Oklahoma basketball: Sherri Coale impressed by team's mental and physical toughness

“We just saw putty; we saw what could she be. She is just clay in the hands. ‘If she approaches and works the right way, this kid can be really special.' She does, and she's becoming special.”

Is she just one of those players that needed time to adjust to the college game?

“Some guys come in and because of either physical stature or exceptional skills, can come in and impact you immediately while they're learning. Sometimes, like Sharane, a kid's athleticism is far more advanced than their fundamental base. It's kind of like trying to run while you learn to crawl. She had to go back and lay that foundation, and it's grown firmer and firmer.”

Is that especially tough for a player who was such a high-school standout?

“Yeah, I think the greater adjustment for Sharane was not necessarily that she wasn't ‘the guy'; I don't think that ever really affected her. All of a sudden, she felt like there were so many things she could not do. I don't think she'd ever felt like that before. It was really a bruise to her self image as an athlete. She had never really failed because she was such a superior athlete.

“She's a spunky kid and she's a smart kid. She's very attentive. Excellence matters to her. I think that's one of my favorite things about her. Everything she does, she does really well. She's concerned with the process. That's in her school work and in everything she does.”