July 3, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The summer of 2007 was a time of chaos for UCF women's basketball head coach Joi Williams. Williams had just taken over the helm of the Knights and was in the process of filling out her roster, learning about her new home and getting acquainted with her new staff.
As she enters her second season at UCF, Williams is currently enjoying a more relaxed summer. Her team made great strides during the 2007-08 campaign and returns eight letterwinners and four starters from a year ago. The group of returnees is led by forward Emma Cannon, who was a Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection after averaging 11.7 points and 8.7 boards.
Williams recently took time to speak with the UCF athletics communications staff about her program.
The program recently began utilizing its new practice court inside the renovated UCF Arena. How has the facility, which also features a locker room, player lounge, weight room and coaches' offices, changed the program?
"They have been a tremendous enhancement to our program. The ability for our players to come into the gym at any time and work on their game has been a great help. Also, it has helped the camps we host on-campus. There has been a great response from individuals in the community who haven't seen the new facilities and haven't been on campus for a long time. We've also had a great response from prospects that have come in on their unofficial visits and had a chance to tour the new facilities."
Which players have impressed you with their dedication to improving during the offseason?
"There are a couple (of players) that I can tell have really been working hard and that I have noticed a physical change. Chelsie Wiley and Jasmine Stovall both look like they have worked really hard to get stronger and that's a strong positive. Until we are able to get players out on the court it is difficult to say who has improved the most, but I have noticed those two and it is a very positive improvement."
Are there any specific goals you have set for the team?
"We've talked about getting stronger. I feel since we were a young team, we really needed to improve our strength and conditioning from last season. Making the transition from the high school to the college level is one thing that players don't understand. We were never really able to have a foundation last year because we were so young. That was something we tried to work on during the season. This offseason we've talked about taking our training to a high level, especially stepping up in the weight room. That is something that I am really looking forward to seeing how we've progressed."
How much more relaxed are you this summer since it is your second season at UCF?
"It is much better this summer. Last year we had to hit the ground running, finding players and getting the team ready. Now we feel a lot better. We think the returning sophomore group is more prepared for the summer workouts and what to expect with classes. They are also able to help our three incoming freshmen along so it's a completely different feel to the summer."
Have you noticed an increase in interest in the program in the community and from prospective players?
"It is coming along. Our team camp had an outstanding turnout with 28 teams enrolled and we sold out our elite position camp, which maxed out at 50 participants. We also have our offensive and shooting camp. The overwhelming response we have gotten from the community is a sense of amazement of how things have really changed here at UCF. Our job of course is to win games. When you do that, you create more interest in the team and you have opportunity to educate the community about the team and the sport overall."
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