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Chat Reel: Kelly Schumacher

UConn senior looks to Ga. contest as early season test

Kelly Schumacher spurned offers from NCAA powers Duke and Stanford to play for coach Geno Auriemma at Connecticut. Andy Lyons/Allsport

CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's chat with CNNSI.com's chat with UConn senior Kelly Schumacher. Welcome Kelly!
Kelly Schumacher: Thank you.

From Tristin in Shadyside, Ohio: What was it like playing overseas this summer with the Jones Cup team and with two fellow Huskies? Good Luck this year and keep swatting away those shots! Go UConn!
Kelly Schumacher: Oh, all right, We has a great time. It was fun to have two other there. It was great to have Shea and Sue there. We got along great with the other players. It was a really good experience.

From Norm: UConn had a great freshman recruiting class. How is this group doing in practice this year?
Kelly Schumacher: They are learning the plays really, really well. They are all great players with great skills...

From new: Do you feel that UConn is the team to beat this year?
Kelly Schumacher: Yeah, definitely. I would hope so anyway.

From Musher: Do team members read Internet discussion boards about basketball? Are they discouraged from doing so?
Kelly Schumacher: I don't know about that. I don't necessarily look. We're not discouraged from doing so, but I'm not sure who does or who doesn't.

From Bob Joy in New Milford, Conn.: Kelly, I think you are great in the paint with your ability to cover ground and to block shots. How hard is it to maintain your position against the "beefier" players, like Sutton-Brown? Can they push you or can you hold your ground?
Kelly Schumacher: Well, I think after our weight program here at UConn, I've learned to hold my own. During my freshman and sophomore years, I felt the physical play a lot more.

From grego: How do you feel about playing against a good team like Georgia so early in the season? Especially considering that they were about the only good team you didn't play last year.
Kelly Schumacher: It should be exciting. It is always great to play good teams any time during the season. And it will give us an idea of where we are early in the season.

From Pat Farrell in Montreal, Canada: Didn't you want to play for your country at the Olympics, you would have been very helpful on that team. Did you try-out??
Kelly Schumacher: Oh, I'm not a Canadian citizen. But if I were, I would have loved to play for them.

From new: What has been your greatest basketball memory?
Kelly Schumacher: I would say all three national championships: the two at John Abbott College (in Montreal), and last year's championship with UConn were the most memorable at the moments.

From Norm: Have practices changed any since Geno spent so much time with professional basketball players in the Olympics?
Kelly Schumacher: No, he pretty much sticks to his style.

From new: How do you feel that the freshman will contribute to an already loaded team?
Kelly Schumacher: I think our style of play enables many players to play. Coach likes to play freshmen -- if they are good enough. And all five of ours are really good players.

From Heather in Peekskill, N.Y.: Do you have a brother that plays for The University of Missouri? I saw someone with the same last name as you and I was wondering!
Kelly Schumacher: No, I don't have a brother that plays for Missouri. I do have a brother, but he doesn't play college basketball.

From Pete: just from practice, what player(s) looks like she has improved the most?
Kelly Schumacher: Swin Cash has been practicing really well. So I would say her.

From Cory Kochiyama in Honolulu, Hawaii: What's up Kelly??? While you were here in Hawaii I was able to meet you and watch you play. Your post game was awesome to watch and should cause a lot of matchup problems for teams this year. How has this past summer prepared you to help the Huskies defend the national title??? Good luck to you, Sue and Shea this year.
Kelly Schumacher: We got to play against the best players in the world, playing against the U.S. Olympic team ... so I guess we are prepared for whatever comes our way.

From Gabriella in Avon, Conn.: Hi-Good luck this season. I'm a track runner and avid basketball player. My coach is always trying to tell us how slow we are. I've heard of the preseason mile you all run. What is your time? What is the winners time? Do you guys ever do lots of running -distance during the offseason?
Kelly Schumacher: My best time in the mile was 6:15, and the best time overall was Svet's. It was 5:40. We don't do too much long-distance running. We do a lot of sprints. The longest we do is the mile and we do a lot 400s and 200s on the track.

CNNSI Host: From Norm> Do you think Geno will want to play some of the local teams like Rizzoti's University of Hartford squad?
Kelly Schumacher: Possibly, but we already have our schedule for this year. But possibly in the future.

From Pete: Is there one particular game you have circled on the schedule? Why?
Kelly Schumacher: No, no yet. I think all the games are important, because we want to come up with a win on every one and not take any team too lightly.

From Nicholas Simonelli in Willimantic, Conn.: Do you think Jessica Moore will develop into a great center for UConn?
Kelly Schumacher: Definitely. I think she has great scoring ability. And she also has a great defensive presence. And she is a fellow shot blocker.

From Norm: How much interaction do you get with other UConn sports teams other than in the classroom?
Kelly Schumacher: We try to attend to all other sporting events that we can. For example: men's and women's soccer, field hockey, football and my personal favorite: women's volleyball.

From Jim T.: Its a long way from Pontiac High to UConn. Where to next year? Any goals set for the next few years?
Kelly Schumacher: That's my old high school coach! Hey, what are you doing? How did you know about this chat? As for the question, I'm not sure. I would definitely like to play pro, if that is possible. From there, I have no idea.

From grego: What's the toughest thing about being a student athlete at UConn?
Kelly Schumacher: I would say time management. It is hard juggling practice and classes at the same time. Thank you for all the compliments...

From Ed Roberts in Griswold, Conn.: The Huskies have provided my daughter and I with many happy and exciting moments and we thank you for that. I've been a big fan of yours since I watched part of a practice in your sophomore year. Your quickness is unbelievable for a center. You must work very hard to develop the stamina required to play. I was impressed how long you played during the first period of the supershow without impacting the effectiveness of your play. Good luck to you now and in the future. Now my question-What do you think was the key to elevating your play during the last half of last season (and apparently to this year)?
Kelly Schumacher: Thank you for all the compliments ... I think I just knew that I was counted on and I had to step up my play in order to give my teammates and I what we wanted that year, which was a national championship. And hopefully we'll get another one this year.

From Jim T.: Is this the year we see a dunk?
Kelly Schumacher: (Laughing) Oh no. If I ever get on a breakaway, by myself, and the game isn't too close, maybe so.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Kelly. Thanks for joining us and good luck this season.
Kelly Schumacher: Thanks guys, I really enjoyed it.

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