REDHAWK CHAT: Lisa Hayden

For this week's RedHawk Chat, we welcomed the Associate Head Coach of the Miami women's basketball team Lisa Hayden. Hayden chatted Wednesday about the women's basketball season and the upcoming home opener against Wake Forest on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The RedHawks started the season at the Iona Tip-Off Classic last weekend where they defeated Bucknell in the opening round, 75-54. They fell in the championship game to Arizona, 91-67.

Hayden is in her ninth season as an assistant with the RedHawk basketball program. The four-year letterwinner at Miami (1991-95) was promoted in the offseason to Associate Head Coach.

MURedHawks.com: Welcome RedHawk fans! Assistant coach Lisa Hayden just arrived and we'll begin the chat here in a minute.

Sarah (Burlington): Your team is so young? What is the secret to competing against more experienced teams?

Lisa Hayden: I don't think there is a secret. It is what it is. We try to focus on us and improving everyday.

Chris (Cincinnati): Courtney Osborn had some great games this weekend, is she the next star of Miami basketball?

Lisa Hayden: Time will tell. She was the 19th-ranked point guard coming out of high school and was very highly recruited. We signed her knowing she could make a difference and help move this program to another level.

Jack (Oxford): It looked like the team had fun in New York City, what were the positives of taking a trip like that?

Lisa Hayden: They did have fun in New York City. Every year Maria asks our upcoming seniors to pick an area of the country that they would like to visit and she tries to schedule teams in those areas. She is a big believer in educating them off the court and outside the classroom as well.

Sally (Oxford): What do you look for in a recruit? Do you have walkon tryouts?

Lisa Hayden: Obviously we need skilled players. We like to recruit athletes who aren't afraid of hard work and who are very coachable.

Jackie (Richmond): Who are the teams to beat in the MAC this year?

Lisa Hayden: I think the league continues to get tougher every year. Teams who traditionally do well, such as Bowling Green and Ball State continue to give the MAC national recognition.

Sally (Middletown): Do you think Ball State's win over Tennessee last year will help the MACs reputation?

Lisa Hayden: Definitely. I think it proved that there are some great mid-major teams that don't always get credit for their team's success.

Tim (Oxford): I enjoy the video series that you have each week, what types of videos will we see in the next few weeks?

Lisa Hayden: For all of our games this year, we have a theme behind them. For the Wake Forest game Saturday, it is giving back to the community through a canned food drive. Our Wright State game will be our second annual "Class at the Court," where we bring in the three Talawanda elementary schools for a 1 p.m. game. Our video series will highlight some of these events.

Megan (Hamilton): What do senior leaders like Ashleigh Brown and Courtney Reed mean to the team?

Lisa Hayden: With eight of our 11 scholarship players being freshmen and sophomores it is important to have seniors, such as Ashleigh and Courtney, to help guide them. They've been in the system for four years and know what the coaches expect on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

Hamilton: I noticed Maggie Boyer did not score a lot in the first two games, is everything ok with her?

Lisa Hayden: The first game vs. Bucknell she was in foul trouble. The second game vs. Arizona she had shots but they just didn't fall.

Scott (Oxford): Coach, you played with some terrific athletes during your own years in a Miami uniform. Are there any particular women on this year's squad who remind you of yourself or someone else you used to play with?

Lisa Hayden: These players are much stronger and more athletic than my team ever was. I think you find characteristics in each player that you admire and that remind you of some part of me and my teammates.

Jim (Oxford): Who is going to score in the post for you this year?

Lisa Hayden: I think one thing that you'll see different about this year's squad is you'll see is a more balanced scoring attack. Both our posts and our guards can finish inside and out.

MURedHawks.com: Keep those questions coming, Coach Hayden is only here for a few more minutes.

John (Milford): What are the keys to beating Wake Forest this weekend?

Lisa Hayden: At this point in the season our focus has been on ourselves. When you play an athletic team such as Wake Forest, rebounding is always important and can make a big difference in the game.

MURedHawks.com: We have time for one more question...

Matt (College Corner): Seems like you have some good recruits coming in for 2010, can you tell me who will make an immediate impact?

Lisa Hayden: Hannah Robertson is an athletic guard with handles and all-around scoring ability. Her twin sister, Haley, has improved tremendously this past summer and has become more than just a great outside shooter. Erica Almady comes from two very successful high school programs. She is a skilled player who knows how to win. And our last recruit, Kelsey Simon has only been playing basketball for three years. She's a 6-2 center who runs the floor very well and has a very nice shot. Although she is relatively new to the game she has a huge upside. We feel like they all have the ability to contribute and fit our style of play.

MURedHawks.com: Thanks for following along everyone. We won't have a RedHawk chat next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday but in two weeks we will feature the swimming teams. Go RedHawks!

Related Videos