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Chat Reel: Bill Fennelly
ISU coach hopes for a lengthy stay in NCAA tournament
Posted: Friday February 09, 2001 11:35 AM
Updated: Friday February 09, 2001 11:35 AM
CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's college basketball chat with Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. Thanks for joining us today coach!
Bill Fennelly: My pleasure.
From murray: Congratulations on another great season! Is depth going to be a concern come tournament time, especially in the post area?
Bill Fennelly: That is a concern for our team right now. We need to develop a backup center. We've improved in that area the last couple of games, so I'm optimistic that we'll be OK there.
From Susan in Bloomington, Ind.: Keeping Angie Welle healthy and out of foul trouble must be a great priority on a team which has often used a six-player rotation. How important is bench play for Iowa State as you look toward the conference and NCAA tournaments?
Bill Fennelly: No question we need to keep Angie Welle in the game. It is a concern if she does get in foul trouble, but she's managed to stay out of foul trouble most of the year, and hopefully if we get into the tournament, that will continue.
From Who: What team and player are the biggest surprises in the Big XII this year?
Bill Fennelly: Good question. I would say probably Colorado and Baylor. Both have been a surprise. Danielle Crockrom from Baylor has probably made the biggest jump this year.
From Eric Woehler in Chapel Hill, N.C.: Hi, Coach Fennelly. What's your favorite part of your job, and how much of your day do you get to spend doing it?
Bill Fennelly: My favorite part of the job is practice and being around the players. That two to three hours a day I spend interacting with the players is without question my favorite part.
From Bern Haggerty in Salt Lake City, Utah: Would you be tempted to take a coaching job offer from a WNBA team, and do you think there is more stability for women's college coaches than men's because of the lower pay and glamour in the WNBA?
Bill Fennelly: At this point, I'm not interested in a WNBA job. At some point in the future, I think it's an intriguing option. Job security for men's coaches or women's coaches is an issue. As you look at coaching changes in college or the pros, if you don't win you're going to lose your job.
From goddess: How do you think the injuries to Tamika Catchings and Svetlana Abrosimova affect the national championship picture?
Bill Fennelly: I think it affects it dramatically. I'm really disappointed that those two young people won't be playing in the NCAA tournament. March is when a lot of fans watch women's basketball the most or for the first time, and for them not to see the best players in the country not only hurts our team, but our sport. Tennessee and Connecticut are great teams, and I'm sure they'll have a lot to say on who the national champion is.
From bagman in Ames, Iowa: I understand that you are very keen on team chemistry and look closely at personality fit in recruiting players. How much weight do you give to the opinions of current team members in recruiting?
Bill Fennelly: We use our players a lot in recruiting. I think it's important that a potential athlete fits Iowa State, but I think it's important that our players feel it's a good fit as well. We always ask their opinion.
From Kim Zenor in Slater, Iowa: Mr. Fennelly, What do you look for in a player when you go scouting?
Bill Fennelly: First of all, you have to find a player who can handle the academic load. Number two, we look for someone who has great skills, ball handling and shooting. We look for how athletic they are and do they have a passion for the game. We're pretty picky. We look for someone who has a lot of very special qualities.
From RT: You've told us your favorite things about coaching how about the least favorite?
Bill Fennelly: Probably the least favorite is the time I have to spend away from my family traveling, recruiting. We've been fortunate to have some success and those seem to grow. I have a wife and two boys and being away from them is the worst part of it.
From secfan: How much of a benefit is there to playing tough non-conference opponents like UConn, Tennessee, Duke, Georgia or Notre Dame?
Bill Fennelly: I think it really helps you a great deal. We play Duke and we played N.C. State this year, and it teaches you a lot about your team. Great teams expose every weakness you have, and things that you do well against great teams gives you confidence. A good solid schedule helps you in your own conference and will help you in the tournament.
From Daryl Kirsch in Council Bluffs, Iowa: Women's basketball is still a team sport played below the rim. Do you see that concept to continue or will it become the push and shove, in your face NBA-type of basketball? Will this or a dunking Michelle Snow affect your recruiting to shore up the front line after Angie graduates?
Bill Fennelly: I hope the game doesn't change. I think our game is unique and special and needs to remain the kind of game that it isl. I don't think our recruiting will change. Whether or not we get someone who can dunk is not a real concern of mine. We obviously will have to find someone to replace Angie. Hopefully, we can find someone. I wouldn't call it a trend.
From bball: Is Michelle Snow starting a trend for women playing above the rim?
Bill Fennelly: What she did was a great thing but she's still in a very small group of people who are doing that. Athletes are getting stronger, quicker, faster, but there aren't a whole lot of them who are doing what Michelle Snow did this year.
From Edge: Coach, it has been fun watching you change the program around. I remember when ISU games rarely had 10 fans. Is it the winning or style of play that is packing the house?
Bill Fennelly: We have fantastic fans. We have as good an environment as anywhere in the country. When you build a fan base, you do it by winning, by entertaining the fans through your style of play, by having the fans be a part of what you do. The fans have great ownership in our team. It's a great situation.
From hoopgirl: Teams usually come up with some theme, countdown or psychological tool as they start their trek to the Final Four. Will your team do something like this?
Bill Fennelly: Our team is very superstitious, but I don't think we'll have one major theme or motivating tool. We have a very mature team. They understand what the possibilities are and how hard it is to play in the NCAA tournament, but they're anxious to try it. We hope to be a part of the tournament for a while.
CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with coach Bill Fennelly. Thank you for joining us and good luck this season.
Bill Fennelly: Thank you.
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