kirkpatrick: The freshmen are keeping a positive outlook on things, even though sometimes they might not know what they’re doing. They pretty much bounce back and roll with it. They don’t hang their heads for a long time, and they respond to coach.