THE MODERATOR: We welcome to the podium Kelsi Musick, the new head coach at the University of Arkansas.
KELSI MUSICK: I just want to say thank you for being here today. I'm excited about my opportunity to lead the University of Arkansas women's basketball program. We are laying our foundation in this first year with our culture. My pillars are faith, family and fearless. We really want our players to focus on having faith in each other, faith in our system, our program, running it like a true family, and being fearless on and off the floor. I think that's extremely important.
Our energy and passion is something we want to be known for in this new era of Arkansas women's basketball.
It's a blessing to be here today, to be a part of the SEC amongst some of the best coaches and players in the nation.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Whenever the pre-season polls come out, they pick your team last. Is that something you ignore or use as a chip on your shoulder?
KELSI MUSICK: Well, definitely used as fuel. I think it should allow us to really work extremely hard, to move up in the conference is definitely a goal.
Q. For your team, this is such a mixture of newcomers, a few that were already at Arkansas. What has it taken to get everybody on the same page buying into the foundation you are laying?
KELSI MUSICK: I think the buy-in has been there. I think my players are definitely all in. I think it takes time when you're introducing an entirely new system, an entire new way of running practice with a new staff a whole new team, just the system in which we're trying to enforce. It's definitely going to take time.
Q. Obviously when you accept a new job, you move, there's a lot of different things that have to happen. You have to get comfortable with a lot of different players, new staff, surroundings. How would you assess your comfort level with everything you guys are going through?
KELSI MUSICK: I'm definitely getting more comfortable. Obviously when I initially took the job back in March, it was a whirlwind trying to fill a roster, trying to establish a staff, get the right people in the right places.
Also, my children and husband were still in Bixby, Oklahoma, trying to finish school. My daughter was a senior trying to graduate. Then moving an entire family and home to Fayetteville has been a lot.
But it's a blessing and we're excited for this opportunity.
Q. These next couple of weeks, what do you want to see from your team on the court to get you ready for the first game?
KELSI MUSICK: I think the biggest thing is we want to make sure we come together, play more as a unit, fully understand my system and what we expect offensively. Then just the energy, the effort and the grit that I expect them to play with for 40 minutes.
Q. Since you built the roster that you have now, where do you feel like you have grown the most on the floor?
KELSI MUSICK: I think the biggest thing is our speed. Obviously I run the dribble-drive, a high-octane offense. It is a system. I think they're really starting to understand our speed. We're really trying to force the issue in transition. I think they're really adapting to that right now.
Q. You're not the only coach on the women's side who started in the D-II ranks and is here in the SEC. What does that say about the coaching that is out there?
KELSI MUSICK: I don't think that anyone can necessarily count us out. I think due to hard work, kind of blue-collar mentality of rolling up my sleeves. I've been at all levels, high school, D-II, DI, multiple levels in different roles. I think it's helped me for this opportunity that I have currently.
Q. Having Taleyah Jones and Emily, how much comfort has that given you in practice, having some players who know what to expect?
KELSI MUSICK: It's been a blessing. I think it's also really helped their teammates. They understand our system. They understand our style of play. They also understand my expectations.
For them to be able to translate that in such a quick manner has helped their teammates have a better understanding so they can help them during practice, on the court, in the flow of the game.
Q. From last season's Arkansas team, how have they adapted to your system?
KELSI MUSICK: I think they've totally helped us to embrace the newness, to obviously all the different things that comes with a new job, a new staff and a new team. Definitely helpful would be the first word that comes to mind.
Q. What are you expecting from your front court this year with the players you brought in?
KELSI MUSICK: I expect them to really push the ball. We have to make sure we force that issue. We want to play fast. I think it starts on both ends of the basketball by being aggressive. Really forcing the ball in transition, getting downhill, being able to shoot the three ball in transition is going to be huge for us.
Q. Being an experienced player like she is, especially at the position she plays kind of as your floor general, how have you seen that experience help dictate how the flow of the game is going for y'all?
KELSI MUSICK: I think her maturity and her experience is really helping us because she keeps us calm, she is a floor general, handles the ball really well. She can help us get into the right spots quickly and really push the ball in transition.
Q. Robert's teams were always in the top six in the country in tempo. When you bring in a lot of new players, how much of an adjustment is it for them? How pleased are you with the progress?
KELSI MUSICK: I am pleased with the progress because I believe that their energy and their effort, their coachability has really been impressive. They want to learn and they're willing to learn, understand and be corrected.
It does take time to play at the speed with which I want to them to play. Each and every opportunity we get to take the court, they're really focusing on that and really starting to understand those expectations.
Again, it takes time, but they're doing a great job.
Q. When you look across the depth of the SEC, the coaches you're going against, as a first-year coach, how do you roll up your sleeves and get ready for that?
KELSI MUSICK: I've always said, even when I was a younger coach, if you want to be the best, you have to play the best. We have that opportunity each and every night here in the SEC. I see it as an opportunity and a blessing. Who wouldn't want to be in the SEC?
Q. Obviously you're going to go out and want to win every game. Outside of wins and loss, what are your biggest expectations, goals for your first year?
KELSI MUSICK: Obviously laying the culture and the foundation that we want to establish that kind of goes before us as being the University of Arkansas, what we want lady Razorback basketball to stand for, be about.
I think those expectations within our culture, our style of play, what we want to implement with our energy and passion, is definitely going to be at the forefront of our goals this year.
Q. Conference play being so difficult, what are you looking for from your team from the non-conference part of the schedule?
KELSI MUSICK: Initially just getting better each and every game. Each and every opportunity we have to take the floor, I expect us to get better on both ends of the floor in the stats, rebounding. Obviously scoring a lot of points is going to be key because of the dribble-drive and our style of play.
Q. In joining Arkansas, you're obviously jumping into the SEC, analytically was the best conference in the country last year. How much of a draw was it to coach in the SEC and how much of a challenge do you think it will be?
KELSI MUSICK: Definitely a dream job to be at the University of Arkansas and in the SEC. It's a dream and a blessing. There's challenges no matter where you go, in any job, in any portion of life.
I think I'd see it as an opportunity and not necessarily a challenge.
Q. We know what your teams have done offensively. What can we expect defensively?
KELSI MUSICK: We have to be a unit. I tell them all the time one individual player can't do it by themselves. Really becoming a unit on the defensive end of the ball is going to be important for us.
We've got to rebound. It's a physical game, especially in the SEC. There's a lot of great rebounders in the league. We've really got to focus on the physicality and being able to rebound, playing hard-nosed defense.
Q. Who are the leaders on the team?
KELSI MUSICK: I would definitely say Wyvette is definitely a leader. Taleyah and Emily because of their knowledge of my system and my style of coaching.
Q. With the schedule y'all are going to navigate in non-conference, what are you hoping to get out of that non-conference?
KELSI MUSICK: I think the biggest thing is helping them really truly understand our system in a 40-minute game. In practice I try to make it extremely hard and as game-like as possible. Really putting each and every game, opportunity we have, to play 40 minutes. Growing, adapting, getting better as a unit and as a team. That cohesiveness is going to be important as we go into SEC play.
Q. Wyvette is somebody who has played a lot of college basketball. How much have you seen that experience help her as she adjusts to playing for you and Arkansas?
KELSI MUSICK: I think her experience, her knowledge, and the fact that she's a veteran is really going to help us, especially in this first year.
Q. How would you define success in year one for Arkansas?
KELSI MUSICK: Again, I think it's my culture, establishing my system, the style. Just our culture and the type of basketball we want to play and be known for at the University of Arkansas.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time this afternoon.
KELSI MUSICK: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports