SU Graduate Vera Jones Shares Her Thoughts on the Women's Basketball Final Four
3/29/2001 11:53:35 AM | Women's Basketball
Q: How have you enjoyed having such a close view of the tournament?
A: I’m like a kid in a candy store. It’s a lot of work, but it’s been so much fun. For someone who loves basketball as much as I do, it’s been great.
Q: Although there were not many upsets in the first and second rounds, a few of the higher seeds lost in the regional semifinals. Is there more parity in women’s basketball this season?
A: The gap is closing. A great example of that is what Xavier did with Tennessee. I think the teams that get the most exposure give other teams a real visible site of what to shoot for. I think that helps to be able to visualize what you are shooting for.
Q: Jackie Stiles has gained national attention after leading Southwest Missouri State to the Final Four. Why haven’t we heard more about her throughout the season?
A: Television is a business and it has to get ratings. So it’s natural to see a Connecticut-Tennessee rivalry. But the door was open and Southwest Missouri State certainly took advantage of it. I would expect to see more exposure for the Missouri Valley Conference because sometimes it just takes a big break to show the conference has some good teams.
Q: What has been the biggest surprise of the tournament?
A: I think Xavier has been the biggest surprise of the tournament. I knew they were good because I have covered them before. They are very balanced. The way they confidently said they wanted to play Tennessee and then did what they did surprised a lot of people.
Q: What do you think of the possibility of the tournament going to neutral sites for the first and second round games?
A: I think it’s a good thing. In all fairness, it’s a step that needs to be taken. I’ve heard the pros and the cons. Obviously the draw is a concern. It’s a hurdle that we need to get over. But I think that players like Jackie Stiles and teams like UConn make people want to come to games, and the attendance will take care of itself.
Q: The BIG EAST Conference has two teams in the Final Four and had five teams in the tournament. How would you rank the BIG EAST among the top conferences?
A: The BIG EAST is a very competitive conference. The teams at the top are among the best in the nation. Getting the middle of the pack teams to the point where they can compete with the top teams on a consistent basis will make the conference stronger.
Q: Any predictions for this weekend?
A: I didn’t get hired by ESPN to make predictions, but I’m going to anyway. In my bracket I filled out for ESPN.com I picked Notre Dame. Ruth Riley has to stay out of foul trouble and have a great game in order for Notre Dame to beat Connecticut.
