Three games in 6 days starts with Old Dominion
Instead of a warm-up suit, Pat Summitt should be wearing a lab coat to practice.
On Sunday, the Tennessee women's basketball coach experimented with junior forward Dominique Redding playing point guard in some half-court drills as the Lady Vols prepared to face Old Dominion.
Tipoff is at 6 tonight at Thompson-Boling Arena.
"I think what we're trying to do as a coaching staff is look at all of our options and a lot of different combinations,'' Summitt said.
The inspiration behind the experimentation is partly the departure of guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who decided to transfer after the first semester. It also has a lot to do with the available players and their potential.
Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw has a better appreciation for the approach. The Irish achieved their defensive objective Saturday, holding Lady Vols senior guard Shanna Zolman to five points. They received a bonus when a couple of Candace Parker's shots danced around the rim but didn't fall, limiting the freshman star to eight points. And yet the Irish lost by double figures, 62-51.
"They just have so many weapons,'' McGraw said.
Since it's early January, Summitt has time to rummage through the arsenal. That explains why she didn't call a bunch of set plays for Zolman on Saturday. Should the same situation arise in March, she'll slant her strategy more toward UT's top sharpshooter. For now, she wants Zolman's teammates to shoulder more responsibility.
"I didn't want a lot of people just becoming screeners,'' Summitt said. "I wanted them to stay involved.''
Summitt's wish goes forward with No. 1 Tennessee (12-0), which plays three games in six days, beginning with ODU (2-6) and extending through the SEC opener at South Carolina on Wednesday and the annual clash with Connecticut on Saturday at the arena.
For starters, Sidney Spencer will make her third consecutive start at small forward. The 6-foot-3 junior has struggled with the new role, except for when she came off the bench to start the second half Saturday and scored all eight of her points.
"She needs to get over it,'' Summitt said. "The thing about Sidney is she has the size to shoot over people. She has a lot of big-game experience. ... She is a player who can help us.
"You think about the shots she and Dom made yesterday (combined 4-for-9 on 3-pointers), their shots were big for us.''
Redding, who started the second half in place of Spencer, will have her playing minutes parceled differently with the hope of maximizing her efficiency.
"I think shorter minutes are a better fit for her,'' Summitt said. "When fatigue sets in, that's when things fall apart.''
Four Lady Vols -- Nicky Anosike, Tye'sha Fluker, Sybil Dosty and Alex Fuller -- are sharing minutes at center and forward. Summitt would like to see a consistent double-figure scorer emerge from this group. For now, she's content with their improved rebounding and their overall contributions.
"Consistency in the post is a must for us,'' Summitt said. "I'm pleased with the progress we've made to date, but we haven't arrived.''
Scouting Report: The Lady Monarchs are coming off a near upset of No. 5 North Carolina, losing 88-80 in overtime last Thursday.
Three of ODU's losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10. The other two were against Duke and Rutgers.
Since being activated three games ago, 5-11 sophomore Shahida Williams is averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds a game.
UConn Ticket Update: A limited number of reserved and general admission tickets are left for Saturday's game against Connecticut.
The ticket office phone number is 865-656-1200.
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