May 15, 2026 • 8 mins
The Head Coach of the UC Women's Basketball program joined Mo as part of his 513 Day broadcast from UC.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, we have been busy here at you see
it's five one three day bullegar, this is yes, we
had fifteen thirtieth Uh. We just continued. We have the
uh head coach at do you see women's basketball program
Katrina Merriweather with US coach. Good to see you, Good
to see you. Thank you for having me. You have
been quite busy, yes, and it feels like productive.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I think it's been productive. We will see when everybody
comes together in June. But on on paper, I would
say that it has been a really good spring.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You Uh. In this business, you turn the page very
quickly from one season to the next. So you've you've
gotta you've got to replace players. You've got to fill
holes on the roster. Did you sit down and go, Okay,
I gotta fill x amount of players at this position.
I've gotta we need this type of player at this position. Well,
how does how does the beginning of that process work? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
For us, it had a lot to do with depth, right,
we knew after last season. I'm one of those people
I don't like to get burned the same way twice.
And because we just had short numbers in very critical spots,
I think back to our UNLV game where we played
thirty eight minutes zone and started two to five players,
(01:10):
and thought that we may have to have tryouts right
before Christmas, and I want to make sure that we
have enough death, enough depth that we can compete in
practice at a high level. I think it really hurts
teams when you have to pull back in practice because
you want to make sure that you have people for games.
So we will have currently have a roster of fourteen,
(01:33):
and we will sign a fifteenth if the right player
comes along, and that'll get us three deep in every position.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I positioned this the same way to coach Calhoun. You'll
be better equipped to answer this question in two months.
But what do you believe the strength of your team
will be as the roster sits right now?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, it's going to be rebounding, which we all know
is my favorite thing. But I thought that what we
graduated in what we lost, we replaced very well. And
I also think that the class is headlined by Sanaya Jai,
who's a player who started at South Carolina. She is
(02:11):
athletic and versatile, and she can bring it off ball screens,
make mid ranges, get to the rim, you name it.
And I think that she plays at a pace that's
going to push us in practice. So I do believe
rebounding will be it, but it will also be defense
will be heavily emphasized and anticipated being much better than
(02:35):
a year ago.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
We were talking about this off are kind of the
timeline of the calendar and the integration of transfers, freshmen
and then returning players to kind of walk me through
what the summer is like, what you get to do,
how this is going to play out well.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
We start with the parent meeting, and I think that
having families in it's really important. It's the one time
we can get everybody together. They get to meet each other,
and then we have an open gen and we eat
that way. Our families are the first people to see
the actual team together. That sets the tone for what
we're going to get started. That next week, our performance
(03:12):
team has the team without me. All things are just
them getting themselves prepared for the workouts that will start
on June eighth. During that eight weeks, we'll start with
individuals and then we'll go to group work, and then
we'll end with some practices. The last three weeks to
introduce team drills, we'll have defensive sessions, just basically introducing
(03:35):
the system on both ends. So really excited about having
that opportunity to get them all together. But what we
should see by the end of the summer it should
be a little telling for me about who's gonna play
were it.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Feels to me. For all of the changes in college basketball,
one that has been in favor of coaches on the
women's and the men's side is you're allowed to do
more in the summer. Because for years I'd hear say like,
we want to work, we want to do our jobs,
and now it feels like and this is this helps everybody,
but it feels like you're allowed to work more in the.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Summer, which is gotta be nice, I think so. And
you have to work in unison with your performance scene
because the eight hours are still the same. But we're
not limited to four hours of basketball, right, so if
we want to go five or six, then we can
do that. But we want to make sure that we're
not taking away from the time that they spend with
the performance scene. That is the foundation, right of their
(04:29):
strength and their mobility and all the things that they're
able to do on the basketball floor. But I do
love the option, and I think we'll exercise that option
in conjunction with those conversations. But I'm with you, like,
we just want to get in the gym, and we
don't want to wear them out. We don't want to
over any overuseless injuries or anything like that, but we
do want to get to work. I think a lot sooner.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
There were a lot of trying stretches during this past season,
and you're going to go through that, but you got
to learn from it. What do you think you learned
about the kids you have that you're going to bring back.
What do you think maybe you learned about yourself as
a coach during what was at times a really difficult season.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I think those core seven that were committed to coming
back were the ones that understood understood that there's always
ways that we can all be better. And I'm a
very accountable person, a very reflective person. There isn't anyone harder.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
On me than me.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So when I go back and I look at those
games and is this the right lineup? And did we
practice the right things and were we in man at
the right time zone at the right time, And it
was challenging. It was challenging because a lot of the
times we couldn't practice the way we wanted to play
because when to make sure we have players for the games.
But to me, the six games right by a total
(05:45):
of twenty possesses, right, you know, those things are just hard.
And what I learned about myself was we cannot slow
step this thing. See I've always been into let's start
off slow and let's grow right. Well, we're gonna have
to come in day one on June eighth. We're gonna
have to hit it hard. And I think that we'll
(06:06):
figure out if there will be any separation, you know,
between maybe ten and then five or eight and seven.
Hopefully it'll be fifteen or fourteen, right, and everybody's ready
to go, and everybody's healthy, and everybody's locked in, and
everybody did what they were supposed to do in May.
But I don't think I can find that out in
week three or four anymore. I think I have to
(06:27):
know that in the first week we're in the gym.
So that's what I learned about me. What I learned
about you know, the team is same that everybody knows.
The best thing about freshmen is they become softwors. You know,
they were incredibly talented. I think they love basketball. Our
culture was phenomenal. It almost blew my mind that we
(06:48):
were losing games the way we were, though it did not,
and I'm proud of it. It still shocks me to
this day because when I think back to me being
a student athlete, I would have been a wreck. I
think that my teammates would have been a wreck, no
matter how much our coach has tried. And it just
speaks volumes for the seven that we have coming back
and in the way that they showed their maturity in
(07:11):
their toughness.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So I don't want the numbers to be as thin
as they were last year. But if you need a
body in practice, I can. I just told coach Calhoun,
I can get up and down the floor maybe twice.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Come on, Y's two more times, two more times than
I can. I only challenge them in the half court
and some shooting drills because I can. My pull up
is still there a little bit. If I want to
show them a little something, I can they pull up.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
My pull up's never been there. But uh, you know,
I'll work in the driveway this summer and if things,
you know, just whatever. Hopefully it's like an illness or something,
no debilitating injuries. You need somebody, I'll come in and
I'll try.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Okay, well, you can come in anytime. I'm sure it'll
be helpful.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I would for me. I'm not sure for you, but
for me, yeah, be be beneficial. Can't thank you enough
for doing this. Hopefully it gets a down time and
UH have a great I can't wait till next year.
Thanks so much. I appreciate it. Thanks for having Katrina
Merriweather the women's head coach women's basketball head coach at
the University of Cincinnati. It's a quarter after four, malwegar
on five Winter three Day. You see. This is ESPN
(08:13):
fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station.
All right, we have been busy here at you see
it's five one three day bullegar, this is yes, we
had fifteen thirtieth Uh. We just continued. We have the
uh head coach at do you see women's basketball program
Katrina Merriweather with US coach. Good to see you, Good
to see you. Thank you for having me. You have
been quite busy, yes, and it feels like productive.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I think it's been productive. We will see when everybody
comes together in June. But on on paper, I would
say that it has been a really good spring.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You Uh. In this business, you turn the page very
quickly from one season to the next. So you've you've
gotta you've got to replace players. You've got to fill
holes on the roster. Did you sit down and go, Okay,
I gotta fill x amount of players at this position.
I've gotta we need this type of player at this position. Well,
how does how does the beginning of that process work? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
For us, it had a lot to do with depth, right,
we knew after last season. I'm one of those people
I don't like to get burned the same way twice.
And because we just had short numbers in very critical spots,
I think back to our UNLV game where we played
thirty eight minutes zone and started two to five players,
(01:10):
and thought that we may have to have tryouts right
before Christmas, and I want to make sure that we
have enough death, enough depth that we can compete in
practice at a high level. I think it really hurts
teams when you have to pull back in practice because
you want to make sure that you have people for games.
So we will have currently have a roster of fourteen,
(01:33):
and we will sign a fifteenth if the right player
comes along, and that'll get us three deep in every position.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I positioned this the same way to coach Calhoun. You'll
be better equipped to answer this question in two months.
But what do you believe the strength of your team
will be as the roster sits right now?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, it's going to be rebounding, which we all know
is my favorite thing. But I thought that what we
graduated in what we lost, we replaced very well. And
I also think that the class is headlined by Sanaya Jai,
who's a player who started at South Carolina. She is
(02:11):
athletic and versatile, and she can bring it off ball screens,
make mid ranges, get to the rim, you name it.
And I think that she plays at a pace that's
going to push us in practice. So I do believe
rebounding will be it, but it will also be defense
will be heavily emphasized and anticipated being much better than
(02:35):
a year ago.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
We were talking about this off are kind of the
timeline of the calendar and the integration of transfers, freshmen
and then returning players to kind of walk me through
what the summer is like, what you get to do,
how this is going to play out well.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
We start with the parent meeting, and I think that
having families in it's really important. It's the one time
we can get everybody together. They get to meet each other,
and then we have an open gen and we eat
that way. Our families are the first people to see
the actual team together. That sets the tone for what
we're going to get started. That next week, our performance
(03:12):
team has the team without me. All things are just
them getting themselves prepared for the workouts that will start
on June eighth. During that eight weeks, we'll start with
individuals and then we'll go to group work, and then
we'll end with some practices. The last three weeks to
introduce team drills, we'll have defensive sessions, just basically introducing
(03:35):
the system on both ends. So really excited about having
that opportunity to get them all together. But what we
should see by the end of the summer it should
be a little telling for me about who's gonna play
were it.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Feels to me. For all of the changes in college basketball,
one that has been in favor of coaches on the
women's and the men's side is you're allowed to do
more in the summer. Because for years I'd hear say like,
we want to work, we want to do our jobs,
and now it feels like and this is this helps everybody,
but it feels like you're allowed to work more in the.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Summer, which is gotta be nice, I think so. And
you have to work in unison with your performance scene
because the eight hours are still the same. But we're
not limited to four hours of basketball, right, so if
we want to go five or six, then we can
do that. But we want to make sure that we're
not taking away from the time that they spend with
the performance scene. That is the foundation, right of their
(04:29):
strength and their mobility and all the things that they're
able to do on the basketball floor. But I do
love the option, and I think we'll exercise that option
in conjunction with those conversations. But I'm with you, like,
we just want to get in the gym, and we
don't want to wear them out. We don't want to
over any overuseless injuries or anything like that, but we
do want to get to work. I think a lot sooner.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
There were a lot of trying stretches during this past season,
and you're going to go through that, but you got
to learn from it. What do you think you learned
about the kids you have that you're going to bring back.
What do you think maybe you learned about yourself as
a coach during what was at times a really difficult season.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I think those core seven that were committed to coming
back were the ones that understood understood that there's always
ways that we can all be better. And I'm a
very accountable person, a very reflective person. There isn't anyone harder.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
On me than me.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So when I go back and I look at those
games and is this the right lineup? And did we
practice the right things and were we in man at
the right time zone at the right time, And it
was challenging. It was challenging because a lot of the
times we couldn't practice the way we wanted to play
because when to make sure we have players for the games.
But to me, the six games right by a total
(05:45):
of twenty possesses, right, you know, those things are just hard.
And what I learned about myself was we cannot slow
step this thing. See I've always been into let's start
off slow and let's grow right. Well, we're gonna have
to come in day one on June eighth. We're gonna
have to hit it hard. And I think that we'll
(06:06):
figure out if there will be any separation, you know,
between maybe ten and then five or eight and seven.
Hopefully it'll be fifteen or fourteen, right, and everybody's ready
to go, and everybody's healthy, and everybody's locked in, and
everybody did what they were supposed to do in May.
But I don't think I can find that out in
week three or four anymore. I think I have to
(06:27):
know that in the first week we're in the gym.
So that's what I learned about me. What I learned
about you know, the team is same that everybody knows.
The best thing about freshmen is they become softwors. You know,
they were incredibly talented. I think they love basketball. Our
culture was phenomenal. It almost blew my mind that we
(06:48):
were losing games the way we were, though it did not,
and I'm proud of it. It still shocks me to
this day because when I think back to me being
a student athlete, I would have been a wreck. I
think that my teammates would have been a wreck, no
matter how much our coach has tried. And it just
speaks volumes for the seven that we have coming back
and in the way that they showed their maturity in
(07:11):
their toughness.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So I don't want the numbers to be as thin
as they were last year. But if you need a
body in practice, I can. I just told coach Calhoun,
I can get up and down the floor maybe twice.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Come on, Y's two more times, two more times than
I can. I only challenge them in the half court
and some shooting drills because I can. My pull up
is still there a little bit. If I want to
show them a little something, I can they pull up.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
My pull up's never been there. But uh, you know,
I'll work in the driveway this summer and if things,
you know, just whatever. Hopefully it's like an illness or something,
no debilitating injuries. You need somebody, I'll come in and
I'll try.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Okay, well, you can come in anytime. I'm sure it'll
be helpful.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I would for me. I'm not sure for you, but
for me, yeah, be be beneficial. Can't thank you enough
for doing this. Hopefully it gets a down time and
UH have a great I can't wait till next year.
Thanks so much. I appreciate it. Thanks for having Katrina
Merriweather the women's head coach women's basketball head coach at
the University of Cincinnati. It's a quarter after four, malwegar
on five Winter three Day. You see. This is ESPN
(08:13):
fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station.
Mo Egger News
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