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Q&A with Senior Krystal Thomas
10/7/2010 8:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C.— As the 2010-11 Duke women's basketball team gets prepared to open practice on Friday, Oct. 15, GoDuke.com sat down with senior Krystal Thomas to chat about her summer and her upcoming final year with the Blue Devils. Thomas is a native of Orlando, Fla., and started 26 games at center last year for Duke.
GoDuke: Well give us a little run down about what's been happening in your life since the offseason, since the season ended? You had surgery on your ankle. Tell us a little bit about what happened.
Krystal Thomas: I had ankle surgery in April. It wasn't expected or planned. I just found out at the end of the season that I had to have surgery on my ankle so basically that's what I've been doing the entire offseason as far as physically just getting back from my surgery and rehabbing it. I'm back to full strength. I've been playing for a while now. So it's good, it was a successful surgery.
GoDuke: Are you close to being 100% you think?
KT: I mean my ankle is 100%; I just have to get back into playing and in shape and everything. But I've been working hard at it so I'd say I'm like 95% and the last five being conditioning.
GoDuke: Did you have a chance to go home much over the summer and spend some time with your family?
KT: I went home for roughly seven weeks so the first half of the summer before coming back here to finish up my rehab here.
GoDuke: How was it being around Duke for the second session – did the team do a lot of team bonding and were you able to get to know the freshmen?
KT: It was good. I mean there's five of the freshmen this year which is a little bit different. We've never had that many but it was good to get to know them and to try to integrate them into what Duke is like on and off the court. So it was fun.
GoDuke: How have the newcomers been fitting in so far?
KT: They've done a really good job of fitting in. I mean they're all great people with really good personalities so they've fit in really well.
GoDuke: Have you taken more of a leadership role this year being a senior? If so, what have you done differently?
KT: Yes, I have. I'm just not exactly sure what I've done differently. I've probably been the bad guy a little bit more trying to keep people in line and everything but I guess just expanding on what I've done in the past.
GoDuke: Is it hard to believe you're a senior and that you only have one year left of college basketball?
KT: Yes, it's so weird to think that I'm a senior. I mean like you said I have one year left. I'm almost done. So to think that everything that happens this year will be it, I won't get to play in Cameron anymore, hang out with the team like now, so it's kind of an eerie feeling.
GoDuke: You mentioned Cameron. What is it like playing in Cameron and in front of the Cameron Crazies?
KT: I mean it's unbelievable. It's the best feeling in the world especially to know that you have your fans supporting you. It's such an intimate atmosphere when you're playing. The fans give you so much energy and so much adrenaline throughout the game. It'll be a place that I will miss playing in very much.
GoDuke: Now you haven't really had too much time to think of working on your game, but have you had much time at all to work on any certain aspects of your game in getting ready for your senior year?
KT: Yes, I mean the luxury of having ankle surgery over the knee or something is that I was still fairly mobile and I was able to move around. So I was still able to shoot, dribble, do things like that. So I've been working on my shooting, kind of expanding my range. I did some ball handling just to be able to play and be able to score from any position.
GoDuke: The way the season ended last year, how much of a motivator is that to want to advance farther and finish off on a high note?
KT: I mean so much. It's an incredible motivator because we were three points away from the final four. You know you think of changing one play, one pass, one turnover, and that's the difference between us being in the final four and not. So just thinking back to that moment is a huge motivator to go past that this year and just keep working hard and know how talented we are to make it to the final four.
GoDuke: You've had some short practices with Coach McCallie recently. How have those been?
KT: They've been good. Basically we're just trying to integrate the freshmen into the system. Like I said, with there being five of them, it's like a whole team. We have a whole team of freshmen. So we're just trying to integrate them, taking plays or things that we and breaking them down piece by piece so they can understand before we start our full practices next week.
GoDuke: Has any certain player stood out so far that you've seen? That you've surprised to see how good shape they are or anybody that's really been impressive and who you think is really going to make an impact?
KT: Well it's always great to see someone compete with Jas physically because no one can really keep up with her speed wise. But to see Haley Peters be able to go out there and run stride for stride with her in the mile and a half and push her in the sprints is always great to see.
GoDuke: Now with you in the post, how has it been adding Allison Vernerey into the post last year and having another tall post to compete against each day in practice?
KT: It's great. I mean she presents a challenge for me to play against every single day which has helped so much. And playing against the schedule we've played over the course of the years and playing against her helps me so much when playing other people.
GoDuke: Now you're looking to go into medicine after graduation in May. Have you decided on a specialty or what's your next step?
KT: Well my plan right now is to have a good season so I can continue playing basketball either at the WNBA or overseas. I would like to continue to play for a few years while I still can and make some money as well. And then go off to med school. My specialty that I always loved is orthopedic surgery.
GoDuke: How great has CAPE program been for you to gain experience looking into your future profession?
KT: It's been very helpful especially with the meetings and the connections that they have as far as in and around the hospital and the people that they bring in to speak to us during the meetings. It's been very helpful.
GoDuke: What about the chance to shadow different doctors and watching surgeries? How nice of a benefit is that?
KT: I mean it's a huge benefit. Most students that are planning on going to med school don't get to do that. So to be able to be inside an OR, be inside a patient's room is so incredible and it's such a fun experience to see what it's really like.
GoDuke: Your sister plays volleyball at Liberty. How much are you able to see her since it's not too, too far away?
KT: I've been able to see her. I went to a tournament at ECU and watcher her play a couple games there and I also went over to Elon and saw her play a couple games over there. They've been travelling a lot this year so they actually just got back from Cali but I try to go to as many games as I can up at Liberty or around the area. They play a lot of games at either High Point or Elon or places around North Carolina.
GoDuke: You're entering your final year of rooming with Jasmine Thomas. What is she like as a roommate and, you now have another member of the family, too?
KT: She's a great roommate, very easy going. We haven't had any roommate problems so far so hopefully that will stay that way. And adding Bella (her dog) is just a little boost of energy as she's always running around the apartment so it's good.
GoDuke: What is it like playing for Coach P and her passion for basketball?
KT: I mean it's great because you know that she exudes the same kind of passion that we share but she's a coach so it's great to know that there's a common link between the players and the coaches.
GoDuke: You had the chance to shadow a Duke alum who's a doctor in the Orlando area. Tell us a little bit about that experience.
KT: It was a great experience. I shadowed Dr. Bobby Murrah. He's a Duke alum. He went to medical school and graduated from here. I shadowed him and he has his own practice so I went there five days a week and shadowed him throughout the day. Whether it was seeing patients in his office or seeing him do surgery. He's an orthopedic surgeon so it was a great experience to be able to shadow someone in a little bit different atmosphere from Duke. Here, it's a high-patient quantity hospital to research hospital, so it's a little bit different versus seeing a private practice down in Orlando. So it was great.
GoDuke: Well give us a little run down about what's been happening in your life since the offseason, since the season ended? You had surgery on your ankle. Tell us a little bit about what happened.
Krystal Thomas: I had ankle surgery in April. It wasn't expected or planned. I just found out at the end of the season that I had to have surgery on my ankle so basically that's what I've been doing the entire offseason as far as physically just getting back from my surgery and rehabbing it. I'm back to full strength. I've been playing for a while now. So it's good, it was a successful surgery.
GoDuke: Are you close to being 100% you think?
KT: I mean my ankle is 100%; I just have to get back into playing and in shape and everything. But I've been working hard at it so I'd say I'm like 95% and the last five being conditioning.
GoDuke: Did you have a chance to go home much over the summer and spend some time with your family?
KT: I went home for roughly seven weeks so the first half of the summer before coming back here to finish up my rehab here.
GoDuke: How was it being around Duke for the second session – did the team do a lot of team bonding and were you able to get to know the freshmen?
KT: It was good. I mean there's five of the freshmen this year which is a little bit different. We've never had that many but it was good to get to know them and to try to integrate them into what Duke is like on and off the court. So it was fun.
GoDuke: How have the newcomers been fitting in so far?
KT: They've done a really good job of fitting in. I mean they're all great people with really good personalities so they've fit in really well.
GoDuke: Have you taken more of a leadership role this year being a senior? If so, what have you done differently?
KT: Yes, I have. I'm just not exactly sure what I've done differently. I've probably been the bad guy a little bit more trying to keep people in line and everything but I guess just expanding on what I've done in the past.
GoDuke: Is it hard to believe you're a senior and that you only have one year left of college basketball?
KT: Yes, it's so weird to think that I'm a senior. I mean like you said I have one year left. I'm almost done. So to think that everything that happens this year will be it, I won't get to play in Cameron anymore, hang out with the team like now, so it's kind of an eerie feeling.
GoDuke: You mentioned Cameron. What is it like playing in Cameron and in front of the Cameron Crazies?
KT: I mean it's unbelievable. It's the best feeling in the world especially to know that you have your fans supporting you. It's such an intimate atmosphere when you're playing. The fans give you so much energy and so much adrenaline throughout the game. It'll be a place that I will miss playing in very much.
GoDuke: Now you haven't really had too much time to think of working on your game, but have you had much time at all to work on any certain aspects of your game in getting ready for your senior year?
KT: Yes, I mean the luxury of having ankle surgery over the knee or something is that I was still fairly mobile and I was able to move around. So I was still able to shoot, dribble, do things like that. So I've been working on my shooting, kind of expanding my range. I did some ball handling just to be able to play and be able to score from any position.
GoDuke: The way the season ended last year, how much of a motivator is that to want to advance farther and finish off on a high note?
KT: I mean so much. It's an incredible motivator because we were three points away from the final four. You know you think of changing one play, one pass, one turnover, and that's the difference between us being in the final four and not. So just thinking back to that moment is a huge motivator to go past that this year and just keep working hard and know how talented we are to make it to the final four.
GoDuke: You've had some short practices with Coach McCallie recently. How have those been?
KT: They've been good. Basically we're just trying to integrate the freshmen into the system. Like I said, with there being five of them, it's like a whole team. We have a whole team of freshmen. So we're just trying to integrate them, taking plays or things that we and breaking them down piece by piece so they can understand before we start our full practices next week.
GoDuke: Has any certain player stood out so far that you've seen? That you've surprised to see how good shape they are or anybody that's really been impressive and who you think is really going to make an impact?
KT: Well it's always great to see someone compete with Jas physically because no one can really keep up with her speed wise. But to see Haley Peters be able to go out there and run stride for stride with her in the mile and a half and push her in the sprints is always great to see.
GoDuke: Now with you in the post, how has it been adding Allison Vernerey into the post last year and having another tall post to compete against each day in practice?
KT: It's great. I mean she presents a challenge for me to play against every single day which has helped so much. And playing against the schedule we've played over the course of the years and playing against her helps me so much when playing other people.
GoDuke: Now you're looking to go into medicine after graduation in May. Have you decided on a specialty or what's your next step?
KT: Well my plan right now is to have a good season so I can continue playing basketball either at the WNBA or overseas. I would like to continue to play for a few years while I still can and make some money as well. And then go off to med school. My specialty that I always loved is orthopedic surgery.
GoDuke: How great has CAPE program been for you to gain experience looking into your future profession?
KT: It's been very helpful especially with the meetings and the connections that they have as far as in and around the hospital and the people that they bring in to speak to us during the meetings. It's been very helpful.
GoDuke: What about the chance to shadow different doctors and watching surgeries? How nice of a benefit is that?
KT: I mean it's a huge benefit. Most students that are planning on going to med school don't get to do that. So to be able to be inside an OR, be inside a patient's room is so incredible and it's such a fun experience to see what it's really like.
GoDuke: Your sister plays volleyball at Liberty. How much are you able to see her since it's not too, too far away?
KT: I've been able to see her. I went to a tournament at ECU and watcher her play a couple games there and I also went over to Elon and saw her play a couple games over there. They've been travelling a lot this year so they actually just got back from Cali but I try to go to as many games as I can up at Liberty or around the area. They play a lot of games at either High Point or Elon or places around North Carolina.
GoDuke: You're entering your final year of rooming with Jasmine Thomas. What is she like as a roommate and, you now have another member of the family, too?
KT: She's a great roommate, very easy going. We haven't had any roommate problems so far so hopefully that will stay that way. And adding Bella (her dog) is just a little boost of energy as she's always running around the apartment so it's good.
GoDuke: What is it like playing for Coach P and her passion for basketball?
KT: I mean it's great because you know that she exudes the same kind of passion that we share but she's a coach so it's great to know that there's a common link between the players and the coaches.
GoDuke: You had the chance to shadow a Duke alum who's a doctor in the Orlando area. Tell us a little bit about that experience.
KT: It was a great experience. I shadowed Dr. Bobby Murrah. He's a Duke alum. He went to medical school and graduated from here. I shadowed him and he has his own practice so I went there five days a week and shadowed him throughout the day. Whether it was seeing patients in his office or seeing him do surgery. He's an orthopedic surgeon so it was a great experience to be able to shadow someone in a little bit different atmosphere from Duke. Here, it's a high-patient quantity hospital to research hospital, so it's a little bit different versus seeing a private practice down in Orlando. So it was great.
Players Mentioned
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