2012-13 ORU BASKETBALL
ORU EXPERIENCE
COACHES
2012-13 SQUAD
OPPONENTS
2011-12 REVIEW
HISTORY
HEAD COACH MISTI CUSSEN
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A Q&A WITH THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE ORU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM Q: After so many seasons as an assistant at ORU, what does it mean to you to now be the Head Coach of the women’s basketball team? A: Surprisingly enough, the initial transition was very simple and straightforward… I laughingly told everyone in the first few months that nothing had changed except my office was a little bigger! When you spend as many seasons in one place as I have here at ORU, you emotionally take ownership and responsibility for the program – the good and the bad. I have seen this program rebuilt from Ground Zero during my tenure, and it has been a labor of love and purpose. To take over the top leadership position for this program is a tremendous blessing that I accept humbly. I understand the sacrifices that were made by previous players and coaches to give us the opportunities we have today. Q: Now that you are in charge, what differences will people see in the ORU women’s basketball program? A: There will be some similarities to who we have been for several years offensively. I love transition offense and scoring points, and we have been very successful leading the nation in various offensive categories. I think the differences will show more on the defensive end of the floor. I love some of the zone defenses that we have taught in previous seasons, but I expect that they will be more complimentary to a disciplined man-to-man system. Q: What is your philosophy on out-of-conference scheduling? What type of opponents will fans see in the Mabee Center in the early months of the year, and what kind of road trips will the team take in future seasons? A: Every season is different. For instance, this season we have very few home games due to previous contractual agreements. Traditionally, we like playing BCS schools and regional midmajors in our pre-conference games – it is a great way to prepare the team for conference play. Warm weather trips are always nice “special events” every third or fourth season too! Q: How will the move to the Southland Conference affect the ORU women’s basketball program? A: Our biggest recruiting base has always been in this part of the country, so we are excited that recruits can now play in front of their friends and families more than ever. Travel should become somewhat simpler for us as well. We are proud to join the Southland – their women’s basketball is one of their strongest sports, and it is continuing to climb.
Q: Your first senior class has several very accomplished players and has won a lot of games, but they have yet to make the NCAA Tournament. Is there a sense of urgency with this group? A: The word I have used with them is “satisfying”. These seniors have set many records and won many games. But I want them to be satisfied. They aren’t yet, and neither am I. These seniors have always had a sense of urgency – they are highly competitive – but they have had some obstacles and injuries to overcome as well. If we can stay healthy this season, I believe they will write the ending to their careers that they have always expected. Q: Last year’s team struggled to play good basketball on a consistent basis. What will it take for you guys to play your best game every night? A: Details. The discipline to perfect the details possession by possession at both ends of the court. They have to know and show who they are night in and night out – they have to be known for their details. Q: How important is it for a secondary scorer to emerge alongside Kevi Luper, and who are some candidates to assume that role? A: We have a couple of great candidates – in fact, I believe we will run certain lineups this year that opposing defenses will scratch their heads a bit trying to decide who they can help off of to assist the defender assigned to Kevi. Jaci, Savanna, Detti, Krisztina, Christian, Taylor…..It will be fun to see it develop! Q: Finally, talk about your new assistant coaches and how they will impact the program. A: First off, I’m thrilled to have retained Bojan Jankovic. We have become very close during his previous two seasons here at ORU, and he gives us a European recruiting edge that is vital to our program’s continued growth. Royce Samuels has made an immediate impact on our regional recruiting since arriving here in May. Royce and I go all the way back to El Reno High School together, and he is a tremendous relationship builder. He has this contagious humor and laugh that endears him to everyone he meets. Krista Binam and I started together here at ORU – me as an assistant coach and her as a freshman in college. She has always had a high basketball “IQ” and a knack for understanding the game. She will make huge investments into our perimeter players and our team defense. And Kyron Stokes has been a fantastic addition as our Director of Operations. He had a great playing career here at ORU, and he has a love for this University. His on-campus experience will be invaluable.
Five NCAA Tournament Appearances
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