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Welcome to The Amy Eagan Show. University of New Mexico's Head Women's Basketball Coach Amy Eagan talks women's basketball and much, much more. We'll talk about past games, future games, players, the MW, the NCAA, academics, careers, and many other interesting topics. The show posts weekly during the season and periodically during the post-season and pre-season.
Gary Stocker (00:00:00)
Welcome back again to the Amy Egan Show where we regularly have during off season University of New Mexico head women's basketball coach Amy Egan join us for the Amy Egan Show. Coach, you are you have started the new school year. ⁓ how's it going so far?
Amy Eagan (00:00:16)
It's going great. I mean, ⁓ you know, when the kids get here for school we're off and running immediately with stuff and you know, having the ability to have them in the summer ⁓ takes away a lot of those meetings that we we usually have to get started and all that kind of stuff. So you feel like you're jumping right into it and getting right on the floor and starting to to work to get better and we've definitely been doing that. You know, this week we hit ⁓ obviously we have Labor Day weekend and then this week we hit ⁓ our number of hours increasing.
some so we're we're we're on the floor a little bit longer this week, which is good. ⁓ breaking them in for when we hit the our real practice September twenty first. So ⁓ it's it's in their minds it's a a hard time because you don't see that light at the end of the tunnel with games coming, but in our our minds and we know and what we try to stress to them is it's a really important time, you know, especially this year for a first year program and really trying to instill a lot of
Gary Stocker (00:01:01)
Yeah, great.
Amy Eagan (00:01:12)
⁓ stuff in them and bring them along and get them as prepared as we can for for November second when we really tip off.
Gary Stocker (00:01:18)
So school has started, let's do a math question, coach. So g assuming that the first real game in early November sometime is the first practi is the first game. As a percentage, where is your team in terms of a percentage being ready for that first game?
Amy Eagan (00:01:22)
Yeah.
Amy Eagan (00:01:32)
⁓ you know, I would say we're about ⁓ I would say about thirty percent, probably right around there, you know. ⁓ you know, we and when I talk about that and look at that, I mean we haven't gotten to late game stuff, ⁓ obviously. We haven't gotten out of bounds, we haven't gotten a slob, we haven't gotten to some things that we're gonna have to get to to put in, ⁓ zone offense, zone defense, ⁓ some things that are important that you want to have in for the first game.
because we've been really, really busy just laying the groundwork of our defense and our offense and ⁓ really getting them to understand how to read things and how to react to things and spacing and you know, all those things with it. So there's a lot that goes into our system, a lot that goes into our program. And, you know, I always say it takes ⁓ you know, it takes special kids that understand like that how hard that is with the details and understanding the details and being willing to learn the details with it. So I'd say about thirty percent. I feel good about
⁓ I I feel good about our team and I feel good about where we're at, but we still have a lot of things that we have to continue to build on and and put in.
Gary Stocker (00:02:37)
So for those listeners who want to kinda get inside the head of a D one coach, ⁓ you talk about out of bounds plays and late game situations, you've already planned those out, you just haven't got to right?
Amy Eagan (00:02:48)
Correct. I mean, yeah, we have. I mean, we're starting right now with when you talk about like late game stuff, ⁓ you know, you got you kinda gotta know your personnel first before you design those things, you know, and ⁓ and who, ⁓ you know, who you feel like can hit some of those shots, who you feel like needs to get a touch during those times, maybe some possible mismatches and that. So you can't technically design those things before you have an idea of that. So we kinda have some things that we're looking at with that and
Maybe some kids that we feel like need to get touches during that time. ⁓ but we haven't technically laid anything on paper yet. So ⁓ we'll get there with it. ⁓ but you know, it's the same thing for like out of bounds and and slob and that. ⁓ you gotta find out kind of what your strengths are and who the kids out in those situations possibly need touches in that before you kind of design it. And so ⁓ we really take a little bit of time. We don't just put stuff in to put stuff in, we put it in with a purpose ⁓ to fit our personnel.
Gary Stocker (00:03:46)
Then you went coaching on us and used a term called slob who would define that for us.
Amy Eagan (00:03:50)
Yeah, that's sideline out of bounds. So we just call it slob and then Yeah. ⁓ I don't know why, but yeah, we call it we just call it S L O O B. So ⁓ shortens it than saying sideline out of bounds, I guess.
Gary Stocker (00:03:52)
Okay. ⁓ S L O B, huh?
Gary Stocker (00:04:01)
So ⁓
I g I guess. I I had never heard that one before. ⁓ So for this episode I want you to kinda step through each of the guards and I know you have numbers for the positions, the ones, twos and threes, I think. Step through each of the young women who are playing that role for you this year and the next time we'll do the fours and fives.
Amy Eagan (00:04:22)
Yeah. So we have right now I would say we had KR Curtis and Valerie Norwood and Layla in the hunt for the the point guard spot. ⁓ and all three of them are are growing in those areas, still have a lot of growth in them of how to manage a team and how to run a team in that point guard spot. ⁓ but I've been really, really impressed with with those three. ⁓ their willingness to ⁓ lead, not that they always know what to do right now. I I think Val has a better idea just because Val has been, you know, with us before.
but I think ⁓ key is making some really good ⁓ progress for us and really starting to see some some things shine in her with it. ⁓ and Layla's already has that matureness to her. It's just learning our system. And then, you know, we have Kate Wernley ⁓ and Katie and Sav and Gracie Wernley that are all kind of that two, three spot. ⁓ Wern Gracie Wernley ⁓ is ⁓ making her way back with us, is not there yet, coming off that ACL surgery and stuff.
but she's getting there and and she's close to being able to do a little bit more for us. ⁓ but she's doing everything on the outside that she needs to do, eating right, ⁓ d being in the weight room, getting her conditioning so that when it is time, she's ready to go with it. ⁓ And and then, you know, Sav ⁓ and Kate are two freshmen that we brought with us. ⁓ and for freshmen, I I've been so happy with our freshman class. Those two, and then you know, Maya who
is a freshman from Texas that plays a little bit more the four, could play a three type stuff stuff. ⁓ man, those three, I just really impressed with them. Their work ethic, ⁓ their competitiveness, their want to be good and want to be great. They're just making some great, great progress for us. And then KD is our kid that we that's from Australia. ⁓ she is she's doing great. ⁓ I I mean that kid shows up every day to compete. She's got a little of that grid in her which I love.
⁓ she wants to win and she just keeps finding her way and getting better as well. So really happy with that group. ⁓ you know, we d we just gotta keep bringing along and they gotta keep ⁓ wanting to and be willing to grow and learn through some of the hard
Gary Stocker (00:06:30)
And of course, Sav is Savannah Stricker, who comes from the the Powerhouse St. Louis program in Carnival Academy. for those that don't know, ⁓ Savannah.
Amy Eagan (00:06:39)
Yeah, you can you can tell she has that, you know, they won state championship every year. She has that winning mentality and she knows what it takes. And I don't really think the heart bothers her that much. ⁓ I think she understands it and that it's part of of that process. So it's always nice when you have kids like that from programs like that.
Gary Stocker (00:06:55)
Interesting. Yeah. And then the howl is coming up soon. What is the howl for our listeners?
Amy Eagan (00:07:01)
Yep. Yeah. So the howl is October ninth. It's gonna be at seven PM. I think we're releasing that today ⁓ on our social media and that. So it's kinda like the the old school midnight madness stuff, except for we have it in the evening instead of at at midnight. ⁓ and it'll be exciting. We do it with the men's team, ⁓ who's who's expected to have an outstanding year this year and ha obviously have some great players on their team like Jake Hall. ⁓ and so
Gary Stocker (00:07:14)
Yeah.
Amy Eagan (00:07:29)
We'll come in and and it'll be, you know, we'll get the crowd involved some and then we'll have ⁓ a three point shooting contest and then we'll have a skills challenge, we'll have a dunk contest and then maybe a a few events for students and that kind of stuff. So ⁓ I'm really excited about it. I think it's gonna give ⁓ our kids an opportunity and the community opportunity to g to again get a little bit more of a sneak peek of where we're at and the kids that we have on the team. ⁓
So I I'm excited it's gonna be a really great event. I know here when they do things they do things right and they do it really, really well. ⁓ so I'm excited to be out there and and have a little fun, you know, on in the pit and on the on the pit floor before we tip off.
Gary Stocker (00:08:12)
And then I assume my invitation to participate in the three point shooting contest is coming.
Amy Eagan (00:08:16)
Yep. It is. It is. I I'm probably gonna get you know, when you hit that three the three point shooting contest and you win it, yeah, I'll probably give you a pair of shoes or something, Gary.
Gary Stocker (00:08:29)
course when I shoot three pointers are really about twenty ten feeders is about all I can do. And then finally, Coach Egan, ⁓ the the Mountain West Media Day is coming up soon. I know you've done many media days before, but I think this one's in Las Vegas, right?
Amy Eagan (00:08:33)
Ha ha ha. ⁓
Amy Eagan (00:08:43)
Yeah, yeah. So it's gonna be October seventh. We'll go out the sixth. I think they have a couple of events on the sixth for like the kids. ⁓ I'm gonna take Layla and Val with me ⁓ and ⁓ you know gives them an opportunity to grow in those areas as well and talk about their teams and you know, kinda where we're at with stuff. But so I'm excited with that. But ⁓ yeah, I mean Media Day I think is exciting, you know. A lot of times there's a lot of polls that come out around that. There's a lot of like preseason players, you know, those kind of things that come out along that. So
That that kind of shows us getting a lot closer, you know, and at that point we'll be less than a month away. So ⁓ I'm excited to get out there to get around all the great Mountain West coaches and ⁓ the Mountain West administration and really ⁓ continue to have conversations with them and meet them and ⁓ you know, it's gonna be a really good day for us.
Gary Stocker (00:09:32)
Well, you've been listening to the Amy Inga Show, and Amy of course is the head women's basketball coach at the University of New Mexico. And coach, let's do this again in about two weeks and see how practice is going. We'll be getting really close by the time we get together again next time. Coach, take care.
Amy Eagan (00:09:43)
Yeah.
Thanks, Gary.