Jacie Hoyt, Stailee Heard Meet With The Media

Head Coach Jacie Hoyt
Opening statement:
"Things are going great with Cowgirl Basketball right now. We are coming off a week where we had a couple of scrimmages: an intrasquad scrimmage and then a closed scrimmage with Stephen F. Austin, who was a really good, solid team last season, a tournament team. I feel really good about that, and now we're kind of just getting into that place in the preseason where you still feel like you have a lot of practices left and you're trying to get your kids to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They're handling that well, but we're definitely in that grind-it-out moment right now, so we've just got to get through that. Games are right around the corner, and once we get going, we've got a lot of games in a very short amount of time. So, we're just trying to get as much in as we can right now in preparation, but I love where we are right now. I'm very pleased with our effort. I'm pleased with the connectivity of this group; it's a really smart group, which is fun to coach because we can put things in and they can pick it up very easily and apply it quickly. [We're] just trying to work out the kinks and get as much in as we can before we kick things off here in a couple weeks."

On what stood out during the team's scrimmages...
"I feel really good about our defense these last couple of weeks. I think that's a real strong point for us, whereas maybe before we hung our hat a little bit more on offense. It's kind of fun, because I feel like we don't have to manufacture quite as much offensively when you have the type of defense that I think we will have. So, that's been good to see and outside of that, I think our kids were all just really solid. I can't say that one really stood out more than the others. But that's a good thing in this case because it speaks to the depth that we have on our roster. Just not really feeling like there's any drop off; I think our floor is higher than it's ever been since I've been here, which is a fun thing."

On having a deep rotation...
"We're really experimenting and trying to figure out our lineups and what makes the most sense. We have a lot of versatility with that: we could be really small and fast, or we could be really big and long. So, just a lot of different options that we're trying to figure out, but certainly we would love to be as deep as possible once we get into conference play."

On how guard Stailee Heard can further develop...
"I am trying to push her to rise to the moment and raise her level of intensity in the moments that aren't so big. She's so gifted, she's so talented, she can show up and do something at 50 percent effort that most people can't do at 100 percent effort. So, where she has to grow right now for us is just bringing it every single day in terms of her intensity. I don't want to say she doesn't work hard every day, because she does, but it's not the level of intensity that I think she could be at. We've been having conversations about that, I challenge her."

On the fans' support...
"I have full faith and confidence that they're going to get on board sooner this year, and I can't wait for that. Obviously, you have to produce and put a good product on the floor to get that return, and I think that we have proven that and will continue to. So, I'm excited. I think that the turnout is going to be great. I was just texting with one of the leaders of the big fraternities on campus, he's telling me he's fired up and wants to get more involved, so I think that the relationships have been established and we're in a really good place with that. I am expecting the shirtless guys to show up at our games, really looking forward to that. I think they need to be behind the opposing team's basket in the second half. But no, I'm excited, I love our fanbase. I love interacting with them, especially with our students. There's just a really cool energy that they bring that the average fan can't bring, so we're excited to keep growing [our fanbase]."

On her experience coaching at OSU...
"I have loved my time here. I'm so blessed to be here. This place has been so good to me and my family, and I just get to live out my dream. As corny as that sounds, I'm just so grateful for that every day. I absolutely love the team that we've assembled and what we've built over the last few years. Getting to have a daughter that I get to have around and bring up in such an amazing community and environment, working alongside my husband and sister, I'm living my dream. It's been really special, and some days seem longer than others, but when I look back, it's gone very fast."

Guard Stailee Heard
On being teammates with her sister, Tyla...
"It's everything I ever imagined, honestly. She's grown a lot, and I feel like I've grown a lot just with her being around. I've grown as a player and as a person, both as a big sister and just being as good a teammate and a leader as I can be. Just having her around makes everything so much better."

On OSU's No. 4 ranking in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll...
"We have earned that, but we're not satisfied. I'm sure not satisfied. We know we can be the best team in the Big 12, and we possibly are the best team in the Big 12. We just have to prove that. We have a bunch of good transfers and good people that came in, and we just have to find that chemistry and play together. I feel like we're still probably underestimated, but honestly, the rankings don't matter to me."

On how she's grown since this time last year...
"I feel more mature. Coach Jacie has asked me to lead this team; she expects a lot out of me, and I expect that from her. I ask her to push me, I ask her to be hard on me, because I can get in the mindset where I'm just going through the motions, and [Coach Hoyt] can just nip that in the bud. I am the leader of this team. I have been here the longest, so she expects a lot out of me, and I've risen up to that."

On her unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team...
"I mean, I couldn't care less about it, honestly. It's cool to be recognized, but that's not my goal here. My goal is to win a Big 12 championship, and that takes all of us. I'm just doing my part, doing what I can for this team, and it's cool to be recognized by the coaches at the other schools in the conference, but honestly, I pay no attention to it."

On her excitement for the upcoming season...
"I'm very excited. Everywhere I go, even if I go to WalMart, people are looking forward to basketball season, and I'm just as excited as they are. I can't wait for the season to be here; it's my favorite time of the year, just getting to compete and do what I love with the people I love. It's so surreal, I'm living out my dreams."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Stailee Heard

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