New NCAA Rules Allow Up To Four Hours of Full Team Practice Before Oct. 14
Head coach Pat Summitt welcomed one new freshman and 10 returning players to the court in Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday morning for the Lady Vols' first full-team practice. The session will be one of many during the next few weeks before the season officially begins on Oct. 14.
In previous years, the NCAA did not allow full-team practices to begin until mid-October. Instead, no more than four players could be on the court with coaches at one time and groups were limited to two hours of practice each week during the off-season. The new NCAA rules (17.1.5.2 (E) and 17.1.5.2.3) allow for more than four members of a women's basketball team to practice up to four hours a week during the off-season months of the academic school year.
"The ladies had great energy today," said Summitt. "The communication was key, and I could definitely see an improvement in their physical condition. They had an incredible off-season in the weight room."
The majority of the team remained in Knoxville this summer to attend summer classes, during that time they worked especially hard on conditioning and strength.
Head strength and conditioning coach Heather Mason noticed the difference as well. "I am excited to see them take the intensity they showed me this summer in the weight room onto the court today," said Mason. "They all worked very hard during the off-season, and they showed the results in this morning's practice."
Sidney Spencer, still nursing a knee injury, worked on cardio fitness by riding the exercise bike during the non-controlled types of team exercises.
"Overall they looked good," said head athletic trainer Jenny Moshak. "We're still dealing with some recovering injuries, especially ones that prevent the athletes from full contact, non-controlled exercises. We are working on adjusting from off-court rehab to in-season practices. Sidney still needs to get a bit stronger. She and I have Oct. 14 as a goal date for her to be fully released."
Freshman Lindsey Moss also spent much of today's practice on the sidelines with Moshak and her staff.
"Lindsey has a mild strain of her hamstring," said Moshak. "It's nothing to be overly concerned about at this point, but we want to be conservative nonetheless."
Candace Parker and Alex Fuller, the first two Lady Vol basketball players to be red-shirted during the Pat Summitt era, participated in the full practice. Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood was also healthy throughout the two-hour session.
"We got about a week's worth of work done today," said assistant coach Holly Warlick. "The energy and intensity was outstanding, which was very encouraging. It was also great to see those who were injured last year be able to make a full practice." The practice featured a lot of transition work, as well as baseline and perimeter shooting drills.
"We'll continue to do a lot of teaching and skill work in the next few weeks," said Summitt, "but this already feels more like a veteran team."
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Friday, August 19, 2005
Knoxville Hall inducts 10
The Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame grew by 10 Thursday night.
The Hall's annual induction drew a large class and an even larger crowd; some 1400 people attended the banquet.
The inductees were: Bill Bates, Ted Davis, Fred Gladding, Steve Golliher, Jeff Gollier, Gary Lundy, Reggie McKenzie, Raleigh McKenzie, Pat Shires, and Faye Rogers Stafford.
In addition, Tim Mack was honored as the pro athlete of the year, Anthony McAlister and Cade Thompson the male high school athletes of the year, and Erin Ogan was the female high school athlete of the year.
The Hall also had a special recognition for Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt.
Former Notre Dame and South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz was the featured speaker.
The Hall's annual induction drew a large class and an even larger crowd; some 1400 people attended the banquet.
The inductees were: Bill Bates, Ted Davis, Fred Gladding, Steve Golliher, Jeff Gollier, Gary Lundy, Reggie McKenzie, Raleigh McKenzie, Pat Shires, and Faye Rogers Stafford.
In addition, Tim Mack was honored as the pro athlete of the year, Anthony McAlister and Cade Thompson the male high school athletes of the year, and Erin Ogan was the female high school athlete of the year.
The Hall also had a special recognition for Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt.
Former Notre Dame and South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz was the featured speaker.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Graduate Assistants Join Lady Vol Basketball Staff :: Angel Elderkin and Pam Owens will help out the Lady Vols this year
University of Tennessee Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt announced Wednesday the addition of Angel Elderkin and Pam Owens as basketball graduate assistants for the 2005-06 campaign. The two join a program that went 30-5 last season and reached the NCAA Final Four for the fourth consecutive year.
"Pam Owens and Angel Elderkin are two of the most experienced graduate assistants we have ever had in our program," said Summitt. "Angel has Division I experience and Pam has been coaching on the high school level for the past 16 years. Both Pam and Angel are excited about the opportunity to work in the Lady Vol basketball program, and we are thrilled that they are joining our staff and the Lady Vol family."
Elderkin comes to Rocky Top after four years as an assistant coach at Siena College, where she was an integral part of recruiting some of the best classes in program history at Siena. In addition to her recruiting responsibilities at Siena, Elderkin also oversaw academics for the Saints. She helped to coordinate study hall, tutoring and monitoring the academic progress for the student-athletes. Her primary on-court assignment was working with the back court.
Prior to her stint at Siena, Elderkin spent two seasons at East Tennessee State, where she served as a special assistant to the head coach. There, she oversaw many aspects of the women's basketball operation, including the coordination of summer camps and working with the compliance office.
"I am really excited to be a part of the Lady Vol family," said Elderkin. "The opportunity to learn from Coach Summitt and her staff is going to be an invaluable experience and a great addition to my coaching career."
Elderkin was a four-year letter-winning guard for the University of Southern Maine women's basketball team. She led the Huskies to three conference championships and an astounding 104-15 overall record. In 1998, the Huskies were the national runner-up. She helped lead her team to the Division III NCAA Tournament during each of her four years. Elderkin also played on the softball team from 1996-1998.
She was a two-time recipient of the William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Award and in 1997 was named to the All-Little East Honor Roll. Most recently, her 1997-98 Husky basketball team was inducted into the New England Hall of Fame (September 2004).
Elderkin earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Southern Maine in 1999 with a minor in education. She received her master of arts in physical education and exercise science from East Tennessee State in 2001.
Pam Owens joins the program after spending eight years as the head coach at Taft High School in San Antonio, Texas. She guided the Taft program to six Region IV-5A Tournaments in seven seasons and three state tournaments in the past four campaigns. Prior to her stint at Taft, she spent two years coaching at Bandera High School. Owens' career record is 264-79.
"This is an unbelievable opportunity," said Owens. "I've been coaching high school for 16 years and to have the opportunity to work with Coach Summit and her staff is like a dream come true for me."
Owens has been a regular at Summitt's clinics through the years and worked one of her camps in Knoxville, Tenn., for the first time last summer. It was then that Summitt, 882-172 in 31 seasons at Tennessee, asked Owens if she would be interested in someday joining her staff as a graduate assistant.
A shooting guard from 1986-88 for the Buckettes, Owens graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor's degree in education. In 1994, she earned her master's from the University of Texas at San Antonio in education and supervision.
Owens and her husband, Joseph, reside in Knoxville.
"Pam Owens and Angel Elderkin are two of the most experienced graduate assistants we have ever had in our program," said Summitt. "Angel has Division I experience and Pam has been coaching on the high school level for the past 16 years. Both Pam and Angel are excited about the opportunity to work in the Lady Vol basketball program, and we are thrilled that they are joining our staff and the Lady Vol family."
Elderkin comes to Rocky Top after four years as an assistant coach at Siena College, where she was an integral part of recruiting some of the best classes in program history at Siena. In addition to her recruiting responsibilities at Siena, Elderkin also oversaw academics for the Saints. She helped to coordinate study hall, tutoring and monitoring the academic progress for the student-athletes. Her primary on-court assignment was working with the back court.
Prior to her stint at Siena, Elderkin spent two seasons at East Tennessee State, where she served as a special assistant to the head coach. There, she oversaw many aspects of the women's basketball operation, including the coordination of summer camps and working with the compliance office.
"I am really excited to be a part of the Lady Vol family," said Elderkin. "The opportunity to learn from Coach Summitt and her staff is going to be an invaluable experience and a great addition to my coaching career."
Elderkin was a four-year letter-winning guard for the University of Southern Maine women's basketball team. She led the Huskies to three conference championships and an astounding 104-15 overall record. In 1998, the Huskies were the national runner-up. She helped lead her team to the Division III NCAA Tournament during each of her four years. Elderkin also played on the softball team from 1996-1998.
She was a two-time recipient of the William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Award and in 1997 was named to the All-Little East Honor Roll. Most recently, her 1997-98 Husky basketball team was inducted into the New England Hall of Fame (September 2004).
Elderkin earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Southern Maine in 1999 with a minor in education. She received her master of arts in physical education and exercise science from East Tennessee State in 2001.
Pam Owens joins the program after spending eight years as the head coach at Taft High School in San Antonio, Texas. She guided the Taft program to six Region IV-5A Tournaments in seven seasons and three state tournaments in the past four campaigns. Prior to her stint at Taft, she spent two years coaching at Bandera High School. Owens' career record is 264-79.
"This is an unbelievable opportunity," said Owens. "I've been coaching high school for 16 years and to have the opportunity to work with Coach Summit and her staff is like a dream come true for me."
Owens has been a regular at Summitt's clinics through the years and worked one of her camps in Knoxville, Tenn., for the first time last summer. It was then that Summitt, 882-172 in 31 seasons at Tennessee, asked Owens if she would be interested in someday joining her staff as a graduate assistant.
A shooting guard from 1986-88 for the Buckettes, Owens graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor's degree in education. In 1994, she earned her master's from the University of Texas at San Antonio in education and supervision.
Owens and her husband, Joseph, reside in Knoxville.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Lady Vols Release 2005-2006 Hoops Schedule
The Lady Vols Will Tangle With A Number Of Traditional Top Rivals
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball schedule has been finalized for the 2005-06 season.
Besides running the gauntlet of the perennial Southeastern Conference powerhouses, the Lady Vols will also tangle with a number of traditional top rivals, including Connecticut, Texas, Duke, Stanford and Louisiana Tech. In addition, a trip to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will find UT facing NCAA runner-up Michigan State, highly-regarded Maryland and a first-ever meeting with Gonzaga.
"Our schedule for the coming season is exciting and challenging," said Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt, who is beginning her 32nd season at Tennessee and is the NCAA's all-time winningest coach starting the season at 882-172. "We have a great blend of youth and experience coming back," continued Summitt. "And we're excited to see a healthy squad out on the court. We can't wait to get started," she said.
Tennessee, third-place finisher at the 2005 NCAA Final Four, opens the 2005-06 campaign at home hosting a pair of exhibition games against Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and nearby Carson Newman College. Dr. Carolyn Savoy, Dalhousie head coach since 1977, studied for her PhD at Tennessee and observed Summitt's teams while working on her doctorate, 1990-92. She brings her Tiger team to Knoxville for the first time for an exhibition.
Following the exhibition tune-ups, the Lady Vols officially open the season at home with back-to-back games on Nov. 20 facing Stetson and on Nov. 21 taking on UT Chattanooga.
"I really wanted us to have some solid game experience before we traveled to the Paradise Jam," related Summitt. "We will be tested early by three outstanding teams in Michigan State, Maryland and Gonzaga. Not only will it be some great basketball games but an exciting adventure for our team, staff and fans to the Virgin Islands during the Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24-26."
Tennessee starts the December portion of its schedule in Knoxville trying to break a four-game losing skein to the University of Texas on Dec. 1 in a game televised by ESPN2. Other home match-ups in the final month of the year will see the Lady Vols facing Louisiana Tech on Dec. 15 and entertaining first-time opponent Princeton on Dec. 20 in Thompson-Boling Arena. UT has four road games in December starting with the "Battle of the Titans" at Stanford on Dec. 7 (ESPN2). The Lady Vols then travel to George Washington University on Dec. 7, Temple University on Dec. 28 and conclude the 2005 portion of the schedule at Notre Dame on New Year's Eve in South Bend, Indiana.
In January, the Lady Vols will face three more non-conference foes before settling into the SEC battle. Old Dominion travels to Knoxville on Jan. 2; later in the week, BIG EAST foe Connecticut visits Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 7 (CBS) and finally, the Lady Vols travel to Duke on Jan. 23 (ESPN2).
January is a light SEC month at home for the Lady Vols with only Georgia (Jan. 12) and Alabama (Jan. 29) coming to town. Conference road games in the first month of the year find UT traveling to South Carolina (Jan. 5), Mississippi State (Jan. 15), Vanderbilt (Jan. 19), and Kentucky (Jan. 26).
February is almost the reverse schedule for Tennessee as the Lady Vols will enjoy home games against Arkansas (Feb. 5), an ESPN "Rivalry Week" contest against LSU (Feb. 9, ESPN2), an ESPN "February Frenzy" match-up versus Vanderbilt (Feb. 12, ESPN2), and a pair of home finales against Auburn (Feb. 23) and Florida (Feb. 26). February road trips include jaunts to Mississippi (Feb. 2), Georgia (Feb. 16) and to Alabama (Feb. 19). Tennessee has picked up home-and-home SEC games with Alabama and Georgia this season to go along with its annual home-and-home traditional rival contests versus Vanderbilt.
"It's no surprise that we've taken on another challenging schedule for the coming season," said Summitt. "I'm excited that our fans will get to enjoy such a great line-up of games in Thompson-Boling Arena.
"Once again this year, the SEC - from top to bottom -- will be as strong as it has ever been," professed Summitt. "Not only do I expect to see four SEC teams ranked among the nation's top 10 but there are several teams that are greatly improved, and pushing to get into the top-half of the league. To be sure, the SEC schedule will be extremely challenging."
In the postseason, the 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament will return to North Little Rock, Ark., Mar. 2-5. While the NCAA festivities kicks-off with First/Second Round games Mar. 18-21 and four NCAA Regionals, Mar. 25-28. The season will culminate with the 2006 NCAA Final Four at the FleetCenter in Boston, Mass., April 2 & 4.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball schedule has been finalized for the 2005-06 season.
Besides running the gauntlet of the perennial Southeastern Conference powerhouses, the Lady Vols will also tangle with a number of traditional top rivals, including Connecticut, Texas, Duke, Stanford and Louisiana Tech. In addition, a trip to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will find UT facing NCAA runner-up Michigan State, highly-regarded Maryland and a first-ever meeting with Gonzaga.
"Our schedule for the coming season is exciting and challenging," said Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt, who is beginning her 32nd season at Tennessee and is the NCAA's all-time winningest coach starting the season at 882-172. "We have a great blend of youth and experience coming back," continued Summitt. "And we're excited to see a healthy squad out on the court. We can't wait to get started," she said.
Tennessee, third-place finisher at the 2005 NCAA Final Four, opens the 2005-06 campaign at home hosting a pair of exhibition games against Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and nearby Carson Newman College. Dr. Carolyn Savoy, Dalhousie head coach since 1977, studied for her PhD at Tennessee and observed Summitt's teams while working on her doctorate, 1990-92. She brings her Tiger team to Knoxville for the first time for an exhibition.
Following the exhibition tune-ups, the Lady Vols officially open the season at home with back-to-back games on Nov. 20 facing Stetson and on Nov. 21 taking on UT Chattanooga.
"I really wanted us to have some solid game experience before we traveled to the Paradise Jam," related Summitt. "We will be tested early by three outstanding teams in Michigan State, Maryland and Gonzaga. Not only will it be some great basketball games but an exciting adventure for our team, staff and fans to the Virgin Islands during the Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24-26."
Tennessee starts the December portion of its schedule in Knoxville trying to break a four-game losing skein to the University of Texas on Dec. 1 in a game televised by ESPN2. Other home match-ups in the final month of the year will see the Lady Vols facing Louisiana Tech on Dec. 15 and entertaining first-time opponent Princeton on Dec. 20 in Thompson-Boling Arena. UT has four road games in December starting with the "Battle of the Titans" at Stanford on Dec. 7 (ESPN2). The Lady Vols then travel to George Washington University on Dec. 7, Temple University on Dec. 28 and conclude the 2005 portion of the schedule at Notre Dame on New Year's Eve in South Bend, Indiana.
In January, the Lady Vols will face three more non-conference foes before settling into the SEC battle. Old Dominion travels to Knoxville on Jan. 2; later in the week, BIG EAST foe Connecticut visits Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 7 (CBS) and finally, the Lady Vols travel to Duke on Jan. 23 (ESPN2).
January is a light SEC month at home for the Lady Vols with only Georgia (Jan. 12) and Alabama (Jan. 29) coming to town. Conference road games in the first month of the year find UT traveling to South Carolina (Jan. 5), Mississippi State (Jan. 15), Vanderbilt (Jan. 19), and Kentucky (Jan. 26).
February is almost the reverse schedule for Tennessee as the Lady Vols will enjoy home games against Arkansas (Feb. 5), an ESPN "Rivalry Week" contest against LSU (Feb. 9, ESPN2), an ESPN "February Frenzy" match-up versus Vanderbilt (Feb. 12, ESPN2), and a pair of home finales against Auburn (Feb. 23) and Florida (Feb. 26). February road trips include jaunts to Mississippi (Feb. 2), Georgia (Feb. 16) and to Alabama (Feb. 19). Tennessee has picked up home-and-home SEC games with Alabama and Georgia this season to go along with its annual home-and-home traditional rival contests versus Vanderbilt.
"It's no surprise that we've taken on another challenging schedule for the coming season," said Summitt. "I'm excited that our fans will get to enjoy such a great line-up of games in Thompson-Boling Arena.
"Once again this year, the SEC - from top to bottom -- will be as strong as it has ever been," professed Summitt. "Not only do I expect to see four SEC teams ranked among the nation's top 10 but there are several teams that are greatly improved, and pushing to get into the top-half of the league. To be sure, the SEC schedule will be extremely challenging."
In the postseason, the 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament will return to North Little Rock, Ark., Mar. 2-5. While the NCAA festivities kicks-off with First/Second Round games Mar. 18-21 and four NCAA Regionals, Mar. 25-28. The season will culminate with the 2006 NCAA Final Four at the FleetCenter in Boston, Mass., April 2 & 4.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Anosike finds the time to hand down her lessons
Tennessee sophomore leads series of clinics after a busy summer with Team USA
Take one look at Nicky Anosike's resume these days and you couldn't blame her if she wanted to take some down time in the month of August.
When you're a member of perennial powerhouse University of Tennessee women's basketball team and recently completed a trip to Tunis, Tunisia after competing for gold medal-winning Team USA at the under-19 World Championships, a break would appear necessary.
Except Anosike wouldn't hear of it. Instead, the former St. Peter's star has decided to spend time sharing her experiences and teaching the game she loves to youngsters at the PAL Beacon Center-sponsored clinic at Staten Island Tech in New Dorp.
The 6-foot-4 Anosike held the second of her five sessions, dubbed Nicky's Project, yesterday, first for girls 13-and-under and later 16-and-under. Now 19, Anosike demonstrated drills, then observed from midcourt with a stopwatch in hand.
"A lot of people on Staten Island helped me get to where I am today," said Anosike, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in eight games at the World Championships. "I figured I'd come back and help out as much as I can.
"The PAL Diamonds were the first (team) I ever played competitive ball for and I just thought there was no better way to give back."
PAL borough director Joseph Loughran and Beacon director Tom Marshall couldn't be happier to have the two-time Jaques Award winner on their staff.
"Role model is an over used term, but Nicky fits under that category in its true meaning," said Loughran. "Not only does she have a great work ethic, but she's in high standing academically and she shares it with the children of the Beacon Center."
"The girls are very much into listening to Nicky," added Marshall. "She walks around focusing on each kid and she takes the time to teach them when they make mistakes.
"She's doing a terrific job."
Anosike, who will be a sophomore at Tennessee in the fall, said her experience with the Lady Vols has had a direct impact on the clinic.
"Every drill we do here we do at Tennessee," said Anosike, who currently resides in East Orange, N.J., when she's not at school. "(Tennessee assistant coach) Dean Lockwood gave me a lot of ideas and we've been using drills that I do.
"These kids are young and we want them to be alert and involved."
As successful as Anosike was at St. Peter's, the four-time Advance All Star had to do some learning herself upon joining the Lady Vols last fall. But not only did she wind up averaging 6.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Final Four participants, she started the final 21 games.
"By the middle of last season, the (coaching staff) considered me a sophomore, which is great," Anosike said. "But last year, my role was more of being a defensive stopper.
"Now I'm looking to be in more of a scoring-type role this season. I had a meeting with coach (Pat Summitt) and I told her I wanted more of a responsibility.
"She said she trusted me."
Anosike said her experience with Team USA, which was like a college all-star team, will help her prepare herself for next season.
"It was a great experience," she said. "I was motivated because I got cut when I tried out the year before.
"I think the biggest thing was I had more confidence, especially after playing one season of collegiate ball. Playing in the Final Four definitely helped me get ready to play (for Team USA)."
Speaking of the Final Four, Anosike said she's planning on using last year's disappointing finish (a loss to upstart Michigan St. in the semifinals) as a springboard to a strong 2005-05 campaign. In addition to Anosike, the Lady Vols are returning several other key players and will likely make another run for Summitt's seventh national title.
"We've got to finish what we started last season," said the former Parade All-American and Southeast Conference All-Freshmen team member last year. "We let it slip away by looking past Michigan St.
"But no doubt about it. Our goal this season is a national championship and I think we have the team to do it."
Take one look at Nicky Anosike's resume these days and you couldn't blame her if she wanted to take some down time in the month of August.
When you're a member of perennial powerhouse University of Tennessee women's basketball team and recently completed a trip to Tunis, Tunisia after competing for gold medal-winning Team USA at the under-19 World Championships, a break would appear necessary.
Except Anosike wouldn't hear of it. Instead, the former St. Peter's star has decided to spend time sharing her experiences and teaching the game she loves to youngsters at the PAL Beacon Center-sponsored clinic at Staten Island Tech in New Dorp.
The 6-foot-4 Anosike held the second of her five sessions, dubbed Nicky's Project, yesterday, first for girls 13-and-under and later 16-and-under. Now 19, Anosike demonstrated drills, then observed from midcourt with a stopwatch in hand.
"A lot of people on Staten Island helped me get to where I am today," said Anosike, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in eight games at the World Championships. "I figured I'd come back and help out as much as I can.
"The PAL Diamonds were the first (team) I ever played competitive ball for and I just thought there was no better way to give back."
PAL borough director Joseph Loughran and Beacon director Tom Marshall couldn't be happier to have the two-time Jaques Award winner on their staff.
"Role model is an over used term, but Nicky fits under that category in its true meaning," said Loughran. "Not only does she have a great work ethic, but she's in high standing academically and she shares it with the children of the Beacon Center."
"The girls are very much into listening to Nicky," added Marshall. "She walks around focusing on each kid and she takes the time to teach them when they make mistakes.
"She's doing a terrific job."
Anosike, who will be a sophomore at Tennessee in the fall, said her experience with the Lady Vols has had a direct impact on the clinic.
"Every drill we do here we do at Tennessee," said Anosike, who currently resides in East Orange, N.J., when she's not at school. "(Tennessee assistant coach) Dean Lockwood gave me a lot of ideas and we've been using drills that I do.
"These kids are young and we want them to be alert and involved."
As successful as Anosike was at St. Peter's, the four-time Advance All Star had to do some learning herself upon joining the Lady Vols last fall. But not only did she wind up averaging 6.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Final Four participants, she started the final 21 games.
"By the middle of last season, the (coaching staff) considered me a sophomore, which is great," Anosike said. "But last year, my role was more of being a defensive stopper.
"Now I'm looking to be in more of a scoring-type role this season. I had a meeting with coach (Pat Summitt) and I told her I wanted more of a responsibility.
"She said she trusted me."
Anosike said her experience with Team USA, which was like a college all-star team, will help her prepare herself for next season.
"It was a great experience," she said. "I was motivated because I got cut when I tried out the year before.
"I think the biggest thing was I had more confidence, especially after playing one season of collegiate ball. Playing in the Final Four definitely helped me get ready to play (for Team USA)."
Speaking of the Final Four, Anosike said she's planning on using last year's disappointing finish (a loss to upstart Michigan St. in the semifinals) as a springboard to a strong 2005-05 campaign. In addition to Anosike, the Lady Vols are returning several other key players and will likely make another run for Summitt's seventh national title.
"We've got to finish what we started last season," said the former Parade All-American and Southeast Conference All-Freshmen team member last year. "We let it slip away by looking past Michigan St.
"But no doubt about it. Our goal this season is a national championship and I think we have the team to do it."
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Colleagues, teammates remember Gunter's influence
Pokey Chatman had plenty of anecdotes to share about her mentor, but she also knew Sue Gunter would've wanted her to keep it short.
"I could go on and on," Chatman said Monday at Gunter's memorial service. "Sue's still the boss today and she wouldn't like that."
About 500 people gathered at First United Methodist Church to say goodbye to Gunter, who died at her home Thursday. She was 66.
Gunter will have one final service with visitation set from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Wilcox Funeral Home in Carthage, Miss. Interment will follow at Mount Zion Cemetery in her hometown of Walnut Grove, Miss.
"I feel really blessed that Sue Gunter was a part of my life," Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt said. "I'm a better person and obviously a better teacher because of her."
Summitt was among several college coaches in attendance along with Jody Conradt of the University of Texas, Kim Mulkey-Robertson of national champion Baylor and former U.S. Olympic coach Billie Moore.
Chatman and ESPN women's basketball analyst and former Olympian Ann Meyers Drysdale both delivered eulogies.
"To all who knew Sue she was the best friend that anybody could ever have," Meyers Drysdale said. "She was a sister, a mother, a daughter to so many. She died so young. We weren't ready for her to die. But there was one lesson that we did learn was that she was ready and she knew it."
More than 20 of Gunters former players from LSU were on hand. Former All-American point guard Temeka Johnson, a member of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, boarded a plane 6:45 a.m. Monday after a late-night televised game.
"I was at the game, but I wasn't there mentally," Johnson said. "My mind was on coach Gunter the entire time, having to come back and say my last good-bye."
Gunter, whose career also included stops at Middle Tennessee State and Stephen F. Austin, concluded her career as the third winningest coach (708-308) in womens basketball history, trailing only Summitt and Conradt. She also ranks third in games coached (1,016) and sixth in 20-win seasons (22).
Gunter has already been inducted into the Womens Basketball Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. She will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in September.
Meyers Drysdale, an All-America guard at UCLA, played for Gunter on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, the start of a 30-year friendship.
Gunter, then an assistant coach to Moore on the U.S. team, carried a notorious habit for smoking and Meyers tried several time to get her to quit.
"I used to hide them or as soon as she put one in her mouth I would break it," Meyers said. "Then Id steal her lighter or blow out the match."
To which Meyers recalled Gunter saying: "Dammit."
"I could go on and on," Chatman said Monday at Gunter's memorial service. "Sue's still the boss today and she wouldn't like that."
About 500 people gathered at First United Methodist Church to say goodbye to Gunter, who died at her home Thursday. She was 66.
Gunter will have one final service with visitation set from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Wilcox Funeral Home in Carthage, Miss. Interment will follow at Mount Zion Cemetery in her hometown of Walnut Grove, Miss.
"I feel really blessed that Sue Gunter was a part of my life," Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt said. "I'm a better person and obviously a better teacher because of her."
Summitt was among several college coaches in attendance along with Jody Conradt of the University of Texas, Kim Mulkey-Robertson of national champion Baylor and former U.S. Olympic coach Billie Moore.
Chatman and ESPN women's basketball analyst and former Olympian Ann Meyers Drysdale both delivered eulogies.
"To all who knew Sue she was the best friend that anybody could ever have," Meyers Drysdale said. "She was a sister, a mother, a daughter to so many. She died so young. We weren't ready for her to die. But there was one lesson that we did learn was that she was ready and she knew it."
More than 20 of Gunters former players from LSU were on hand. Former All-American point guard Temeka Johnson, a member of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, boarded a plane 6:45 a.m. Monday after a late-night televised game.
"I was at the game, but I wasn't there mentally," Johnson said. "My mind was on coach Gunter the entire time, having to come back and say my last good-bye."
Gunter, whose career also included stops at Middle Tennessee State and Stephen F. Austin, concluded her career as the third winningest coach (708-308) in womens basketball history, trailing only Summitt and Conradt. She also ranks third in games coached (1,016) and sixth in 20-win seasons (22).
Gunter has already been inducted into the Womens Basketball Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. She will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in September.
Meyers Drysdale, an All-America guard at UCLA, played for Gunter on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, the start of a 30-year friendship.
Gunter, then an assistant coach to Moore on the U.S. team, carried a notorious habit for smoking and Meyers tried several time to get her to quit.
"I used to hide them or as soon as she put one in her mouth I would break it," Meyers said. "Then Id steal her lighter or blow out the match."
To which Meyers recalled Gunter saying: "Dammit."
Friday, August 05, 2005
UT'S PAT SUMMITT COMMENTS ON THE PASSING OF FORMER LSU COACH SUE GUNTER
Summitt played under Gunter during the 1976 Olympics in Montreal
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - "Sue Gunter was a wonderful friend, an exceptional person and an incredibly talented basketball coach," said Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee Lady Vol head basketball coach, on the passing of her longtime friend on Thurs., Aug. 4, in Baton Rouge, La.
Gunter, head coach at Louisiana State University for 22-years, stepped down from her coaching duties for health reasons during the 2003-04 season. She died this morning at 8:30 a.m. at her home. Gunter was 66-years old.
Summitt, reached in Los Angeles, Calif., where she was speaking at Collegiate Business Conference, was deeply saddened by the news.
"Definitely one of the pioneers of women's collegiate basketball," said Summitt. "She was one of my mentors. Sue was the assistant coach to Billie Moore when I played on the 1976 USA Olympic Team (silver medalist) in Montreal. Four years later, I had the privilege of serving as her assistant when she was named head coach of the 1980 USA Olympic Team to the boycotted Moscow games.
"I learned so much from Sue about the X's and O's of the game of basketball. But more importantly, she taught me about the delicate balance of coaching and teaching the game and the value of great player-coach relationships. She made playing basketball fun due to her ability to connect with her players. Personally, I am going to miss her tremendously and I know the game is going to miss her," concluded Summitt.
Summitt first faced Gunter's teams while she was coaching at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Gunter posted a 2-1 record over Summitt's Tennessee teams during that span. In 1982, Gunter became the head coach at LSU and the two lifelong friends faced each other 30 times on the Southeastern Conference hardwood.
Gunter never made it to the Final Four as a head coach. In the season that she had to step aside for health reasons, interim head coach and former LSU standout Pokey Chatman led the Lady Tigers to the 2004 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, La., where, ironically, they lost to Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, 52-50, on April 4, 2004.
Gunter completed her career among the leaders in several NCAA coaching categories: seasons coached (No. 1 - 40); games coached (No. 3 - 1,016); wins (No. 3 - 708); and 20-win seasons (No. 4 - 22).
Born May 22, 1939, in Leake County, Miss., Gunter was a native of Walnut Grove, Miss. She is preceded in death by her parents, Lovette Golden Gunter and Ivadean Barham Gunter. She is survived by two aunts, cousins and numerous friends and admirers.
According to LSU officials, arrangements are pending for a special visitation service. She will be buried alongside her parents at Mount Zion Cemetery in Walnut Grove, Miss.
Gunter was respected for her contributions to women's sports, however, she was also revered throughout collegiate athletics for her impact on the sport of basketball regardless of gender. She was named as a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and will be inducted posthumously into the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2005.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - "Sue Gunter was a wonderful friend, an exceptional person and an incredibly talented basketball coach," said Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee Lady Vol head basketball coach, on the passing of her longtime friend on Thurs., Aug. 4, in Baton Rouge, La.
Gunter, head coach at Louisiana State University for 22-years, stepped down from her coaching duties for health reasons during the 2003-04 season. She died this morning at 8:30 a.m. at her home. Gunter was 66-years old.
Summitt, reached in Los Angeles, Calif., where she was speaking at Collegiate Business Conference, was deeply saddened by the news.
"Definitely one of the pioneers of women's collegiate basketball," said Summitt. "She was one of my mentors. Sue was the assistant coach to Billie Moore when I played on the 1976 USA Olympic Team (silver medalist) in Montreal. Four years later, I had the privilege of serving as her assistant when she was named head coach of the 1980 USA Olympic Team to the boycotted Moscow games.
"I learned so much from Sue about the X's and O's of the game of basketball. But more importantly, she taught me about the delicate balance of coaching and teaching the game and the value of great player-coach relationships. She made playing basketball fun due to her ability to connect with her players. Personally, I am going to miss her tremendously and I know the game is going to miss her," concluded Summitt.
Summitt first faced Gunter's teams while she was coaching at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Gunter posted a 2-1 record over Summitt's Tennessee teams during that span. In 1982, Gunter became the head coach at LSU and the two lifelong friends faced each other 30 times on the Southeastern Conference hardwood.
Gunter never made it to the Final Four as a head coach. In the season that she had to step aside for health reasons, interim head coach and former LSU standout Pokey Chatman led the Lady Tigers to the 2004 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, La., where, ironically, they lost to Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, 52-50, on April 4, 2004.
Gunter completed her career among the leaders in several NCAA coaching categories: seasons coached (No. 1 - 40); games coached (No. 3 - 1,016); wins (No. 3 - 708); and 20-win seasons (No. 4 - 22).
Born May 22, 1939, in Leake County, Miss., Gunter was a native of Walnut Grove, Miss. She is preceded in death by her parents, Lovette Golden Gunter and Ivadean Barham Gunter. She is survived by two aunts, cousins and numerous friends and admirers.
According to LSU officials, arrangements are pending for a special visitation service. She will be buried alongside her parents at Mount Zion Cemetery in Walnut Grove, Miss.
Gunter was respected for her contributions to women's sports, however, she was also revered throughout collegiate athletics for her impact on the sport of basketball regardless of gender. She was named as a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and will be inducted posthumously into the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2005.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Nashville City Paper - Business Calendar
Wednesday, Aug. 17
CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) Southeastern Conference, Wednesday to Friday. “Building on Success,” featuring workshops and a luncheon on Thursday with keynote speaker Pat Summitt. Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University, 2555 West End Ave. $149. http://midtin.ccimnet.com or 850-2708
CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) Southeastern Conference, Wednesday to Friday. “Building on Success,” featuring workshops and a luncheon on Thursday with keynote speaker Pat Summitt. Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University, 2555 West End Ave. $149. http://midtin.ccimnet.com or 850-2708
Sunday, July 31, 2005
DelleDonne leads her team to AAU national title
Another basketball season, another championship for Elena DelleDonne.
The 15-year-old, 6-foot-4 star from Centreville led her AAU team to a second consecutive national title on Wednesday in Clarksville, Tenn., scoring 40 points in Fencor's 78-67 victory over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars.
According to AAU officials, DelleDonne's 40 points were a record for a girls championship game.
Fencor, based in Fort Washington, Pa., won the 15-and-under title after taking the 14-and-under championship last summer. DelleDonne also led Ursuline to state titles in her first two seasons of high school ball.
"It's pretty much the same feeling every time," DelleDonne said of playing on four championship teams in two years. "It's amazing and you can't describe it unless you've been through it."
Other tournament teams made a point of sticking around to watch DelleDonne play. And opposing players asked DelleDonne to sign autographs and pose for photos as Fencor dominated the 95-team event at Austin Peay University.
Fencor, which also includes Ursuline guard Erin Edwards, finished 11-0. DelleDonne averaged 22 points per game while sitting out much of the second halves.
Only one Fencor victory was by fewer than double digits. In that game, with her team trailing by four with 1:45 to play, DelleDonne scored eight of her team's final 10 points in a 65-61 win.
In the championship, Fencor faced the Fairfax team that beat them in the final of the 13-and-under tournament two years ago. Facing Jasmine Thompson, the Virginia high school player of the year, DelleDonne went off.
"She was unstoppable," said Fencor coach Veronica Algeo. "They threw different people at her -- little people, big people -- and none of it worked. Elena was hitting from all over the place."
The title helped make up for a rough summer for DelleDonne, who missed a month of play while fighting an infection and a fever. She attended a prestigious 22-player Nike camp, the only sophomore there, but couldn't participate.
She's back now. Algeo said University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt watched nine of DelleDonne's 11 games, while Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma watched the final five.
"When I walk in, I see them," DelleDonne said. "I know it's good that they're taking the time to come and see me. But when I'm on the court, they don't exist."
The 15-year-old, 6-foot-4 star from Centreville led her AAU team to a second consecutive national title on Wednesday in Clarksville, Tenn., scoring 40 points in Fencor's 78-67 victory over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars.
According to AAU officials, DelleDonne's 40 points were a record for a girls championship game.
Fencor, based in Fort Washington, Pa., won the 15-and-under title after taking the 14-and-under championship last summer. DelleDonne also led Ursuline to state titles in her first two seasons of high school ball.
"It's pretty much the same feeling every time," DelleDonne said of playing on four championship teams in two years. "It's amazing and you can't describe it unless you've been through it."
Other tournament teams made a point of sticking around to watch DelleDonne play. And opposing players asked DelleDonne to sign autographs and pose for photos as Fencor dominated the 95-team event at Austin Peay University.
Fencor, which also includes Ursuline guard Erin Edwards, finished 11-0. DelleDonne averaged 22 points per game while sitting out much of the second halves.
Only one Fencor victory was by fewer than double digits. In that game, with her team trailing by four with 1:45 to play, DelleDonne scored eight of her team's final 10 points in a 65-61 win.
In the championship, Fencor faced the Fairfax team that beat them in the final of the 13-and-under tournament two years ago. Facing Jasmine Thompson, the Virginia high school player of the year, DelleDonne went off.
"She was unstoppable," said Fencor coach Veronica Algeo. "They threw different people at her -- little people, big people -- and none of it worked. Elena was hitting from all over the place."
The title helped make up for a rough summer for DelleDonne, who missed a month of play while fighting an infection and a fever. She attended a prestigious 22-player Nike camp, the only sophomore there, but couldn't participate.
She's back now. Algeo said University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt watched nine of DelleDonne's 11 games, while Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma watched the final five.
"When I walk in, I see them," DelleDonne said. "I know it's good that they're taking the time to come and see me. But when I'm on the court, they don't exist."
Angels reaching for the heights
Kenner team is attracting a lot of attention
Completely confident in her Kenner Angels, Caitlin Cleveland looked straight ahead and answered the question with ease.
This group of 15- and 16-year-old girls has won two Amateur Athletic Union national championships, in 2000 and 2001. They didn't become that good just from practicing whenever they had spare time between homework and home room.
There's something else to it.
"It was bred within us to annihilate everyone we played," Cleveland said.
Don't believe her?
When the Angels were eighth-graders, they couldn't find any suitable competition their age, so they played in high school camps.
The Angels didn't just win, they beat every team they faced. The high schoolers would lose by as much as 30 points to Kenner, Cleveland recalled.
"We were a very good team," Angel forward Adrienne Johnson said. "We just wanted better competition."
During the six years this core group of Angels has been together, they have placed in the final four of the national tournament five times. Their worst finish was eighth. That's out of 100 teams from across the country that qualify for the field.
They have six or seven players who likely will play NCAA Division I basketball, Angels coach Alan Frey said, and a few others could wind up playing at smaller colleges.
Cleveland, the team's point guard, has received questionnaires from Baylor, Tennessee, Florida and Connecticut. Colleges can't send letters to prospective student-athletes until Sept. 1 of the player's junior year of high school.
Adrienne Johnson, the Angels' leading scorer, has received mailings from Tulane, Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech.
But this confident group of Angels doesn't let what comes in the mail go to their heads. They don't really talk about it.
"They try to play it cool," Frey said.
At most gymnasiums where the Angels play, college recruiters chart their every move. Earlier this week, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watched three Angels games.
Talk about pressure.
"I was definitely star-struck," Johnson said of playing in front of Summitt.
The Angels, founded in the late 1980s, have nine AAU national titles. Nearly 50 players who went through the Angels program played NCAA Division I basketball, including assistant coach Shondra Johnson, who led the team to five AAU titles, including the 1996 AAU Junior Olympic Games. She was the AAU Joel Ferrell Award winner for most outstanding player in her sport.
On Friday, Kenner won two games in the double-elimination tournament at the Alario Center. The championship game for girls basketball is Tuesday.
Completely confident in her Kenner Angels, Caitlin Cleveland looked straight ahead and answered the question with ease.
This group of 15- and 16-year-old girls has won two Amateur Athletic Union national championships, in 2000 and 2001. They didn't become that good just from practicing whenever they had spare time between homework and home room.
There's something else to it.
"It was bred within us to annihilate everyone we played," Cleveland said.
Don't believe her?
When the Angels were eighth-graders, they couldn't find any suitable competition their age, so they played in high school camps.
The Angels didn't just win, they beat every team they faced. The high schoolers would lose by as much as 30 points to Kenner, Cleveland recalled.
"We were a very good team," Angel forward Adrienne Johnson said. "We just wanted better competition."
During the six years this core group of Angels has been together, they have placed in the final four of the national tournament five times. Their worst finish was eighth. That's out of 100 teams from across the country that qualify for the field.
They have six or seven players who likely will play NCAA Division I basketball, Angels coach Alan Frey said, and a few others could wind up playing at smaller colleges.
Cleveland, the team's point guard, has received questionnaires from Baylor, Tennessee, Florida and Connecticut. Colleges can't send letters to prospective student-athletes until Sept. 1 of the player's junior year of high school.
Adrienne Johnson, the Angels' leading scorer, has received mailings from Tulane, Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech.
But this confident group of Angels doesn't let what comes in the mail go to their heads. They don't really talk about it.
"They try to play it cool," Frey said.
At most gymnasiums where the Angels play, college recruiters chart their every move. Earlier this week, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watched three Angels games.
Talk about pressure.
"I was definitely star-struck," Johnson said of playing in front of Summitt.
The Angels, founded in the late 1980s, have nine AAU national titles. Nearly 50 players who went through the Angels program played NCAA Division I basketball, including assistant coach Shondra Johnson, who led the team to five AAU titles, including the 1996 AAU Junior Olympic Games. She was the AAU Joel Ferrell Award winner for most outstanding player in her sport.
On Friday, Kenner won two games in the double-elimination tournament at the Alario Center. The championship game for girls basketball is Tuesday.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Conference room to bear Campbell's name
Refurbished suite will be for Lady Vols' use
Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team will not let the memories of longtime and faithful fan Gerry Campbell slip away.
Their new conference room - to be designed for team meetings, film sessions and staff meetings - will be named in memory of Campbell, a Lady Vols fan almost from the time Summitt was hired by UT in 1974. A portrait of Campbell and a plaque will be displayed.
The room will be in the Lady Vols basketball suite of Thompson-Boling Arena - an area which once served as Summitt's office.
Several of Campbell's close friends are heading a fund-raiser for the project, which is expected to be completed sometime in September.
"Gerry was, without question, one of the most-loyal Lady Vol fans," Summitt said Thursday. "From the time I started coaching, he started watch our basketball team - but not just basketball. He was a fan of all Lady Vols sports.
"The Olympics was his passion and I was fortunate to see him just before he left for Athens (Greece)," Summitt said.
Campbell became ill as he prepared to return home from the Olympics and died Oct. 7, 2004 in an Athens hospital. He was 74.
"Gerry was a wonderful friend to me and to the Lady Vols athletes," Summitt said. "So, for us to just have something in his memory is truly special. I miss him so much. He was a wonderful friend."
The project was recommended to UT by Campbell's longtime friend Martha Winkler. Contributions may be sent to Lady Vol Development, McKenzie-Lawson Athletic Center - Level 1, Gerry Campbell Project/Attn. Dara Worrell, P.O. Box 15016, Knoxville, Tn. 37901-5016.
Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team will not let the memories of longtime and faithful fan Gerry Campbell slip away.
Their new conference room - to be designed for team meetings, film sessions and staff meetings - will be named in memory of Campbell, a Lady Vols fan almost from the time Summitt was hired by UT in 1974. A portrait of Campbell and a plaque will be displayed.
The room will be in the Lady Vols basketball suite of Thompson-Boling Arena - an area which once served as Summitt's office.
Several of Campbell's close friends are heading a fund-raiser for the project, which is expected to be completed sometime in September.
"Gerry was, without question, one of the most-loyal Lady Vol fans," Summitt said Thursday. "From the time I started coaching, he started watch our basketball team - but not just basketball. He was a fan of all Lady Vols sports.
"The Olympics was his passion and I was fortunate to see him just before he left for Athens (Greece)," Summitt said.
Campbell became ill as he prepared to return home from the Olympics and died Oct. 7, 2004 in an Athens hospital. He was 74.
"Gerry was a wonderful friend to me and to the Lady Vols athletes," Summitt said. "So, for us to just have something in his memory is truly special. I miss him so much. He was a wonderful friend."
The project was recommended to UT by Campbell's longtime friend Martha Winkler. Contributions may be sent to Lady Vol Development, McKenzie-Lawson Athletic Center - Level 1, Gerry Campbell Project/Attn. Dara Worrell, P.O. Box 15016, Knoxville, Tn. 37901-5016.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Anosike's on the rise
Building on an impressive freshman season at the college level, Lady Vol basketball player Nicky Anosike appears to be stepping her game up another notch against international competition this summer.
Anosike, a 6-4 post player, produced 14 points and 12 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action Sunday as the U.S. thumped Serbi and Motenegro 94-68 in the FIBA Women's Under-19 World Championships at Tunis, Tunisia.
Anosike came on strongly near the end of her first season with Tennessee last winter. She led all Lady Vol scorers in back-to-back games against Alabama (19 points on Feb. 27) and Auburn (15 points on March 4).
The talented New Yorker then turned in an imposing showing in the NCAA Tournament. She scored 11 points with 6 rebounds in the Round of 32 game against Purdue, then produced a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the Sweet 16 win over Texas Tech. After a 14-point, 7-rebound effort against Rutgers in the Elite Eight, she closed with a 7-point, 13-rebound outing against Michigan State in the Final Four semifinals.
Anosike finished the season with averages of 6.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 20.3 minutes per game. She grabbed nearly half (104) of her 214 total rebounds off the offensive board. She also recorded 50 assists (including seven in one game against Arkansas) and 60 blocked shots.
Clearly, this is a budding star whose stock is on the rise.
Anosike, a 6-4 post player, produced 14 points and 12 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action Sunday as the U.S. thumped Serbi and Motenegro 94-68 in the FIBA Women's Under-19 World Championships at Tunis, Tunisia.
Anosike came on strongly near the end of her first season with Tennessee last winter. She led all Lady Vol scorers in back-to-back games against Alabama (19 points on Feb. 27) and Auburn (15 points on March 4).
The talented New Yorker then turned in an imposing showing in the NCAA Tournament. She scored 11 points with 6 rebounds in the Round of 32 game against Purdue, then produced a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the Sweet 16 win over Texas Tech. After a 14-point, 7-rebound effort against Rutgers in the Elite Eight, she closed with a 7-point, 13-rebound outing against Michigan State in the Final Four semifinals.
Anosike finished the season with averages of 6.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 20.3 minutes per game. She grabbed nearly half (104) of her 214 total rebounds off the offensive board. She also recorded 50 assists (including seven in one game against Arkansas) and 60 blocked shots.
Clearly, this is a budding star whose stock is on the rise.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Paradise Jam
Never afraid to play a game anywhere, Pat Summitt will take her 2005-06 Lady Vols to the U.S. Virgin Islands to open their season -- and celebrate Thanksgiving. Tennessee, which lost 68-64 to Michigan State in the semifinals of the Final Four last March, could face the Spartans again in the Paradise Jam Nov. 22-27. The Lady Vols are in the St. John field, which includes Maryland, Gonzaga and Michigan State. The other half of the tournament, the St. Thomas field, features Alabama, Minnesota, Nevada and Virginia. Travel packages for the event are $1,000/person for a double room or $1,500/person for single occupancy. What's a little pocket change when coconut shrimp and umbrella drinks can replace turkey on Thanksgiving menus?
Friday, July 01, 2005
Hornbuckle preparing for heavier workload
Alexis Hornbuckle had an outstanding freshman season at the University of Tennessee.
But she is going to be asked to do more for the Lady Vols this year, so she is getting ready. Hornbuckle has spent the majority of the summer in Knoxville preparing for the upcoming basketball season.
“I have been working on my shooting,” Hornbuckle said. “Coach Pat [Summitt] asked me to work on that aspect of my game because I think I’ll be called on [to shoot] more.”
There has been little rest in the offseason for Hornbuckle.
“I’ve been taking classes, which ends this week,” she said. “And I have been working camps and working out. Shooting has been No. 1, but I have also been working on my strength and conditioning.”
The former Capital and South Charleston Class AAA all-stater and three-time West Virginia girls player of the year led the Lady Vols in assists, steals and defensive rebounds for the season, though she started just 21 of 35 games.
But even if Hornbuckle wasn’t penciled in the starting lineup, it wasn’t long before she made it to the scorer’s table.
“We had some injuries, but we were a pretty deep team to begin with,” she said.
Hornbuckle grabbed high-point honors in three high-profile games — against Louisiana Tech, UConn and a NCAA semifinal loss to Michigan State. For her efforts, Hornbuckle was a two-time Lady Vol Player of the Week and Co-Southeastern Conference Player of the Week once.
Playing for Summitt proved quite an experience last season as the coach reached the NCAA all-time basketball win record. Summitt finished the season with 882 career victories, breaking Dean Smith’s record of 879 career Division I victories with the North Carolina men.
“That was fun,” Hornbuckle said. “After the game, they announced the court was named for her and she was caught completely by surprise.”
Tennessee reached the NCAA Women’s Final Four before bowing out to Michigan State.
“It was great [making it to the Final Four],” said Hornbuckle. “But the atmosphere wasn’t much different from our regular-season games [at Tennessee], though. It was fun.’’
Never timid with her skills, Hornbuckle admitted that her confidence level is still growing.
“It’s an honor to play here,” she said. “It’s a whole new level of confidence. It adds a whole new swagger to your game.”
With former high school teammate Renee Montgomery heading to UConn this year, the possibility of matching two former West Virginia players of the year is an intriguing one.
“I can’t wait,” said Hornbuckle. “We still try to stay in touch. We haven’t played against each other since eighth grade when I was at Dunbar and she was at Hayes.”
The results?
“We won twice,” Hornbuckle said.
But she is going to be asked to do more for the Lady Vols this year, so she is getting ready. Hornbuckle has spent the majority of the summer in Knoxville preparing for the upcoming basketball season.
“I have been working on my shooting,” Hornbuckle said. “Coach Pat [Summitt] asked me to work on that aspect of my game because I think I’ll be called on [to shoot] more.”
There has been little rest in the offseason for Hornbuckle.
“I’ve been taking classes, which ends this week,” she said. “And I have been working camps and working out. Shooting has been No. 1, but I have also been working on my strength and conditioning.”
The former Capital and South Charleston Class AAA all-stater and three-time West Virginia girls player of the year led the Lady Vols in assists, steals and defensive rebounds for the season, though she started just 21 of 35 games.
But even if Hornbuckle wasn’t penciled in the starting lineup, it wasn’t long before she made it to the scorer’s table.
“We had some injuries, but we were a pretty deep team to begin with,” she said.
Hornbuckle grabbed high-point honors in three high-profile games — against Louisiana Tech, UConn and a NCAA semifinal loss to Michigan State. For her efforts, Hornbuckle was a two-time Lady Vol Player of the Week and Co-Southeastern Conference Player of the Week once.
Playing for Summitt proved quite an experience last season as the coach reached the NCAA all-time basketball win record. Summitt finished the season with 882 career victories, breaking Dean Smith’s record of 879 career Division I victories with the North Carolina men.
“That was fun,” Hornbuckle said. “After the game, they announced the court was named for her and she was caught completely by surprise.”
Tennessee reached the NCAA Women’s Final Four before bowing out to Michigan State.
“It was great [making it to the Final Four],” said Hornbuckle. “But the atmosphere wasn’t much different from our regular-season games [at Tennessee], though. It was fun.’’
Never timid with her skills, Hornbuckle admitted that her confidence level is still growing.
“It’s an honor to play here,” she said. “It’s a whole new level of confidence. It adds a whole new swagger to your game.”
With former high school teammate Renee Montgomery heading to UConn this year, the possibility of matching two former West Virginia players of the year is an intriguing one.
“I can’t wait,” said Hornbuckle. “We still try to stay in touch. We haven’t played against each other since eighth grade when I was at Dunbar and she was at Hayes.”
The results?
“We won twice,” Hornbuckle said.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Gunter true pioneer for women's basketball
Eight of Louisiana's all-time sports greats will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame today at a 6 p.m. banquet at Northwestern State University's Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches.
This year's inductees include jockey Randy Romero, baseball standout Albert Belle, basketball's Sue Gunter, Rudy Macklin and Janice Lawrence, and footballers Hoyle Granger, Mark Duper and Tom Hinton.
This year's eight inductees bring to 237 the number of state athletes, coaches and administrators awarded the state's highest athletic honor.
Tickets for the induction banquet are $25 and are available by calling the Hall of Fame office at (318) 357-6467.
Sue Gunter was women's basketball before there was women's basketball.
Before national television contracts, 64-team NCAA Tournament brackets, sellout crowds at the Women's Final Four, Gunter was a player. A player on the ground floor of women's basketball as an All-American guard for Nashville Business College, then a successful coach at Stephen F. Austin and LSU along with forays into the international game.
"Sue laid the foundation," said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman, who arrived as the Tigers' baseball coach a year after Gunter showed up in 1982-83. "Jody Conradt, Pat Summitt, Leon Barmore and others all say, 'I learned a lot from Sue Gunter.' There weren't many mentors, but she was one of them."
Gunter started playing basketball when the women's game was only played on half the court and its appeal didn't extend far beyond the gym door. But someone had to start.
From the beginning, from before the beginning, Gunter was there.
"She was an administrator," said current LSU women's coach Pokey Chatman, an All-American point guard for Gunter in 1991 and her assistant until becoming her successor last year. "She probably taught a class. She drove the bus. She coached the team.
"I remember she told me when she became head coach at Stephen F. Austin she was making $6,500 a year and she thought she'd hit the lottery."
The beginning of Gunter's career is lost in the mists of the stone age of women's basketball. She started at Middle Tennessee in the mid-1960s, leading the Blue Raiders to a pair of undefeated seasons.
She then moved on to Stephen F. Austin, in the piney woods of eastern Texas. Gunter coached four sports at SFA — women's basketball, softball, tennis and track. It was with the women's basketball program that Gunter made her name — and established SFA's identity among the nation's trendsetters in the sport as Gunter guided the Ladyjacks to a 266-87 record in 12 seasons.
In 1976, Gunter was an assistant coach on the first U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. One of her players was Pat Head Summitt. Together, they helped Team USA capture a silver medal.
"When I started being coached by her I had just taken the job at Tennessee when I was 22," said Summitt, the winningest coach in college basketball history with a record of 882-172. She was 23 when she began playing for Gunter on the national team and 24 when they went to Montreal for the 1976 Olympics.
"I just enjoyed it," Summitt said. "I had so much fun but I learned a lot from an opportunity to be coached by her as an assistant in Montreal. Then she asked me to be her assistant in 1980."
Gunter was named head coach for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, a team that didn't get to compete because of President Carter's ordered boycott of the Moscow Games after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
"It was difficult for the kids to understand," Gunter said in 2000. "For 90 percent of the athletes, it was their one chance. I just felt I missed my shot."
Summitt succeeded Gunter as Olympic coach in 1984 and led the U.S. to gold in Los Angeles, fielding a team that included 2005 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee Janice Lawrence. By that time, Gunter was already at LSU, resuming her college coaching career after a brief hiatus because of her duties as Olympic coach.
"She had to do a lot in terms of changing from the way she was brought up playing the game to where it is now, where it's more of a contact sport," said LSU senior Seimone Augustus, the consensus national player of the year last season. "Just her being able to evolve with the changes in basketball is something important."
Gunter didn't just evolve with women's basketball, she thrived.
In 22 years at LSU her Lady Tigers recorded 14 20-win seasons and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Final Four in 2004 and the Elite Eight in 1986, 2000 and 2003 along with SEC Tournament championships in 1991 and 2003, and the 1985 WNIT title.
In 2000, Gunter was a member of the second class inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. Gunter attended that induction ceremony, and when LSU played at Tennessee she would bring her Lady Tigers to the hall to learn something about the game — and her. The players, who could scarcely imagine a game before they began playing it, laughed and joked when Gunter would show them photos of her young playing self in her shiny Nashville Business College uniform.
Midway through the 2003-04 season, Gunter stepped aside due to a serious lung ailment that eventually ended her career. Chatman succeeded her as interim coach, leading LSU to its first appearance in the Final Four. Though Chatman was on the bench, Gunter got credit for the season and the Final Four appearance. Her final career record stood at 708-308, including a 442-221 record in 22 seasons at LSU.
This year, Gunter is being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and in August, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., going in with such coaching legends as Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and long-time NBA coach Hubie Brown.
Unfortunately, Gunter won't likely be able to attend either induction ceremony. Like being the Olympic coach in 1980 and putting together the first LSU team to reach the Women's Final Four, Gunter was once again able to get within sight of the promised land but couldn't cross over.
"Life is not always fair," Summitt said, "and it doesn't seem like it's been fair for someone who broke new ground and really worked so hard for this game, only to be denied both opportunities. When she couldn't coach (the 2004 Final Four) in New Orleans, it just broke my heart. But I'm very happy for her now."
This year's inductees include jockey Randy Romero, baseball standout Albert Belle, basketball's Sue Gunter, Rudy Macklin and Janice Lawrence, and footballers Hoyle Granger, Mark Duper and Tom Hinton.
This year's eight inductees bring to 237 the number of state athletes, coaches and administrators awarded the state's highest athletic honor.
Tickets for the induction banquet are $25 and are available by calling the Hall of Fame office at (318) 357-6467.
Sue Gunter was women's basketball before there was women's basketball.
Before national television contracts, 64-team NCAA Tournament brackets, sellout crowds at the Women's Final Four, Gunter was a player. A player on the ground floor of women's basketball as an All-American guard for Nashville Business College, then a successful coach at Stephen F. Austin and LSU along with forays into the international game.
"Sue laid the foundation," said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman, who arrived as the Tigers' baseball coach a year after Gunter showed up in 1982-83. "Jody Conradt, Pat Summitt, Leon Barmore and others all say, 'I learned a lot from Sue Gunter.' There weren't many mentors, but she was one of them."
Gunter started playing basketball when the women's game was only played on half the court and its appeal didn't extend far beyond the gym door. But someone had to start.
From the beginning, from before the beginning, Gunter was there.
"She was an administrator," said current LSU women's coach Pokey Chatman, an All-American point guard for Gunter in 1991 and her assistant until becoming her successor last year. "She probably taught a class. She drove the bus. She coached the team.
"I remember she told me when she became head coach at Stephen F. Austin she was making $6,500 a year and she thought she'd hit the lottery."
The beginning of Gunter's career is lost in the mists of the stone age of women's basketball. She started at Middle Tennessee in the mid-1960s, leading the Blue Raiders to a pair of undefeated seasons.
She then moved on to Stephen F. Austin, in the piney woods of eastern Texas. Gunter coached four sports at SFA — women's basketball, softball, tennis and track. It was with the women's basketball program that Gunter made her name — and established SFA's identity among the nation's trendsetters in the sport as Gunter guided the Ladyjacks to a 266-87 record in 12 seasons.
In 1976, Gunter was an assistant coach on the first U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. One of her players was Pat Head Summitt. Together, they helped Team USA capture a silver medal.
"When I started being coached by her I had just taken the job at Tennessee when I was 22," said Summitt, the winningest coach in college basketball history with a record of 882-172. She was 23 when she began playing for Gunter on the national team and 24 when they went to Montreal for the 1976 Olympics.
"I just enjoyed it," Summitt said. "I had so much fun but I learned a lot from an opportunity to be coached by her as an assistant in Montreal. Then she asked me to be her assistant in 1980."
Gunter was named head coach for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, a team that didn't get to compete because of President Carter's ordered boycott of the Moscow Games after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
"It was difficult for the kids to understand," Gunter said in 2000. "For 90 percent of the athletes, it was their one chance. I just felt I missed my shot."
Summitt succeeded Gunter as Olympic coach in 1984 and led the U.S. to gold in Los Angeles, fielding a team that included 2005 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee Janice Lawrence. By that time, Gunter was already at LSU, resuming her college coaching career after a brief hiatus because of her duties as Olympic coach.
"She had to do a lot in terms of changing from the way she was brought up playing the game to where it is now, where it's more of a contact sport," said LSU senior Seimone Augustus, the consensus national player of the year last season. "Just her being able to evolve with the changes in basketball is something important."
Gunter didn't just evolve with women's basketball, she thrived.
In 22 years at LSU her Lady Tigers recorded 14 20-win seasons and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Final Four in 2004 and the Elite Eight in 1986, 2000 and 2003 along with SEC Tournament championships in 1991 and 2003, and the 1985 WNIT title.
In 2000, Gunter was a member of the second class inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. Gunter attended that induction ceremony, and when LSU played at Tennessee she would bring her Lady Tigers to the hall to learn something about the game — and her. The players, who could scarcely imagine a game before they began playing it, laughed and joked when Gunter would show them photos of her young playing self in her shiny Nashville Business College uniform.
Midway through the 2003-04 season, Gunter stepped aside due to a serious lung ailment that eventually ended her career. Chatman succeeded her as interim coach, leading LSU to its first appearance in the Final Four. Though Chatman was on the bench, Gunter got credit for the season and the Final Four appearance. Her final career record stood at 708-308, including a 442-221 record in 22 seasons at LSU.
This year, Gunter is being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and in August, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., going in with such coaching legends as Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and long-time NBA coach Hubie Brown.
Unfortunately, Gunter won't likely be able to attend either induction ceremony. Like being the Olympic coach in 1980 and putting together the first LSU team to reach the Women's Final Four, Gunter was once again able to get within sight of the promised land but couldn't cross over.
"Life is not always fair," Summitt said, "and it doesn't seem like it's been fair for someone who broke new ground and really worked so hard for this game, only to be denied both opportunities. When she couldn't coach (the 2004 Final Four) in New Orleans, it just broke my heart. But I'm very happy for her now."
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Pursuing degree in game at Summitt
Pam Owens' goal when she graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1989 was to coach college basketball someday.
But as the John Lennon song goes, life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.
Sixteen years and an outstanding high school coaching career later, Owens finally is getting the opportunity she pursued with the drive that defines so much of her character.
Owens, who built a girls basketball power at Taft High School in only eight seasons, resigned Monday to take a job as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.
Her boss will be Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who is synonymous with women's basketball.
Summitt has seen a lot of coaches come and go in 31 seasons with the Lady Vols. But she's getting someone special in Owens, whose passion for basketball, particularly Tennessee basketball, is well known.
"I called her a Pat Summitt stalker because she went to all of her clinics," former coaching rival Tina Camacho said with a chuckle.
Owens, 39, makes no apologies for her unbridled enthusiasm.
"I'm going to go up there and be the best graduate assistant I can be," she said. "If you want to be a college coach, what better place to start than at Tennessee? I've always been a huge Pat Summitt fan. She's just awesome."
Summitt (882-172) passed North Carolina icon Dean Smith this year as college basketball's career leader in coaching victories.
Is it any wonder why Owens has taped every Tennessee game that's been on TV each of the past eight seasons?
If you're a student of the game, as Owens surely is, you want to learn from the master.
"She does things right," Owens said of Summitt. "She has a reputation as a hard, stern coach — and she is when that line is crossed. But off the court, she's a great person to be around."
Although she coached at Taft for less than a decade, Owens undoubtedly left her own mark on San Antonio girls basketball.
The Raiders always reflected their coach. They were fundamentally sound, disciplined, mentally tough and, above all, well prepared.
Owens' professionalism reflected her strong commitment to be a positive influence on the girls she coached.
The Raiders went 226-57 under Owens and advanced to the state tournament three of the past four seasons.
Not bad for someone who didn't think she would be a high school coach.
Owens planned to work as a graduate assistant after earning her degree, but she had to put her college career on hold to care for her maternal grandmother in San Antonio. Owens said the decision was a no-brainer, which reveals a lot about her character.
Owens was raised by Pearl Kempin, and she wasn't about to turn her back on her beloved grandma.
"She was always the major influence on my life," Owens said. "She taught me to work hard and treat people the right way. She told me to just be a good person and good things will happen."
Kempin died in 1997.
Owens joined Don Evans' staff at Judson in 1989, staying with him until becoming girls basketball coach at Bandera in 1995. She led the Bulldogs to the playoffs in her first year and was 38-22 in two seasons.
Owens moved to Taft in 1997 and began laying the foundation for one of the state's most consistent winners.
Evans, who coached Owens at Lee through her junior season, said he wasn't surprised when she went into coaching.
"Pam was always eager to learn about basketball and coaching, and always took every opportunity to do just that," Evans said. "I know that coaching in college has been her longtime dream. She will do well."
Agreed.
Owens has the right temperament to be an excellent college coach. A straight shooter with a down-home touch, she will make a good recruiter.
I will miss her intensity and passion for basketball.
Owens made San Antonio girls basketball better. That is the legacy she leaves.
But as the John Lennon song goes, life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.
Sixteen years and an outstanding high school coaching career later, Owens finally is getting the opportunity she pursued with the drive that defines so much of her character.
Owens, who built a girls basketball power at Taft High School in only eight seasons, resigned Monday to take a job as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.
Her boss will be Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who is synonymous with women's basketball.
Summitt has seen a lot of coaches come and go in 31 seasons with the Lady Vols. But she's getting someone special in Owens, whose passion for basketball, particularly Tennessee basketball, is well known.
"I called her a Pat Summitt stalker because she went to all of her clinics," former coaching rival Tina Camacho said with a chuckle.
Owens, 39, makes no apologies for her unbridled enthusiasm.
"I'm going to go up there and be the best graduate assistant I can be," she said. "If you want to be a college coach, what better place to start than at Tennessee? I've always been a huge Pat Summitt fan. She's just awesome."
Summitt (882-172) passed North Carolina icon Dean Smith this year as college basketball's career leader in coaching victories.
Is it any wonder why Owens has taped every Tennessee game that's been on TV each of the past eight seasons?
If you're a student of the game, as Owens surely is, you want to learn from the master.
"She does things right," Owens said of Summitt. "She has a reputation as a hard, stern coach — and she is when that line is crossed. But off the court, she's a great person to be around."
Although she coached at Taft for less than a decade, Owens undoubtedly left her own mark on San Antonio girls basketball.
The Raiders always reflected their coach. They were fundamentally sound, disciplined, mentally tough and, above all, well prepared.
Owens' professionalism reflected her strong commitment to be a positive influence on the girls she coached.
The Raiders went 226-57 under Owens and advanced to the state tournament three of the past four seasons.
Not bad for someone who didn't think she would be a high school coach.
Owens planned to work as a graduate assistant after earning her degree, but she had to put her college career on hold to care for her maternal grandmother in San Antonio. Owens said the decision was a no-brainer, which reveals a lot about her character.
Owens was raised by Pearl Kempin, and she wasn't about to turn her back on her beloved grandma.
"She was always the major influence on my life," Owens said. "She taught me to work hard and treat people the right way. She told me to just be a good person and good things will happen."
Kempin died in 1997.
Owens joined Don Evans' staff at Judson in 1989, staying with him until becoming girls basketball coach at Bandera in 1995. She led the Bulldogs to the playoffs in her first year and was 38-22 in two seasons.
Owens moved to Taft in 1997 and began laying the foundation for one of the state's most consistent winners.
Evans, who coached Owens at Lee through her junior season, said he wasn't surprised when she went into coaching.
"Pam was always eager to learn about basketball and coaching, and always took every opportunity to do just that," Evans said. "I know that coaching in college has been her longtime dream. She will do well."
Agreed.
Owens has the right temperament to be an excellent college coach. A straight shooter with a down-home touch, she will make a good recruiter.
I will miss her intensity and passion for basketball.
Owens made San Antonio girls basketball better. That is the legacy she leaves.
Butts Moving On
Lady Vols' graduate assistant basketball coach Tasha Butts will not be on the sidelines at Thompson-Boling Arena next season. The Lady Vols' basketball office telling Sports Overtime she will pursue other coaching interests.
Published reports state Pam Owens will fill Butts' spot on UT head coach Pat Summitt's bench. Owens has been a high school coach in San Antonio the past eight seasons.
Butts played for Tennessee from 2000-2004.
Published reports state Pam Owens will fill Butts' spot on UT head coach Pat Summitt's bench. Owens has been a high school coach in San Antonio the past eight seasons.
Butts played for Tennessee from 2000-2004.
Friday, June 03, 2005
UT softball players reach Summitt
Basketball coach cheers team through World Series win
OKLAHOMA CITY - University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt kept her promise, and the Lady Vols softball team delivered a World Series win.
"Throughout the recruiting process, since (co-head coaches) Ralph and Karen Weekly took over the program, I've met with almost all, if not all, the recruits,'' Summitt said. "I made this team a promise that if they got here, I'd be here.''
Summitt flew in from the Southeastern Conference spring meetings in Destin, Fla., on Thursday along with UT women's athletic director Joan Cronan and her husband, Tom, and Lady Vols assistant basketball coach Holly Warlick.
Karen Weekly said Summitt's presence made a difference Thursday - a 1-0 win over Arizona - but perhaps not as much as the talk Summitt delivered to the softball team after Georgia had taken two of three games from UT in April.
"She told our girls how important it was to stick together,'' Weekly said. "Her thing was, you've got to have better huddles and get close.
"You see how our girls interlock arms during the national anthem? That started after their talk with Pat.''
Summitt, who flew back to Destin on Thursday night, said she enjoyed watching the softball program score the breakthrough victory.
"Once you get to this level, you leave that door open forever,'' Summitt said. "You know what's out there and what it takes to go through that door. When we started going to Final Fours, it changed the whole scope of our program, and I think that will happen for the softball program as well.''
Summitt said she was impressed particularly with pitcher Monica Abbott, who recorded a shutout in Thursday's 1-0 victory over Arizona in the opening game of the World Series. Abbott leads the nation with 578 strikeouts and 48 wins.
"She's their (Chamique) Holdsclaw,'' Summitt said, referring to the former UT basketball All-American who led the Lady Vols to three consecutive national championships. "When you have a player who can just dominate she's taken this program to a whole other level. That's what Chamique did for our program.''
UT football coach Phillip Fulmer, who attended the Lady Vols regional championship, phoned Ralph Weekly to congratulate him after the game. Fulmer's daughter, Allison, will attend UT and play for the Lady Vols next season.
OKLAHOMA CITY - University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt kept her promise, and the Lady Vols softball team delivered a World Series win.
"Throughout the recruiting process, since (co-head coaches) Ralph and Karen Weekly took over the program, I've met with almost all, if not all, the recruits,'' Summitt said. "I made this team a promise that if they got here, I'd be here.''
Summitt flew in from the Southeastern Conference spring meetings in Destin, Fla., on Thursday along with UT women's athletic director Joan Cronan and her husband, Tom, and Lady Vols assistant basketball coach Holly Warlick.
Karen Weekly said Summitt's presence made a difference Thursday - a 1-0 win over Arizona - but perhaps not as much as the talk Summitt delivered to the softball team after Georgia had taken two of three games from UT in April.
"She told our girls how important it was to stick together,'' Weekly said. "Her thing was, you've got to have better huddles and get close.
"You see how our girls interlock arms during the national anthem? That started after their talk with Pat.''
Summitt, who flew back to Destin on Thursday night, said she enjoyed watching the softball program score the breakthrough victory.
"Once you get to this level, you leave that door open forever,'' Summitt said. "You know what's out there and what it takes to go through that door. When we started going to Final Fours, it changed the whole scope of our program, and I think that will happen for the softball program as well.''
Summitt said she was impressed particularly with pitcher Monica Abbott, who recorded a shutout in Thursday's 1-0 victory over Arizona in the opening game of the World Series. Abbott leads the nation with 578 strikeouts and 48 wins.
"She's their (Chamique) Holdsclaw,'' Summitt said, referring to the former UT basketball All-American who led the Lady Vols to three consecutive national championships. "When you have a player who can just dominate she's taken this program to a whole other level. That's what Chamique did for our program.''
UT football coach Phillip Fulmer, who attended the Lady Vols regional championship, phoned Ralph Weekly to congratulate him after the game. Fulmer's daughter, Allison, will attend UT and play for the Lady Vols next season.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Summitt to discuss future with Mystics, new owner
Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt said Wednesday that her future with the WNBA's Washington Mystics will depend on her discussions with the team's new owner, Sheila Johnson.
"It seems kind of open-ended,'' said Summitt, who has served as a consultant with the team for the past three years. "We haven't had any type of discussions. Obviously I have to have that.''
Summitt's contract with the Mystics runs through this season.
Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, joined Lincoln Holdings LLC to purchase the Mystics from Abe Pollin's Washington Sports & Entertainment.
"It seems kind of open-ended,'' said Summitt, who has served as a consultant with the team for the past three years. "We haven't had any type of discussions. Obviously I have to have that.''
Summitt's contract with the Mystics runs through this season.
Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, joined Lincoln Holdings LLC to purchase the Mystics from Abe Pollin's Washington Sports & Entertainment.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Today in History - May 24
Five years ago: Isiah Thomas, Bob McAdoo and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt were elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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