October 16, 2025 • 27 mins
Texas Women's Basketball coach Vic Schaefer joins the show to share the strides his team is making via new additions and returning stars with the 2025-26 season fast-approaching.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here on sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone Craigway
alongside the producer Jake Herman, and glad to be with you.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I mentioned I had a lot of fun last night.
It was a pretty busy day. I was over in
the Moncrief New House Complex.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Over there, we were recording Longhorn Weekly with coach Sark
which Harrison night at seven o'clock, and we do that
from five point thirty to six thirty. And as soon
as it was over, I raced, I mean the proverbial
bat out of hell to get to the other side
of the stadium there on the North End Zone Club
for the women's basketball welcome back celebration, and it was
a celebration packed house in there to hear from to
(00:41):
meet the Texas women's basketball team, and also to hear
from the head coach who joins us now in the hotline,
head coach Pick Schaeffer is with us now. I appreciate
the time. I know it's an incredibly busy time for
your guys. And you said something last night. I didn't
realize that you kind of had a little bit of
a a shift change with regard to your practices and
(01:03):
things of that nature, and that happens sometimes when you
have a new head coach on the other side, being
Coach Miller in this case, how has everything gone with
the retooling and reconfiguring of things like.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
That, Yeah, good morning or a good afternoon. Thanks for
having me, Craig. It's you know, it's been different morning workouts.
After an afternoon workout, you don't quite have.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
The total.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Ability to you know, recuperate and rejuvenate, and so that
Tuesday and Thursday morning practice is typically you know, you've
got about an eighteen hour recovery period versus a full
twenty four hours if you go you know, two to two.
So it's different and probably won't ever do it again.
(01:49):
But I really wanted to try it just to help
with some of the crowding issues that Coach Miller and
I might have trying to both work out in the
afternoons in a you know where we don't ever get
in the moody very much, and when we do, I
don't want to not be able to get in there,
or I don't want to practice at six o'clock at
(02:10):
night or six point thirty at night, you know, And
so I just tried it to maybe accommodate him a
little bit and the same time see if it will
work for.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Us, and it just you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I've never done it before, probably won't ever do it again,
but we've made the best of it and we'll figure
it out the rest of the semester.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You touched on something.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I've been meaning to ask you this for probably two
or three years now, and I just I keep forgetting
it and ever come around to. But this really brings
it front and center for me. And this is a
question I've had a lot of fans ask me about
practice and the difference between practicing in your practice gym
and practicing at Moody. You have a wonderful practice gym,
(02:52):
as we know that, but I also know coaches field,
there's nothing quite the same as getting on the floor
of your whole arena and shooting at the baskets and
your home arena and that sort of thing in the
backdrop and all that. How how different is it for
you to have your team on the floor in the
practice gym there in the BBR as opposed to being
(03:13):
on the floor a Moody.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Yeah, it's just way different, Craig.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I mean, we don't play games in the practice gym.
The depth perception is the main thing you're trying to
You know, a home court advantage is not a home
court advantage unless you're able to practice on your game floor.
And the crowd is always nice to play in front
of when it comes to being able to play in
front of your own folks, but you know, you've got
(03:39):
to make shots, and you've got to get comfortable with
the gym and the surroundings and the floor and that kind.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Of thing, and so.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, it's just it's problematic when you can't get
in there to to do that.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
And so.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
You know, from from our perspective, especially shooting the basketball,
you to be able to that depth, big deal.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And so you know, we make the best of it.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But at the end of the day, it's why I've
done what I've done with trying to practice at least
a couple of mornings where I'm not either not being
able to get in there, if in fact we can
get in there, which we haven't very much in October.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
But if we can.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Just trying to keep my kids from having to practice
from six point thirty to nine at night, I mean
that's not really healthy either. So you know, again it's
it's just part of it, and you know, just trying
to figure out the best way to navigate it. And
so we're okay, we've made We've tried to manage it
(04:47):
the best we can. But it's just I tried something different,
and it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Talking basketball here with Vig Shaffer, Texas women's head coach
here on thirteen hundred.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The zone thing.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That I think probably makes what you and what your
staff had done even all the more amazing is that
in the going in the six years here, I can't remember,
and I and you correct me if I'm wrong, I
don't think you had a completely one hundred percent healthy
and full roster ready to go on the first full
(05:23):
day of team workouts for one reason or another, either
transfers or injuries or things like that.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Am I right about that?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And and has it kind of been the same way
again basically coming off the games in Canada where uh,
you know where Kyla got banged up in there after
starting off so.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, yeah, I mean it's it's been I'd have to
go back and look to see, you know, exactly some
of those other years, but it does seem like, you know,
whether we maybe signed a high school kid coming off
of an injury and she's not quite ready to go
(05:59):
or full go, or we've had something, you know, nagging
that we had to take care of at the last minute,
and so somebody might not be ready. But you know,
Coach Blair used to always say, you're never one hundred percent,
and you know, it comes down to what your you know,
(06:19):
what your eighty ninety percent, Is that better than somebody
else's ninety or one hundred and and so you know
it it is. It's just today's climate. These kids play
so much in high school and AAU and.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
So sometimes they come to us.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
They may have had surgery in high school, but when
our doctors look at them, you know, they're like, there's
no way we would clear them, you know, to play
right now. And I can't believe they've been playing, you know,
and so you know, it's just all it's it's fine,
but you're right, I'd have to go back and look.
But you know, we we just have to look and
(07:01):
see exactly over the years. But we've certainly had our
fair share of nicks and bumps and all that we've
we've been for you haven't had too many. We haven't
had too many, you know, big ones. I haven't had
very many big ones in my career. I've been really fortunate.
But every now and then, you know, you've got to
(07:23):
deal with it.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, I want to give you a chance to, as
you did last night, to talk a little bit about
some of the new faces for people who don't know
that you do have some new faces, both freshmen and
through the port on the start with a freshman and
get your thoughts on Grace Printer, who is I guess freshman.
It's that old thing about drinking from a fire hose,
(07:45):
and especially from you another if you're from another country
and she's coming in from Dublin, Ireland and having played
for the Irish under twenty national team. How about Grace,
who's your five eight freshman guard? And what you've seen
from her and what you like about how having her
on the roster.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, like I said last night, I have so much
respect and admiration for these kids that it comes so
far from home, and you know, it's not like they're
just going to get on a plane and fly home
for the weekend. You know, her and Lobi, so they're
just you know it, just I really admire them. But
Grace is a A is a shooter, somebody that we
(08:25):
got in on late, signed late. Felt like we needed
to add to the depth of our team, especially at guard.
And of course, you know, everybody and their mother thinks
we need shooters.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
So she was.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Somebody that that we really had had searched and do
our homework on.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And great.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Kid works extremely hard crash course and you know, everything
from learning how to navigate a campus the size, to
learning the speed of the game at this level, to
learning her teammates, to just everything just being thrown in
the fire. You know. Came over here, got off the plane,
(09:06):
Tory picked her up the airport. I met him at
the dorm by herself. Walks into a dorm room, those
sheets on the bed, nothing on the counter. I mean,
she just you know, she got because we got her late.
She was eligible late, and she had to really work
hard and test out of a few things to become
(09:29):
eligible to get into the University of Texas. So really, again,
kid works really hard, and you know, again lots of
admiration for her, and she just trying to figure it
all out. It's a crash course in life, yeah, and
then it's a crash course in basketball.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, and you mentioned Lavisa for folks on Leavisa Aspring
Cosey from Stockholm, Sweden six six sophomore center. You told
a pretty ent story last night about her a you
mentioned that in a perfect world and the world is
anything but perfect, but if it works out well enough,
and we'll talk about your other post in a minute,
that that it would be ideal to be able to
(10:11):
red shirt her if you could. But the language thing,
and I didn't realize that there might have been a
little bit of a language barrier when you were when
you were coaching her up.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
But I mean the kid, you know, she played one
year at Florida Atlantic, and you know, we uh we're
really hoping we can red shirt and I think it's
going to work out. Uh barn any unforeseen thing, but uh,
you know, great kid, man, She's got great hands, great feet,
(10:47):
really smart down there like she is, she's crafty, uh
and and so just hoping, like heck, we can get
her through the year red shirted. Then she'd had three
years left with us, and again, wonderful kid. But like
I told you last night, I'm you know, she's been great.
(11:10):
She's let me coach her. Uh, and you know there's
times I might be talking to her and coaching her
and then when I'm done, she gives me those two
thumbs up. I mean she got it understood. And and
and and so again, just a great kid, great family.
The whole family came, uh came over when she visited.
(11:33):
And uh, it's just really really special. So her and
Grace both Lavisa is gonna, you know, really will be a.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Sophomore, but both of them.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
From across the big water and good families. Excited that
they're here. And I'm hoping, like heck, we can can
get them to you know, develop them, because I think
they'll both be end up being good players for us
down the road.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Uh, let me get your thoughts on Taya and Breath.
Let's start with Taya Sidberry, who transferred him from Boston
College and played two years there.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
She's been a freshman at Utah. She's from Salt Lake.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
What is it about her once you saw that she
was in the portal that you really really liked about her.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Well, as you know, we needed four players, you know,
we really had to get at least one out of
the portal, and we were fortunate to get Taya and
Ashton both all time leading scorer in the history of
Utah high school basketball. And she is really I'm really
(12:36):
trying to get that mentality out of her right now
in college. I don't think that's been achieved and attained yet.
I think the kid can really be I think she
can be really an offensive player for us. And I
think she averaged eight point eight at at Boston College.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Maybe, but I think.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
There's more in there and we're going to really try
to get that out of her.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
And so.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
In any case, excited that she's here, wonderful kids, smiling
all the time, never has a bad day, works her
tail off. I mean, she just a great, great kid.
And then Brea from Arizona second team All Big twelve
was the number two player in the country coming out
of high school, number one post player in the country.
(13:28):
We lost her. I had recruited her, thought we might
get her, lost her to Arizona, and.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Just you know, was.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Disappointed, but a part of it. But then when she
went in the portal, man I was. I was calling
her within minutes and her mother answered the phone, Hey,
coach Shafer. So that told me she hadn't changed her
you know, hadn't deleted me from her phone book, and so,
you know, just again excited about her and again love
(14:00):
her skill set. She's got some stuff to her. Plays
with a little bit of an edge, which I love,
and so really really again excited that she's here. Mom's
a military woman, just retired from the military, actor over
thirty years of service. I really appreciate her. Again, we
(14:23):
have a common bond there and that my father was
a birt curl in the army and you know, thirty
two years. Loved his country and she served hers for
over thirty. So really have an appreciation for that as well. Yeah,
and the other fresh one we didn't talk about was
was Leah Leah Crump from Minnesota, played at you know,
(14:45):
played down in Florida at Montbird Academy or senior year.
But great, great player, great size, highest ranked player we've
signed here at Texas. Fifth ranked player in the country.
You know, Justice and Jordan, I think we're six and
seven or seven and eight, but she was fifth in
(15:06):
the country and really just been super special.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Bigger size, Yeah, great kid, big size. Hard to get
to her sometimes like Booker, but yeah, I did something
really cool, having ever had a player do this until
the other day. She is represented by Clutch Agency and
her association with New Ballot Shoe. She's one of their
(15:38):
very select few women's basketball players. I mean it is
a very select group, and Aliyah's one of their clients.
And Aliah went down to the high school here close
by what's the name of it, you got.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
The name, yeah, Navarro Early College.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Yeah Yeah, and outfitted their entire women's basketball team with
new balanced shoes, warm ups, shorts, T shirts. Just an
incredible gesture on her part. Spending time with those kids,
talk to them about leadership. Just an offless of her
(16:23):
and I'm awfully proud of her for doing that. I'm
proud that she's here at the University of Texas. And
as I told her, she made a difference in young
people's lives going down there, spending the day with them
and then gifting them. It's Christmas for those kids, no doubt,
Christmas in October, so really special.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And by the way, if anybody ask hers a new balance,
you can say, yeah, the same stuff that show a
Otani Wars.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I've seen him in the commercials for.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
That, you know, in the WNBA. Yet Stanford, she's one
of their other select clients, and so it's it's a
very elite group clientele. I mean, Eliah is one of them.
And so again just really I think it was unbelievable,
(17:13):
just such a classy gesture on her part, and we're
so proud of her for doing that.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
The one other newcomer wanted to ask Abab was Ashton Judge,
you're transferring from Missouri and and get you And I
know she was dealing with a little bit of a
ten to night this issue, but you're still pretty upbeat
about being able to get some real good some contributions
from her this season.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, for sure. You know, she came here and played
really well against us. We were you know, I think
we're down seven and a half and ended up came
back and beat them in the second half. But really
a sound kid, sound player, great kid, incredible family, like
all the kids on our team, that can stretch the
(17:57):
floor at the floor. But I tell you she's hard
to deal with if you can post her up on
the block, and she just got a knack, an uncanny
knack about her of getting that shot off. And so
I'm excited about her. I think she scores at all
three levels, plays the game hard, tough kid. She's battled
(18:19):
a little bit of some aggravation in her knee right now,
but I'm hopeful to get her over that. But just again,
a wonderful, wonderful kid, very highly skilled. Her and Taya
really bring a lot to the table. I'm excited about
both those kids to add to justice at the fore position.
So I think our folks are going to really love
(18:42):
watching her play.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Visiting with Vic Schaeffer, I want to wanted to ask you,
you know, because we've we've talked and talked and quite
a bit, and deservedly so about your veterans, but I
did want to get an update from you on Kyle
Oldacre coming out of the kind of things.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
She was very upbeat last night.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
So no, I'm good, I'm fine, uh, but but she
had to go through a healing process after that, the
grueling grind playing up in Canada, didn't she.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It was it was talking about Brea, Kylon, I was
talking about Kyler. Yeah, Well, Kyler got hurt, you know,
eight minutes into the first game and doesn't play anymore
after that, and Brea ended up taking the brunt of
that because she had to play, you know, a lot
of minutes I think Kyla when she played after eight minutes,
(19:37):
she had seventeen points and ten or eleven rebounds, and
she goes down with an ankle injury and never just
play anymore. But she's back, she's healthy, you know, just again,
think her and Bray are going to really provide that
two headed monster that I'd like to have to go
with our great guard play that we've got. And uh
(19:58):
so excited about her her senior year. I'm just amazed
at you know, she was at my ampor two years
averaged four points four rebounds a game, Like I just
can't even imagine how that's even possible that you can
coach that kid to four points four rebounds a game
(20:19):
when that kid's a double double walking And she averaged
almost ten and six for us a year ago coming
off the bench behind Taylor. Are all Americans so really
excited about getting Kyla back. And then obviously Bray has
been super so those two should be great for us.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
The one other person want to ask you about and
we'll have plenty of visits like we do pretty weekly,
and we'll talk about Madison Booker, we'll talk about Jordan Lee,
and we'll talk about Brianna Preston. But I want to
ask you one question about Rory, and Folks obviously know
what Roy Harmon has been through and how she'd been
All American and then had the knee injury and then
came back from it and had to learn to trust
(21:00):
it and to go through that physically, and she always
said mentally she had to learn to When you watch
her now on the floor, is it the same or
pretty close to how she was pre injury, when she's
on the floor of these days as she was back
then before she had to go through everything she had
(21:21):
to go through to get that knee back in shape.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I think she's getting there.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I don't think she's back yet.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
I think she still can can get a little bit
more speed and quickness back. But she's certainly more comfortable
now she's playing without the brace. It's like I said
last night, two summers or a summer.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Ago, she was.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Training to get healthy so she could play last year.
This past summer she was able to train to work
on her skill set. And so I tell you where
she's been absolutely fantastic. Is is in assists passing the ball,
finding the open player, you know, finding where Booker is first,
(22:05):
before she looks for anybody. She's finding Booker and getting
her the ball where she needs it, when she needs it.
And so I think she's really been good passing the
ball and running things. So just getting her back, getting
her comfortable, getting her back being our best offender on ball.
(22:28):
You know, Jordan Lee's kind of taking that over. I
think right now a little bit. Jordan's really had a
great fall. I mean she's she's been great, and Jordan
is going to be She's gonna be my next combo guard.
I think that I can play at one or two.
Havn't played her at one any practiced her there a
little bit today. The kids so cerebral. I just she
(22:54):
may be that combo guard that I haven't had since.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Sydney Carter.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I mean, wow, she's you know, she's shooting the ball well,
she probably turns it over a little bit more she.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Knows than I like.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
But you know, I think again that's just that'll come
with time taking care of the ball. But I can
play Jordan at three positions right now, and she's so
smart and heady. She moved to any of the three
and pretty much handle it. So but she's really become
a great defender, and that's that's the piece that really
(23:35):
need her to become. So Rory and her out there
on the perimeter you want to add, you know, hopefully
break and really do a great job out there defensively
like we've seen flashes of. And then Booker just getting
better out there. You know, she'll tell you she was,
you know, really brought a defensive edge this summer with
(23:56):
the US eighteen and she was proud to do that. Yeah,
that's so unselfish to a fault. I almost have to
get on her sometimes about don't turn that shot down,
don't turn that, you know, don't pass that you you
passed up.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
A good look, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
But that's just the kids. She just an incredible teammate,
very unselfish and so uh. I just you know, I'm
really We're really blessed to have these great players. And
I would just encourage our fans. You don't take it
for granted, y'all. You don't take a Rory Harmon a
Madison Booker for granted. You know, we're always gonna have
(24:38):
really good players here. But those are two Hall of famers.
Those two kids are going to be in the Hall.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Of Fame here one day. And Booker is gonna.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Have a chance to be the all time leading score
in the history of the school, or he's already set
the record for twelve hundred point seven hundred assists, something
no other player's ever done.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Here.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Don't take it for granted, you know. And while they're here, man,
you need to enjoy them.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well no, I am, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Well, and that's where we're going to end with us
talking about the chances to see them, because you have
this incredible non conference schedule. But even before we get
to all of that, you have an orange white game
this Sunday. You have two exhibition games against two programs
that are really good in their division of basketball, Love
At Christian and Texas Women's University, and a chance for
(25:26):
folks to come out. And the price is right, as
they like to say, free ninety nine. So a chance
to come out and really see the team, and I
know that means a lot to get. With six two
forty six season tickets sold, that's pretty gool deal, Vick.
This is this my twenty ninth year doing the play
by play, and I could never have dreamed or imagined
that there'd be over six thousand season tickets sold.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So I know you're very happy about.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
It, Yes, sir, what I envisioned when I took the job.
It's just taken me a little bit long hunger to
get to where we are now. But you know, you
look back on last year. We had several sellouts, especially
down the stretch last year when we were we were
(26:12):
trying to win the SEC and our fan base has
been so supportive and so loving and caring of our players.
And I appreciate that so much. But I think too
our players deserve it. They're fun to watch, they're great kids,
they're accessible. But we're very grateful for our fan base
(26:32):
and thankful for the support that our kids get. But
you know me, I'm not satisfied. I mean, sixty two
and change sold. If we could get to sixty five
hundred this year, and then again, if we could have
two three thousand a night, walk up. Well, now you've
got a chance to have ten thousand a night, which
in my mind, that should be easy in a community
(26:55):
of two me and out here close by a student
body of fifty five thousand. Now, there's no reason i'd
come out watch one of the best teams in the country,
watch some of the best players in the Country play
right here in the Moody Center, so you know, get
them ready and to get them functioning at.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
A high level.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
And I'm won't do everything I can to do that,
but we certainly do appreciate our fan base and appreciate
all the sport.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
We can get.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
This Sunday afternoon four o'clock is the Orange White Scrimmage
at Moody Center. Free parking and free admission for that,
and then there's a couple exhibition games a week from
tonight against Lovebock Christian and then Texas Women's University a
week from Monday.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Hey, I can't thank you enough.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
I appreciate you taking the time and looking forward to
getting this whole thing going again.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Yeah me too.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
You really appreciate the opportunity as always, Craig, thanks again
and come see us play.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
That's Big Schaeffer, head coach for Texas Women's basketball. We
have more coming up on thirteen under the Zone.
Here on sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone Craigway
alongside the producer Jake Herman, and glad to be with you.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I mentioned I had a lot of fun last night.
It was a pretty busy day. I was over in
the Moncrief New House Complex.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Over there, we were recording Longhorn Weekly with coach Sark
which Harrison night at seven o'clock, and we do that
from five point thirty to six thirty. And as soon
as it was over, I raced, I mean the proverbial
bat out of hell to get to the other side
of the stadium there on the North End Zone Club
for the women's basketball welcome back celebration, and it was
a celebration packed house in there to hear from to
(00:41):
meet the Texas women's basketball team, and also to hear
from the head coach who joins us now in the hotline,
head coach Pick Schaeffer is with us now. I appreciate
the time. I know it's an incredibly busy time for
your guys. And you said something last night. I didn't
realize that you kind of had a little bit of
a a shift change with regard to your practices and
(01:03):
things of that nature, and that happens sometimes when you
have a new head coach on the other side, being
Coach Miller in this case, how has everything gone with
the retooling and reconfiguring of things like.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
That, Yeah, good morning or a good afternoon. Thanks for
having me, Craig. It's you know, it's been different morning workouts.
After an afternoon workout, you don't quite have.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
The total.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Ability to you know, recuperate and rejuvenate, and so that
Tuesday and Thursday morning practice is typically you know, you've
got about an eighteen hour recovery period versus a full
twenty four hours if you go you know, two to two.
So it's different and probably won't ever do it again.
(01:49):
But I really wanted to try it just to help
with some of the crowding issues that Coach Miller and
I might have trying to both work out in the
afternoons in a you know where we don't ever get
in the moody very much, and when we do, I
don't want to not be able to get in there,
or I don't want to practice at six o'clock at
(02:10):
night or six point thirty at night, you know, And
so I just tried it to maybe accommodate him a
little bit and the same time see if it will
work for.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Us, and it just you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I've never done it before, probably won't ever do it again,
but we've made the best of it and we'll figure
it out the rest of the semester.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You touched on something.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I've been meaning to ask you this for probably two
or three years now, and I just I keep forgetting
it and ever come around to. But this really brings
it front and center for me. And this is a
question I've had a lot of fans ask me about
practice and the difference between practicing in your practice gym
and practicing at Moody. You have a wonderful practice gym,
(02:52):
as we know that, but I also know coaches field,
there's nothing quite the same as getting on the floor
of your whole arena and shooting at the baskets and
your home arena and that sort of thing in the
backdrop and all that. How how different is it for
you to have your team on the floor in the
practice gym there in the BBR as opposed to being
(03:13):
on the floor a Moody.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Yeah, it's just way different, Craig.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I mean, we don't play games in the practice gym.
The depth perception is the main thing you're trying to
You know, a home court advantage is not a home
court advantage unless you're able to practice on your game floor.
And the crowd is always nice to play in front
of when it comes to being able to play in
front of your own folks, but you know, you've got
(03:39):
to make shots, and you've got to get comfortable with
the gym and the surroundings and the floor and that kind.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Of thing, and so.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, it's just it's problematic when you can't get
in there to to do that.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
And so.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
You know, from from our perspective, especially shooting the basketball,
you to be able to that depth, big deal.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And so you know, we make the best of it.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But at the end of the day, it's why I've
done what I've done with trying to practice at least
a couple of mornings where I'm not either not being
able to get in there, if in fact we can
get in there, which we haven't very much in October.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
But if we can.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Just trying to keep my kids from having to practice
from six point thirty to nine at night, I mean
that's not really healthy either. So you know, again it's
it's just part of it, and you know, just trying
to figure out the best way to navigate it. And
so we're okay, we've made We've tried to manage it
(04:47):
the best we can. But it's just I tried something different,
and it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Talking basketball here with Vig Shaffer, Texas women's head coach
here on thirteen hundred.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The zone thing.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That I think probably makes what you and what your
staff had done even all the more amazing is that
in the going in the six years here, I can't remember,
and I and you correct me if I'm wrong, I
don't think you had a completely one hundred percent healthy
and full roster ready to go on the first full
(05:23):
day of team workouts for one reason or another, either
transfers or injuries or things like that.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Am I right about that?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And and has it kind of been the same way
again basically coming off the games in Canada where uh,
you know where Kyla got banged up in there after
starting off so.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, yeah, I mean it's it's been I'd have to
go back and look to see, you know, exactly some
of those other years, but it does seem like, you know,
whether we maybe signed a high school kid coming off
of an injury and she's not quite ready to go
(05:59):
or full go, or we've had something, you know, nagging
that we had to take care of at the last minute,
and so somebody might not be ready. But you know,
Coach Blair used to always say, you're never one hundred percent,
and you know, it comes down to what your you know,
(06:19):
what your eighty ninety percent, Is that better than somebody
else's ninety or one hundred and and so you know
it it is. It's just today's climate. These kids play
so much in high school and AAU and.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
So sometimes they come to us.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
They may have had surgery in high school, but when
our doctors look at them, you know, they're like, there's
no way we would clear them, you know, to play
right now. And I can't believe they've been playing, you know,
and so you know, it's just all it's it's fine,
but you're right, I'd have to go back and look.
But you know, we we just have to look and
(07:01):
see exactly over the years. But we've certainly had our
fair share of nicks and bumps and all that we've
we've been for you haven't had too many. We haven't
had too many, you know, big ones. I haven't had
very many big ones in my career. I've been really fortunate.
But every now and then, you know, you've got to
(07:23):
deal with it.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, I want to give you a chance to, as
you did last night, to talk a little bit about
some of the new faces for people who don't know
that you do have some new faces, both freshmen and
through the port on the start with a freshman and
get your thoughts on Grace Printer, who is I guess freshman.
It's that old thing about drinking from a fire hose,
(07:45):
and especially from you another if you're from another country
and she's coming in from Dublin, Ireland and having played
for the Irish under twenty national team. How about Grace,
who's your five eight freshman guard? And what you've seen
from her and what you like about how having her
on the roster.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, like I said last night, I have so much
respect and admiration for these kids that it comes so
far from home, and you know, it's not like they're
just going to get on a plane and fly home
for the weekend. You know, her and Lobi, so they're
just you know it, just I really admire them. But
Grace is a A is a shooter, somebody that we
(08:25):
got in on late, signed late. Felt like we needed
to add to the depth of our team, especially at guard.
And of course, you know, everybody and their mother thinks
we need shooters.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
So she was.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Somebody that that we really had had searched and do
our homework on.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And great.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Kid works extremely hard crash course and you know, everything
from learning how to navigate a campus the size, to
learning the speed of the game at this level, to
learning her teammates, to just everything just being thrown in
the fire. You know. Came over here, got off the plane,
(09:06):
Tory picked her up the airport. I met him at
the dorm by herself. Walks into a dorm room, those
sheets on the bed, nothing on the counter. I mean,
she just you know, she got because we got her late.
She was eligible late, and she had to really work
hard and test out of a few things to become
(09:29):
eligible to get into the University of Texas. So really, again,
kid works really hard, and you know, again lots of
admiration for her, and she just trying to figure it
all out. It's a crash course in life, yeah, and
then it's a crash course in basketball.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, and you mentioned Lavisa for folks on Leavisa Aspring
Cosey from Stockholm, Sweden six six sophomore center. You told
a pretty ent story last night about her a you
mentioned that in a perfect world and the world is
anything but perfect, but if it works out well enough,
and we'll talk about your other post in a minute,
that that it would be ideal to be able to
(10:11):
red shirt her if you could. But the language thing,
and I didn't realize that there might have been a
little bit of a language barrier when you were when
you were coaching her up.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
But I mean the kid, you know, she played one
year at Florida Atlantic, and you know, we uh we're
really hoping we can red shirt and I think it's
going to work out. Uh barn any unforeseen thing, but uh,
you know, great kid, man, She's got great hands, great feet,
(10:47):
really smart down there like she is, she's crafty, uh
and and so just hoping, like heck, we can get
her through the year red shirted. Then she'd had three
years left with us, and again, wonderful kid. But like
I told you last night, I'm you know, she's been great.
(11:10):
She's let me coach her. Uh, and you know there's
times I might be talking to her and coaching her
and then when I'm done, she gives me those two
thumbs up. I mean she got it understood. And and
and and so again, just a great kid, great family.
The whole family came, uh came over when she visited.
(11:33):
And uh, it's just really really special. So her and
Grace both Lavisa is gonna, you know, really will be a.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Sophomore, but both of them.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
From across the big water and good families. Excited that
they're here. And I'm hoping, like heck, we can can
get them to you know, develop them, because I think
they'll both be end up being good players for us
down the road.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Uh, let me get your thoughts on Taya and Breath.
Let's start with Taya Sidberry, who transferred him from Boston
College and played two years there.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
She's been a freshman at Utah. She's from Salt Lake.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
What is it about her once you saw that she
was in the portal that you really really liked about her.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Well, as you know, we needed four players, you know,
we really had to get at least one out of
the portal, and we were fortunate to get Taya and
Ashton both all time leading scorer in the history of
Utah high school basketball. And she is really I'm really
(12:36):
trying to get that mentality out of her right now
in college. I don't think that's been achieved and attained yet.
I think the kid can really be I think she
can be really an offensive player for us. And I
think she averaged eight point eight at at Boston College.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Maybe, but I think.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
There's more in there and we're going to really try
to get that out of her.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
And so.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
In any case, excited that she's here, wonderful kids, smiling
all the time, never has a bad day, works her
tail off. I mean, she just a great, great kid.
And then Brea from Arizona second team All Big twelve
was the number two player in the country coming out
of high school, number one post player in the country.
(13:28):
We lost her. I had recruited her, thought we might
get her, lost her to Arizona, and.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Just you know, was.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Disappointed, but a part of it. But then when she
went in the portal, man I was. I was calling
her within minutes and her mother answered the phone, Hey,
coach Shafer. So that told me she hadn't changed her
you know, hadn't deleted me from her phone book, and so,
you know, just again excited about her and again love
(14:00):
her skill set. She's got some stuff to her. Plays
with a little bit of an edge, which I love,
and so really really again excited that she's here. Mom's
a military woman, just retired from the military, actor over
thirty years of service. I really appreciate her. Again, we
(14:23):
have a common bond there and that my father was
a birt curl in the army and you know, thirty
two years. Loved his country and she served hers for
over thirty. So really have an appreciation for that as well. Yeah,
and the other fresh one we didn't talk about was
was Leah Leah Crump from Minnesota, played at you know,
(14:45):
played down in Florida at Montbird Academy or senior year.
But great, great player, great size, highest ranked player we've
signed here at Texas. Fifth ranked player in the country.
You know, Justice and Jordan, I think we're six and
seven or seven and eight, but she was fifth in
(15:06):
the country and really just been super special.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Bigger size, Yeah, great kid, big size. Hard to get
to her sometimes like Booker, but yeah, I did something
really cool, having ever had a player do this until
the other day. She is represented by Clutch Agency and
her association with New Ballot Shoe. She's one of their
(15:38):
very select few women's basketball players. I mean it is
a very select group, and Aliyah's one of their clients.
And Aliah went down to the high school here close
by what's the name of it, you got.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
The name, yeah, Navarro Early College.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Yeah Yeah, and outfitted their entire women's basketball team with
new balanced shoes, warm ups, shorts, T shirts. Just an
incredible gesture on her part. Spending time with those kids,
talk to them about leadership. Just an offless of her
(16:23):
and I'm awfully proud of her for doing that. I'm
proud that she's here at the University of Texas. And
as I told her, she made a difference in young
people's lives going down there, spending the day with them
and then gifting them. It's Christmas for those kids, no doubt,
Christmas in October, so really special.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And by the way, if anybody ask hers a new balance,
you can say, yeah, the same stuff that show a
Otani Wars.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I've seen him in the commercials for.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
That, you know, in the WNBA. Yet Stanford, she's one
of their other select clients, and so it's it's a
very elite group clientele. I mean, Eliah is one of them.
And so again just really I think it was unbelievable,
(17:13):
just such a classy gesture on her part, and we're
so proud of her for doing that.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
The one other newcomer wanted to ask Abab was Ashton Judge,
you're transferring from Missouri and and get you And I
know she was dealing with a little bit of a
ten to night this issue, but you're still pretty upbeat
about being able to get some real good some contributions
from her this season.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, for sure. You know, she came here and played
really well against us. We were you know, I think
we're down seven and a half and ended up came
back and beat them in the second half. But really
a sound kid, sound player, great kid, incredible family, like
all the kids on our team, that can stretch the
(17:57):
floor at the floor. But I tell you she's hard
to deal with if you can post her up on
the block, and she just got a knack, an uncanny
knack about her of getting that shot off. And so
I'm excited about her. I think she scores at all
three levels, plays the game hard, tough kid. She's battled
(18:19):
a little bit of some aggravation in her knee right now,
but I'm hopeful to get her over that. But just again,
a wonderful, wonderful kid, very highly skilled. Her and Taya
really bring a lot to the table. I'm excited about
both those kids to add to justice at the fore position.
So I think our folks are going to really love
(18:42):
watching her play.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Visiting with Vic Schaeffer, I want to wanted to ask you,
you know, because we've we've talked and talked and quite
a bit, and deservedly so about your veterans, but I
did want to get an update from you on Kyle
Oldacre coming out of the kind of things.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
She was very upbeat last night.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
So no, I'm good, I'm fine, uh, but but she
had to go through a healing process after that, the
grueling grind playing up in Canada, didn't she.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It was it was talking about Brea, Kylon, I was
talking about Kyler. Yeah, Well, Kyler got hurt, you know,
eight minutes into the first game and doesn't play anymore
after that, and Brea ended up taking the brunt of
that because she had to play, you know, a lot
of minutes I think Kyla when she played after eight minutes,
(19:37):
she had seventeen points and ten or eleven rebounds, and
she goes down with an ankle injury and never just
play anymore. But she's back, she's healthy, you know, just again,
think her and Bray are going to really provide that
two headed monster that I'd like to have to go
with our great guard play that we've got. And uh
(19:58):
so excited about her her senior year. I'm just amazed
at you know, she was at my ampor two years
averaged four points four rebounds a game, Like I just
can't even imagine how that's even possible that you can
coach that kid to four points four rebounds a game
(20:19):
when that kid's a double double walking And she averaged
almost ten and six for us a year ago coming
off the bench behind Taylor. Are all Americans so really
excited about getting Kyla back. And then obviously Bray has
been super so those two should be great for us.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
The one other person want to ask you about and
we'll have plenty of visits like we do pretty weekly,
and we'll talk about Madison Booker, we'll talk about Jordan Lee,
and we'll talk about Brianna Preston. But I want to
ask you one question about Rory, and Folks obviously know
what Roy Harmon has been through and how she'd been
All American and then had the knee injury and then
came back from it and had to learn to trust
(21:00):
it and to go through that physically, and she always
said mentally she had to learn to When you watch
her now on the floor, is it the same or
pretty close to how she was pre injury, when she's
on the floor of these days as she was back
then before she had to go through everything she had
(21:21):
to go through to get that knee back in shape.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I think she's getting there.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I don't think she's back yet.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
I think she still can can get a little bit
more speed and quickness back. But she's certainly more comfortable
now she's playing without the brace. It's like I said
last night, two summers or a summer.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Ago, she was.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Training to get healthy so she could play last year.
This past summer she was able to train to work
on her skill set. And so I tell you where
she's been absolutely fantastic. Is is in assists passing the ball,
finding the open player, you know, finding where Booker is first,
(22:05):
before she looks for anybody. She's finding Booker and getting
her the ball where she needs it, when she needs it.
And so I think she's really been good passing the
ball and running things. So just getting her back, getting
her comfortable, getting her back being our best offender on ball.
(22:28):
You know, Jordan Lee's kind of taking that over. I
think right now a little bit. Jordan's really had a
great fall. I mean she's she's been great, and Jordan
is going to be She's gonna be my next combo guard.
I think that I can play at one or two.
Havn't played her at one any practiced her there a
little bit today. The kids so cerebral. I just she
(22:54):
may be that combo guard that I haven't had since.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Sydney Carter.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I mean, wow, she's you know, she's shooting the ball well,
she probably turns it over a little bit more she.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Knows than I like.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
But you know, I think again that's just that'll come
with time taking care of the ball. But I can
play Jordan at three positions right now, and she's so
smart and heady. She moved to any of the three
and pretty much handle it. So but she's really become
a great defender, and that's that's the piece that really
(23:35):
need her to become. So Rory and her out there
on the perimeter you want to add, you know, hopefully
break and really do a great job out there defensively
like we've seen flashes of. And then Booker just getting
better out there. You know, she'll tell you she was,
you know, really brought a defensive edge this summer with
(23:56):
the US eighteen and she was proud to do that. Yeah,
that's so unselfish to a fault. I almost have to
get on her sometimes about don't turn that shot down,
don't turn that, you know, don't pass that you you
passed up.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
A good look, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
But that's just the kids. She just an incredible teammate,
very unselfish and so uh. I just you know, I'm
really We're really blessed to have these great players. And
I would just encourage our fans. You don't take it
for granted, y'all. You don't take a Rory Harmon a
Madison Booker for granted. You know, we're always gonna have
(24:38):
really good players here. But those are two Hall of famers.
Those two kids are going to be in the Hall.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Of Fame here one day. And Booker is gonna.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Have a chance to be the all time leading score
in the history of the school, or he's already set
the record for twelve hundred point seven hundred assists, something
no other player's ever done.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Here.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Don't take it for granted, you know. And while they're here, man,
you need to enjoy them.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well no, I am, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Well, and that's where we're going to end with us
talking about the chances to see them, because you have
this incredible non conference schedule. But even before we get
to all of that, you have an orange white game
this Sunday. You have two exhibition games against two programs
that are really good in their division of basketball, Love
At Christian and Texas Women's University, and a chance for
(25:26):
folks to come out. And the price is right, as
they like to say, free ninety nine. So a chance
to come out and really see the team, and I
know that means a lot to get. With six two
forty six season tickets sold, that's pretty gool deal, Vick.
This is this my twenty ninth year doing the play
by play, and I could never have dreamed or imagined
that there'd be over six thousand season tickets sold.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So I know you're very happy about.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
It, Yes, sir, what I envisioned when I took the job.
It's just taken me a little bit long hunger to
get to where we are now. But you know, you
look back on last year. We had several sellouts, especially
down the stretch last year when we were we were
(26:12):
trying to win the SEC and our fan base has
been so supportive and so loving and caring of our players.
And I appreciate that so much. But I think too
our players deserve it. They're fun to watch, they're great kids,
they're accessible. But we're very grateful for our fan base
(26:32):
and thankful for the support that our kids get. But
you know me, I'm not satisfied. I mean, sixty two
and change sold. If we could get to sixty five
hundred this year, and then again, if we could have
two three thousand a night, walk up. Well, now you've
got a chance to have ten thousand a night, which
in my mind, that should be easy in a community
(26:55):
of two me and out here close by a student
body of fifty five thousand. Now, there's no reason i'd
come out watch one of the best teams in the country,
watch some of the best players in the Country play
right here in the Moody Center, so you know, get
them ready and to get them functioning at.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
A high level.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
And I'm won't do everything I can to do that,
but we certainly do appreciate our fan base and appreciate
all the sport.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
We can get.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
This Sunday afternoon four o'clock is the Orange White Scrimmage
at Moody Center. Free parking and free admission for that,
and then there's a couple exhibition games a week from
tonight against Lovebock Christian and then Texas Women's University a
week from Monday.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Hey, I can't thank you enough.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
I appreciate you taking the time and looking forward to
getting this whole thing going again.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Yeah me too.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
You really appreciate the opportunity as always, Craig, thanks again
and come see us play.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
That's Big Schaeffer, head coach for Texas Women's basketball. We
have more coming up on thirteen under the Zone.
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