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Nebraska Associate Head Coach Sunny Smallwood
Opening Statement
“First of all I just want to congratulate Indiana. Curt Miller in just two years has done such an amazing job with this team. They are a completely different team than they were last year as shown by their undefeated preseason record. If trying to win this game wasn’t enough, you know, losing (Head Coach Connie Yori) was not that great. I just wanted to say first of all I am so appreciative of my colleagues. Shimmy Gray-Miller, Dayna Finch, Jan Bethea, our graduate assistant Dominique Kelley. They are really amazing professionals. You just kind of step up to the plate, do what you’ve got to do and everybody does their job. Most of all our players. We have unbelievable players, which is a result of a great philosophy by Coach Yori, who recruits kids of character and it absolutely shows through in times of adversity. I’m very, very proud of this program right now.”
On Yori’s status
“The only thing I know is through the game she kind of mentioned that she was dizzy, so she was kind of having some spells of dizziness and then when it happened, I actually was coaching, so I didn’t see it happen. But other than that, I think that the most important thing is she’s being evaluated, she’s in great care and so I’m certain and thankful that she’s in great hands right now. Unfortunately I don’t know anything else.”
On what went through her mind
“I think that’s a really good question, because I know Coach Finch, who played for Coach Yori, immediately I looked at her. And of course she didn’t miss a beat in terms of what she needed to do. She had tears in her eyes. I think all of us experienced that a little bit. You just still have to hand it over and leave it to the professionals that are sitting right with us. And you have to make sure you take care of the team and then know that she’s being taken care of. It has potential to be emotional and that’s where we have to be the steady ones. And this team knows exactly what they have to do.”
On Yori walking off
“I didn’t even see that personally. I didn’t find that out until later. As soon as I saw her down, my first reaction was to pull the team together off away from her and get us organized and focused into what was next. I will say that once I heard that, it certainly made me feel better for her, knowing that we were probably fine. Anyway, I’m just really proud of this team.”
On the team getting fired up
“I don’t think I necessarily needed to say anything, because there is such a great love for her as a leader. She coaches with great passion and she cares about each and every one of us as a person as well. It doesn’t take a whole lot to get them to be motivated for what the cause is and what the purpose is. All I said to them was after we got them instructed in terms of what’s next on the court and I just looked and said, ‘Well, it’s time to turn up your swag.’ They just kind of giggled and shook it out a little bit and they took off. And you saw the results of that.”