Most Popular Archives Shop
OKC, 75°F, Fair, Radar Loop | More Weather




View more >

Fri March 28, 2008

OSU players, coaches show strong team chemistry and a singular focus

 
 
Top Jobs
AddThis Social Bookmark Button
By Mike Baldwin
Staff Writer
TEAM CHEMISTRY
On the bus ride back to the hotel following the first team meal in Des Moines, Iowa, hours after checking into the Downtown Marriott, players spontaneously break into a rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough.”

ADVERTISEMENT


With this team you never know what to expect. Even in a public setting.

At the press conference the day before the NCAA Tournament opener, coach Kurt Budke is on the platform with Andrea Riley, Maria Cordero and Danielle Green. Budke's face is on a nearby television, a feed that can be downloaded by stations across the country.

"Hey coach, you're on TV,” Green announces.

Budke quips: "That's because they picked the best looking one up here.”

When Riley returns to the locker room, while Budke stays behind for more questions, OSU's All-American point guard is greeted by reserve Ally Clardy, her roommate back on campus.

Clardy chases Riley, flicking a shirt like someone attempting a towel-snapping swat. The same quickness that allows Riley to fly past defenders to become one of the nation's leading scorers enables Riley to foil Clardy<