We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Colorado SR G Frida Formann, who talked about making the Sweet 16 last March and her expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Denmark: how did you 1st get into basketball, and what made you choose Colorado? My parents are both basketball players, as are my siblings, so it was pretty natural for me. I chose Colorado because it is a place that aligns with my personal values and is in a good conference.
You play for Coach JR Payne: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? JR is a very open-minded coach who wants to include us in what she is doing. She never gets on our case for failing: she just wants us to do our best, which is important.
In January of 2021 you made the go-ahead 3-PT shot with under 2 minutes remaining in OT vs. top-ranked Stanford and then blocked a shot with 5 seconds left to clinch the win: where does that game rank among the highlights of your career? That is very high up: it was my 1st chance to be on a big stage against the #1 team. I was glad to succeed in that position and it gave me confidence for the rest of the season.
Take me through the 2023 NCAA tourney:
You scored 21 PTS in a 10-PT loss to eventual national runner-up Iowa: where does Caitlin Clark (31 PTS) rank among the greatest college players that you have ever seen? She is definitely up there and is an amazing player. She sees the floor so well that you cannot just send 2 people to double-team her, but my teammates did a good job of trying to guard her.
You ended up winning 25 games and making the school’s 1st Sweet 16 in 2 decades: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this year? We learned to stay true to ourselves because it works: when you see the results you are willing to buy into it more. I trust the process: even though there were a lot of ups and downs we did well.
You are already top-10 in school history with 178 3PM/82 FT%: what is the secret to being a great shooter? Having good technique and getting lots of reps in. You have to put in the work to build your confidence.
What was your reaction when Colorado announced last July that it would join the Big 12 next year? I was not surprised. There is some grief for the Pac-12 but I am pretty confident that the move was made with our best interests in mind.
Your season opener in November is against LSU in Las Vegas: how excited are you to face the defending champs? It is so nice to have that opportunity early on but it puts the pressure on us to practice hard all off-season. It is a great way to get out of the gate: there is a lot of hype around it but we are used to it.
You are majoring in Environmental Studies: why did you choose that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I am really passionate about climate change and how to create solutions: it is a very pressing issue. I will graduate in the spring and then figure out what I am doing after that.
Your brothers Soren/Karl played basketball in the Danish Men’s League, your sister Amanda plays college basketball in Copenhagen, your mom Karin played for the Danish national team and your dad Michael helped coach the national team: do you talk about anything BUT basketball during family gatherings?! Basketball comes up a lot for sure. It is great that we share that interest and get to watch each other play…but there is also room for other interests.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We want to win championships and will stand by that as we build our culture. We have some new pieces this year so I hope that we turn into a really good team that is hard to guard. I am just excited to reach the point where everyone knows their role and things are running smoothly.