Coach Summitt answers questions about UConn

On the team getting ready for the game at Connecticut...

"I think this is a team that has been challenged with our schedule from time to time. In particular we've benefited from going on the road. We have been to Arizona State, Texas, Old Dominion, and North Carolina. Certainly this trip to Connecticut will be a big test for our basketball team. It will be a post-season environment. It is always good to test our team early and see where they are. This will be a big challenge for us; we have to match their toughness. They are a great rebounding team, the push tempo and they are committed to defense. We're looking forward to the match up."

On significance of this Connecticut-Tennessee rivalry to college women's basketball...

"If you look at the rivalry and the stage that we've been on since we started playing, it has been year-in and year-out the one game that has brought more viewers to sit and watch. It has generated a rivalry that is known throughout the country. It is a match up between two powerhouse programs that have been consistent over the years. It is good for women's basketball. There is no question that it has meant a lot to the game in terms of exposure and that national platform."

Do you think it would elevate or benefit this Connecticut-Tennessee rivalry if it were to be played at Madison Square Gardens?

"I haven't really thought about that. If you look at the venues where we play, in Knoxville and in Hartford, it's certainly very appealing from a spectator's standpoint. We've had a number of sold out games. It's something to think about in terms of going to MSG and seeing what kind of appeal it might have. If you take the game away from Connecticut or Tennessee, would it have the same appeal? It has the national TV audience but we've never had it away from either team's venue. If any teams would benefit, it's possible these two could."

On the open looks of shooters like Mel Thomas...

"First of all, I think Connecticut's Mel Thomas and (UT's) Sidney Spencer are two known three-point shooters and players that can knock down big shots and players you have to guard. We understand that Mel is a priority in our defensive scheme. Now, saying you want to do it and doing it are two different things. I think in the game tomorrow you'll see two terrific outside long range shooters who will be a priority for the defenses on the floor. It will be interesting to see how the schemes play out and who is successful."

What do you think was the defining moment when you knew Connecticut was going to be a strong contender on the women's college basketball scene...

"I think when we lost to them in the NCAA Title game in 1995 in Minneapolis, I knew they were going to be a consistently good program."

On the schedule today...

"Our schedule is always a challenge, I think in particular with the state of women's basketball today versus 10-15 years ago. There are a lot more competitive teams out there that can be successful on any given night. It has increasingly become a bigger challenge from game to game. I ask myself sometimes why I keep doing this. This scheduling has been a formula for us at UT for years. To be the best, you have to play the best. I think in the end if we want to be in post season and make the final four and win a championship, then we have to be put in a position to know what it takes."

On the observations of the teams in the SEC this year...

"I think the SEC appears to be deeper than it's been in the past few years. Immediately teams that come to mind are Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky. I think what coach Mickie DeMoss did last year at UK is carrying over. The Big Four in the league right now are Louisiana State, Tennessee, Georgia and Vanderbilt... in no particular order until we play each other and know how deep we are. But to me, right now, those four are where they need to be in terms of rankings. The league hasn't gone as deep with other schools in the past. It's one thing to have a league with a couple good teams but it's another to have one that can compete deep in the numbers and I think we have that this year."

On Bob Knight's breaking of the men's Division I victory record...

"Coach Knight and I got to know each other because of our international experience. He coached the men's team and I coached the women's team in the 1984 Olympics. I had the opportunity to be around him a lot. He is an incredible teacher of the game and motivator and from time to time we talk. I have not talked to him since he broke the record, but I intend to make contact with him. I am sure he's been overwhelmed. I'm proud of what he has accomplished. He is someone that has had a great impact on the game and has had influence in terms of his teaching and how he presents his x's and o's on the court."