Pat Head Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and a UTM alumna, will deliver the spring commencement address at UTM.
Commencement will be at 11 a.m. May 14, in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on the UTM campus.
Dr. John D. Petersen, president of the University of Tennessee, will attend the ceremony to congratulate the 535 spring graduates.
UTM Chancellor Nick Dunagan will preside over the exercises and confer degrees. Dr. Kay Durden, University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Alumni Distinguished Service Professor, will be the mace bearer, and the processional marshals will be Dr. Daniel Pigg, faculty senate president; Dr. Robert LeMaster, faculty senate vice president; Al Hooten, vice chancellor for finance and administration, and Lenora Solomons, vice chancellor for university advancement.
Closing the ceremony will be spring graduate, Lauren Brannon, UT Board of Trustees student member, singing the alma mater.
Immediately following commencement ceremonies, a reception will be hosted in the Duncan Ballroom in the Ed and Carolyn Boling University Center.
Summitt, with 1,054 collegiate basketball games and 882 wins in more than three decades of coaching, graduated from UTM in 1974.
During her 31-year career at UT, she has coached her teams to six NCAA titles, 24 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular-season championships, had 12 Olympians, 18 Kodak All-Americans named to 30 teams and 62 All-SEC performers.
She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the 1999 inaugural class. In 2000, she was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the first time she was eligible for balloting, in a class that included Isiah Thomas, Bob McAdoo and C.M. Newton. Additionally, Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century in 2000 and has amassed numerous other honors and recognitions.
Summitt enrolled to play basketball and volleyball in 1970, becoming the prototypical player of the future. In 1973, she made her first U.S. national team when she represented the United States on the World University Games team (silver medal). She was co-captain of the 1976 U.S. Olympic team (silver medal) and held spots on the U.S. Women’s World Championship team and the 1975 Pan American Games team (gold medal).
Off the court, Summitt has served as a color commentator for television, an author, and has been involved in and a spokesman for a number of organizations, including United Way, The Race for the Cure for Juvenile Diabetes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Tennessee Easter Seal Society, American Heart Association and the Lupus Foundation.
A native of Henrietta, Tenn., she and her husband, R.B. Summitt, have a 14-year-old son, Tyler.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Pat and the Prez
President Bush, left, talks with Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, right, before speaking to reporters at McGhee Tyson Airport on Friday, April 22, 2005, in Alcoa, Tenn., after his plans to speak in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for Earth Day were changed due to bad weather.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Summitt honored by legislators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt was honored today by legislators in Nashville for becoming the winningest coach in the NCAA.
Summitt won her 880th game on March 22nd, surpassing Dean Smith, former head coach at North Carolina, for the career wins record.
Her team went on to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
Summitt began coaching at Tennessee in 1974 when she was 22.
She's a native of Henrietta, Tennessee, and played in college at Tennessee-Martin.
Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, left, is congratulated by Rep. Kim McMillan, D-Clarksville, front, as Summitt is honored by the Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 20, 2005, in Nashville, Tenn., for becoming the winningest coach in college basketball last season. Also shown are Tennessee women's athletic director Joan Cronan, second from left, and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, right.
Summitt won her 880th game on March 22nd, surpassing Dean Smith, former head coach at North Carolina, for the career wins record.
Her team went on to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
Summitt began coaching at Tennessee in 1974 when she was 22.
She's a native of Henrietta, Tennessee, and played in college at Tennessee-Martin.
Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, left, is congratulated by Rep. Kim McMillan, D-Clarksville, front, as Summitt is honored by the Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 20, 2005, in Nashville, Tenn., for becoming the winningest coach in college basketball last season. Also shown are Tennessee women's athletic director Joan Cronan, second from left, and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, right.
Monday, April 18, 2005
WNBA Draft - April 16, 2005
2005 WNBA DRAFT, ROUND 1
PICK TEAM SELECTION
1 Charlotte Sting Janel McCarville, C, Minnesota
2 Indiana Fever Tan White, G, Mississippi St.
3 Phoenix Mercury Sandora Irvin, F, Texas Christian
4 San Antonio Silver Stars Kendra Wecker, F, Kansas St.
5 Houston Comets Sancho Lyttle, C, Houston
6 Washington Mystics Temeka Johnson, G, L.S.U.
7 Detroit Shock Kara Braxton, F, Georgia
8 Connecticut Sun Katie Feenstra, C, Liberty
(Rights traded to San Antonio for Margo Dydek)
9 Sacramento Monarchs Kristin Haynie, G, Michigan St.
10 New York Liberty Loree Moore, G, Tennessee
11 Minnesota Lynx Kristen Mann, F, UC-Santa Barbara
12 Seattle Storm Tanisha Wright, G, Penn State
13 Detroit Shock Dionnah Jackson, F, Oklahoma
2005 WNBA DRAFT, ROUND 2
PICK TEAM SELECTION
14 San Antonio Silver Stars Shyra Ely, F, Tennessee
15 Houston Comets Roneeka Hodges, G, Florida State
16 Indiana Fever Yolanda Paige, G, West Virginia
17 Minnesota Lynx Jacqueline Batteast, F, Notre Dame
18 Phoenix Mercury Angelina Williams, F, Illinois
19 Washington Mystics Erica Taylor, G, Louisiana Tech
20 Detroit Shock Nikita Bell, F/G, North Carolina
21 Connecticut Sun Erin Phillips, Australia
22 Sacramento Monarchs Chelsea Newton, G, Rutgers
23 New York Liberty Tabitha Pool, F, Michigan
24 Charlotte Sting Jessica Moore, C, Connecticut
25 Seattle Storm Ashley Battle, F, Connecticut
26 Los Angeles Sparks DeeDee Wheeler, G, Arizona
2005 WNBA DRAFT, ROUND 3
PICK TEAM SELECTION
27 San Antonio Silver Stars Catherine Kraayeveld, F, Oregon
28 Houston Comets Jenni Dant, G, DePaul
29 Indiana Fever Ashley Earley, G/F, Vanderbilt
30 Sacramento Monarchs Anne O'Neil, G, Iowa State
31 Phoenix Mercury Jamie Carey, G, Texas
32 Washington Mystics Tashia Morehead, F, Florida
33 Detroit Shock Jenni Lingor, G, Southwest Missouri St.
34 Connecticut Sun Megan Mahoney, F, Kansas St.
35 Sacramento Monarchs Cisti Greenwalt, C, Texas Tech
36 New York Liberty Rebecca Richman, C, Rutgers
37 Minnesota Lynx Monique Bivins, G, Alabama
38 Seattle Storm Steffanie Blackmon, F, Baylor
39 Los Angeles Sparks Heather Schreiber, F, Texas
PICK TEAM SELECTION
1 Charlotte Sting Janel McCarville, C, Minnesota
2 Indiana Fever Tan White, G, Mississippi St.
3 Phoenix Mercury Sandora Irvin, F, Texas Christian
4 San Antonio Silver Stars Kendra Wecker, F, Kansas St.
5 Houston Comets Sancho Lyttle, C, Houston
6 Washington Mystics Temeka Johnson, G, L.S.U.
7 Detroit Shock Kara Braxton, F, Georgia
8 Connecticut Sun Katie Feenstra, C, Liberty
(Rights traded to San Antonio for Margo Dydek)
9 Sacramento Monarchs Kristin Haynie, G, Michigan St.
10 New York Liberty Loree Moore, G, Tennessee
11 Minnesota Lynx Kristen Mann, F, UC-Santa Barbara
12 Seattle Storm Tanisha Wright, G, Penn State
13 Detroit Shock Dionnah Jackson, F, Oklahoma
2005 WNBA DRAFT, ROUND 2
PICK TEAM SELECTION
14 San Antonio Silver Stars Shyra Ely, F, Tennessee
15 Houston Comets Roneeka Hodges, G, Florida State
16 Indiana Fever Yolanda Paige, G, West Virginia
17 Minnesota Lynx Jacqueline Batteast, F, Notre Dame
18 Phoenix Mercury Angelina Williams, F, Illinois
19 Washington Mystics Erica Taylor, G, Louisiana Tech
20 Detroit Shock Nikita Bell, F/G, North Carolina
21 Connecticut Sun Erin Phillips, Australia
22 Sacramento Monarchs Chelsea Newton, G, Rutgers
23 New York Liberty Tabitha Pool, F, Michigan
24 Charlotte Sting Jessica Moore, C, Connecticut
25 Seattle Storm Ashley Battle, F, Connecticut
26 Los Angeles Sparks DeeDee Wheeler, G, Arizona
2005 WNBA DRAFT, ROUND 3
PICK TEAM SELECTION
27 San Antonio Silver Stars Catherine Kraayeveld, F, Oregon
28 Houston Comets Jenni Dant, G, DePaul
29 Indiana Fever Ashley Earley, G/F, Vanderbilt
30 Sacramento Monarchs Anne O'Neil, G, Iowa State
31 Phoenix Mercury Jamie Carey, G, Texas
32 Washington Mystics Tashia Morehead, F, Florida
33 Detroit Shock Jenni Lingor, G, Southwest Missouri St.
34 Connecticut Sun Megan Mahoney, F, Kansas St.
35 Sacramento Monarchs Cisti Greenwalt, C, Texas Tech
36 New York Liberty Rebecca Richman, C, Rutgers
37 Minnesota Lynx Monique Bivins, G, Alabama
38 Seattle Storm Steffanie Blackmon, F, Baylor
39 Los Angeles Sparks Heather Schreiber, F, Texas
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Warlick Withdraws Name from Consideration for Clemson Job
Longtime Assistant To Stay At Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --- Holly Warlick, a veteran 20-year assistant coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball team, announced today that she has withdrawn her name in consideration of the head coaching position at Clemson University.
"Clemson is an outstanding coaching opportunity but not an exact fit for me," said Warlick. "In light of that decision, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for the position."
The 2004-05 campaign marked Warlick's second decade as a top basketball assistant at the University of Tennessee working with fellow Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, head coach Pat Summitt. Summitt, who became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA men's or women's collegiate hoops on March 22, 2005 with a 75-54 win over Purdue, has found Warlick alongside her, either as a player or an assistant coach, for 733 of her 882 career victories.
Warlick, the senior-most member of Summitt's staff, capably slid into the role as the top assistant in 2003-04 following the departure of longtime Associate Head Coach Mickie DeMoss who left to assume the head coaching duties at the University of Kentucky.
A three-time All-American while playing for Summitt from 1976-80, Warlick was known as a play-making wiz during her four years as UT's point guard. In 17 of the 24 years Warlick has been affiliated with UT, she has found herself at the Final Four as a player (1977, 1979, 1980) and as a coach (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005). Her best Final Four showing as a player was national championship runner-up in her senior season. As a coach, she has helped the Lady Vols grab the brass ring all six times (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --- Holly Warlick, a veteran 20-year assistant coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball team, announced today that she has withdrawn her name in consideration of the head coaching position at Clemson University.
"Clemson is an outstanding coaching opportunity but not an exact fit for me," said Warlick. "In light of that decision, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for the position."
The 2004-05 campaign marked Warlick's second decade as a top basketball assistant at the University of Tennessee working with fellow Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, head coach Pat Summitt. Summitt, who became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA men's or women's collegiate hoops on March 22, 2005 with a 75-54 win over Purdue, has found Warlick alongside her, either as a player or an assistant coach, for 733 of her 882 career victories.
Warlick, the senior-most member of Summitt's staff, capably slid into the role as the top assistant in 2003-04 following the departure of longtime Associate Head Coach Mickie DeMoss who left to assume the head coaching duties at the University of Kentucky.
A three-time All-American while playing for Summitt from 1976-80, Warlick was known as a play-making wiz during her four years as UT's point guard. In 17 of the 24 years Warlick has been affiliated with UT, she has found herself at the Final Four as a player (1977, 1979, 1980) and as a coach (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005). Her best Final Four showing as a player was national championship runner-up in her senior season. As a coach, she has helped the Lady Vols grab the brass ring all six times (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998).
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Senate honors Summitt
WASHINGTON -- Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt won another honor today when the U.S. Senate approved a resolution commending her NCAA-record 880 wins and calling her "a proven leader, motivated teacher and established champion."
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., filed the legislation and it won immediate, unanimous approval. No other federal action is needed.
The UT Lady Vols basketball coach on March 22 surpassed the career-win record of any male or female NCAA coach, passing former University of North Carolina Coach Dean Smith's record. She ended this season with 882 wins.
Frist spoke on the Senate floor today about Summitt's 31 years of coaching, her dedication and being "a role model for future generations of students, players and coaches."
Summitt, he said, has "elevated the Lady Vols to one of the elite programs in all of sports."
Alexander, a former UT president and Tennessee governor, said on the Senate floor of Summitt: "No one has done more to build the game of women's basketball than Pat Summitt. Today (Lady Vols basketball) is my favorite game to watch on television because of the skill of the players, because of the team play, because of the good coaching, and now because of the parity of the sport."
Alexander praised Summitt for also ensuring that all her players either graduate or remain in the process of completing requirements. "Pat Summitt brings out the best in those young women."
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., filed the legislation and it won immediate, unanimous approval. No other federal action is needed.
The UT Lady Vols basketball coach on March 22 surpassed the career-win record of any male or female NCAA coach, passing former University of North Carolina Coach Dean Smith's record. She ended this season with 882 wins.
Frist spoke on the Senate floor today about Summitt's 31 years of coaching, her dedication and being "a role model for future generations of students, players and coaches."
Summitt, he said, has "elevated the Lady Vols to one of the elite programs in all of sports."
Alexander, a former UT president and Tennessee governor, said on the Senate floor of Summitt: "No one has done more to build the game of women's basketball than Pat Summitt. Today (Lady Vols basketball) is my favorite game to watch on television because of the skill of the players, because of the team play, because of the good coaching, and now because of the parity of the sport."
Alexander praised Summitt for also ensuring that all her players either graduate or remain in the process of completing requirements. "Pat Summitt brings out the best in those young women."
Tennessee senators propose resolution honoring Summitt
WASHINGTON -- Tennessee's U.S. senators Wednesday sponsored a resolution to honor Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt, who last month became the winningest coach in the NCAA.
Summitt won her 880th game on March 22, surpassing Dean Smith, former head coach of the University of North Carolina's men's basketball team, for the career wins record.
Her team was knocked out of this year's NCAA tournament in the semifinals.
The resolution, offered by Sen. Bill Frist and Sen. Lamar Alexandar, commends Summitt for "three decades of excellence as a proven leader, motivated teacher and established champion."
Her teams have won six national championships.
Summitt won her 880th game on March 22, surpassing Dean Smith, former head coach of the University of North Carolina's men's basketball team, for the career wins record.
Her team was knocked out of this year's NCAA tournament in the semifinals.
The resolution, offered by Sen. Bill Frist and Sen. Lamar Alexandar, commends Summitt for "three decades of excellence as a proven leader, motivated teacher and established champion."
Her teams have won six national championships.
Criticizing Summitt is ridiculous
In the wake of Tennessee letting a 16-point lead slip away in its national semifinal loss to Michigan State, criticism of Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt has surfaced — criticism that is short-sighted and unfair.
If you watched the UT meltdown, you saw a team of young athletes failing to execute as taught. A coach can only do so much, especially with just nine scholarship players.
A review of the Lady Vols over the years illustrates unequivocally that a Summitt team is drilled constantly on fundamentals. One critic implied Summitt failed to mandate her forwards give the ball up to her guards after pulling down a rebound. What a ridiculous premise. Does anyone with even a thread of basketball intelligence think Summitt doesn't want the ball brought up court by a skilled ballhandler?
Analyze the Lady Vols' season and conclude this injury-ravaged team pulled off a minor miracle to win 30 games and get to another Final Four.
If two-time USA Today national high school player of the year Candace Parker remains healthy next season, watch out. The Lady Vols will be back with vengeance. Parker is a Chamique Holdsclaw times two. Having former Shelbyville All-American Alex Fuller available for the first time won't hurt either.
Instead of laying the semifinal flame-out at Summitt's feet, place it where it belongs — squarely on senior forward Shyra Ely. She did not perform to her abilities in the Philadelphia Regional championship game against Rutgers and tanked again in her hometown of Indianapolis during the loss to Michigan State. Some players are able to rise to the occasion; some aren't.
One coach who will always rise to the occasion is Summitt. She'll do just that next season. Summitt isn't college basketball's career leader in coaching wins by accident.
If you watched the UT meltdown, you saw a team of young athletes failing to execute as taught. A coach can only do so much, especially with just nine scholarship players.
A review of the Lady Vols over the years illustrates unequivocally that a Summitt team is drilled constantly on fundamentals. One critic implied Summitt failed to mandate her forwards give the ball up to her guards after pulling down a rebound. What a ridiculous premise. Does anyone with even a thread of basketball intelligence think Summitt doesn't want the ball brought up court by a skilled ballhandler?
Analyze the Lady Vols' season and conclude this injury-ravaged team pulled off a minor miracle to win 30 games and get to another Final Four.
If two-time USA Today national high school player of the year Candace Parker remains healthy next season, watch out. The Lady Vols will be back with vengeance. Parker is a Chamique Holdsclaw times two. Having former Shelbyville All-American Alex Fuller available for the first time won't hurt either.
Instead of laying the semifinal flame-out at Summitt's feet, place it where it belongs — squarely on senior forward Shyra Ely. She did not perform to her abilities in the Philadelphia Regional championship game against Rutgers and tanked again in her hometown of Indianapolis during the loss to Michigan State. Some players are able to rise to the occasion; some aren't.
One coach who will always rise to the occasion is Summitt. She'll do just that next season. Summitt isn't college basketball's career leader in coaching wins by accident.
Special fan recalls Pat Summitt's very first game
On Sunday night in Indianapolis, Pat Summitt didn't have to sweep the floors or pull out the bleachers for the fans like she used to back in the early days of women's basketball.
The Henrietta, TN native, who did odd jobs in her early days as the coach at Tennessee, has brought women's basketball a long, long way. And her fans love her for it.
When the Lady Vols played in the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis last weekend, I was lucky enough to be there, along with Coach SUmmitt's many devoted fans.
Almost 29,000 people were on hand to watch the Lady Vols play Michigan St. in the NCAA Women's Final Four. Among those was a woman named Marge Price of Lenior City, Tennessee.
Dressed in a perfectly matched big orange outfit, 70-something Marge cheered juat as loudly as any young gun in the RCA Dome, just as she did back in January of 1974. You see, Marge Price was one of only 54 fans to attend Summitt's very first game as head coach at Tennessee.
"I've been to most since then," she told me.
The crowd Sunday night was 537 times larger than the one in '74, when Summitt picked up her first win against Middle Tennessee State.
Price has a perspective few have, and she has enjoyed following not only UT, but women's basketball in general.
Although she's now older than most of the Lady Vols' fans, her enthusiasm has never waned.
"It's great! Incredible!"
And even after the Lady Vols' heartbreaking loss to Michigan State, it's the loyal fans like Marge Price who insure that win or lose, the Lady Vols are always #1.
The Henrietta, TN native, who did odd jobs in her early days as the coach at Tennessee, has brought women's basketball a long, long way. And her fans love her for it.
When the Lady Vols played in the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis last weekend, I was lucky enough to be there, along with Coach SUmmitt's many devoted fans.
Almost 29,000 people were on hand to watch the Lady Vols play Michigan St. in the NCAA Women's Final Four. Among those was a woman named Marge Price of Lenior City, Tennessee.
Dressed in a perfectly matched big orange outfit, 70-something Marge cheered juat as loudly as any young gun in the RCA Dome, just as she did back in January of 1974. You see, Marge Price was one of only 54 fans to attend Summitt's very first game as head coach at Tennessee.
"I've been to most since then," she told me.
The crowd Sunday night was 537 times larger than the one in '74, when Summitt picked up her first win against Middle Tennessee State.
Price has a perspective few have, and she has enjoyed following not only UT, but women's basketball in general.
Although she's now older than most of the Lady Vols' fans, her enthusiasm has never waned.
"It's great! Incredible!"
And even after the Lady Vols' heartbreaking loss to Michigan State, it's the loyal fans like Marge Price who insure that win or lose, the Lady Vols are always #1.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Summitt to speak at dinner, auction benefiting center for abused youth
Former Lady Vol player, survivor also guest at 'Scoring for Children'
When basketball season is over, Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt will reunite with a former player for a much more serious game - the battle against child abuse.
Summitt will be keynote speaker at an April 14 fund-raising dinner and auction to benefit the Child Advocacy Center of the 9th Judicial District.
Special guest will be Becky Clark, who made the 1979-80 Lady Vols team as a walk-on, despite a serious hearing impairment and the secret burden of being a child abuse victim.
CAC supporters describe Clark's story of extensive abuse at the hands of an alcoholic stepfather, her survival and ultimate success in life as inspirational. Summitt calls it "heart wrenching."
"Scoring For Children - An Evening With Pat Summitt" is the theme for the $100-per-person fund-raiser to help the Child Advocacy Center reach a goal of $100,000 for a permanent facility. The center serves Loudon, Roane, Morgan and Meigs counties.
Clark, 45, has a doctorate in psychology. She counsels other abuse victims through her therapy practice in New York City and as clinical director for a social service agency in New Jersey.
"This is about giving children who are abused a safe place to disclose their 'secret' along with medical, mental health and legal services," Clark said. "CAC provides these services all in one place, to minimize (repeatedly) traumatizing the child. What makes CAC so unique and effective is the multiple services they provide and coordinate with doctors, forensic interviewers, therapists, law enforcement and the justice system."
She said it is also about helping break the most powerful weapon that abusers have - secrecy. "Take away the secret, so goes the power," Clark said.
As a child, Clark was beaten so badly that she permanently lost 80 percent of her hearing and suffered some vision problems that continue today. And she believes the abuse her twin brother suffered caused him to kill himself.
"He pulled the trigger, but in my heart I know the abuse was the bullet that took his life," she said.
For years, Clark kept the physical, sexual and emotional abuse she suffered a secret from everyone - including Summitt.
"She is one very strong woman," Summitt said of Clark. "There's a lot of toughness there. She has come through a lot. It is just amazing."
Clark was a reserve player on a Lady Vol team that included Holly Warlick, Jill Rankin, Cindy Noble, Debby Groover and Lea Henry. The team went 33-5 and finished second nationally. Clark played in 10 games.
"I told everyone I was born with the (hearing) problem," Clark said. "I was trying to hide my secret and the shame of it all."
Just as in high school, she said, "I didn't want to be different from the other kids."
"She did a great job," Summitt said of Clark's determination to make the team despite her impairment. "And I had no idea of what all else she was going through."
Clark left UT after one year and returned to Memphis to care for an ailing grandmother. She gave up basketball but remained an athlete. In 2001, she ran the New York City marathon on behalf of abused children. In 2002, she was a torchbearer for the Winter Olympics. She is donating her torch to be auctioned at the fund-raiser.
Only after years of therapy did Clark feel comfortable telling her story to others. And Summitt was one of the first people she told.
In a book store in 1998, Clark said, "I got the feeling that somebody was staring at me." She whirled around to see the image of her former coach - on the cover of the book "Reach for the Summitt."
Clark sent Summitt a 13-page handwritten letter. "I spilled my heart to her," said Clark. "I told her how I felt I had let her and the team down, that I was afraid they thought my attitude was that basketball was not important to me, about how it took therapy to help me face up to everything."
Clark said she also told Summitt how her one year as a Lady Vol helped her cope, and eventually to heal. "I took to heart the lessons she had taught us, about facing adversity and going beyond what we thought we possibly can."
"It was heart wrenching to read her letter," Summitt said.
Clark said Summitt's answer was very compassionate and understanding. "What really touched me was the last line of her card. She said, 'Keep the Lady Vol tradition going.' I felt welcomed back into the fold. I will always be a Lady Vol at heart. Once a Lady Vol, always a Lady Vol."
The fund-raiser begins at 6 p.m. at Rothchild Catering and Conference Center. Deadline for required reservations is April 12. Besides individual tickets, groups of eight may reserve a table, and corporate sponsorships are available. For reservations, visit www.caceasttn.org or call the CAC at 865-986-1505.
When basketball season is over, Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt will reunite with a former player for a much more serious game - the battle against child abuse.
Summitt will be keynote speaker at an April 14 fund-raising dinner and auction to benefit the Child Advocacy Center of the 9th Judicial District.
Special guest will be Becky Clark, who made the 1979-80 Lady Vols team as a walk-on, despite a serious hearing impairment and the secret burden of being a child abuse victim.
CAC supporters describe Clark's story of extensive abuse at the hands of an alcoholic stepfather, her survival and ultimate success in life as inspirational. Summitt calls it "heart wrenching."
"Scoring For Children - An Evening With Pat Summitt" is the theme for the $100-per-person fund-raiser to help the Child Advocacy Center reach a goal of $100,000 for a permanent facility. The center serves Loudon, Roane, Morgan and Meigs counties.
Clark, 45, has a doctorate in psychology. She counsels other abuse victims through her therapy practice in New York City and as clinical director for a social service agency in New Jersey.
"This is about giving children who are abused a safe place to disclose their 'secret' along with medical, mental health and legal services," Clark said. "CAC provides these services all in one place, to minimize (repeatedly) traumatizing the child. What makes CAC so unique and effective is the multiple services they provide and coordinate with doctors, forensic interviewers, therapists, law enforcement and the justice system."
She said it is also about helping break the most powerful weapon that abusers have - secrecy. "Take away the secret, so goes the power," Clark said.
As a child, Clark was beaten so badly that she permanently lost 80 percent of her hearing and suffered some vision problems that continue today. And she believes the abuse her twin brother suffered caused him to kill himself.
"He pulled the trigger, but in my heart I know the abuse was the bullet that took his life," she said.
For years, Clark kept the physical, sexual and emotional abuse she suffered a secret from everyone - including Summitt.
"She is one very strong woman," Summitt said of Clark. "There's a lot of toughness there. She has come through a lot. It is just amazing."
Clark was a reserve player on a Lady Vol team that included Holly Warlick, Jill Rankin, Cindy Noble, Debby Groover and Lea Henry. The team went 33-5 and finished second nationally. Clark played in 10 games.
"I told everyone I was born with the (hearing) problem," Clark said. "I was trying to hide my secret and the shame of it all."
Just as in high school, she said, "I didn't want to be different from the other kids."
"She did a great job," Summitt said of Clark's determination to make the team despite her impairment. "And I had no idea of what all else she was going through."
Clark left UT after one year and returned to Memphis to care for an ailing grandmother. She gave up basketball but remained an athlete. In 2001, she ran the New York City marathon on behalf of abused children. In 2002, she was a torchbearer for the Winter Olympics. She is donating her torch to be auctioned at the fund-raiser.
Only after years of therapy did Clark feel comfortable telling her story to others. And Summitt was one of the first people she told.
In a book store in 1998, Clark said, "I got the feeling that somebody was staring at me." She whirled around to see the image of her former coach - on the cover of the book "Reach for the Summitt."
Clark sent Summitt a 13-page handwritten letter. "I spilled my heart to her," said Clark. "I told her how I felt I had let her and the team down, that I was afraid they thought my attitude was that basketball was not important to me, about how it took therapy to help me face up to everything."
Clark said she also told Summitt how her one year as a Lady Vol helped her cope, and eventually to heal. "I took to heart the lessons she had taught us, about facing adversity and going beyond what we thought we possibly can."
"It was heart wrenching to read her letter," Summitt said.
Clark said Summitt's answer was very compassionate and understanding. "What really touched me was the last line of her card. She said, 'Keep the Lady Vol tradition going.' I felt welcomed back into the fold. I will always be a Lady Vol at heart. Once a Lady Vol, always a Lady Vol."
The fund-raiser begins at 6 p.m. at Rothchild Catering and Conference Center. Deadline for required reservations is April 12. Besides individual tickets, groups of eight may reserve a table, and corporate sponsorships are available. For reservations, visit www.caceasttn.org or call the CAC at 865-986-1505.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Tennessee's season ends short of goal -- again
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Pat Summitt picked up loss No. 172, and the Lady Vols left the Final Four again without a trophy.
This is not how Tennessee envisioned the season ending. The Lady Vols finished an up-and-down year on a low by losing to Michigan State in the national semifinals on Sunday in Indianapolis.
The seniors -- Shyra Ely, Loree Moore and Brittany Jackson -- went to four straight Final Fours but could not win it all. Tennessee won its last title in 1998.
``It was a great year overall. You can always sit around and wonder what if. I guess I've been in it long enough to know it's not about what if, it's about what we do have, not what we don't have,'' Summitt said Monday. ``If you look at 30-5 and a Final Four appearance and an SEC tournament championship, these student-athletes have a lot to be proud of.''
Tennessee appeared to be well on its way to giving Summitt her 883rd win and playing for a seventh national championship before Michigan State began a furious rally to erase a 16-point deficit and take the lead with a minute left.
The Lady Vols failed to tie the game when Shanna Zolman missed a 3-pointer, and Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike missed consecutive putbacks in the last seconds.
Ely, the season's leading scorer and rebounder, put her hands to her face in shock when the buzzer sounded. The Indianapolis native, who wrote ``Homeward Bound'' on her sneakers during the tournament, had 9 points and eight rebounds.
Summitt watched game tape in her hotel room Sunday night and replayed the final 3 minutes of the game Monday before returning to Knoxville. Then she took a nap.
``Sometimes because the bar is so incredibly high we have to really remind ourselves how successful we've been and see the big picture and not just the last game because only one team in college basketball ends the season with a W,'' Summitt said. ``You've got to keep it in perspective.''
Tennessee lost to a team other than Connecticut in the national semifinals for the first time since 1988, when Louisiana Tech beat the Lady Vols.
Tennessee still accomplished much during the season despite not reaching its annual goal.
Summitt set the NCAA record for career wins when she passed Dean Smith with victory No. 880 in the second round in Knoxville. After the game, university officials announced they were naming the hardwood at Thompson-Boling Arena ``The Summitt'' in her honor.
Another run to the Final Four looked in doubt early this season when Tennessee began 4-2 with losses to Duke and Texas.
The Lady Vols searched for leadership to replace last year's inspired seniors Tasha Butts, Ashley Robinson and LaToya Davis, who led them to the championship game against Connecticut.
The Lady Vols lost two players for the season because of injury and two others redshirted to recover from surgery. Moore missed playing time in December after her tonsils were removed, but she didn't miss any time after breaking her nose in February.
LSU ended the Lady Vols' run of seven straight Southeastern Conference regular-season titles. Tennessee got back at the Lady Tigers by beating them in the championship game of the SEC tournament.
The Lady Vols avenged an embarrassing 65-51 loss to Rutgers in December with a win over the Scarlet Knights in the Philadelphia Regional final to earn their 16th trip to the Final Four.
Tennessee also welcomed six freshmen who comprised a recruiting class many considered the best ever in women's college basketball.
Hornbuckle and Anosike earned starting spots, offering a hint of what's to come for Tennessee.
The Lady Vols look forward to having forward Candace Parker ready to play next season. She redshirted to recover from knee surgery, a disappointment for fans who wanted to see her after she won the dunk contest as a McDonald's high school All-American a year ago.
This is not how Tennessee envisioned the season ending. The Lady Vols finished an up-and-down year on a low by losing to Michigan State in the national semifinals on Sunday in Indianapolis.
The seniors -- Shyra Ely, Loree Moore and Brittany Jackson -- went to four straight Final Fours but could not win it all. Tennessee won its last title in 1998.
``It was a great year overall. You can always sit around and wonder what if. I guess I've been in it long enough to know it's not about what if, it's about what we do have, not what we don't have,'' Summitt said Monday. ``If you look at 30-5 and a Final Four appearance and an SEC tournament championship, these student-athletes have a lot to be proud of.''
Tennessee appeared to be well on its way to giving Summitt her 883rd win and playing for a seventh national championship before Michigan State began a furious rally to erase a 16-point deficit and take the lead with a minute left.
The Lady Vols failed to tie the game when Shanna Zolman missed a 3-pointer, and Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike missed consecutive putbacks in the last seconds.
Ely, the season's leading scorer and rebounder, put her hands to her face in shock when the buzzer sounded. The Indianapolis native, who wrote ``Homeward Bound'' on her sneakers during the tournament, had 9 points and eight rebounds.
Summitt watched game tape in her hotel room Sunday night and replayed the final 3 minutes of the game Monday before returning to Knoxville. Then she took a nap.
``Sometimes because the bar is so incredibly high we have to really remind ourselves how successful we've been and see the big picture and not just the last game because only one team in college basketball ends the season with a W,'' Summitt said. ``You've got to keep it in perspective.''
Tennessee lost to a team other than Connecticut in the national semifinals for the first time since 1988, when Louisiana Tech beat the Lady Vols.
Tennessee still accomplished much during the season despite not reaching its annual goal.
Summitt set the NCAA record for career wins when she passed Dean Smith with victory No. 880 in the second round in Knoxville. After the game, university officials announced they were naming the hardwood at Thompson-Boling Arena ``The Summitt'' in her honor.
Another run to the Final Four looked in doubt early this season when Tennessee began 4-2 with losses to Duke and Texas.
The Lady Vols searched for leadership to replace last year's inspired seniors Tasha Butts, Ashley Robinson and LaToya Davis, who led them to the championship game against Connecticut.
The Lady Vols lost two players for the season because of injury and two others redshirted to recover from surgery. Moore missed playing time in December after her tonsils were removed, but she didn't miss any time after breaking her nose in February.
LSU ended the Lady Vols' run of seven straight Southeastern Conference regular-season titles. Tennessee got back at the Lady Tigers by beating them in the championship game of the SEC tournament.
The Lady Vols avenged an embarrassing 65-51 loss to Rutgers in December with a win over the Scarlet Knights in the Philadelphia Regional final to earn their 16th trip to the Final Four.
Tennessee also welcomed six freshmen who comprised a recruiting class many considered the best ever in women's college basketball.
Hornbuckle and Anosike earned starting spots, offering a hint of what's to come for Tennessee.
The Lady Vols look forward to having forward Candace Parker ready to play next season. She redshirted to recover from knee surgery, a disappointment for fans who wanted to see her after she won the dunk contest as a McDonald's high school All-American a year ago.
Others catching up to the Tennessees of the world
INDIANAPOLIS — A Michigan State-Baylor championship game probably is not what ESPN had in mind, but this is an indication that parity is arriving in women's college basketball.
''The two teams that are here for the first time are the two teams that will play for a national championship,'' said Pat Summitt, whose quest for a seventh title ended two victories short.
''We have talked about this for years, but now we're seeing it first-hand. And the women's game has changed tremendously in a good way when you talk about parity.''
Michigan State is a prime example of a program that has risen through the ranks and now finds itself in the championship game. Before this year, the Spartans had not made it to the Sweet 16.
''I think it just speaks to the fact that there's growth and exciting things happening in women's basketball,'' said Spartans Coach Joanne P. McCallie. ''Baylor is a terrific team. So is LSU. So is Tennessee.
''But it's just very exciting for people to learn more about other teams and how teams are just growing and parity is growing.''
Instead of getting caught up in a history lesson about Tennessee's success, Michigan State's players focused on the task at hand.
''It's a new year,'' said forward Liz Shimek. ''You can play tradition or you can play the team that's out there, and I think that's what we really did. We played us versus them and we really focused on that.''
Said guard Lindsay Bowen: ''We all have a lot of respect for Tennessee and Coach Summitt and all those players. But we've got a good coach and good players, too.''
Likewise, Tennessee freshman Alexis Hornbuckle suggested that the Women's Final Four was all about current events, not history.
''There isn't such a thing as a comfort level in the Final Four,'' said Hornbuckle, who had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. ''We knew we had to keep fighting and we turned our heads. … I am not going to give up until I win a national championship.''
Michigan State benefited from the input of two people that had spent time in Knoxville and thus had some inside knowledge of Tennessee. Spartans assistants Al Brown and Semeka Randall coached and played for Summitt, respectively.
''At Tennessee, you go there to win a national championship,'' Randall said. ''It hasn't been done here. You're creating a legacy.''
After coming up empty on her fourth straight trip to the Women's Final Four, Summitt realizes securing her seventh national title is not going to be easy. The playing field might not be level, but the Tennessees and UConns of the world no longer dominate everyone else.
''I don't think that this is any fluke where it happened one year and that's it,'' Summitt said. ''I think every year you're probably going to see more upsets in first- and second-round play.''
''The two teams that are here for the first time are the two teams that will play for a national championship,'' said Pat Summitt, whose quest for a seventh title ended two victories short.
''We have talked about this for years, but now we're seeing it first-hand. And the women's game has changed tremendously in a good way when you talk about parity.''
Michigan State is a prime example of a program that has risen through the ranks and now finds itself in the championship game. Before this year, the Spartans had not made it to the Sweet 16.
''I think it just speaks to the fact that there's growth and exciting things happening in women's basketball,'' said Spartans Coach Joanne P. McCallie. ''Baylor is a terrific team. So is LSU. So is Tennessee.
''But it's just very exciting for people to learn more about other teams and how teams are just growing and parity is growing.''
Instead of getting caught up in a history lesson about Tennessee's success, Michigan State's players focused on the task at hand.
''It's a new year,'' said forward Liz Shimek. ''You can play tradition or you can play the team that's out there, and I think that's what we really did. We played us versus them and we really focused on that.''
Said guard Lindsay Bowen: ''We all have a lot of respect for Tennessee and Coach Summitt and all those players. But we've got a good coach and good players, too.''
Likewise, Tennessee freshman Alexis Hornbuckle suggested that the Women's Final Four was all about current events, not history.
''There isn't such a thing as a comfort level in the Final Four,'' said Hornbuckle, who had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. ''We knew we had to keep fighting and we turned our heads. … I am not going to give up until I win a national championship.''
Michigan State benefited from the input of two people that had spent time in Knoxville and thus had some inside knowledge of Tennessee. Spartans assistants Al Brown and Semeka Randall coached and played for Summitt, respectively.
''At Tennessee, you go there to win a national championship,'' Randall said. ''It hasn't been done here. You're creating a legacy.''
After coming up empty on her fourth straight trip to the Women's Final Four, Summitt realizes securing her seventh national title is not going to be easy. The playing field might not be level, but the Tennessees and UConns of the world no longer dominate everyone else.
''I don't think that this is any fluke where it happened one year and that's it,'' Summitt said. ''I think every year you're probably going to see more upsets in first- and second-round play.''
Final Four not kind to seniors
INDIANAPOLIS — When the clock ran out, Shyra Ely walked over to the bench and put her hands over her mouth.
''I didn't believe it,'' Ely said. ''I thought we had five more minutes or something.''
The clock had run out in Tennessee's 68-64 loss to Michigan State, and it had run out on the college careers of Ely and fellow seniors Loree Moore and Brittany Jackson. That group made it to four Final Fours, but came up short each time.
''Not many classes get to do what Shyra, Loree and Brittany have done,'' UT Coach Pat Summitt said. ''It just speaks to the impact that they have had on our program.''
The Final Four has not been kind to Ely in her career, and yesterday was no different. Playing in her hometown, she finished with nine points, but was 4-of-14 from the floor and had five turnovers.
Despite five turnovers, Moore played one of her better games with 11 points and six rebounds.
''I'm really proud of our team for the type of season they have had, and I thought Loree Moore was terrific tonight in pushing tempo and playing the kind of defense she had to play,'' Summitt said.
As freshmen, they lost in the semifinals 79-56 to Connecticut. They lost to the Huskies in the title game 73-68 the following year, and UConn beat Tennessee 70-61 last year in the final.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle said she looked Moore in the eye at the beginning of the season and told her that this year's Final Four trip would let her finish out her career with a national title.
Tennessee has not won a title since winning three straight from 1996 to 1998.
''It's like promising a family member something, and then not showing up,'' Hornbuckle said.
Hornbuckle can't take much of the blame. She led Tennessee with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, had six assists and eight rebounds.
UT junior Shanna Zolman finished with 13 points.
Michigan State got four players in double figures during their run that turned a 16-point deficit into a lead. Tennessee had 18 turnovers in the game — most of those coming during the Spartans' run.
Lindsay Bowen led all scorers with 18.
Earlier in the night, LSU suffered a similar fate at the hands of Baylor. The Lady Tigers led 24-9 in the first half, but the Lady Bears had the game tied by halftime and pulled away for a 68-57 win.
''The first thing that went through my mind was the LSU-Baylor game, because that was the same exact thing that happened,'' Zolman said. ''We knew they were going to make a run.''
This was a homecoming for both Zolman (Syracuse, Ind.) and Ely (Indianapolis).
''I don't care where it's at,'' Zolman said. ''It could be in Alaska, and I wouldn't care. It's a loss.
''Obviously, it's all the excitement of coming into it, yeah, there's all the hype coming in, playing in your home state, in front of home family and crowd, but a loss is a loss. It doesn't matter if it's here or Nova Scotia, it's a loss.''
• Michigan State assistant coach Al Brown, who worked on Summitt's staff from 1995-2002, picked up a technical foul in last night's game. Zolman's free throws made it a 51-40 game at that point.
• Former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning attended last night's game. He sat a few rows behind the UT bench. Former Lady Vols Ashley Robinson and Kara Lawson were also at the game.
''I didn't believe it,'' Ely said. ''I thought we had five more minutes or something.''
The clock had run out in Tennessee's 68-64 loss to Michigan State, and it had run out on the college careers of Ely and fellow seniors Loree Moore and Brittany Jackson. That group made it to four Final Fours, but came up short each time.
''Not many classes get to do what Shyra, Loree and Brittany have done,'' UT Coach Pat Summitt said. ''It just speaks to the impact that they have had on our program.''
The Final Four has not been kind to Ely in her career, and yesterday was no different. Playing in her hometown, she finished with nine points, but was 4-of-14 from the floor and had five turnovers.
Despite five turnovers, Moore played one of her better games with 11 points and six rebounds.
''I'm really proud of our team for the type of season they have had, and I thought Loree Moore was terrific tonight in pushing tempo and playing the kind of defense she had to play,'' Summitt said.
As freshmen, they lost in the semifinals 79-56 to Connecticut. They lost to the Huskies in the title game 73-68 the following year, and UConn beat Tennessee 70-61 last year in the final.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle said she looked Moore in the eye at the beginning of the season and told her that this year's Final Four trip would let her finish out her career with a national title.
Tennessee has not won a title since winning three straight from 1996 to 1998.
''It's like promising a family member something, and then not showing up,'' Hornbuckle said.
Hornbuckle can't take much of the blame. She led Tennessee with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, had six assists and eight rebounds.
UT junior Shanna Zolman finished with 13 points.
Michigan State got four players in double figures during their run that turned a 16-point deficit into a lead. Tennessee had 18 turnovers in the game — most of those coming during the Spartans' run.
Lindsay Bowen led all scorers with 18.
Earlier in the night, LSU suffered a similar fate at the hands of Baylor. The Lady Tigers led 24-9 in the first half, but the Lady Bears had the game tied by halftime and pulled away for a 68-57 win.
''The first thing that went through my mind was the LSU-Baylor game, because that was the same exact thing that happened,'' Zolman said. ''We knew they were going to make a run.''
This was a homecoming for both Zolman (Syracuse, Ind.) and Ely (Indianapolis).
''I don't care where it's at,'' Zolman said. ''It could be in Alaska, and I wouldn't care. It's a loss.
''Obviously, it's all the excitement of coming into it, yeah, there's all the hype coming in, playing in your home state, in front of home family and crowd, but a loss is a loss. It doesn't matter if it's here or Nova Scotia, it's a loss.''
• Michigan State assistant coach Al Brown, who worked on Summitt's staff from 1995-2002, picked up a technical foul in last night's game. Zolman's free throws made it a 51-40 game at that point.
• Former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning attended last night's game. He sat a few rows behind the UT bench. Former Lady Vols Ashley Robinson and Kara Lawson were also at the game.
Baylor takes down LSU
INDIANAPOLIS — The end of Baylor's remarkable, uplifting redemption story will be told on the final night of the season.
Resilient when they fell behind, determined when they got the lead, the Lady Bears are going to the national championship game.
Baylor got 21 points from Sophia Young and major contributions from Emily Niemann and Abiola Wabara to beat LSU 68-57 last night in an impressive Final Four debut for a program that once was the worst in the Big 12.
''Wow! That's a good team we just beat,'' said Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson, who looked misty-eyed as she pumped two fists up to the roaring Baylor fans.
The Lady Bears (32-3) have brought a new feeling of pride to a campus stained by scandal in the men's basketball program. They'll take a 19-game winning streak — the longest one going in NCAA women's basketball — into the title game tomorrow night, when they'll meet the winner of last late game between six-time national champion Tennessee and Final Four newcomer Michigan State.
LSU (33-3), seeded No. 1 overall in the NCAA Tournament, jumped out to an early 15-point lead but the Lady Bears came storming back to tie it at halftime. The Lady Tigers, who looked restless at times on offense, also failed to hold onto a six-point lead in the second half.
Baylor just wouldn't go away and went ahead to stay when Chelsea Whitaker, who had eight turnovers in the regional final against North Carolina, sank two free throws for a 52-51 lead with 6:17 remaining.
Young then picked off an LSU pass into the post and Baylor capitalized with Wabara's three-point play for a 55-51 lead. When Young hit a jumper 30 seconds later, Baylor led 57-51 and the Lady Bears had the cushion they needed to hang on down the stretch.
Not even national player of the year Seimone Augustus could save LSU, which missed too many shots against Baylor's 3-2 zone and faltered badly at the end.
Augustus scored 22 points but shot just 10-for-26 and was 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
''Things just didn't fall the way we wanted them to fall,'' Augustus said. ''As far as the team goes, I thought we had a pretty good chance to win the title. To a certain extent, I felt we gave it away. We just didn't fight. They had the fight in their eyes and we didn't.''
Sylvia Fowles, LSU's muscular 6-foot-5 freshman, added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Temeka Johnson had 14 points and seven assists.
But it just wasn't enough against Baylor's defense — the Lady Bears have won 76 games in a row when holding opponents under 59 points.
Niemann gave Baylor a big lift off the bench with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting and Wabara was a difference-maker with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
''Its been like that all year, we've had different players step up,'' Mulkey-Robertson said. ''We're not a two-dimensional team with (Steffanie) Blackmon and Sophia Wow, we're playing for a national championship at Baylor University!''
Wabara went scoreless and played only six minutes in Baylor's 71-70 loss to LSU back on Nov. 14, a game in which the Lady Bears rallied from a 21-point deficit.
Mulkey-Robertson has needed just five years to get Baylor to the biggest game in its history.
Resilient when they fell behind, determined when they got the lead, the Lady Bears are going to the national championship game.
Baylor got 21 points from Sophia Young and major contributions from Emily Niemann and Abiola Wabara to beat LSU 68-57 last night in an impressive Final Four debut for a program that once was the worst in the Big 12.
''Wow! That's a good team we just beat,'' said Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson, who looked misty-eyed as she pumped two fists up to the roaring Baylor fans.
The Lady Bears (32-3) have brought a new feeling of pride to a campus stained by scandal in the men's basketball program. They'll take a 19-game winning streak — the longest one going in NCAA women's basketball — into the title game tomorrow night, when they'll meet the winner of last late game between six-time national champion Tennessee and Final Four newcomer Michigan State.
LSU (33-3), seeded No. 1 overall in the NCAA Tournament, jumped out to an early 15-point lead but the Lady Bears came storming back to tie it at halftime. The Lady Tigers, who looked restless at times on offense, also failed to hold onto a six-point lead in the second half.
Baylor just wouldn't go away and went ahead to stay when Chelsea Whitaker, who had eight turnovers in the regional final against North Carolina, sank two free throws for a 52-51 lead with 6:17 remaining.
Young then picked off an LSU pass into the post and Baylor capitalized with Wabara's three-point play for a 55-51 lead. When Young hit a jumper 30 seconds later, Baylor led 57-51 and the Lady Bears had the cushion they needed to hang on down the stretch.
Not even national player of the year Seimone Augustus could save LSU, which missed too many shots against Baylor's 3-2 zone and faltered badly at the end.
Augustus scored 22 points but shot just 10-for-26 and was 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
''Things just didn't fall the way we wanted them to fall,'' Augustus said. ''As far as the team goes, I thought we had a pretty good chance to win the title. To a certain extent, I felt we gave it away. We just didn't fight. They had the fight in their eyes and we didn't.''
Sylvia Fowles, LSU's muscular 6-foot-5 freshman, added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Temeka Johnson had 14 points and seven assists.
But it just wasn't enough against Baylor's defense — the Lady Bears have won 76 games in a row when holding opponents under 59 points.
Niemann gave Baylor a big lift off the bench with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting and Wabara was a difference-maker with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
''Its been like that all year, we've had different players step up,'' Mulkey-Robertson said. ''We're not a two-dimensional team with (Steffanie) Blackmon and Sophia Wow, we're playing for a national championship at Baylor University!''
Wabara went scoreless and played only six minutes in Baylor's 71-70 loss to LSU back on Nov. 14, a game in which the Lady Bears rallied from a 21-point deficit.
Mulkey-Robertson has needed just five years to get Baylor to the biggest game in its history.
Collapse costs UT
INDIANAPOLIS — They had never been there before.
They trailed by 16 in the second half.
They were playing the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history.
The Spartans didn't care.
Michigan State advanced to its first national championship game with a 68-64 come-from-behind win over Tennessee in front of a sellout crowd of 28,937 at the RCA Dome.
''I don't understand it, because it's not the way we played to get here,'' Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt said.
Michigan State will play Baylor tomorrow night for the national title. The Lady Bears beat the tournament's No. 1 overall seed LSU 68-57 in last night's first game.
''Any way you look at it, it is disappointing,'' said UT senior Shyra Ely, who went 4-of-14 from the floor and had six turnovers in her hometown.
''Never did I think we would lose.''
The Lady Vols (30-5) watched helplessly as their 16-point lead slipped away. Michigan State's comeback ties the biggest in the history of the Final Four.
Victoria Lucas-Perry scored seven consecutive points to bring the Spartans (33-3) within 57-56, and she tied it at 62 on a pair of free throws minutes later. The Spartans took the lead when point guard Kristin Haynie stole a pass from Shanna Zolman and laid it in at the other end.
''That was one of the greatest steals I've ever seen in my life,'' Michigan State Coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
Trailing 66-64, Tennessee got the look it wanted with a 3-pointer by Zolman, but the shot rimmed out. Putbacks by freshmen Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike also missed.
Tennessee looked to be in firm control of the game when it quickly ran its lead out to 45-29 with a 14-2 run to start off the second half.
''Remember this feeling,'' Hornbuckle said. ''Every time you work out in the summer and the preseason, when you think you can't make it, remember this feeling.''
They trailed by 16 in the second half.
They were playing the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history.
The Spartans didn't care.
Michigan State advanced to its first national championship game with a 68-64 come-from-behind win over Tennessee in front of a sellout crowd of 28,937 at the RCA Dome.
''I don't understand it, because it's not the way we played to get here,'' Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt said.
Michigan State will play Baylor tomorrow night for the national title. The Lady Bears beat the tournament's No. 1 overall seed LSU 68-57 in last night's first game.
''Any way you look at it, it is disappointing,'' said UT senior Shyra Ely, who went 4-of-14 from the floor and had six turnovers in her hometown.
''Never did I think we would lose.''
The Lady Vols (30-5) watched helplessly as their 16-point lead slipped away. Michigan State's comeback ties the biggest in the history of the Final Four.
Victoria Lucas-Perry scored seven consecutive points to bring the Spartans (33-3) within 57-56, and she tied it at 62 on a pair of free throws minutes later. The Spartans took the lead when point guard Kristin Haynie stole a pass from Shanna Zolman and laid it in at the other end.
''That was one of the greatest steals I've ever seen in my life,'' Michigan State Coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
Trailing 66-64, Tennessee got the look it wanted with a 3-pointer by Zolman, but the shot rimmed out. Putbacks by freshmen Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike also missed.
Tennessee looked to be in firm control of the game when it quickly ran its lead out to 45-29 with a 14-2 run to start off the second half.
''Remember this feeling,'' Hornbuckle said. ''Every time you work out in the summer and the preseason, when you think you can't make it, remember this feeling.''
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Spartans Upset Lady Vols in Final Four
INDIANAPOLIS - Michigan State's climb to national prominence took the Spartans all the way over Rocky Top. Down by 16 points in the second half, Michigan State rallied — tying the largest comeback in Final Four history — then finished off Tennessee with a pair of fast-break baskets to complete the 68-64 upset Sunday night. The win sets up Tuesday's title game with Baylor, another unlikely championship contender.
"This team has the heart of a lion," Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie said, her players bouncing and hugging with wide-eyed looks of disbelief on their faces.
Trailing 45-29 with 16:02 left, Michigan State wouldn't quit and finally caught the Lady Vols at 62-62 on two free throws by Victoria Lucas-Perry with 1:20 left. Moments later, Michigan State point guard Kristin Haynie made a steal and layup to put the Big Ten champions ahead.
Tennessee's Loree Moore then tied it with a runner in the lane, but Spartans senior center Kelli Roehrig scored underneath to make it 66-64 with 35 seconds to play.
The Lady Vols (30-5) then missed a 3-pointer and two inside shots before the ball dropped in the hands of Roehrig, who fed Lucas-Perry for a layup with 2.7 seconds left to complete the remarkable comeback.
The Spartans' last two baskets were their only fast-break points of the night.
Michigan State's rally tied the largest in Final Four history. In 2001, Notre Dame came back from 16 down to beat Connecticut. But the Spartans didn't pull off the night's only jaw-dropping return to life: Baylor had to overcome a 15-point deficit in the game before to take out overall No. 1 seed LSU.
Baylor, whose uplifting tale of redemption is the feel-good story in this tournament, advanced to its first national championship game with a 68-57 victory.
The Spartans (33-3) danced and hugged in a circle as the final horn sounded on their game. McCallie said it wouldn't take long for her to get started preparing for the Lady Bears.
"By Midnight," she said. "Baylor's a fantastic team, and they had a terrific game also, and we're very excited, and midnight, we got til about midnight."
Just four years ago, Michigan State wasn't even among the best teams in its conference. In 2000, McCallie's first year, the Spartans won only 10 games.
But McCallie, the AP's coach of the year this season who turned tiny Maine into a national power, recruited Haynie and Roehrig and got the rest of the Spartans to believe.
Now they're one win away from a national title, something the school's men's team couldn't do this weekend in St. Louis.
Lindsay Bowen had 18 points and Lucas-Perry and Liz Shimek 14 apiece for the Spartans, who have won 17 straight.
Tennessee, meanwhile, had another solid season end in disbelief and a victory shy of a seventh national title. Despite making their fourth straight Final Four appearance and 16th overall under coach Pat Summitt, the Lady Vols haven't won a national title since 1998 — a drought for the queens of college basketball.
"It will be a long time before I get this one out of my system," Summit said. "I'm sure the players feel the same way."
The devastating loss for Tennessee puts a disappointing finish to a season in which Summitt became the winningest coach in college basketball history. But win No. 883 will have to wait until next season.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle had 16 points and Indiana native Shanna Zolman added 13 for the Lady Vols, who appeared in control in the second half before their uncharacteristic fold.
With Indianapolis Colts quarterback and proud Tennessee alum Peyton Manning cheering from a few rows behind their bench, the Lady Vols opened the second half with a 14-4 run to open their biggest lead.
The Spartans looked tired and ready to pack it in when all of a sudden they found their shooting touch and new life. Bowen's 3-pointer capped a 14-2 spurt that pulled Michigan State within 51-47 with 9:13 to go.
Lucas-Perry then hit two 3-pointers and scored eight straight points to get Michigan State within 57-56, sending the Spartans fans into a frenzy. Zolman's 3-pointer with 3:45 left gave Tennessee a six-point cushion, but the Lady Vols made some careless turnovers — one a pass that Summitt snagged in front of her bench — to help Michigan State's rally.
Haynie's steal was the biggest play. Regarded as one of the nation's finest point guards, she had scored just two points before stepping in front of Zolman's pass and dribbling nearly the length of the floor for her basket.
"She was just so hungry, so hungry to get after it, and she sees the great opportunity to go for it," McCallie said.
Roehrig also redeemed herself after missing an easy layup a few moments earlier with her inside shot, which came after the burly center flattened Tye'sha Fluker in the lane.
But it was Lucas-Perry's layup that finally dropped Tennessee for good.
"This team has the heart of a lion," Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie said, her players bouncing and hugging with wide-eyed looks of disbelief on their faces.
Trailing 45-29 with 16:02 left, Michigan State wouldn't quit and finally caught the Lady Vols at 62-62 on two free throws by Victoria Lucas-Perry with 1:20 left. Moments later, Michigan State point guard Kristin Haynie made a steal and layup to put the Big Ten champions ahead.
Tennessee's Loree Moore then tied it with a runner in the lane, but Spartans senior center Kelli Roehrig scored underneath to make it 66-64 with 35 seconds to play.
The Lady Vols (30-5) then missed a 3-pointer and two inside shots before the ball dropped in the hands of Roehrig, who fed Lucas-Perry for a layup with 2.7 seconds left to complete the remarkable comeback.
The Spartans' last two baskets were their only fast-break points of the night.
Michigan State's rally tied the largest in Final Four history. In 2001, Notre Dame came back from 16 down to beat Connecticut. But the Spartans didn't pull off the night's only jaw-dropping return to life: Baylor had to overcome a 15-point deficit in the game before to take out overall No. 1 seed LSU.
Baylor, whose uplifting tale of redemption is the feel-good story in this tournament, advanced to its first national championship game with a 68-57 victory.
The Spartans (33-3) danced and hugged in a circle as the final horn sounded on their game. McCallie said it wouldn't take long for her to get started preparing for the Lady Bears.
"By Midnight," she said. "Baylor's a fantastic team, and they had a terrific game also, and we're very excited, and midnight, we got til about midnight."
Just four years ago, Michigan State wasn't even among the best teams in its conference. In 2000, McCallie's first year, the Spartans won only 10 games.
But McCallie, the AP's coach of the year this season who turned tiny Maine into a national power, recruited Haynie and Roehrig and got the rest of the Spartans to believe.
Now they're one win away from a national title, something the school's men's team couldn't do this weekend in St. Louis.
Lindsay Bowen had 18 points and Lucas-Perry and Liz Shimek 14 apiece for the Spartans, who have won 17 straight.
Tennessee, meanwhile, had another solid season end in disbelief and a victory shy of a seventh national title. Despite making their fourth straight Final Four appearance and 16th overall under coach Pat Summitt, the Lady Vols haven't won a national title since 1998 — a drought for the queens of college basketball.
"It will be a long time before I get this one out of my system," Summit said. "I'm sure the players feel the same way."
The devastating loss for Tennessee puts a disappointing finish to a season in which Summitt became the winningest coach in college basketball history. But win No. 883 will have to wait until next season.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle had 16 points and Indiana native Shanna Zolman added 13 for the Lady Vols, who appeared in control in the second half before their uncharacteristic fold.
With Indianapolis Colts quarterback and proud Tennessee alum Peyton Manning cheering from a few rows behind their bench, the Lady Vols opened the second half with a 14-4 run to open their biggest lead.
The Spartans looked tired and ready to pack it in when all of a sudden they found their shooting touch and new life. Bowen's 3-pointer capped a 14-2 spurt that pulled Michigan State within 51-47 with 9:13 to go.
Lucas-Perry then hit two 3-pointers and scored eight straight points to get Michigan State within 57-56, sending the Spartans fans into a frenzy. Zolman's 3-pointer with 3:45 left gave Tennessee a six-point cushion, but the Lady Vols made some careless turnovers — one a pass that Summitt snagged in front of her bench — to help Michigan State's rally.
Haynie's steal was the biggest play. Regarded as one of the nation's finest point guards, she had scored just two points before stepping in front of Zolman's pass and dribbling nearly the length of the floor for her basket.
"She was just so hungry, so hungry to get after it, and she sees the great opportunity to go for it," McCallie said.
Roehrig also redeemed herself after missing an easy layup a few moments earlier with her inside shot, which came after the burly center flattened Tye'sha Fluker in the lane.
But it was Lucas-Perry's layup that finally dropped Tennessee for good.
Pat Pix
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt signals her team in the first half against Michigan State in a national semifinal game at the NCAA Women's Final Four Sunday, April 3, 2005, in Indianapolis.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt talks to guard Shanna Zolman (1) during a time out in their national semifinal game against Michigan State at the NCAA Women's Final Four Sunday, April 3, 2005, in Indianapolis.
University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt calls out a play while her team plays Michigan State during the first half of their semifinal game of the NCAA Women's Final Four tournament in Indianapolis, April 3, 2005.
Lady Vols have friends on other side
INDIANAPOLIS — Three quick dribbles. The left arm swings back. Pause. Follow through.
Shyra Ely goes through that simple routine every time she steps to the free throw line. And with that, Al Brown's influence on Tennessee women's basketball still shows up — every time Ely steps to the free throw line.
Ely, now a senior, got only one year of Brown's tutelage at Tennessee, but the impact he had on her freshman year — and her free throw shooting — still runs deep.
''He's a smart coach, really cerebral,'' Ely said. ''He knows how to break down a team, break down players. Longwinded, but he's a great coach.''
Brown spent two years as an assistant in UT's men's program, and he worked on Pat Summitt's staff from 1995 to 2002. The Lady Vols won three national championships during that stretch.
Now, Brown is on the other sideline, as an assistant coach for Michigan State. The Spartans (32-3) play the Lady Vols (30-4) in the Final Four tonight at 8:30 at the RCA Dome.
''The mistake that you could make as a coach is to assume, 'Well, I was at Tennessee, and we did all this, and I know this,''' Brown said. ''And you overlook exactly what they're doing now. I certainly avoid that.''
Brown, in his first year at Michigan State, won't be the only coach with orange ties. Former Lady Vol Semeka Randall is also in her first year on Joanne P. McCallie's staff.
Brown and Randall have more experience with the Final Four than anybody associated with the Spartans, who are making their first Final Four appearance. McCallie was an assistant coach on the Auburn teams that went to the title game in 1988 and 1989.
But Brown went to five Final Fours as an assistant at Tennessee, and Randall was a freshman when the Lady Vols went undefeated in 1998. She has tried to make it clear to her players exactly what happens to Tennessee this time of year.
''You go through the season and you get all the tweaks out,'' Randall said. ''March Madness hits, and the whole team just transforms. The focus gets real intense. Details become very important.''
Randall's group in 1998 was the last Lady Vol team to win a national title.
''Let's keep it that way,'' she said.
The seven-year drought is referred to as unacceptable by several of the current Tennessee players.
''I think the problem with a Connecticut or a Tennessee is you create such a monster as a coach,'' Brown said. ''Anything short of winning a national championship is somewhat disappointing. That shouldn't be that way.''
That is not the case at Michigan State, Brown said.
''It's a great difference because of the enjoyment of the community, the excitement, the thrill the players have,'' Brown said.
That's not to say that Brown is down on Tennessee. In fact, he walked right up to Ely at a banquet on Friday night and greeted her with a cheery ''Hey Lefty'' and a big hug.
Brown is still the same X's and O's coach that he was at Tennessee, and his post players are putting up numbers that look pretty similar to the Lady Vols of the late '90s. Junior forward Liz Shimek and senior center Kelli Roehrig are combining for 28.5 points and 16.5 rebounds a game.
The biggest difference in Brown is wardrobe. Always known for his suits while in Knoxville, he has taken a different route this season.
''Somehow I got started in sweaters this year, and it's become something that's just kind of turned into a runaway animal,'' he said. ''I told my wife I've got to go out and buy some new sweaters. Being around women, you can't wear the same sweater twice.''
Despite her move to the sidelines, Randall hasn't changed much since leaving Tennessee either.
''I was curious to see how she was going to be as a coach,'' Summitt said. ''She was always a real competitive player and tough, and I was anxious to see if she could put those tennis shoes aside and really think about being a coach. And she said she really likes it.''
Randall is catching just as much flak for her change in dress code as Brown. She has friends and family ask her constantly about her new partiality to the color green.
''They say the orange looks better,'' Randall said. ''But this is my suit for now.''
Shyra Ely goes through that simple routine every time she steps to the free throw line. And with that, Al Brown's influence on Tennessee women's basketball still shows up — every time Ely steps to the free throw line.
Ely, now a senior, got only one year of Brown's tutelage at Tennessee, but the impact he had on her freshman year — and her free throw shooting — still runs deep.
''He's a smart coach, really cerebral,'' Ely said. ''He knows how to break down a team, break down players. Longwinded, but he's a great coach.''
Brown spent two years as an assistant in UT's men's program, and he worked on Pat Summitt's staff from 1995 to 2002. The Lady Vols won three national championships during that stretch.
Now, Brown is on the other sideline, as an assistant coach for Michigan State. The Spartans (32-3) play the Lady Vols (30-4) in the Final Four tonight at 8:30 at the RCA Dome.
''The mistake that you could make as a coach is to assume, 'Well, I was at Tennessee, and we did all this, and I know this,''' Brown said. ''And you overlook exactly what they're doing now. I certainly avoid that.''
Brown, in his first year at Michigan State, won't be the only coach with orange ties. Former Lady Vol Semeka Randall is also in her first year on Joanne P. McCallie's staff.
Brown and Randall have more experience with the Final Four than anybody associated with the Spartans, who are making their first Final Four appearance. McCallie was an assistant coach on the Auburn teams that went to the title game in 1988 and 1989.
But Brown went to five Final Fours as an assistant at Tennessee, and Randall was a freshman when the Lady Vols went undefeated in 1998. She has tried to make it clear to her players exactly what happens to Tennessee this time of year.
''You go through the season and you get all the tweaks out,'' Randall said. ''March Madness hits, and the whole team just transforms. The focus gets real intense. Details become very important.''
Randall's group in 1998 was the last Lady Vol team to win a national title.
''Let's keep it that way,'' she said.
The seven-year drought is referred to as unacceptable by several of the current Tennessee players.
''I think the problem with a Connecticut or a Tennessee is you create such a monster as a coach,'' Brown said. ''Anything short of winning a national championship is somewhat disappointing. That shouldn't be that way.''
That is not the case at Michigan State, Brown said.
''It's a great difference because of the enjoyment of the community, the excitement, the thrill the players have,'' Brown said.
That's not to say that Brown is down on Tennessee. In fact, he walked right up to Ely at a banquet on Friday night and greeted her with a cheery ''Hey Lefty'' and a big hug.
Brown is still the same X's and O's coach that he was at Tennessee, and his post players are putting up numbers that look pretty similar to the Lady Vols of the late '90s. Junior forward Liz Shimek and senior center Kelli Roehrig are combining for 28.5 points and 16.5 rebounds a game.
The biggest difference in Brown is wardrobe. Always known for his suits while in Knoxville, he has taken a different route this season.
''Somehow I got started in sweaters this year, and it's become something that's just kind of turned into a runaway animal,'' he said. ''I told my wife I've got to go out and buy some new sweaters. Being around women, you can't wear the same sweater twice.''
Despite her move to the sidelines, Randall hasn't changed much since leaving Tennessee either.
''I was curious to see how she was going to be as a coach,'' Summitt said. ''She was always a real competitive player and tough, and I was anxious to see if she could put those tennis shoes aside and really think about being a coach. And she said she really likes it.''
Randall is catching just as much flak for her change in dress code as Brown. She has friends and family ask her constantly about her new partiality to the color green.
''They say the orange looks better,'' Randall said. ''But this is my suit for now.''
Nicky Pushed to Summitt
April 3, 2005 -- INDIANAPOLIS — It's all about getting there, insist both Roy Williams, who has never won it all, and Pat Summit, who has won six times. She can point to the tangible benefits of merely showing up at five of the last seven Final Fours since Tennessee's last NCAA women's title in 1998.
All that banging of Summitt's head on UConn's brick wall obviously didn't knock any of the charm out of her or her storied program. "Best recruiting class ever" is what many have called this year's freshmen, or what's left of them.
Candace Parker, who has a chance to be one of the best ever, and Alex Fuller missed the entire season with bum knees, and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood succumbed to knee surgery in February.
But somehow two freshmen starters, guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike, survived.
No surprise in Anosike's case, she's from New York, specifically Staten Island, and therefore has to be tough as they come. So tough, in fact, Anosike could make herself leave Mom and seven siblings for Knoxville, Tenn.
"I never thought I could do it," she said.
"My mom bought a house [in East Orange, N.J.], and waited for me to finish high school [St. Peter's] to move there, only 45 minutes from Rutgers. I was thinking about Rutgers for awhile.
"UConn first wanted Laura Harper. When she withdrew [to go to Maryland], they tried to recruit me again, but I had scratched them off my list. My heart was already at Tennessee. When my mother looks at Pat, she sees a lot of herself. They've both defeated a lot of adversity in their lives."
If Ngozi Anosike's sixth of her eight children didn't want to play for Summitt, then could she maybe use a registered nurse?
"I remember during the visit Ngozi saying, 'Now, when Nicky gets to Tennessee, and Nicky looked at her like, 'Mom?' and Ngozi just kept on, 'No, this is the place you need to be.' " recalled Summitt. "Her Mom had watched [Tennessee] on TV and liked the discipline.
"She's a woman of small stature, yet extremely disciplined and very demanding. We talked about academics. Here, you don't go to class, you don't play."
Tennessee got a terrific student (3.65 first semester GPA) and its first big New York recruit since its greatest recruit of all, Christ the King's Chamique Holdsclaw.
"Chamique was a no-brainer, the best player in the country and obviously the most influential in the history of Lady Vol basketball," said Summitt. "Nicky was a little different.
"The afternoon I saw her play, I had to look at the potential. admire her drive and intensity. I saw something special, a great student cut out of a different cloth."
Summitt, whose Lady Vols play Michigan State after Baylor faces favored LSU tonight, wears pantsuits that, after 882 wins, hardly are the Empress' clothes. When she sat with Anosike on a bench near St. Peters, watching the Staten Island ferry and delivering the pitch, Anosike couldn't bring herself to look at the coach.
For reason she "can't explain," Anosike still can't. But it's much more important Summitt likes what she sees, like 11.3 points, 8.0 rebounds in four tournament games, plus eight trips per game to the free-throw line. There, Anosike has nailed 77 percent, only 23 per cent less perfect than her coach's and mother's instincts about each other.
All that banging of Summitt's head on UConn's brick wall obviously didn't knock any of the charm out of her or her storied program. "Best recruiting class ever" is what many have called this year's freshmen, or what's left of them.
Candace Parker, who has a chance to be one of the best ever, and Alex Fuller missed the entire season with bum knees, and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood succumbed to knee surgery in February.
But somehow two freshmen starters, guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike, survived.
No surprise in Anosike's case, she's from New York, specifically Staten Island, and therefore has to be tough as they come. So tough, in fact, Anosike could make herself leave Mom and seven siblings for Knoxville, Tenn.
"I never thought I could do it," she said.
"My mom bought a house [in East Orange, N.J.], and waited for me to finish high school [St. Peter's] to move there, only 45 minutes from Rutgers. I was thinking about Rutgers for awhile.
"UConn first wanted Laura Harper. When she withdrew [to go to Maryland], they tried to recruit me again, but I had scratched them off my list. My heart was already at Tennessee. When my mother looks at Pat, she sees a lot of herself. They've both defeated a lot of adversity in their lives."
If Ngozi Anosike's sixth of her eight children didn't want to play for Summitt, then could she maybe use a registered nurse?
"I remember during the visit Ngozi saying, 'Now, when Nicky gets to Tennessee, and Nicky looked at her like, 'Mom?' and Ngozi just kept on, 'No, this is the place you need to be.' " recalled Summitt. "Her Mom had watched [Tennessee] on TV and liked the discipline.
"She's a woman of small stature, yet extremely disciplined and very demanding. We talked about academics. Here, you don't go to class, you don't play."
Tennessee got a terrific student (3.65 first semester GPA) and its first big New York recruit since its greatest recruit of all, Christ the King's Chamique Holdsclaw.
"Chamique was a no-brainer, the best player in the country and obviously the most influential in the history of Lady Vol basketball," said Summitt. "Nicky was a little different.
"The afternoon I saw her play, I had to look at the potential. admire her drive and intensity. I saw something special, a great student cut out of a different cloth."
Summitt, whose Lady Vols play Michigan State after Baylor faces favored LSU tonight, wears pantsuits that, after 882 wins, hardly are the Empress' clothes. When she sat with Anosike on a bench near St. Peters, watching the Staten Island ferry and delivering the pitch, Anosike couldn't bring herself to look at the coach.
For reason she "can't explain," Anosike still can't. But it's much more important Summitt likes what she sees, like 11.3 points, 8.0 rebounds in four tournament games, plus eight trips per game to the free-throw line. There, Anosike has nailed 77 percent, only 23 per cent less perfect than her coach's and mother's instincts about each other.
Tennessee's Anosike develops under Summitt
INDIANAPOLIS - There was never any question that Nicky Anosike could handle the physical nature of playing college basketball at Tennessee, but like with every freshman Lady Vol, there were questions about the mental challenges of playing for legendary head coach Pat Summitt.
"Physically, it was demanding, but like the other freshman, I got used to it," said Anosike, a former New York Daily News all-city player out of St. Peter's on Staten Island. "The real transition has been getting used to how demanding Pat is. It was definitely different."
It has been different, demanding and so far rewarding. The 6-4 center will start Sunday night for the Lady Vols as they play Michigan State in one national semifinal at the RCA Dome. That game follows the first semifinal, Baylor against LSU.
The challenges of playing for Summitt have been well-documented by former players, newspaper articles, books and even a documentary. Her forcefulness and blunt way of speaking to players is a shock to the system.
But it really was not so foreign to Anosike.
Anosike's mother, Ngozi, is a Nigerian immigrant who raised eight children alone while also earning a nursing degree and working full-time. It was her mother who convinced Anosike that Summitt's discipline and strength would best help her to develop as a player and person.
"I remember Ngozi saying, `When Nicky gets to Tennessee,' and Nicky looked at her like, `Mom?'," said Summitt, recalling her recruiting visit to Anosike's home. "Ngozi just said to Nicky, `This is the place you need to be.' "
Her mother seems to have been right. Anosike came out of St. Peter's with the reputation as a fantastic athlete with a long way to go in terms of basketball skills.
"The afternoon I went to see her play, I had to look at the potential of a Nicky Anosike," Summitt said. "I really admired her drive and intensity and competitiveness. I saw something in her and in her mom that I knew was very, very special."
Anosike had to use every bit of her work ethic this season. She has struggled to improve her shooting, but has impressed almost everyone with her intensity on the court. Summitt put her in the starting lineup 22 games ago hoping to accelerate her learning curve.
"When I put her into the starting lineup, I went to each of my staff members and I said, `Do not let me take her out of the lineup, because I am going to want to,' " said Summitt. "I am going to see her turn it over and I am going to see her miss easy shots and I am going to want to take her out, but I can't."
Summitt's faith has been rewarded. Anosike leads the team in blocked shots (30) and is second in rebounding (5.9 rpg). Anosike, named to the All-SEC freshman team, still shoots just 37 percent from the floor, but she has raised her game in the NCAA Tournament. She scored 14 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the free throw line, as the Lady Vols beat Rutgers in the Philadelphia Regional final.
"Physically, it was demanding, but like the other freshman, I got used to it," said Anosike, a former New York Daily News all-city player out of St. Peter's on Staten Island. "The real transition has been getting used to how demanding Pat is. It was definitely different."
It has been different, demanding and so far rewarding. The 6-4 center will start Sunday night for the Lady Vols as they play Michigan State in one national semifinal at the RCA Dome. That game follows the first semifinal, Baylor against LSU.
The challenges of playing for Summitt have been well-documented by former players, newspaper articles, books and even a documentary. Her forcefulness and blunt way of speaking to players is a shock to the system.
But it really was not so foreign to Anosike.
Anosike's mother, Ngozi, is a Nigerian immigrant who raised eight children alone while also earning a nursing degree and working full-time. It was her mother who convinced Anosike that Summitt's discipline and strength would best help her to develop as a player and person.
"I remember Ngozi saying, `When Nicky gets to Tennessee,' and Nicky looked at her like, `Mom?'," said Summitt, recalling her recruiting visit to Anosike's home. "Ngozi just said to Nicky, `This is the place you need to be.' "
Her mother seems to have been right. Anosike came out of St. Peter's with the reputation as a fantastic athlete with a long way to go in terms of basketball skills.
"The afternoon I went to see her play, I had to look at the potential of a Nicky Anosike," Summitt said. "I really admired her drive and intensity and competitiveness. I saw something in her and in her mom that I knew was very, very special."
Anosike had to use every bit of her work ethic this season. She has struggled to improve her shooting, but has impressed almost everyone with her intensity on the court. Summitt put her in the starting lineup 22 games ago hoping to accelerate her learning curve.
"When I put her into the starting lineup, I went to each of my staff members and I said, `Do not let me take her out of the lineup, because I am going to want to,' " said Summitt. "I am going to see her turn it over and I am going to see her miss easy shots and I am going to want to take her out, but I can't."
Summitt's faith has been rewarded. Anosike leads the team in blocked shots (30) and is second in rebounding (5.9 rpg). Anosike, named to the All-SEC freshman team, still shoots just 37 percent from the floor, but she has raised her game in the NCAA Tournament. She scored 14 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the free throw line, as the Lady Vols beat Rutgers in the Philadelphia Regional final.
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