Summitt looking for answers after early losses

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Lady Vols are making a fashion statement in practice until they start playing the way coach Pat Summitt wants.

Summitt, who has led the Lady Vols to an unprecedented six national titles, instructed the players to wear their practice T-shirts inside out after their embarrassing 65-51 loss at Rutgers a week ago.

"I told them the only time I want to see Tennessee on their chests was during a game. We're not playing like Tennessee," Summitt said. "We have to get in here and practice and learn how to play like Tennessee."

The Lady Vols (9-3) dropped in this week's poll to 10th, their lowest ranking in eight seasons as they prepare to visit archrival Connecticut on Saturday. Three-time defending NCAA champion UConn (8-3) also is having a subpar season.

Tennessee's three defeats before January put the Vols in their worst position since losing four games early in the 1996-97 season.

Tennessee started the season ranked No. 1 despite losing three seniors and having almost a totally different team than a year ago with the addition of six freshmen. So far, only four of the freshmen have played because of injuries.

The Lady Vols are lacking continuity at point guard because the starter has been ill and missed the last six games. But Loree Moore, whose tonsils were removed last month, has been cleared to play Saturday for the first time since Dec. 2.

"We miss her in every game. I think it was glaring on the defensive end. No one really stepped up at the point position with the type of pressure that we like," Summitt said. "(Rutgers) had momentum. They gained confidence. Then they were steamrolling over us once they saw what we were all about."

Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle filled in for Moore, and then Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood made her debut Dec. 19 at the point after recovering from a leg injury.

The freshman everyone has been waiting to see is Candace Parker, one of the most decorated female high school players ever. She has been practicing since Dec. 26 after two knee surgeries this fall and could be cleared to play if her knee holds up and she practices well enough, Summitt said.

"I try not to think about it until we get the green light," the coach said.

While classes are out for the holidays, Summitt is having the players scout opponents by watching tape and drawing up plays. She said they did a good job for Old Dominion. The Lady Vols won there on Sunday 68-58.

Tennessee could use some more consistent scoring in transition or the halfcourt.

Poor shooting performances have been a problem in each loss, and the Lady Vols are averaging 38.2 percent to date.

Tennessee dropped its first game at then-No.4 Texas by 15 points, then nearly lost to unranked Temple at home.

The Lady Vols struggled throughout a two-point loss at home to then-No. 10 Duke, only the seventh visiting team to win in Thompson-Boling Arena since it opened in 1987.

Tennessee needed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat then-No. 2 Stanford before traveling to Rutgers.

The Lady Vols shot a season-low 20 percent in the first half and trailed 33-16 at the break. Rutgers was ahead by as many as 23 in the second half and held Tennessee to its second-lowest scoring total in school history.

The team went back to the hotel afterward and flew home the next morning, giving Summitt plenty of time for analysis of what went wrong.

"I went back to the room and put the tape in and started yelling, watching it over and over and over. I got on the plane the next day and tortured myself one more time," she said. "Then we got here and went straight to practice."

There, the outline of the "Tennessee" printed on the players' T-shirts was barely visible.