NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - FLORIDA GULF COAST VS VILLANOVA

March 19, 2023

Karl Smesko

Uju Ezeudu

Sophia Stiles

Finneran Pavilion

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have Florida Gulf Coast with us. We'll start with an opening statement from coach.

KARL SMESKO: We've advanced to play Villanova. They're a great team. Obviously they have an exceptional player, but they're more than just one exceptional player. They're a really solid team that plays really well together. They're really well-coached.

So we're trying to get prepared, a shorter prep period, but I liked our players' focus today. We were able to get quite a bit of the game plan in. We're hoping to have a great effort tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Sophia, with this quick turnaround, how does that change your preparation as an individual player?

SOPHIA STILES: I think you have to be locked in right from the get-go. We started film last night. It's just a different mindset. As soon as you see things, you have to just quickly remember them as soon as possible.

Q. Uju, you guys are playing them on their home court. Obviously that's an advantage for them. Yesterday their game was pretty loud in the first round. What are you expecting from the fans come tomorrow? How can you counteract that?

UJU EZEUDU: I think their fans are going to bring a lot of energy, as any home team does.

But I think we are FGCU basketball no matter where we play. We are ourselves anywhere, neutral court, away, home. I think we're not going to be rocked by anything, shocked by the noise. I think we remain humble and have that humility and maturity as a team.

Q. What would a win for you tomorrow mean? Never a second round win. What would it mean to be able to do that?

UJU EZEUDU: I mean, it would mean everything to me. I mean, I've never even gotten half as far as I've gotten this year.

I think we're always pushing one way at a time. I think we would really be appreciative of a win tomorrow. But we're always looking to go as far as we want to go.

Q. Sophia, the same question. What would a win tomorrow mean? What specifically do you need to do in order to get that W?

SOPHIA STILES: Yeah, similar to Juice. I never even experienced an NCAA tournament. Just being here is a great experience.

But being able to get that second round win would be really amazing to be a part of. It's kind of hard to nick milestones with Coach Smesko's record. To be on a team that does something like that would be really special.

Q. Did you have some trouble getting here today?

KARL SMESKO: I mean, we got here. There's a little bit of traffic. I guess there was a car accident that was preventing us from getting here on time. It all worked out.

Q. Watching film, the game yesterday, anything surprise you about what you've seen about Maddy and the difficulties she might provide?

KARL SMESKO: We're well aware of her before yesterday. I mean, she's one of the best players in the nation. She's an All American, one of the top players in the country.

We know that nobody's really been able to hold her under 20 points all season. So we just are hoping to make it so that she's not as efficient as she usually is. If we can just have her make tough shots, which she's more than capable of doing, but just not giving her any easy points, that's our game plan.

We understand we can't just have one person. We need to be able to guard her as a team.

Q. Do you worry at all that other programs, Power Five programs, look at your roster, teams like yours, thinking these are maybe some players that I want in the portal, try and get for next year?

KARL SMESKO: Yeah, I never really worry about that. If there's somebody that wanted to go to a Power Five from our roster, that would be fine if that's what their dream is.

For us, a lot of transfers come to us because they want to play in the NCAA tournament and have that opportunity. Hopefully the players on our team are having a good enough experience and a good enough team atmosphere that they realize they have something special right where they're at. I think for the most part our players have that sense.

It's been a lot of fun coaching them this year. They have a great team bond. They have a lot of fun together. They enjoy every part of it from the bus rides to the meals, then all the game activities that we have.

I never really concern myself with that. I would never want to hold somebody back from doing whatever they wanted to do with their dream, so...

No, not really.

Q. Uju, last game against Washington State, they were a taller team. Villanova is the same way. It seems like you haven't had trouble. What do you do to be able to handle taller teams?

UJU EZEUDU: Yeah, I know we're a really gritty team. We have a lot of heart. I know a lot of the people who play post or play the four or five on our team have been playing that position for a lot of their life and have always been undersized. For me, as well. It has always been that.

If you to get want a rebound, you're going to get a rebound, doesn't matter how tall you are. We emphasize that a lot. We work on it every day. Just because someone is four inches taller than me, doesn't mean that they're guaranteed to get a rebound or do anything more than I can do it, anyone on our team can do it.

We're just a very gritty team and we're determined to get the things we want to get.

Q. You've won the first round game a couple times in your career. Haven't got past the second round. What have you learned from those past games?

KARL SMESKO: I don't think there's anything from those games in particular.

Obviously it's tough any time you're playing a top-15 team in the nation on their home court, and they're going to have a full house.

I really like this team, I mean, the way they play together and the way they pull together in tough moments. I definitely believe they're more than capable of winning tomorrow. We're preparing and we'll be ready. I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Yesterday you alluded to this, but your father was here, your brother, your family. How was that experience specifically with your father?

KARL SMESKO: Yeah, it was a great moment. I mean, he calls me after all of our games. He watches all of 'em. He always has advice.

He really loves our players. Like, he wants to see them be successful. For him, it was a big moment because he got -- for a lot of them, it's the first time he got to see any of them in person after watching them on TV all these times. So it was a great moment.

For me personally to see him so touched by the game and our success, to have other family members here also in attendance, was a big moment for me.

Q. He has his history in the sport of basketball. How has he had an impact on you?

KARL SMESKO: Well, I mean, I was a coach's kid. I got to go scouting when I was, like, six, seven years old, go to high school games and spend it with my dad, watching film with my dad. I'd go to the practices, interrupt practice all the time (smiling). Just be somebody who would always be around the game. Just loved it from the time I was very young.

He was somebody that was very strict, but he would let me stay home from school to watch the NCAA tournament. Really when he agreed to that, I couldn't believe it. He thought that was a just reason.

March Madness was always the greatest moments in our household. Watch that, go to the high school state championships every year. March was just an amazing time when you love basketball and you're a basketball fan like our family is.

Q. Sophia, to be in the locker room yesterday, to be able to see his father, experience that moment with him...

SOPHIA STILES: Yeah, that was actually really sweet. I had no idea he was in the stands.

He came in. I can't remember who said it, but they called him the real G.O.A.T. I'm sorry, coach (smiling).

Just to see the man who raised someone who I'm very just proud to learn under is a really, really cool.

THE MODERATOR: I think we're good. Florida Gulf Coast, thank you.