Michigan State University Athletics
Coach McCallie Discusses Her Gold Medal Experience in Mexico
8/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 17, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie addressed the media on Thursday afternoon following her return from the FIBA Americas U20 Championship as the head coach of the United States U20 team which won the gold medal with a perfect 5-0 record at the games held in Mexico City from Aug. 8-12.
Along with McCallie, junior Victoria Lucas-Perry also was a member of the U20 team that won the gold medal with a sound 96-54 defeat of Brazil on Aug. 12.
What did you get out of the experience?
It was a great experience culturally and to work with another team of great, great student-athletes. I got a lot of the experience--there were things I was able to experiment with technically on defenses and offensive sets. Obviously, just learning the international game, the rules, how it's played, that was an awful lot of fun. Really, just being with USA Basketball, I think they do such a great job. I think it was positive all the way around.
What did you learn from the USA Team that you picked?
We knew they were a great group. We felt very good about the selection and that was a key. We had some versatile players who could play some different positions and we felt that was going to be a key as well. As it turned out, it was a key. People who could play multiple positions on the floor ended up being key contributors down the stretch for us.
Were you pleased with Victoria Lucas-Perry's play?
Vic did a great job. I think her game really grew. Victoria played the three, the two and she also played the one-guard. I was glad to see her play point guard. I thought that was a great experience for her. I just thought it made it easier for me as a coach because Victoria always knew what I was trying to get at. If the players had any questions, they could certainly ask me, but they could also ask Vic about it. I think it's tough to be a coach's player on a team like that. I think she handled it very well.
How does winning a Gold Medal compare with making the Final Four?
It's a great comparison. To try to go after the highest level, I think is a lot of fun and extremely rewarding. It was just really neat to see that team come together the way we did, because we really did play very well in our last game. Brazil is an excellent team and the score certainly doesn't indicate their abilities, but our team really went nuts in the second half.
What was it like watching the team accept the Gold Medals on the podium after the last game?
It's hard to describe. You feel incredible. It's a very-inside-out feeling of patriotism, warmth and pride. You don't really know it until you hear the music playing. I just remember how much our players were singing. Everybody was singing. It was a special moment for a group of women who had been through an awful lot on that trip.
What was Mexico City like?
You definitely don't want to drink the water. It's just a city of so many people with so much congestion. Traffic was worse than something you'd see in New York City. There was noise pollution--you couldn't shut the noise out so you always heard trucks and cars all throughout the night. It was tough to get any rest because it was very busy. The people were wonderful, though.
What do you think this means for the Michigan State women's basketball program to have you coach the U20 National team?
It's a wonderful honor and it's wonderful for the program. It was very prideful to be wearing the Red, White and Blue in California where we trained and in Mexico City and to have people know you or recognize you as the Michigan State coach, particularly in Mexico. That was really fun to have that happen. It's an honor to be a part of USA Basketball.
