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Alana Beard leads the ACC
in scoring with 23.7 points
per game. |
Chat Transcript: Alana Beard
Duke junior Alana Beard is the leading contender for National Player of the Year honors. Beard leads the ACC in scoring (23.7) -- she has scored 20 or more points in her last seven contests -- and field goal percentage (60.0). She is Duke’s only first team Associated Press All-America selection in history, and she has been named ACC Player of the Week five times already this season.
Beard scored 26 points to lead the top-ranked Blue Devils (13-0, 1-0) past Clemson 69-53 last night in Duke's ACC opener.
As a sophomore, Beard was named ACC Player of the Year, first team All-ACC, All-ACC Defensive team and ACC All-Tournament first team. She was also selected as Associated Press first team All-America, USBWA All-America, GBallmag.com first team All-America and Kodak All-America. Other honors: ESPN The Magazine Shooting Guard of the Year; Runner-up for Associated Press Player of the Year; NCAA East Region MVP.
Beard stopped by to chat Tuesday afternoon, and this is what she had to say:
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Alana: Hello everyone! I'm here a few minutes early and ready to take your questions. Let's get started. |
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| Julie W. Shreveport, LA: Hey Alana!! You are such an awesome athlete, an articulate speaker, a great role model and a dominating presence. How do you manage to handle school, practice, games and extra cirruclar obligations and maintain your sanity? |
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Alana: It's not hard at all. It's just something you have to be prepared to do whewn you come to college, especially a place like Duke. I love challenges, so it's not a big deal at all. The most important thing is having fun. |
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| Tom (Garner, NC): Of all the plays you've made at Duke, what would be your personal favorite? Good luck the rest of the year! |
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Alana: My favorite would have to be when we played Iowa State in South Padre, Texas, recently. I shot the ball and missed a defensive assignment coming back down the floow. Their point guard went in and I blocked the ball, then went back down to the other end and scored a layup, all in one play. |
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| Brittany (Durham): Hey Alana, I was wondering what is your favorite class that you are taking this year as a junior? |
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Alana: My favorite class this past semester was entrepreneurialship. I was really interested in what was being said in class, and that's something I'd like to be able to do in the future. |
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| Jerry (West Palm Beach Fla): Is there something you watch for in the opposing player that enables you to make so many steals? |
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Alana: It's all about timing. You have to catch the ball after the bounce and before it gets back to the person's hand. |
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| Gris Texhoma, OK: I honestly can't wait to see the UConn game! Geno claims he has the best player in the country ... what is your opinion on Taurasi? |
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Alana: I can't wait for the UConn game. It's another game that my teammates are looking forward to. She's a great player, and people are entitled to their opinion. We (Taurasi and I) have a great friendship, and it's great to know that the competition is there. That's my dogg! |
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| Mark Carver (Powder Springs, GA): Alana,
How is Coach G helping you guys stay focused one game at a time as the pressures of being undefeated and number one build with every game? |
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Alana: Coach G is using every game to keep us focused. We learn about ourselves with every game, and she never let's us get comfortable with where we are right now. We always need to improve. |
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| Mary (Winston-Salem): Is Coach G still using the "practice boys" now that the team has enough players to scrimmage five on five? |
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Alana: We've probably only used them three times this year because we have enough to play five on five, and we're so competitive with each other. The only time Coach G brings them in is when we need to be bumped around a bruised a little bit. |
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| Neil (Durham): Any motivation behind being the first woman at Duke with her jersey retired? |
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Alana: No motivation at all. We just have to wait and see if it will happen. I'm just a junior, so I have another year left. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, it's no big deal. |
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| Harry Fulwood, Jr. (Houston): When I watch you play, you seem to play with such confidence and authority: Whom do you name among your greatest models and influences? |
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Alana: I don't really model my game after anyone, but I watch Kobe and Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce. They play with a lot of confidence. I want to be like that, but I don't model my game after anyone. I just go out there and play. |
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| Detris Beard, Memphis: Hi Pooh Bear. This is your cousin in Memphis. How does it feel to be the best player (not just female) in the country? |
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Alana: Hey. Thanks for putting in a question. Thanks for your support and I love you all. Tell my other two cousins that I miss them and that I love them. |
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| Coop (Goldsboro): Hey Alana! What is your goal as an female athlete? |
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Alana: My number one goal as a female athlete is to play every game and have fun. In doing that, I want to create new avenues for incoming players seeking a career in basketball. |
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| Gris (Texhoma, OK): What is the biggest complement given to you and why did it mean so much?
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Alana: From Clemson coach Jim Davis. He considered me a Jordan-type player. Any time your name is mentioned in the same sentence with Michael Jordan, I consider that a huge honor. |
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| James C. (Savannah): Hi, Alana! Since you are great at both, which do you think is most important, offense or defense? |
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Alana: Defense is definitely the most important aspect of the game. Defense creates your offense. If I have a bad game defensively, I consider it a bad game. Defense is so important in all sports. |
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Alana: That's all the time I've got for now. Thanks for the great questions, and we'll do our best to get another win at Virginia this Thursday night. Take care! |
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