Signees major factors

The Tennessee women's basketball program recently added two perimeter players to its 2006-07 recruiting class, but there was a counterpoint to Pat Summitt's decision to ink two junior college players.

At nearly the same time paperwork for Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste was arriving on Summitt's desk, the veteran coach was officially bidding farewell to two current players -- sophomore Sybil Dosty and freshman Lindsey Moss.

So much for the effort to shore up depth in a program that last season sorely needed it in the NCAA Tournament.

While the departure of Moss and Dosty may make Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood's decision to leave the program in December look like the start of a negative trend, it's actually coincidental.

Wiley-Gatewood was unhappy with the program and her role in it. Dosty and Moss simply saw the handwriting on the wall when Summitt decided to break with tradition and use the late signing period to bring junior college players on board.

As a freshman, Moss didn't get much playing time and the addition of Bobbitt and Auguste to a signing class that already includes Heritage point guard Cait McMahan and guard/forward Nicci Moats will make competition fierce for minutes on the perimeter, especially with starters Alexis Hornbuckle and Sidney Spencer returning.

Dosty's playing time was also scant, and the 6-foot-3 center's skills didn't show noticeable improvement this season, so it seems unlikely she would have increased her chances for minutes when Candace Parker is no longer needed on the perimeter next season.

Whether Bobbitt and Auguste will have an immediate impact remains to be seen. Both were junior college All-Americans, but Summitt has not had a JUCO player in the program in 29 years. The assimilation will have to be quick and the learning curve short. Adjustment for some high school players takes longer than these two have in remaining eligibility. So Summitt is taking something of a chance but one that apparently seemed necessary given the improved level of national competition this past season.

Another factor is that it's been nearly a decade since the Lady Vols won an NCAA championship. For a program and a coach who are defined by that measure, the signing of Bobbitt and Auguste indicates Summitt believes breaking with precedent may be necessary to return to that level. A corollary reduction in bench strength was undoubtedly unforeseen.

Bobbitt, the national junior college Player of the Year at point guard, and Auguste, a 5-11 wing who averaged 23 points per game at Central Florida Community College, were supposed to be insurance for Tennessee. With the loss of Dosty and Moss and the predilection to injury of players these days, they now will be major factors in how well the Lady Vols do next season.

Two Lady Vols will transfer

Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt announced Friday that center Sybil Dosty and guard Lindsey Moss will leave the program.

Dosty is a sophomore who played in 35 of 36 games in the 2005-2006 season. She averaged 10.3 minutes, 2.9 points, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Dosty led the Lady Vols in field goal percentage with 61.5 percent.

Moss just finished her freshman season. She spent much of the year nursing a broken nose. Moss played in 28 games averaging 2 points per game.

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said in a statement, "We wish them success in all of their future endeavors."

Neither player has announced where they intend to transfer.

Summitt Has Successful Shoulder Surgery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee coach Pat Summitt had arthroscopic surgery on her right shoulder Monday, school officials said.

The 31-year coaching veteran, who is Division I's winningest coach with a record of 913-177, had the procedure to clean up adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder.

"Coach Summitt had surgery this morning to help regain full range of motion in both of her shoulders," head trainer Jenny Moshak said in a statement. "Dr. (Edwin) Spencer used arthroscopic surgery on the right shoulder only, but relieved adhesive capsulitis on the left shoulder as well."

Summitt will be limited for the next two months during recovery and rehabilitation.

WNBA Draft: Two from UT among top 16 picks

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee seniors Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman were among the 42 players picked in the WNBA draft on Wednesday.

Fluker, a center, was selected by the Charlotte Sting as the 10th pick overall, becoming the 11th Lady Vol to be chosen in the first round.

The San Antonio Silver Stars made Zolman, a guard, the second pick of the second round, 16th overall.
Since the WNBA began play in 1997, 22 Lady Vols have played in the league.

LSU's Seimone Augustus was the first pick overall by the Minnesota Lynx at the draft held in Boston, a day after the women's college national championship game.

"I am totally excited to play for Muggsy (Bogues) at Charlotte. I appreciate the Sting organization thinking that I'm the best post player in my senior class," Fluker said in a statement.

"It is bittersweet that this time in my life has come, but I think it's time to move on. I am so thankful to coach (Pat) Summitt and the University of Tennessee for allowing me the opportunity to play, grow, learn and mature over the past four years."

The Lady Vols ended their season with a loss to North Carolina in the regional final.

Fluker and Zolman went to three Final Fours and won two Southeastern Conference tournament titles.

Zolman leaves Tennessee as the school's best 3-point shooter with records for single-game (7), single-season (103) and career (266).

She also holds the NCAA records in free throw percentage at 91.6 for her career and 95.7 for a single season in 2003-04.

"I'm anxious to start a new phase in my career and go on to the next level. I'm particularly excited about San Antonio because (former Lady Vol) Shyra (Ely) will be there," Zolman said.

"Playing under Pat Summitt and all of our assistant coaches has made me a better player. All Lady Vols are greatly coached. ... I am eagerly anticipating going and starting this new part of my life, and I hope to be an impact player right off the bat."

Zolman looks to make most of her shot at WNBA career

BOSTON -- From rural baskets that baby-sat burgeoning stars like Larry Bird and Steve Alford, to city rims that watched over Oscar Robertson and Glenn Robinson, basketball has long reigned supreme in Indiana.

It's a place where kids really do fire off jump shots at baskets moored on barns until long past dusk on dusty dirt courts, and a place where whole towns still shut down on weekend nights to fill gyms like the one used in "Hoosiers" as the home of the fictional Hickory High School.

Shanna Zolman, a sweet-shooting guard from tiny Syracuse, Ind. (a Hickory-esque town with just more than 3,000 residents), lived the myth, earning Miss Basketball honors in high school before moving on to an illustrious career at the University of Tennessee. Unquestionably, she fits snugly into the stereotype of Hoosiers bred from birth to shoot the ball.

In fact, as Zolman embarks on her professional career after the San Antonio Silver Stars made her the second pick of the second round (16th overall selection) in Wednesday's draft, she fits all of the familiar assumptions a little too well for her own liking.

"The thing that shooters are associated with -- and I remember J.J. Redick saying this as well -- shooters are known for shooting the ball and only shooting the ball," Zolman said after Monday's WNBA predraft camp at Emmanuel College in Boston. "So you don't ever get credit for passing, you don't ever get credit for defensive work at all. It's more like we're out there to shoot the ball and that's it. As much as that is the biggest part of my game, that's not even what I work and concentrate the most on."

Zolman spoke at the end of a grueling day for WNBA hopefuls, as coaches and general managers looked on while players, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and not finishing until nearly 10 p.m., went through a variety of drills and scrimmages. For Zolman, it was a final opportunity to show that's she more than a walking, talking jump shot and is capable of playing a significant role at the next level.

It's something she has been working on since her first days in Knoxville and will have to continue working on as she heads to a team already loaded with guards such as Shannon Johnson, Marie Ferdinand and Dalma Ivanyi.

"Both defense and just ability to play off the dribble better," Zolman said of the areas where her game progressed the most at Tennessee. "Coming in, I was solely a spot-up shooter, and I've just constantly been working on different things on the floor -- trying to create my own shot, trying to create for others and go off the dribble more, as opposed to just solely spotting up from outside."

Of course, had it not been for starting point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood's midseason transfer and a subsequent injury to replacement Alexis Hornbuckle, all of that work might have gone largely unnoticed. But asked to play point guard during the heat of SEC play, Zolman made the most of her opportunity. After a rocky start in a game against Georgia, she provided a steady hand and leadership as the depleted Lady Vols surprised many by winning the SEC tournament.

"I think it helped tremendously, simply because you never would have been able to see the ball-handling skills and leadership skills displayed on that level, if I hadn't been forced into the point guard position," Zolman said of her position switch. "Being a two-guard, you're looking at creating shots for yourself, and also for others. But being at the point guard position, it opens your eyes to see the floor a lot better and pass a lot better. It's getting your team into the offense, leading, and knowing where the ball needs to go in game situations."

Nobody, including Zolman herself, expects she'll earn a living at the next level as a full-time point guard, but she sounded slightly defiant talking about what the experience this season meant to her.

"I think that has helped tremendously," she said. "Whether or not they see that, I feel like I've become more of a complete player."

Of course, there is that jumper that caught everyone's attention in the first place.

Zolman hit a Tennessee career-record 269 3-pointers during her four years in Knoxville, including a school single-season record 103 on 43 percent shooting from behind the arc as a senior. All of the shots were the product of a shooting stroke that could turn her college highlights into an instructional video. And as much credit as Pat Summitt deserves for Zolman's maturation on the court, she came with one skill already well developed.

"My dad," Zolman said, her eyes lighting up, as she talked about the person most responsible for her stroke. "He's always been a coach, and he's always been the one that has helped me out the most, as far as being in the gym. Helping me with the fundamentals of it, and all aspects of the game, but especially my shot.

"And he's never forced me, never forced me to get in the gym and work, never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. But he was always there to help, always there to rebound. He was always there to help improve my shot. He's definitely someone who is solely responsible for the foundation of my shot."

It's a foundation that has Zolman on the verge of a pro career that she has dreamed about for a decade, something no previous group of women's players has ever been able to say. As the WNBA enters its 10th season, players like Zolman are proof that the league is having an impact on young players.

"I follow the opportunity, I guess, if that makes sense," she said about the league that launched when she was just 12 years old. "I don't necessarily watch it a lot, but ever since probably late middle school years, I started thinking about that, because it's an opportunity women have to play professionally beyond your collegiate years and not have to go overseas to do it.

"A lot of us, we have a lot of talent, and being able to get paid for something, like the men are able to do, that you love to do, it's a complete blessing."

Critics will say Zolman is a step too slow on defense, or a shooting guard in a point guard's body at the WNBA level. She's heard it all before, just like so many great shooters before her.

All that matters to her now, after all those hours in the gym with her dad and all those years learning from Summitt, is that someone is giving her a shot.

And nobody knocks down a shot quite like Shanna Zolman.

Alumnus gives $5 million for practice facility

KNOXVILLE — The basketball practice facility at Tennessee that both Bruce Pearl and Pat Summitt have been pushing for is about to become a reality.

A recent $5 million commitment from alumnus Larry F. Pratt means that Tennessee officials anticipate the project being fully funded by the time ground is broken in August.

Tennessee Athletics Director Mike Hamilton has said the project will cost around $15 million.

Pending formal approval by the UT Board of Trustees in June, the new building will be called "Pratt Basketball Practice Pavilion."

Pratt Pavilion will house two full-size gymnasiums, one for each of the men's and women's teams, as well as space for an athletic training room, a weight room and film study room.

Pratt, an Athens native, graduated in 1972 from UT in the college of business. He now lives in McLean, Va., and serves as president and CEO of First Savings Mortgage Corp., the largest private mortgage banker in Washington D.C.

"I have a longtime appreciation for the standard of excellence Pat Summitt has established for Tennessee, and I have confidence that Bruce Pearl is the right coach to lead the men's program to the same level," Pratt said. "We've got to make sure that they have all the tools they need to recruit the best possible student-athletes and develop their skills to a championship level."

Hamilton and other UT officials have visited practice facilities around the country, including those at Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, during the design and planning stages of Pratt Pavilion.

"Larry has been a great friend to Tennessee, and we are grateful that he is stepping forward at an important time to make this facility a reality," Hamilton said. "Pratt Pavilion will make a difference in player development and recruiting as well as give us the opportunity to have more concerts and special events in Thompson-Boling Arena."

UT's Parker named to Kodak team

Candace Parker joined Tennessee's wall of fame Saturday, becoming the 19th Lady Vol to be named to the Kodak All-America team.

Tennessee's redshirt freshman forward already had an appreciation for the honor. It's been a part of her daily routine during women's basketball season.

"Every time I walk into our locker room at the arena, I pass by all of the Kodak All-America posters - players like Holly Warlick, Cindy Brogdon, Bridgette Gordon and the Three Meeks,'' Parker said. "It will be a tremendous honor for me to join such a prestigious group of Lady Vols."

Parker's joined two of the Meeks, Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings, in making the 10-player team as a freshman. The only other rookie honoree this season was Oklahoma center Courtney Paris.

"I think any time a freshman makes the Kodak team, it's very significant,'' UT coach Pat Summitt said. "With all the great players out there, many of them are upperclassmen.

"If you're a freshman and you make it, it doesn't happen that often.''

In a prepared statement, Summitt said that Parker, "has demonstrated this entire season that she may be the best player in the women's collegiate game."

The honor was part of big weekend in Boston for the 6-foot-5 Parker. She was added to the USA senior national team roster and began practicing with the team in preparation for the Opals World Challenge, April 7-12 in Australia.

CP3 Added to Final USA Basketball Women's National TeamSpring Training Roster

Former Lady Vol Kara Lawson also on roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Basketball has added University of Tennessee redshirt freshman Candace Parker (Naperville, Ill.), a member of the gold medal winning 2004 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team, to the roster for the 2006 USA Women's Senior National Team's final spring training session, April 1-12. Parker joins former Lady Vol All-American Kara Lawson on the squad. The training will begin in Boston April 1-4, where the U.S. will prepare for the April 7-12 Opals World Challenge, featuring Australia, China and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), in Cairns and Canberra, Australia.

"I'm glad to be able to add Candace to this training camp roster," said USA head Coach Anne Donovan. "She, along with the other collegiate players, will give a different look to this team for our final training session. It will be really good for me, my staff and the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee to get a look at these young players competing against the top teams we'll face in Australia."

As a member of the 2004 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that rolled to a 5-0 record en route to the gold medal, Parker started all five games and averaged team highs of 16.6 ppg, 4.8 apg and 2.4 bpg, while also posting USA second bests of 8.8 rpg and 3.4 spg in just under 20 minutes of action per contest. Additionally, Parker dunked three times during the tournament.

"Being selected to this team and having the chance to play in Australia is a tremendous honor," said Parker en route to Boston. "USA Basketball has provided me with some great basketball experiences and this is an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

During her first year at Tennessee as a redshirt freshman in 2005-06, Parker aided the Lady Vols to a 31-5 record, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament crown and a spot in the NCAA Elite Eight. She started all 36 games for UT and led the squad in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg), while adding a third best 2.9 apg. She was listed as one of 30 mid-season finalists for the 2006 Naismith Player of the Year Award and one of 18 finalists for the 2006 John R. Wooden Award, was named as the 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year, the 2006 SEC Tournament MVP, 2006 All-SEC first team by conference coaches and All-SEC second team by the Associated Press and was also selected a 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-Region 3 and a Kodak/WBCA All-America finalist. She was also named to the 2006 NCAA Cleveland Regional All-Tournament Team.

"I'm very excited for Candace to have the opportunity to compete with and against some of the very best players in woemn's basketball. This international experience will give her the opportunity to grow and expand her game," said Tennessee Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt.

Parker joins four other collegiate All-Americans, including Louisiana State University's Seimone Augustus (Baton Rouge, La.) and Sylvia Fowles (Miami, Fla.), Ohio State University's Jessica Davenport (Columbus, Ohio) and Rutgers University's (N.J.) Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, Ill.), who will train alongside Olympic gold medalists and WNBA standouts during this final spring training session.

Olympic gold medalists Swin Cash (Detroit Shock), Ruth Riley (Detroit Shock), Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) will provide the veteran leadership for a squad that will feature young WNBA talent in Alana Beard (Washington Mystics), Shameka Christon (New York Liberty), Kristin Haynie (Sacramento Monarchs) and former Lady Vol All-American Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs).

In addition to the 12-member squad that will compete in Australia, three-time Olympic gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) will practice during the team's Boston training camp. Due to prior commitments, she is unable to compete in Australia.

Due to the timing of the 2006 WNBA Draft, Donovan and USA assistant coach Mike Thibault of the Connecticut Sun will arrive in Australia after the team's first game. Because of that, USA assistant coach Dawn Staley of Temple University (Pa.) will act as the team's head coach for the first game in Australia. USA athletes involved in the Final Four and/or the 2005 WNBA Draft will join the squad in Australia.

USA Basketball will announce the final 12-member 2006 USA World Championship Team by the end of June.

The U.S. will gather in Boston for four practices before departing for Australia, beginning with an April 1 training session that gets underway at 10:00 a.m. (all times local) at Harvard University's Malkin Athletic Center. The USA's final three practices will be held at Boston College's Conti Arena and will begin on April 2 at 12:00 p.m., at 10:30 a.m. on April 3, and the final practice in Boston will tip-off at 9:00 a.m. on April 4.

In addition to team training, several players will speak to young athletes at NCAA YES Clinics, participate in a clinic at the NCAA Hoop City, and the U.S. team will host area youths during the April 2 practice, followed by an autograph session.

The Australia-hosted Opals World Challenge tips-off in Cairns with the U.S. opening with China on April 7 and facing Australia on April 8. The tournament then moves to Canberra, where the Americans will play China again on April 10, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) on April 11, and the Opals World Challenge concludes with the second USA-Australia clash on April 12.

USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team

This marks USA Basketball's third of three spring training camps, which will see 2006 USA World Championship Team hopefuls go against top national and professional club teams from around the globe to help determine the 12-member roster for the 2006 USA Women's World Championship Team. The USA has previously posted an overall 6-0 record over top professionals during two training camps in Europe, March 2-9 and March 18-24.

The USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee, chaired by Rene Brown, the WNBA's Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations, selected the athletes for the three spring training camps. The spring training will give the coaching staff and USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee a chance to evaluate a variety of candidates competing for the 12 roster positions on the 2006 USA World Championship Team.

Following the 2006 WNBA season, the USA will regroup in late August for a final training camp before heading to Brazil to defend its World Championship title at the 15th FIBA World Championship, slated to be played Sept. 12-23 in Sao Paulo.

Donovan will be assisted at the 2006 FIBA World Championship by Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibault, and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of Duke University (N.C.) and Dawn Staley of Temple University (Pa.).

2006 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Roster - Opals World Challenge

NAME POS HGT WGT DOB WNBA TEAM COLLEGE HOMETOWN
Seimone Augustus F 6-1 170 04/30/84 n/a Louisiana State Baton Rouge, LA
Alana Beard G 5-11 160 05/14/82 Washington Duke Shreveport, LA
Swin Cash F 6-2 162 09/22/79 Detroit Connecticut McKeesport, PA
Shameka Christon G/F 6-1 170 02/15/82 New York Arkansas Hot Springs, AR
Jessica Davenport C 6-5 191 06/24/85 n/a Ohio State Columbus, OH
Sylvia Fowles C 6-5 200 10/06/85 n/a Louisiana State Miami, FL
Kristin Haynie G 5-8 147 06/17/83 Sacramento Michigan State Mason, MI
Kara Lawson G 5-8 160 02/14/81 Sacramento Tennessee Alexandria, VA
Candace Parker F 6-4 172 04/19/86 n/a Tennessee Naperville, Ill.
Cappie Pondexter G 5-9 160 01/07/83 n/a Rutgers Chicago, IL
Ruth Riley C 6-4 204 08/28/79 Detroit Notre Dame Macy, IN
Katie Smith G 5-11 181 06/04/74 Detroit Ohio State Logan, OH
*Sheryl Swoopes F 6-0 145 03/25/71 Houston Texas Tech Brownfield, TX
Tina Thompson F 6-2 178 02/10/75 Houston Southern Cal Los Angeles, CA
* Due to prior commitments, Swoopes will train with the USA Basketball team in Boston, but will not compete in Australia

Head Coach: Anne Donovan, Seattle Storm
Assistant Coach: Mike Thibault, Connecticut Sun
Assistant Coach: Gail Goestenkors, Duke University (N.C.)
Assistant Coach: Dawn Staley, Temple University (Pa.)

2006 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team's Boston Training & Media Availability Schedule

DATE TIME EVENT SITE
April 1 11:00 a.m. Practice Harvard University - Malkin Athletic Center
April 2 12:00 p.m. Practice Boston College - Conti Forum
April 3 10:30 a.m. Practice Boston College - Conti Forum
April 4 9:00 a.m. Practice Boston College - Conti Forum

Opals World Challenge

Cairns Convention Centre / Cairns, Australia
April 6 TBD Practice
April 7 6:00 p.m. USA vs. China 8:00 p.m. Australia vs. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
April 8 5:00 p.m. China vs. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 7:00 p.m. USA vs. Australia
Australia Institute of Sport Arena / Canberra, Australia
April 10 10:30 a.m. USA vs. China 12:30 p.m. Australia vs. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
April 11 6:00 p.m. USA vs. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 8:00p.m. Australia vs. China
April 12 6:00 p.m. China vs. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 8:00 p.m. USA vs. Australia

NOTE: Schedule subject to change. All times local, times not listed are TBD. Following this weekend's USA daylight-saving time change, Australia will be +14 from EDT.

Tennessee Contingent Travels to Boston for Final Four Events

Possibly six Lady Vols will be involved in various events

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Although the Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team won't be making the trip to Boston for the 2006 Final Four, there will still be an Orange presence in "Beantown."

Seniors Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman will be participating in a number of WNBA events leading up to the 2006 WNBA Draft on Wed., April 5 in Boston. Additionally, Zolman will be participating in the WBCA's Night of Stars" college all-star game on Sat., April 1.

Tennessee rookie Candace Parker may be traveling to Boston as well. Parker is a finalist for the 10-player Kodak/WBCA All-American Team. The press conference for that event is on Sat., April 1.

Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt and former Lady Vol All-Americans and Final Four MVP's Bridgette Gordon and Chamique Holdsclaw will be on hand as well. They are all being honored as the coach and members of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship 25th Anniversary Team.

In February 2006, the NCAA named five players and one coach to the Division I Women's Basketball 25th Anniversary Team. Honored are five players who combined to win 11 national championships during their respective careers and the winningest coach in the history of men's or women's basketball.

The 25th Anniversary Team consists of Bridgette Gordon, who helped lead Tennessee to championships in 1987 and 1989; Chamique Holdsclaw, who led the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers to championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998; Cheryl Miller, who led the University of Southern California to team titles in 1983 and 1984; Diana Taurasi, the University of Connecticut guard who led the Huskies to three consecutive championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004; and Sheryl Swoopes, who led Texas Tech University to the national title in 1993.

Selected as the coach of the team is the legendary Pat Summitt, who has led Tennessee to six national championship titles and 16 Women's Final Four appearances during her illustrious career. Summitt, who owns a 913-177 (.835) overall record, is the all-time leader in every NCAA tournament coaching record with a 92-19 (.830) slate in 111 NCAA contests. She holds every record including titles, appearances, games, wins and winning percentage. She has led Tennessee to 25 consecutive tournament appearances.

An expert panel consisting of administrators, former coaches, representatives from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and members of the media used historical data and results from the online public voting to make its decision based on each individual's achievements during NCAA championship competition.

"The 2006 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will be a special one as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NCAA women's basketball championship," said Sue Donohoe, vice president for NCAA Division I women's basketball. "It will be a time to recognize those who have paved the way for this great game as well as to celebrate those who will lead us into the future."

Here's a closer look at the student-athletes and coach that were named to the NCAA Division I Basketball 25th Anniversary Team:

Bridgette Gordon, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1986-1989)
Mideast Regional Most Outstanding Player (1987)
Women's Final Four All-Tournament Team (1987)
East Regional All-Tournament Team (1988)
East Regional Most Outstanding Player (1989)
Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1989)
NCAA Team Finishes: Women's Final Four - tied 3rd (1986, 1988); Champion (1987, 1989)

Chamique Holdsclaw, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1996-1999)
East Regional All-Tournament Team (1996, 1999)
Women's Final Four All-Tournament Team (1996)
Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player (1997)
Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1997, 1998)
Mideast Regional Most Outstanding Player (1998)
NCAA Team Finishes: Champion (1996, 1997, 1998); Regional Final (1999)

Cheryl Miller, University of Southern California (1983-1986)
West Regional All-Tournament Team (1983, 1984)
Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1983, 1984)
West Regional Most Outstanding Player (1986)
Women's Final Four All-Tournament Team (1986)
NCAA Team Finishes: Champion (1983, 1984); Regional Semifinal (1985), Women's Final Four Runner up (1986)

Diana Taurasi, University of Connecticut (2001-2004)
East Regional Most Outstanding Player (2001, 2003, 2004)
Mideast Regional All-Tournament Team (2002)
Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2003, 2004)
NCAA Team Finishes: Women's Final Four - tied 3rd (2001); Champion (2002, 2003, 2004)

Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech University (1992-1993)
West Regional All-Tournament Team (1992)
West Regional Most Outstanding Player (1993)
Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1993)
NCAA Team Finishes: Regional Semifinal (1992); Champion (1993)

Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee, Coach (1974-present)
Six NCAA Championships (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998)
16 Women's Final Four Appearances (1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
21 Regional Final Appearances
25 Regional Appearances
All-time leader in every NCAA tournament coaching record - titles, appearances, games, wins and winning percentage
First coach to lead team to three straight NCAA titles (1996, 1997, 1998)
Only coach to have appeared in all 25 tournaments

In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which has opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female student-athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THE TENNESSEE LADY VOL CONTINGENT IN BOSTON

Saturday, April 1, 2006

9:45-10:30 a.m. Kodak/ WBCA All-American Team Announcement
Tennessee freshman Candace Parker is a nominee for the All-America Team. Announced in Boston, 10 players will be selected to the team.
Location: Westin Copley Place (Essex Center)

6:30 p.m. WBCA College All-Star Challenge
WNBA stars will serve as Honorary Co-Captains in an exhibition game featuring 20 of the top senior college All-Stars of the year who are not participating in the Women's Final Four. Shanna Zolman will represent the University of Tennessee.
Location: Matthews Arena, Northeastern University

Sunday, April 2, 2006

NCAA Women's National Semifinals Game 2 - Halftime
Presentation of 25th Anniversary Team - including Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and former Lady Vol All-Americans and previous Final Four MVP's Bridgette Gordon and Chamique Holdsclaw.
Location: TD Banknorth Garden

Monday, April 3, 2006

10:15 a.m. 2006 WNBA Pre-Draft Camp
The WNBA Pre-Draft Camp will offer WNBA coaches and general managers an opportunity to evaluate the skills of approximately 40 top prospects from the current collegiate senior class including Tennessee's Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman. The players will participate in on-court sessions scheduled for the morning, afternoon and evening.
Location: Emmanuel College

5 p.m. 25th Anniversary Celebration
Dinner honoring the 25th Anniversary Team - including Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and former Lady Vol All-Americans and previous Final Four MVP's Bridgette Gordon and Chamique Holdsclaw.
Location: Boston Opera House

Wednesday, April 5, 2006

1:00 p.m. 2006 WNBA Draft
For the first time in history, the 2006 WNBA Draft will take place the day following the NCAA Women's Division I Championship game. Top prospects from across the nation will be in attendance for the Draft. Tennessee seniors Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman will be in attendance.
Location: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center

Women's Game Is in Need Of Parity

Not only was it a good thing Tennessee and Connecticut lost in the region finals of the women's NCAA tournament Tuesday night, it was necessary.

Don't get me wrong, Connecticut has had the most successful program in the country the past few years, winning three of the last four NCAA championships. Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt is the single most significant person in the history of women's basketball. And the most important player in the game, very likely, is Candace Parker of Tennessee, as charismatic a young woman as you'll ever meet. Parker is a marketing dream -- if she played tennis, she'd be Maria Sharapova; and if she played golf, she'd be Michelle Wie.

Nonetheless, it's best for women's college basketball that the Final Four be conducted without Tennessee and U-Conn. for the first time since 1999. If this game is going to grow in popularity, it will have to ride without training wheels, which is what the Volunteers and Huskies have been, together or separately, for the past 20 years. Any sport entirely dependent on one or two teams is going to be limited in its mass appeal.

The Final Four, to be played in Boston on Sunday night, isn't going to suffer from a lack of story lines. The first semifinal, Maryland vs. North Carolina, is irresistible. North Carolina may have already avenged its only loss by beating Maryland in the ACC tournament a few weeks ago. But Maryland's overtime victory in Chapel Hill on a three-pointer as time expired gives the matchup just the kind of history that gives a third game a sense of theater.

In the other semifinal, we get to see two of the five best players in women's college basketball, LSU's Seimone Augustus and Duke's Monique Currie. And they'll be leading teams that in recent years have gotten to the Final Four but haven't been able to win. No doubt, Summitt and U-Conn.'s Geno Auriemma are on the Mount Rushmore of women's hoops coaches, but LSU's Pokey Chapman and Duke Coach G (Okay, make me spell Gail Goestenkors; does Duke not hire any coaches named Smith or Jones?) are among the best.

The ratings may decline a bit, but so what? If the goal of women's college basketball is to simply hold onto the audience it has, then the tournament should aspire only to Tennessee vs. Connecticut. But the game ought to be more ambitious than that.

John Wooden and UCLA certainly set the bar for the men's game. But the most popular games ever didn't involve UCLA. It came in 1979, Magic and Michigan State vs. Bird and Indiana State. The second-most watched game is Georgetown vs. Villanova, 1985. Interest grows as the talent spreads.

My friend Kara Lawson played for Summitt at Tennessee and went to three Final Fours. Now she plays for the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA. She's an ESPN analyst for this NCAA tournament. She also works in the studio as an analyst on Sacramento Kings games. Lawson loves her school, but she also loves her sport enough to know it can't grow if every Final Four boils down to U-Conn. and Tennessee.

"I played with the seniors at Tennessee," she said on the phone last night. "Of course, I wanted Tennessee to win. . . . But if you're asking me whether I think it might have been good for the game to have somebody other than Tennessee and U-Conn. . . . yes, I think it is.

"If we're looking for the game to have a wider attraction, you must have other programs be successful and you must have big-time kids play at other programs."

While three ACC schools in the Final Four might be a little too geographically concentrated, the turnaround of the Maryland program certainly helps the tournament.

Lawson points out that six of Maryland's top seven scorers are underclassmen. Two of the Terrapins' best players are freshmen, Marissa Coleman (St. John's) and Kristi Toliver.

Folks who feel this year's men's NCAA tournament is one of the best point to the depth of the field, the No. 12 seeds that appear to be nearly as talented as No. 5 seeds. They point to the upsets in the men's game, like George Mason beating Michigan State, North Carolina and U-Conn.

Lawson grew up in Northern Virginia and stopped the talk of women's basketball for a moment to say: "How great is George Mason? West Springfield is only about 10 minutes from campus. I'm so excited about what Mason is doing. . . . But if you look at the women's game, we've got three number one seeds and a number two in the Final Four. We finally had a number one seed, Ohio State, out early . . . and that's the first time since 1998. The number 12 and number 13 seeds are a lot better. I don't know how often we're going to see a double-digit seed [George Mason is number 11] advance all the way to the Final Four in the women's tournament. . . . For that matter, I don't know how often it's going to happen on the men's side.

"Would having something like that help women's basketball? Probably, yes, because in the consumer's eyes it would legitimize us more. Unpredictability can have that effect."

Great performances, whether they come from Tennessee's Parker dunking twice in a game or Connecticut's Barbara Turner admirably trying to play on cramping legs, need to come from every corner of the country if the women's tournament is going to have a truly national feel and be something more than an invitational, where the same few teams get together year after year to decide the championship. Summitt and Auriemma are the pillars on which women's college basketball has rested for years. It's time for everybody else to do some of the heavy lifting.

At end of first season, Parker already looking at second

Tennessee star expects to assume leadership role

Candace Parker ended her first college season visibly frustrated Tuesday as she committed her seventh and eighth turnovers during the final minute of the Cleveland Regional Championship.

The self-titled woman of a million faces began expressing a few of them as time expired and No. 1 North Carolina, instead of her own Tennessee Lady Volunteers, celebrated its trip to next week's Final Four in Boston.

That scenario didn't exactly portray an NCAA tournament dream come true for Parker, the redshirt freshman recruited by legendary coach Pat Summitt (college basketball's all-time winningest coach) to help win championships.

"I definitely have grown up from this first season," said Parker in the locker room at Quicken Loans Arena, moments after scoring a game-high 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the 75-63 loss. "I'm gonna try to take a lot of the things that (senior teammates Shanna Zolman and Tye'sha Fluker) taught me, because I'm really gonna have to step up into a leadership role next year. I feel like I'm jumping from a freshman to a junior next year."

No wonder Parker's already thinking about next season. As her high school career at Naperville Central proved, four years go by quickly and championships are fewer and farther between than many realize.

Parker did not win the Class AA state title until her junior and senior years at Central, and Tennessee, for example, advanced to the three previous Final Fours without ever winning it all.

If anything's become clear this season, it's that Parker will be the keystone to Tennessee's future success.

"She's a very good talent, I mean, a very tremendous talent," said Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James, who watched the regional finals from a skybox on his home court. "She does a lot for that Lady Volunteers team, and I bet they're happy that she's back from her injury. And I know that they're happy that they have her, that she's on their side."

James, who watched Parker's historical NCAA tournament dunk live on television, said he's been following Parker's career since high school when she defeated several males to win the 2004 McDonald's All-America Games' Powerade Jam Fest. He thinks he knows what makes the 6-foot-4-inch Parker so good.

"I think just her love for the game, her talent," he said. "She's shown all aspects of her game this year, and for years to come I think they've got a bright future."

Summitt feels the same way, going as far as saying her team's "wheels fell off" when "her best go-to player" left Tuesday's game with two fouls early in the first half. That reaction should come as no surprise in lieu of Parker's many accolades, which include Second-Team All-American, Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and Cleveland Region All-Tournament team honors.

"Without Candace on our team, we would miss a lot of points and rebounds," Summitt said. "She's just a great, great player and teammate."

Parker ended the season averaging 17.3 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 blocks, and she averaged even more points, assists and blocks in the four NCAA tournament games.

As long as Parker continues to be an inside-outside threat, especially given her current playing size, teams will always struggle to defend the girl that can also dunk. Parker not only brings energy with her above-the-rim play, but she becomes a scouting enigma because of her ability to play all five positions.

Charlotte Smith, an assistant coach at North Carolina and the second woman ever to dunk in an NCAA game back in 1994, said she likes Parker because she's not a one-dimensional, back-to-the-basket post player like many of today's bigger female players.

"I'm just a firm believer that every player should have the ability to be able to handle the ball and shoot the outside shot, so I just love to see players that are well-rounded and have worked on every aspect of the game," Smith said. "I just think her future's very promising, because she's definitely loaded with talent right now and still somewhat raw."

Parker and the Lady Vols have a long way to go before attempting a return to Cleveland, the site of next year's Final Four. That's for sure. But when and if they do, one can be certain that Parker will be leading the way, a million faces and all.

In the books

Candace Parker's Freshman Season

• Second-Team All-American

• Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year

• Cleveland Region All-Tournament team

• SEC Tournament MVP

• Paradise Jam All-Tournament MVP

• First female to dunk in the NCAA tournament

• One of 18 Wooden Award finalists

• One of 30 Naismith Award finalists

• V Foundation Comeback Player of the Year Nominee

STATISTICS
Season Average (per game)
Points Rebounds Assists Blocks
17.3 8.3 2.9 2.4
NCAA Tournament Average (per game)
Points Rebounds Assists Blocks
22.5 6.3 3.0 3.8

(1) North Carolina 75, (2) Tennessee 63

CLEVELAND -- Ivory Latta flexed her muscles at LeBron James, shook hands with Pat Summitt and helped North Carolina drop mighty Tennessee out of the NCAA tournament.

She's fearless. She's fast. She's feisty.

And, she is Final Four-bound.

The littlest Tar Heel, making every big play down the stretch, put top-seeded North Carolina in its first Final Four since winning the 1994 national championship with a 75-63 win over Tennessee in the Cleveland Regional on Tuesday night.

After complaining that their road to Boston was way too tough, the Tar Heels are packing their bags for another road trip.

"We're the No. 1 team in the nation," said Latta, "and tonight we showed it."

The 5-foot-6 (with heels on, maybe) Latta finished with 20 points, nine assists and four steals in 40 minutes for the Tar Heels (33-1), who will play Maryland in this weekend's Final Four.

The Terrapins were the only team to beat North Carolina, edging the Tar Heels by three points in overtime on Feb. 9.

Latta scored nine of her team's final 11 points, drilling a crucial 3-pointer with 3:27 left and picking up the assist on the other basket as North Carolina finally put away the Lady Vols (31-5).

With the Tar Heels up 64-58 and the 30-second shot clock winding down, Latta stepped back and drilled her 3-pointer from the top of the key.

"Coach told me to get the ball and back it out," Latta said. "They were just standing there. It was a dagger. I'm just glad I made it."

On North Carolina's next trip, Latta drove the lane and threaded a pass to Erlana Larkins for a layup to make it 69-60. After freshman Candace Parker's basket, Latta then made six straight free throws in the final 56.1 seconds and the Tar Heels improved to just 2-12 all-time against Tennessee, which was seeking its 17th trip to the Final Four.

The Lady Vols trailed from the outset, fell behind by 16 points in the first half and got within five before running out of gas.

"You don't win a basketball game in the first half, but you certainly can lose one," said Summitt, Tennessee's Hall of Fame coach. "We just dug too deep of a hole. We were just trying to get back into the game and they just answered everything. A lot of those plays were huge."

Following the game, Latta introduced herself to Summitt.

"Hey, Ivory," Summitt told the ACC's player of the year. "You did a great job."

Moments later, Latta was still reeling from their encounter.

"I just shook her hand and I'm still shaking," she said. "That was pretty cool."

Camille Little added 17 points and La'Tangela Atkinson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who lost to eventual NCAA champion Baylor in a regional final last year.

When the tournament pairings were announced, North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell lamented her team's plight. She didn't like that her top-ranked team had to play its second-round game against Vanderbilt on the Commodores' home floor or being stuck in the same bracket with the second-seeded Lady Vols.

She's all smiles now.

"I knew Tennessee would come at us," she said. "I knew they would make a run, but our kids are tough."

None more than Latta.

With the ball in her hands counting down the final seconds, Latta slapped hands with Atkinson, screamed "Yeah" and pointed toward James, the Cavaliers' superstar who was sitting in a luxury suite. The two first met at high school All-Star game in Cleveland a few years back.

"We flexed at each other," Latta said. "I have the bigger arms. I was so glad he was here."

Parker led the Lady Vols with 20 points and nine rebounds, but had eight turnovers against Carolina's swarming defense. Sidney Spencer added 13 points and Shanna Zolman 11 for Tennessee, which will head home instead of to their fifth Final Four in a row.

"It seemed like every time we came at them they answered," Parker said. "Every time we were almost over the hump they seemed to come back with a run or a steal or a 3. We just needed a better first half and that would have solved everything because in the second half we competed with them."

North Carolina's trapping defense harassed, disrupted and stripped Tennessee of any offensive flow in the first half. At times, the Lady Vols looked confused and Summitt's face turned as orange as her blouse during a heated timeout.

"Yeah, I knew they were rattled," Latta said. "They were yelling at each other. That's how we play, and that's how we're going to keep playing."

Final problems

Candace Parker is a can- do-anything 6-4 red shirt freshman for Tennessee. So multidimensional is she that the Volunteers' roster in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game notes lists her as a F-C-G -- forward-center-guard.

Ivory Latta is -- supposedly -- a 5-6 point guard for North Carolina, the driving force behind the Tar Heels' frantic transition game and trapping defense.

Although completely different, the two women's basketball players are fantastically talented and perfect examples of the size and quickness that are the strong suits of Tennessee and North Carolina.

The question is: Which of the two is harder to defend?

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, the NCAA's all-time winningest coach, thought for a minute and then smiled.

"I think the ideal would be to have two players like that on your team," she said. "Wouldn't that be fun?"

Well, yes. The problem is one plays for Tennessee and one plays for North Carolina. Whichever team solves that tricky matchup likely will win tonight's NCAA Tournament regional final at The Q and advance to the Final Four on Sunday in Boston.

"I think quickness in the open floor is a big, big challenge for us," Summitt said, referring to Latta, who probably will be guarded by 6-4 Nicky Anosike to start the game. "Latta's a tough player to defend because of her explosiveness. She's constantly on the move, does a great job of pushing tempo. We just have to play the best defense that we can.

"We understand that we have to take control of the basketball so that we're not on our heels all the time," Summitt said.

"I like the opportunity for us to set our defense in the half court instead of being in a chase scene all day. . . . I'm not opposed to us running the basketball. We've been pushing the tempo. We're not going to change that. You can run at people or run with them. I'd much prefer to run at them."

Said North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, who probably will start with Camille Little on Parker: "Candace taking that ball inside, she's tough, now, especially if you let her go to the right. . . . Candace Parker is a great player, but she's not the entire Tennessee team. They've got a lot of great players on their team. A lot of what they do goes through her. But they have a lot of talent on that team.

"You've just got to have a good game plan against them, give them some different looks. We've got several players who take pride in their defense. We'll see how the game starts and see as far as different players guarding her and giving her some different looks. Our overall game plan will be for the Tennessee team and not just Candace Parker."

While the coaches were diplomatic, former Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo did not hesitate when asked which matchup she thought would be tougher.

"You can get a 6-5 guy to come into practice and simulate Candace and what she can do," said Lobo, who is working the game for ESPN. "It would be very difficult to get a 5-foot-nothing guy to simulate what Ivory can do. They're both phenomenal players, but I don't know how you'd simulate what Ivory can do."

Latta refused to take the bait and giggled when asked whether she or Parker presented the tougher defensive assignment.

Parker said the game would be bigger than either player.

"I don't think it's for me to judge," she said. "We're both tough matchups, but it's not about Ivory or me. It's about our teams and who has the tougher team matchup. Who's going to have the one-two punch? Who's going to have the third scoring threat? I think that's going to be key.

"Who's going to make stops? Who's going to make runs? That's going to be the key. I don't think it will be in any one player's hands."

Four things I think about ....

1. Tennessee has a number of shot blockers guarding the hoop and will need to protect the paint. In the semifinal vs. Purdue, North Caro lina scored 50 of its 70 points in the paint, thanks to 6-1 Erlana Larkins, 6-2 Camille Little and 6-3 LaToya Pringle. The top priority for Tennessee should be keeping Larkins off the block and off the boards.

2. Guard pressure will be important. The Tar Heels didn't apply enough pressure to exploit Purdue's weaknesses on the perimeter. They have another opportunity with Tennessee, which is searching for ball handlers. On the flip side, Tennessee would be wise to keep Ivory Latta from middle penetration. They could sag off and hope that she has a repeat of her 0-for-4 3-point performance, but that's a gamble. She is a 42 percent shooter from long range and has hit 81 3s this year.

3. If Shanna Zolman can keep up her hot shooting and put up numbers like she did against Rutgers (10-of-14 field goals, five 3s, 29 points), then Tennessee is in business. If her numbers are down, Tennessee must have offensive production from Sidney Spencer.

4. The stars must be stars. Latta and Larkins (UNC) vs. Candace Parker and Zolman (UT). If one of the stars doesn't show up, her team will be heading home to prepare for next season.

Cinderella taking dance lessons

There are no George Masons in women's college basketball. At least not yet.

The men's side of the NCAA Tournament has true Cinderellas such as No. 11 seed and Final Four-bound George Mason, but the women's tournament seems to have perennial favorites in the title games. Tradition-strong programs such as Tennessee or Connecticut or LSU; talented favorites such as Stanford or Baylor or North Carolina.

Parity in women's basketball? It's not there yet.

"I don't know if I'll live to see it," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Monday.

The reason, as Summitt sees it, is simple: "We are still playing catch-up to the men's game in overall talent pool," she said.

North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said she has seen a subtle shift during her 31 years as a coach in a leveling of the talented teams.

"It used to be you had the same four, six, eight teams in the Elite Eight every year," Hatchell said. "Every year, you're getting more teams."

In 2001, No. 5 seed Southwest Missouri State qualified for the Final Four behind the play of Jackie Stiles. While Summitt is not confident she still will be around when an 11th seed in the women's tournament makes its way to the Final Four, she has seen improvement.

"We don't have that yet in the women's game, but when you look at seventh-, eighth-, ninth-graders now, they are a lot better than they were even three years ago," Summitt said.

Friends and foes:

One has "the stare." The other simply says a name.

Summitt and Hatchell, coaches of the two teams in the Cleveland Regional final, have been friends since the two coached together at Tennessee at the start of Summitt's coaching career with the Volunteers. Hatchell was the junior varsity coach at Tennessee while Summitt coached the varsity.

They have gone separate ways but remained friends through it all. Each has been successful in more than 30 years of coaching, and each one has her own way of letting players know when they have made a mistake. Summitt has her legendary icy glare. Hatchell simply says the player's name loudly.

"I act like I don't hear," North Carolina forward Camille Little said.

Little feigned her reaction by looking around blankly.

"What's that noise?" she said.

Though both have different styles and different approaches to the game -- Hatchell is more free-wheeling in letting her players make choices and accept responsibility for outcomes, while Tennessee players universally say they acquiesce to Summitt's experience -- both have been successful. Summitt has six championships, Hatchell has one.

They have stayed such good friends that they try to have reunions such as the one last summer, when all four coaches of that first team reunited for non-basketball talk.

"When you've been at it this long, you make a lot of people mad, but we've managed to stay friends," Summitt said. "Certainly it's important for us to understand friendship is one thing and competition is something else."

The last time:

The only time the North Carolina women's basketball team won the NCAA Tournament, it did so in 1994, one year after the Tar Heels men's team won the tourney.

Maybe it was a one-time occurrence, but one fact to note: North Carolina's men's team won the tournament last year.

Anosike does Vols' dirty work

Credit Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter for scoring 22 points in the Scarlet Knights' 76-69 loss to Nicky Anosike's Tennessee Volunteers. But credit Anosike's quick feet and long arms with forcing Pondexter to take 20 shots, and miss 13, with five turnovers thrown in.

Anosike finished with just seven points, with three assists, two steals and two turnovers. But as coach Pat Summit would say of the New York native, "She's cut out of a very special cloth."

For Anosike, a 6-4 sophomore, the dirty work is her personal challenge. Few can match the offensive arsenal Pondexter brings to a game. But to Anosike, she was the garage that needed to be cleared, the basement that needed to be swept.

"I want to anchor our team on defense," she said. "It's my most favorite thing to do."

On most possessions, Anosike would lock in on the 5-8 Pondexter in the backcourt, then shadow her..

"I love it," Anosike said. "It's harder when you guard a guard. But I just had to make it easy on myself by not letting her catch the ball."

One Anosike post-up stopped a late Rutgers charge. Later, her assist to Parker from the high post had Summit jumping off the bench, clapping and screaming.

"I tell her all the time that what [she's] made out of is something unique to our basketball team," Summitt said. "She likes to be responsible for the dirty work."

UT-North Carolina rematch momentous

CLEVELAND -- The last time Tennessee met North Carolina in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament was a momentous season for the Lady Vols.

No. 1 ranked, unbeaten UT advanced to the 1998 Final Four with a 76-70 victory over the Tar Heels at the Mideast Regional in Nashville. The Lady Vols would go on to complete an unprecedented 39-0 season and win Pat Summitt a sixth national championship, the third in a row by the Chamique Holdsclaw-led team.

In tonight's Cleveland Region title clash, tip at 7:04, Tennessee (31-4) has a chance to do what UNC could not do in 1998, unseat the tournament's top seed and bump the Tar Heels (32-1) from an all-but-conceded national title.

"Physically, they were imposing," Summitt said of coach Sylvia Hatchell's 1998 squad, but could just as well have been speaking of her own 2006 team. "I thought they were the most physical team we'd played all year long.

"Throughout the course of the game, our team finally had to step up and match the intensity and physical play because for at least 30 minutes, (the Tar Heels) had the upper hand. I remember their toughness and I see it in this team. Sylvia brings that out in all these kids."

For that reason, Summitt expects a similar contest in tonight's game that will send one team to Boston and the other home.

Hatchell, who was still recovering Monday from the shock of narrowly avoiding an upset by Purdue on Sunday afternoon, hasn't thought too much about going up against her close friend Summitt or Tennessee, but she knows the Lady Vols' size will be a factor.

"I told our team earlier this season that we would probably end up playing them at some point," Hatchell said. "I just didn't expect it this soon. I thought we'd be playing them in the Final Four, not a regional. They're very big."

Junior guard Ivory Latta, who scored the winning shot against Purdue and suffered a leg cramp that prevented her from celebrating the victory with her teammates, will be Tennessee's primary target defensively.

Summitt compares Latta to former LSU point guard Tameka Johnson but with more scoring punch.

"I think she's more offensive-minded and aggressive," Summitt said of the diminutive UNC point guard. "Tameka was good at getting other people involved and Latta does that too but she also has a scoring mentality."

The Lady Vols hope to slow Latta by putting defensive specialists Nicky Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle on her. Both UT players are bigger than Latta and have been designated stoppers this season. Anosike was primarily responsible for holding Cappie Pondexter in check in the win over Rutgers on Sunday.

"We're going to try to contain her in every way possible," Tennessee senior Shanna Zolman said of the Tar Heels' leading scorer. "Nicky Anosike is our best defender and Lex is also a great defender and they're going to get the brunt of the work in doing that. But it's definitely going to be a team effort trying to defend her off the dribble and to keep her from doing the things she wants to do."

On the North Carolina side, matchups will be problematic as they have been for most of Tennessee's opponents this season, especially in the paint, where the Lady Vols can rotate Candace Parker and substitute Tye'sha Fluker, Anosike and Sybil Dosty. With forward Sidney Spencer at shooting guard and Parker starting at three, it's a physically imposing lineup.

"I don't care who I'm guarding," Latta says. "We just need to go out there and play basketball."

But Hatchell is a bit more focused on the Parker Effect.

"She's a great player. We're going to give her different looks. We may put two or three people on her at one time," she said.

"We've played against some great players this year, like (Monique) Currie at Duke. So we'll give her different looks. Whatever it takes."

Summitt believes Tennessee's edge will have to be in ball control and rebounding, areas that can keep North Carolina from turning the game into a track meet.

"You have to control the defensive boards if you want to win at this stage," Summitt said. "I'm concerned about ball control and being on the boards. That's a way you can control the tempo of a game."

On TV

Tennessee vs. North Carolina

Cleveland Region Championship

7:04 p.m., ESPN

NCAA invited Summitt's best friends

CLEVELAND -- North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell was among a group of three longtime friends who traveled to rendezvous with Pat Summitt last summer at her home in Blount County.

Little did the two coaches know that they'd be meeting again to decide who goes to the Final Four in Boston next weekend.

Having just defeated one of her closest personal friends in Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, Summitt now has to deal with Hatchell and her one-loss Tar Heels.

``Sylvia and I go back 32 years to when we were in grad school at Tennessee and she coached my junior varsity team,'' Summitt said. ``I value her as a dear friend in this profession. When you've been in it this long, you make a lot of people mad.''

Stringer suggested over the weekend that it was almost as though the NCAA was playing a cruel joke by putting three close friends, with teams capable of making the Final Four, in the same region. All three were also nominated for WBCA NCAA Coach of the Year, and Hatchell won it

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COMMON SYMPTOMS: Summitt says she knows North Carolina and Tennessee have played many common opponents this season, including Connecticut, Vanderbilt, Old Dominion and Duke, but when she was looking over the schedules at the common results, she decided that wasn't the best approach to preparing for this game.

``I didn't want to look at that very long because Duke pretty much annihilated us on their court and North Carolina found a way to beat Duke,'' Summitt said. ``So I thought, I'm not going to get caught up in this.

``I just quit looking. I started getting indigestion and decided it wasn't worth it.''

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FEELING BLUE: North Carolina has won only a single game in 13 meetings with Tennessee, but this year's Tar Heels have won 32 games, the second greatest number of victories in school history. Only the 1994 national championship team won more.

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TURTLE FEAR: UNC's only loss this season was an ACC contest with then-No. 6 Maryland, 98-95, in overtime. The Tar Heels defeated the Terps the second-time around, 91-80, when Maryland was ranked even higher, at No. 4.

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REMEMBER WHEN?: Tennessee's task tonight is to upset the No. 1 team in the country and the NCAA Tournament's top seed in order to advance to the Final Four. That is familiar territory for Summitt, who guided her 1997 team, which had 10 losses, past No. 1 Connecticut in the Midwest Regional title game and won the national championship held in Cincinnati that year.

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BEEN HERE TOO: The Lady Vols once found themselves in Cleveland in 2000 because it was the hometown of one of the Meeks -- Semeka Randall, who had more than 300 family members in attendance when Tennessee took on North Carolina State, winning 83-63. Summitt usually plays at least one game in the hometown or state of her starters before they graduate.

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ANOTHER NATIVE: Former Lady Vol Vonda Ward, who took up professional boxing following her career at UT, was also from the Cleveland area, and she attended UT's knockout of Rutgers on Sunday. Ward is 21-1-0 in her boxing career and credits Summitt with instilling the kind of toughness that sees her through training for the sport.

Blockbuster on tap in Cleveland

The two teams that seemed most likely to have prevented the North Carolina-Tennessee showdown gave their best shot Sunday in the Cleveland Regional.

But Rutgers and Purdue fell short -- the Boilermakers painfully so on the Ivory Latta basket that will be replayed again and again -- and it will be the two giants who'll meet Tuesday night (ESPN, 7 ET) for a trip to Boston.

All along, this regional has reminded me of the Midwest in 1996, when No. 1 Louisiana Tech and No. 2 Georgia -- which I thought were the best two teams in the country that season -- had to meet in the Elite Eight.

Louisiana Tech lost one of its key players, Maquisha Walker, to a knee injury during the tournament and ended up falling 90-76 in the regional final. Then Georgia went to the NCAA title game, but nemesis Tennessee got the championship.

Tuesday's UNC-Tennessee matchup ought to be a lot closer than that Georgia-Louisiana Tech final from a decade ago. And history favors Tennessee. Doesn't it always?

In this case, that's for two reasons: Tennessee has been to the Final Four an absurd 16 times, North Carolina once. But also, the Orange Crush is 12-1 against the Tar Heels. North Carolina's only win came in January 1986, 82-68 in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The last time they met was eight years ago. It was a memorable game that was also in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels had a second-half lead, but Tennessee had Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and the edge of being the crowd favorite in the regional in Nashville, Tenn.

Tennessee won 76-70 and went on to take the national championship in a 39-0 season. And until now, that has been it as far as the Tennessee-North Carolina "rivalry." In fact, aside from the two NCAA meetings in the 1990s -- the other time was in the regional semifinals in 1993 -- these two programs haven't met of their own accord since 1988.

North Carolina fans might not like to hear it, but coach Sylvia Hatchell has shied away from having many big battles in the nonconference portion of her schedule. It's exactly the opposite of what Tennessee has done -- coach Pat Summitt plays the hardest schedule in the country every year.

Now, the teams that were 1-2 in the RPI have no choice: They have to take on each other.

All things considered, it seems as if Tennessee couldn't be playing much better at just the right time. North Carolina has to breathe a sigh of relief that it's still in the tournament. But the rule of postseason is always this: It doesn't matter how you win, just that you do win.

How does that translate for Tuesday? Odds are, we're in store for a blockbuster.

Parker, Zolman Lead Vols Past Rutgers

CLEVELAND - Candace Parker showed she can do a lot more than dunk. Parker scored 29 points with six blocks, and Shanna Zolman hit five 3-pointers and added 29 points to lead Tennessee over Rutgers 76-69 Sunday in the semifinals of the Cleveland Regional.

Parker, who last Sunday became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, scored 12 straight points during a critical run by the Lady Vols. The freshman hit jumpers, blocked shots and at times brought the ball up the floor, looking a little bit like NBA star LeBron James in his own building.

Tennessee (31-4) improved to 21-4 in the regional semifinals in its 25th straight appearance. The Lady Vols have not missed the regional finals since 2001.

Tennessee will play Tuesday night against the winner of the other semifinal between North Carolina and Purdue.

In a matchup of two of the three winningest coaches in women's basketball, Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer again couldn't get past her longtime friend Pat Summitt. The Scarlet Knights are 0-5 against the Lady Vols in the NCAA tournament, including a loss last season in the regional final.

As Summitt left the floor, she stopped to kiss her son and her mother, who is in a wheelchair.

"One more mom. One more," said Summitt, who is seeking her seven national title and first since 1998.

Matee Ajavon led Rutgers (27-5) with 24 points and Cappie Pondexter, a Naismith player of the year finalist, scored 22 in her final game.

Zolman, who has made three Final Four appearances and is Tennessee's career leader in 3-pointers, shot 10-for-14 and played all 40 minutes. Parker and Zolman accounted for all but 18 of the Lady Vols' points.

Rutgers' defense, which led the nation by holding teams to 51.1 points per game, disrupted Tennessee early, but the Lady Vols went on a 30-10 run to go up 54-41 with 10:46 remaining.

Rutgers twice got within seven but Parker hit two free throws and added a right-handed scoop in the lane with 1:15 left to seal it.

Parker went 11-of-13 from the foul line, had five rebounds and frustrated the Scarlet Knights inside.

Alexis Hornbuckle added some big hustle plays for the Lady Vols. Hornbuckle, who sustained a concussion in the second round game and was playing with a wrist she broke in February, scored 10 points and had five rebounds.

Rutgers opened up a 23-14 lead with 7:08 left in the first half behind a 15-1 run led by Ajavon. The Lady Vols' offense went nearly six minutes without a field goal.

But Parker and Hornbuckle responded with a 15-4 run to close the half up 29-27. The Scarlet Knights committed 10 first-half turnovers and went more than six minutes without a basket.

Stringer ready to face old friend Summitt again

CLEVELAND — Pat Summitt and Vivian Stringer aren't Thelma and Louise, but they are similar is many ways.

Both are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Both coached in the NCAA Tournament's initial women's Final Four in 1982, Stringer with Cheyney State and Summitt with Tennessee.

They have shared numerous board rooms working with USA Basketball committees.

Today's Sweet 16 game between Tennessee and Rutgers will be the 11th meeting between the two. Summitt has won eight, including four of five in the NCAA Tournament.

Summitt is women basketball's all-time winningest coach with 909. Stringer is third at 750.

Yet when asked directly what she and Summitt have in common, Stringer replied with a smile, "We both like nice clothes."

Only a friend would know that.

But make no mistake. These women are two of the most competitive coaches in the country, and they will challenge, mislead and scream in an effort to beat the other.

Off the floor they are like sisters, living in different parts of the country.

"She's like me. We're extremely competitive," Summitt said before her team's workout at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. "But we're good enough friends so that we've been able to compete knowing that when you do, you know there's a winner and loser. But the friendship goes beyond basketball."

Summitt was on the other end of a telephone conversation in 1995 when Stringer was struggling with the decision on whether to leave Iowa for Rutgers. For most of the three hours, Summitt did most of the listening.

The situation was similar a couple of years earlier when Stringer's husband died of a sudden heart attack.

And when Summitt's father died last year, Stringer responded with not only a phone call, but also sent flowers, a fruit basket and card.

"She reached out at a time that meant a lot to me," Summitt said.

Familiarity does not breed contempt with these two. Just familiarity.

"She can see what I can see just as well," Stringer said. "She can see our strengths and weaknesses, just like I do with her."

They faced each other twice last season, with Rutgers winning at home in the regular season and then losing in the regional finals.

When Stringer took Rutgers to the Final Four in 2000, it was Tennessee that kept the Knights from the national championship game.

Summit also knocked Stringer out of the NCAA Tournament when she was at Iowa.

Still, there is never enough time for coaches to break down their opponents, especially this time of year.

Asked if she and her friend might do a little shopping downtown on Saturday, Stringer didn't skip a beat, saying, "I am so single-minded and focused right now that I will probably just take time out to go to the restroom. I'm serious. I have to remind myself to eat. I'm just like that. And I know Pat is too in that respect.

"It might take me six hours to break down every frame of tape. I want to know the whys of everything. I really do. I'm a great competitor."

Stringer, Summitt, sort of a sibling rivalry.

"I admire what she does and what she represents," Stringer said. "If outstanding athletes need to be great friends, I think outstanding coaches need to be great friends. Why wouldn't we? We all understand the same thing."