Christine Perry: Cheesehead in Carbondale

Daily Egyptian: How does your personality differ from being out with your friends and being on the court?

Christine Perry: When I'm out with my friends, I'm a lot more laid back. I kind of go with the flow. I'm not really that focused since it's my time to relax and have fun. The second I step on the court, it's time to focus up and get serious and get ready for practice or for the game or whatever I'm going to do. I try to help my team get focused. At times when it's stressful, I like to be the one that makes everyone laugh and relax so we're not uptight about things, but when it is time to get serious, I like to really focus up and help everyone get serious.

DE: Why was last season so bad for the team?

CP: Even though we did lose a lot, it wasn't so bad. I know anyone on the outside would think it was so bad. Team-wise, we had a good time. Even though things weren't going our way, I think that our chemistry on the court wasn't there. Although we got along great off the court, we didn't click as well on the court. We were relying too much on the returners like Holly and Molly to carry the load. You can't rely on one person for a whole team. People need to step up and I think the people like myself and people that needed to come in and step up, didn't do as well a job as we needed to. Everyone has a bad game. If Holly and Molly weren't doing as well, we weren't there to support them and step up and back them up. I think that was one of the biggest problems.

DE: You didn't get a lot of playing time last year. Has the coach talked to you about your role this year?

CP: We haven't talked a whole lot. Last year, I was playing under Newcomer of the Year Holly Teague. She's an awesome point guard. She's probably one of the toughest point guards in the conference last year. I learned so much playing under her. This year, I just feel like I have a lot of experience from playing under her, even though I didn't get a lot of playing time. She helped me a lot in getting ready for this year. Dana Pinkston is our new junior college transfer and she's also playing point. She's a good player too and she can help us out a lot. We're neck and neck, both really close for the spot. She has a lot to bring to the team and I feel like I can do a lot too. I don't know. We'll see.

DE: Does it irritate you to be coming off the bench?

CP: Not really. It was me being under a senior. I had a lot of respect for Holly. It wasn't someone I thought I should be playing over by any means. Under Holly, everything was a learning experience. She had been here. She had played at a junior college. She had come in and played here the year before I came. She was able to teach me a lot. Everything from practice, to on the court, to off the court; she was like my big sister last year. I just feel like playing under her last year was a good experience for me in getting ready for this year.

DE: How do you prepare for a game?

CP: Last year, I just had to be ready for getting put in at any time. I never knew if I was going to play or if I was going to get in at all. I didn't know if I was going to get in for a minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. I never knew. My preparation was more like visualizing myself once I got in. Not trying to turn the ball over, taking care of the ball, running the floor. Last year, my inspiration was not making mistakes more than making anything happen, I only got such a short period of time to play at different times that I wanted to make sure that I did a good job when I was in there. It was more of mental preparation. Watching Holly when I was on the bench and seeing what the flow of the game was like so I could get in there and do the right things.

DE: Your profile says you want to go overseas to play after graduation. Any particular place you would like to go?

CP: I'm a minor in Spanish right now, and one of the things I want to do when I graduate is study abroad and go overseas and travel. I love playing the game, and I don't know that my skill level will be up to that point when I graduate, but what better way to travel than doing what you love? Spain, somewhere I can use my Spanish. I don't know if I'll be able to play skill-wise, but that would be an awesome opportunity to me.

DE: Do you have a sports idol?

CP: Sheryl Swoopes. Keisha Anderson. She played in the WNBA. I don't know if she's still playing. She's from Wisconsin. She played on an all-boys team that I ended up being the second girl to play on so I kind of look up to her. I don't really have a sports idol. Michael Jordan. He's everybody's sports idol. I've looked up to him since I was a little kid because he's everyone's favorite.

DE: Let's get away from basketball. Where do you like to hang out in Carbondale?

CP: I don't know. Anywhere where everyone is. I like to go out with my friends and have a good time. I like to go to movies. Typical places.

DE: You said earlier that you were from Wisconsin. How does Racine compare to Carbondale?

CP: Racine is up north, so it's a lot more diverse, I think. It's a lot bigger. There's a lot more stuff going on. I think Carbondale without SIU is not much of a town. I don't mean to cut down on the town in any way, but Racine has a lot more people and a lot more going on. It's just a lot busier. Lively, almost. It's 20 minutes south of Milwaukee. I'm right by the city. It's like 68,000 people, I think. It's a good size. And coming here, I mean the school brings a lot of population, but without the school, it's just so small. I know it's only Southern Illinois, but it just seems so south to me after coming from Wisconsin. When everyone hears I'm from Wisconsin, everyone says that it's so far away, even though it is only one state away. They think I'm just a big northerner.

DE: So why did you decide to go here?

CP: Ricky Collum, he played here on the men's team a few years ago. His father is Rudy Collum and he coached me for years, ever since I was a little kid. Fifth and sixth grade. He's always been someone that I looked up to as a coach. He called Coach Opp for me and told her about me and she came up to see me and that's how I ended up here.

DE: Being from Wisconsin, are you a cheesehead?

CP: I'm a Packers fan, that's for sure. When it comes to the Packers and the Bears, I'm backing up the Packers. I'm not as big a cheesehead as most people from Wisconsin are. I like to watch the game, but I'm far from being a cheesehead?

DE: Have you ever worn the cheese hat?

CP: No, I've never done that. (Laughs.) I wouldn't go that far.

DE: How common is a meal of Beer and Brats?

CP: I think you have to be at a Brewers game or a football game to see that. If you go to a Brewers game or a Packers game, you'll see the cheeseheads. There, everywhere you look, you see the cheeseheads. Not so much outside of sports.

DE: Now I have some short-answer questions. What is your favorite television show?

CP: "Friends" and "Trading Spaces." I wish they'd come to my apartment and do my room. It would be fun.

DE: What is the last DVD you saw?

CP: "Super Troopers." That's hilarious. It was the funniest show ever. It was really funny. Stupid, but funny.

DE: What was the last CD you bought?

CP: John Mayer.

DE: What is your favorite movie?

CP: "Jerry Maguire" and "Love and Basketball."

DE: Who is the greatest band ever?

CP: Dave Matthews Band.

DE: Favorite book?

CP: The Great Gatsby.

Reporter Christopher Morrical can be reached at cmorrical@dailyegyptian.com