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Question And Answer With Dana Morgan
12/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 24, 2003
DURHAM, N.C. - Dana Morgan sat down last week with GoDuke.com for a Question and Answer session. The 5-9 sophomore from Camden, Ark., answers questions about Duke basketball, scoring her first collegiate points and what she wants to do after graduating from Duke.
What has it been like to be a part of the Duke Basketball team this year?
It's been amazing. I love the girls, I love the coaching staff. It's been a great experience so far, traveling and going hard in all the practices. It's a completely different experience for me, but it's been great so far.
What has practice been like compared to high school?
It's definitely a lot different. We had a pretty decent team in high school and the coach pushed us hard, but this is just a completely different level. The coaching staff here expects so much more out of you each time you step on the court. You have to give it your all.
When you came to Duke, did you ever think you would one day be a part of the basketball team?
I definitely dreamed about it, but I didn't think it would actually come true. It's such a big thing, and a big thing in my life. I always hoped it would come true and now that it has, it's just like, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.'
Coming out of high school, why did you choose Duke?
Duke is a great school known for its academics and it does have a great sports program. Because I love sports and I love basketball, of course Duke was an ideal choice. Coming from such a small school, it didn't really seem very realistic, but a couple of people, especially my counselor and my parents, really pushed me to apply. Coming out of Duke with a degree in anything can give you so many great opportunities. It just seemed like a great choice.
How did you get involved in basketball at Duke during your freshman year?
They have this sports fair at the beginning of the year, and they had a couple of club sports around. They had a club basketball team, and I love basketball so I thought it would be a good idea to go out for it and see if I could make it. I made the team and I played for the club team all of last year. Just being around people who loved basketball was great. Of course, we went to games together, the women's varsity games, the guy's games. Last year, basketball was still a big part of my life.
What did you do over the summer to improve your chances of making the team?
[The coaching staff] sent a workout program to my house and I followed that. I lifted in the morning, I did a lot of cardio stuff at night, played basketball at least twice a day. I found the biggest, strongest guys I could and just played against them all time, hoping I could get better and get back here and prove something.
You were very involved in high school. What are some of the things you were involved in?
I was involved with FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) which is a great program. They also have it here, but I haven't had the time to do anything with it here. I was also involved in student council, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), yearbook. Of course, all the sports our school offered, which was only softball, basketball and track. There are a lot more I can't even think of right now.
How do Camden, Ark., and Durham, N.C., compare?
They're actually very similar, smaller towns. Camden is much smaller, I would say. Camden is my home and I love it. I'm trying to make Duke my home, but my dad's pretty much saying, 'No, Duke is not your home, you need to remember that!' That's really the biggest difference between them-Camden's my home.
Have you had any friends and family come see you play yet?
My dad came the day after Thanksgiving, he drove down, which is a pretty long drive. He drove straight through to see my two games over that weekend. Over Family and Parents' Weekend, my mom came and watched a couple of practices, so that was exciting. On Dec. 20, all of my family, and pretty much my entire community, is going to that game since it's only about an hour from my house.
What was it like to put the uniform on for the first time this season?
I remember the first game putting it on and all the girls were laughing at me because I was cheesing and happy. It still amazes me every time I put it on, but that first time was great.
What was running through your head when you first stepped onto the court in your first game?
That's actually a funny thing. I remember being so surprised when Coach G told me to go out there. I was shaking and they told me to go in for Lindsey [Harding]. She was shooting a free throw and when the horn blew, I just walked out on the court. I was just like, 'Oh my goodness, what do I do?' I acted like I'd never played before. I threw the towel at Vicki [Krapohl] and she said 'Are you in for me?' I said, 'No, Lindsey," and she said 'I'm Vicki, not Lindsey.' I looked over at the coaches and they were all laughing at me. Vicki went out to smooth over the situation, but it was pretty embarrassing and they still make fun of me about it. I was just so excited and scared, I wasn't thinking straight.
What was it like to score the first point of your career?
It was awesome. The girls just stopped what they were doing. They stopped in the middle of the game and they were jumping on me. The crowd, which has been so supportive of me, was just cheering. It was great.
What would you like to do when you graduate from Duke?
I'm not sure if I have that answer. I'm majoring in economics right now, and hopefully just graduating from Duke will land me a great job. I love marketing and anything to do with sports. There are so many opportunities, I just don't want to limit it right now.
Players Mentioned
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