Wiese and Rueck in SF for Pac-12 Media Day
SAN FRANCISCO - Head coach Scott Rueck and sophomore guard Sydney Wiese took part in Pac-12 Women's Basketball Media Day Wednesday in San Francisco.
Below are their quotes from the interview session with conference beat writers, television talent and national media.
The Beavers were picked to finish third in the Pac-12 Coaches Poll, their highest ever position. Oregon State also received two first-place votes.
On this upcoming season…
SR: “It’s a great feeling. We take coaches’ polls for what they are. It is a great
honor to be where we are at. (The poll) is what is is. We have to play games.
Coming off the year we had last year, the roster we had, feels incredible. They
want to compete and win, and they expect to, and that’s a far cry from what we
started with. We didn’t know at that time (at the start) if it was a possibility to
create a team like this.”
On returning five starters…
SR: “Everyone in our program is winning, and from winning high school and AAU
programs. I thought we had a target last year at the end. The Notre Dame game
opened a lot of people’s eyes across the country and the Pac-12. This year’s focus
is to be better than a year ago, and to be better every day like every coach says.
The girls left the season pained, losing the Pac-12 Championship game was hard,
but they left hungry. The hunger has carried into the season, which is something
you worry about being there after a great year. This is a team that embraces every
challenge.”
On Oregon State’s approach to this season…
SW: “We have the same approach as last year. We knew about ourselves last year,
people just didn’t know it. We want to compete every day.”
On what Oregon State will take/leave behind from last season…
SW: “We will take that we have to compete; it takes a village. Every player is
important, first or last off the bench. Everybody has to bring their A game
everyday. (There are) no days off, we have to want it more than our opponents.
We had a lot of fun last year, but we are trying to eliminate the mistakes, and up
our free throw percentage from last year. ”
On what Wiese worked on in off season…
SW: “I worked on my mid-range game and my mid-range jumper. I want to be a
multifaceted player, I want to be more than just a shooter. I (also) worked on
having an explosive first step,and spent more time in the weight room. I want to
hold my own against competitors, so I put in those extra leg reps and time in the
weight room.”
On Recruitment…
SR: “Last year validated everything we have been talking about and discussing.
We look back at our first recruiting class; they came on a dream, a vision, and it’s
now in some ways a reality. This hasn’t happened in a while in Corvallis. The
words spreading, there’s a buzz; there’s something special going on. More and
more people going out of their way to make it to our campus.”
On scheduling Tennessee…
SR: “We saw what Notre Dame did for us, what it taught us, where we needed to
go, showed us where we belong. This is another opportunity to compete with
nation’s elite; the uncomfortable environments are where we grow.”
On surprises in past 5 years…
SR: “It is unique to go from Division III to Division I coaching. The thing that has
been most encouraging has been that my background has prepared me for it. (In
Division I,) you also have quality individuals that I found in Division III, (the girls)
they are amazing people. Through the recruiting process over 5 years, I have
found great people. I can’t wait to go there every day; I can’t wait to go to work and
watch them grow.