Everything SMU's Toyelle Wilson said at ACC Basketball Tip-Off

SMU Women’s Basketball started off ACC Basketball media days on Tuesday. SMU Women’s Basketball was represented by Head Coach Toyelle Wilson plus senior forward Chantae Embry and junior guard TK Pitts. Here is everything Head Coach Toyelle Wilson said:

On previewing SMU basketball to ACC fans:

Just really fast-paced basketball, hard-nosed toughness, grittiness. Just an exciting game of basketball. Scoring the ball. But something that’s actually going to be entertaining on the floor that will give the fans something to cheer about.

On the progression of the program heading into the ACC:

Well, the runway was really short because we found out I think May or June — or May, and we learned it was official in June — or July 1st. Our recruiting definitely changed. We had to get in the portal and really get kids that had that experience, that can score the ball. I think there’s nothing to substitute for experience.

We wanted to get that first to gel and get good kids that could compete at that level. It was really important to us. That’s the first thing.

The second thing is, we had the facilities, we have the academics. People get to now kind of not just locally but now globally, nationally getting to know who SMU is. We wanted to get that vibe out of there. I think the social media had to kind of grow. Just getting them informed on the East Coast about SMU.

It was really important for us to do that, and it’s just been going so well. People that we didn’t have a shot at before, now we have opportunities to have and talk to. So we’re just riding this wave and now getting the players in here that we can compete at this level.

On recruiting the prospects within the state of Texas:

 It’s a time right now. We have a Life After Ball program that prepares student-athletes for life after they’re done playing basketball. Our academics are basically Ivy League. That was really attractive to the ACC with the likes of Dukes and the North Carolinas and that academic level of integrity.

I think also our facilities. But now to put the icing on the cake and now to have ACC to do something different, you can go Big XII, you can go SEC. But to play in the ACC, which Debbie Antonelli, we always quote what she said. This is the best league for play guards, to be able to go play pro, to play professionally, this is the best league. It’s proven. The stats have shown. The Sweet 16s, the Elite Eights, the Final Fours, they’re going to get you there.

You’re going to be challenged game in and game out. You’re going to have the exposure. We can now say that to recruits and the appeal to be in Texas and stay home.

On receiving advice from fellow coaches as SMU steps up to the ACC:

Well, just my tight circle of coaches where I’ve been, where I’ve coached. Coach Barnes Arico. I was under her for a couple of years. Everyone is just, like, excited for the opportunity.

Thankfully I’ve coached for two years at Michigan, six years at Baylor, been around great coaches, and knowing that level of recruiting and what it takes. That’s what I kind of told my staff. It’s a different grind, a different mentality, a different mindset, a different work ethic.

Now you’re recruiting against the likes of the best in the country. So we’re really up for that challenge, and I’m really excited about it.

On how to prepare players for playing at the power-conference level:

Yeah. So the biggest thing I think is competing in practice. You have to compete, make everything competitive. You have to require the best and push the best out of them with intensity, with focus, with a mindset, and I have told them that.

I said, you know, I have done this before. I know when you’re about to get punched in the mouth, and you’re going to have to know how to respond when you get punched in the mouth because the game is about runs.

So they know that, and that’s why we’re preparing ourselves. We went to Greece and Croatia this summer to get to learn each other, learn our personalities, because there are so many new kids on our team.

Also, like scrimmages against power fives we have coming up. That’s going to help us to get punched in the mouth and being able to respond because we’re going to have some peaks and valleys throughout the year, let’s be honest. It’s how you respond.

What are you telling yourself in your mind? What is your mindset? For me it’s just you’ve got to experience some hard and tough games. We have a hard out of conference schedule. We have four power four schools on our slate before we get to conference, which I think will help us.

Just, again, nothing substitutes for experience. I just said that to her. We’ve got to experience that in order to be used to that.

On scheduling more power-conference opponents in out-of-conference play:

No, we had a couple. We were in a tournament. We didn’t know who it was going to be, so we didn’t know that. Then we scheduled three of them.

Just intentional. You always, no matter what conference you’re going to be in, you want to prepare yourself and make it the hardest to prepare yourself for conference play where your strength of schedule now, the points when you play away, when you play at home if you lose.

Last year we played Baylor and Colorado at home. We were battling them for two, two and a half to three quarters, and now we have four out of conference.

It’s really going to help us prepare us for conference play.

On knowing the team’s strengths and weaknesses:

Yeah, I think just my biggest thing, and this is just in general, you can’t turn the ball over, and you have to be able it rebound the basketball. You can’t give up second chances.

Those are the two biggest things that I harp on in practice, and you can ask them, you know, some drills are it if you turn it over, if you give up an offensive rebound, we’re going to run for it because you won’t last. It will go from 0-0 to 10-0 run in an instance in the ACC. I’ve seen it happen.

But one thing I think you’re going to like about this seem is we can score in different facets and different ways. We got scoring guards and scoring posts. We want to play fast and in transition. I think what you are going to see about this team is you can’t really just scout one person.

One word to encapsulate the upcoming season:

 I’ll say connection.