NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - PORTLAND VS KANSAS STATE

March 21, 2024

Michael Meek

Bramlage Coliseum

Portland Pilots

Media Conference

Q. You guys have similar style of play as Kansas State, big post player, tall guards. How does that help you prepare for Kansas State, and what is your game plan?

MICHAEL MEEK: You know, I definitely do think there's some similarities in personnel. But we definitely play kind of a different style of play, and so I think that it's not easily to replicate somebody like Lee and how strong she is and how powerful she is and how many long athletes they have. They are great at attacking the rim, and you know, like any other opponent, we do our best to replicate that as much as we can.

But we also know that they worked all season long to be the type of team they are, and so we have done our best but you know, we have really tried to stay centered on ourselves and be the best version of ourselves, and that's really what we've been spending most of the week on with some adjustments here and there based on what we've seen from them.

Q. You guys remind me of West Virginia with the press and turnovers. Curious to know if that's just unique for this team or is that something you typically like to do with every team?

MICHAEL MEEK: I mean, as a coach, I really like being a pressing team. I think back 30 years ago as a high school coach, we ran the exact same presses now that we ran them. I think we have been able to adjust them some and get in more depth and teach in more detail and different things there.

But we are typically a little bit more of a man-to-man pressing team and verse Virginia is a little bit more of a zone pressing team and our zones are a little bit different in how they work but there are definitely a lot of similarities in kind of the full-court game and playing the full court and things like that.

It's been a mark of the teams that we've had and we think it's unique and different and not a lot of teams do it, and that's played to our advantage at times.

Q. Cochrane versus Lee will be a very intriguing matchup. Does Cochrane's style of play, does that mirror Lee's, or is she a little bit different with the skillset?

MICHAEL MEEK: Well, Lucy is, you know, been a game changer for our program, and her ability to block shots and do things at that level is really unique, and I think that she's -- I think her first year with us, she led the nation in blocked shots and I think she's around No. 2 this year again, and so I think in that regard, it's a really good matchup.

Lucy as an offensive player is probably more of a high post player, really good shooter, really good passer. We will post her up on occasion where Lee really spend the majority of her time more around the block and so physical and so strong and such a great rebounder.

There are some similarities, but I also think there's some pretty big differences in their games. You know, I think it should be a really good matchup. I mean, they are two really great elite centers, and you know, I think Lee has a chance to play on for a long time as I think Lucy does as well.

Q. The practice etiology in the seeding can K-State and Gonzaga, pretty similar four seeds. You just beat Gonzaga. What was really necessary in that game against Gonzaga to turn a 50-loss into a one-point win in a matter of weeks that would be necessary in a game like this against K-State?

MICHAEL MEEK: I feel like it's been an awesome team to coach. One thing I'm so proud of is not only who they are as people and teammates and what they are doing in the classroom. I think it's been -- but I really think as far as our team goes, we just -- we never walked away from a lot of games feeling like we were playing to our potential. And I don't know what it is but I feel like after that Gonzaga game, things have clicked and we probably have played our best four games of the year. Sharing the ball at a high level, playing with more focus, playing with more energy.

We didn't go into the last Gonzaga game going, that hey, we're going to win if we just play different. We did come out of the last game saying we knowing that we were capable of being way more competitive than we were in that game.

And so, you know, we tried to not focus on the outcomes, and the standards of success that we have, our goal again, tomorrow, is try to be the best version of ourselves, and when we do that, we are a really good team.

Q. Get your thoughts on K-State's No. 4. She's been probably one of the most underrated point guards in the country. What stands out about Serena Sundell?

MICHAEL MEEK: I think they obviously have tremendous wing play, as well. But when you have an elite center and an elite point guard, that's a really good combination, especially for success.

She is so long, so athletic, she is so fast, she's a great finisher around the rim. She's a solid shooter around the perimeter so you have to honor that. I don't think there's any doubt when you watch her play, that is just a really, really good versatile player that doesn't just do one thing. She's a great defender as well.

Just a really complete point guard, and I think her size at 6-1 is a little bit more unique. And we haven't seen, I don't think we've seen a point guard anywhere near that long all season long.

So that's going to be different for us, and I think that not only is she long, she's probably one of the fastest point guards we've played against, too. So it's a really, really good combination for them as far as a tough matchup for anybody that they play.