KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Candace Parker opened the season by giving the home crowd something new to cheer about.
Parker dunked for the third time in her career during the fifth-ranked Lady Vols' 102-72 victory Sunday over Chattanooga, and the first time in Thompson-Boling Arena. She is the fourth woman to dunk in a college game.
With Tennessee leading Chattanooga 75-43 in the second half, the preseason All-American stole the ball from Brooke Hand near the sideline. Parker dribbled to the other end of the court and slammed it in with her right hand with 16:01 remaining.
"I know that Thompson-Boling has never seen a dunk here at home, so it's great the support we had, and the fans and their excitement and enthusiasm really helped us out tonight," she said.
Parker dunked twice against Army last season in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Her dunk is the fifth in Lady Vols history.
"I just kind of wanted to come out today and just set the tone. I think we did that both from a defensive end and an offensive end. Hopefully this puts a stamp on it," Parker said.
The Lady Mocs (1-1) were in the game early, but a big run by Tennessee in the first half put the game out of reach. The Lady Vols were hot offensively, shooting 33-of-57 from the field.
Tennessee fans were focusing on the Lady Vols debuting four new players, including junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt at point guard, when Parker stunned the crowd with the slam.
Parker joins former Tennessee player Michelle Snow, North Carolina's Charlotte Smith and West Virginia's Georgeann Wells as women to dunk in a college game. Snow dunked three times, but never in Thompson-Boling Arena.
"It was probably a good thing to get that over with. I know she wanted to dunk at home for the Lady Vol fans. I'm sure that's the reason she took advantage of the opportunity," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
Said Chattanooga coach Wes Moore: "More power to her. It's good for the game, and obviously she's a special player."
Alexis Hornbuckle led the Lady Vols with 19 points, and Parker added 15. Another juco transfer, Alberta Auguste, added 13, Bobbitt had 12, Dominique Redding 11 and Sidney Spencer 10.
Hand scored 20 for Chattanooga, going 6-of-13 from beyond the 3-point line. The Lady Mocs were 13-of-31 in 3-point shooting.
"I thought our team played hard from the defensive end and really generated a lot of opportunities on the offensive end. I thought they played well together. I liked the overall energy," Summitt said. "Just a great way for us to get started."
The Lady Mocs cut it to 25-19 with 10:55 remaining before halftime. But Parker rebounded her own miss and started a three-point play, and the Lady Vols were off on a 22-2 run. Chattanooga went scoreless for nearly 4 minutes during the run.
Bobbitt had a layup that capped the run and put Tennessee ahead 47-21 with 5:25 remaining before halftime.
Chattanooga had four turnovers in the first minute of the second half, and Tennessee increased its lead to 65-31.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Candace Parker has third career dunk
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Candace Parker dunked for the third time in her career on Sunday, and finally Lady Vols fans got to see it at home.
Parker made history in last year's NCAA tournament by dunking twice against Army in the first round. Parker is the fourth woman to dunk in a college game.
Parker got her slam Sunday against Chattanooga in the Lady Vols' season opener.
In the second half with Tennessee leading 75-43, Parker stole the ball from Chattanooga's Brooke Hand. Parker dribbled to the other end of the court and slammed it in with her right hand.
The fans seemed stunned at first and then cheered. Parker pounded her chest and pointed to the crowd.
Parker is the second Lady Vol to dunk but is the first to dunk in Thompson-Boling Arena. Former Lady Vol Michelle Snow dunked three times, in 2000, 2001 and 2002, but all were on the road.
The other female collegiate dunkers were Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (twice in 1984).
Parker made history in last year's NCAA tournament by dunking twice against Army in the first round. Parker is the fourth woman to dunk in a college game.
Parker got her slam Sunday against Chattanooga in the Lady Vols' season opener.
In the second half with Tennessee leading 75-43, Parker stole the ball from Chattanooga's Brooke Hand. Parker dribbled to the other end of the court and slammed it in with her right hand.
The fans seemed stunned at first and then cheered. Parker pounded her chest and pointed to the crowd.
Parker is the second Lady Vol to dunk but is the first to dunk in Thompson-Boling Arena. Former Lady Vol Michelle Snow dunked three times, in 2000, 2001 and 2002, but all were on the road.
The other female collegiate dunkers were Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (twice in 1984).
Gameday Data: Lady Vols Vs. Lady Mocs Sunday
The #5/5-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols open the 2006-07 season facing system sister school Chattanooga in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Lady Vols won their two preseason exhibition contests defeating Carson-Newman by a whopping 104-49 margin and the Houston Jaguars by 101-51 score.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 913-177 overall record... Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2005-06 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite...Finished with a 31-5 overall record and were the SEC Tournament Champions...
This season, UT returned six letterwinners, welcomed a senior manager turned player, two junior college transfers and a pair of rookies...The 2006-07 season will mark the Lady Vol debut for former senior manager #10 Elizabeth Curry, JC transfers #00 Shannon Bobbitt and #33 Alberta Auguste...True freshman, #2 Cait McMahan, a 5-4 guard from Maryville, Tenn., and #34 Nicci Moats, a 6-2 forward from Daleville, Va., will also see their first action in the Orange and White this season as well...
THE 4-1-1 ON THE LADY MOCS
The Chattanooga Lady Mocs opened their season on Friday with a 80-56 win over Austin Peay at the McKenzie Arena on the UTC campus. They were led in scoring by 6-1 junior forward Alex Anderson who tossed in 23 points.. The Lady Mocs were picked to finish second in the 2007 Southern Conference behind UNC Greensboro by a slim 74-73 margin. Chattanooga won its only preseason exhibition game with a 71-51 victory over nearby Lee University on Nov. 6. Last season, Chattanooga was 27-4 overall and SoCon Champions. The Lady Mocs advanced to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round to Kentucky, 69-59.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The #23/23 UCLA Bruins will visit Knoxville and face the Lady Vols on Thursday in a 7 p.m. meeting on CSS. It has been eight years (12-21-98, UT 100-77) since the last Bruin visit to Rocky Top. UCLA also opens the season today and faces UC-Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. Last season, the Bruins were 21-11 overall and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Purdue.
OPENING DAY RECORD
Over the last 32 years on opening day, the Lady Vols have won 29 times and lost just three contests. Coach Pat Summitt lost her very first game as a college head coach -- a heartbreaking one-point decision at home to Mercer, 84-83, on Dec. 7, 1974. The next time UT lost an opening game was in Knoxville on Nov. 21, 1981, to Stephen F. Austin, 80-74. Most recently, UT fell in their first contest of the 1999-2000 campaign dropping a 69-64 decision to Louisiana Tech in Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 14, 1999. Until the loss to the Lady Techsters, the Lady Vols had won 18 consecutive season openers.
FIRST ACTION FOR "CAITY-MAC"
Lady Vol rookie point guard Cait McMahan will be seeing her first career action in an Orange and White uniform against Chattanooga. The 5-4 point guard, McMahan missed the first two exhibition games of the season. The feisty freshman had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee on Oct. 20, 2006 by Dr. Greg Mathien, UT team orthopaedist. She was cleared to return to the practice floor on Nov. 6.
FIVE LADY VOL GAMES TO BE VIDEO STREAMED
The 2006-07 University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team already has a record 21 regular season games scheduled for television and now five home games have been added for video streaming on utladyvols.com. Beginning today, Tennessee fans will have the opportunity to watch Lady Vol games versus Chattanooga (Sun., Nov. 12), Stanford (Fri., Nov. 24), UT-Martin (Tues., Dec. 5), George Washington (Thurs., Dec. 7) and West Virginia (Wed., Dec. 20) via the internet. Listeners will be able to hear Mickey Dearstone's radio play-by-play while watching the live action from Thompson-Boling Arena. The Yahoo! Sports University of Tennessee School Pass costs $4.95 per month and features: UT football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and "Vol Calls" radio broadcasts as well as the Pat Summitt TV Show, the Phillip Fulmer TV Show and the Bruce Pearl TV Show during the season. An additional option is the College Pass subscription, which includes broadcasts for more than 100+ schools, and costs $9.95 per month.
MTSU TIP-OFF CHANGED
Tip-off time has changed for Tennessee's game versus Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26. To accommodate television, the tip-off has moved to 4:00 p.m.
All-Time Series Meetings
UT leads 20-6
DATE SITE W/L SCORE
Feb. 8, 1924 H W 19-4
Feb. 17, 1925 A W 39-16
Jan. 9, 1926 H W 45-8
Feb. 11, 1926 A W 45-15
Feb. 4, 1971 A L 52-60
Feb. 26, 1971 H L 47-53
Mar. 5, 1971 N3 L 22-46
Feb. 8, 1972 A W 58-48
Feb. 26, 1972 H L 49-50
Feb. 26, 1972 H W 56-53
Mar. 3, 1972 H L 52-56
Jan. 26, 1973 H L 55-58
Feb. 24, 1973 N4 W 55-51
Jan. 25, 1975 N4 W 77-73
Feb. 22, 1975 H W 90-78
Feb. 28, 1975 N12 W 112-88
Jan. 31, 1976 H W 96-62
Feb. 28, 1976 A W 67-66
Jan. 18, 1980 A W 73-53
Feb. 29, 1980 N10 W 71-63
Dec. 4, 1980 H W 90-56
Dec. 5, 1984 H W 78-54
Nov. 16, 2001 A W 97-57
Nov. 23, 2003 H W 83-52
Nov. 19, 2004 A W 68-34
Nov. 21, 2005 H W 92-50
THE SERIES
This marks the 27th meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1924 season. The Lady Vols dominated the series in the 1920s rolling up a 4-0 record. Chattanooga enjoyed its six-win success over UT in the early 1970 pre-Pat Head (Summitt) Era. Summitt's Lady Vols have won the last 14 consecutive games over the Lady Mocs.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-UTC game during the Summitt Era is 84.1 (1094 points) for UT and 60.4 (786 points) for UTC.
VERSUS THE SoCon
Tennessee has fashioned a 37-20 record all-time against six schools in the Southern Conference. UT is 3-5 vs. Appalachian St., 1-0 vs. the College of Charleston, 4-0 vs. Furman, 0-2 vs. UNC Greensboro, 20-6 vs. Chattanooga and 9-7 vs. Western Carolina.
FROM THE VOLUNTEER STATE
The Tennessee Lady Vols feature one player on the roster from the Volunteer State - sophomore Alex Fuller (Shelbyville). UTC has five players from the state of Tennessee: Courtney Atkinson (Chattanooga), Ashley Huff (New Market), Laura Hall (Oliver Springs), Kristen Spann (Lawrenceburg), and Erin Ogan (Knoxville).
WES IS AMONG BEST
UTC coach Wes Moore is the fifth winningest coach in the NCAA by percentage among active coaches. He trails Tennessee's Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma (UConn), Gail Goestenkors (Duke), and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford).
CHATTANOOGA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the Chattanooga basketball team tipped things off Friday night with an 80-56 victory over Austin Peay in the season opener for both teams. The Lady Mocs shot 47 percent on the night and were 7-of-25 from the 3-point line. With just three athletes who surpass the 6-foot plateau, UTC managed five blocks against the Lady Govs. Junior Alex Anderson led all scorers with 23 points. Chattanooga was 14-of-33 in the first half led by Anderson's 12 point performance. Brooke Hand scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half including a pair of 3-pointers. Freshman Tagan Hatchett, making her first collegiate start, pushed the Lady Moc lead to nine with a 3-pointer to help spur an 11-1 run to close the first period with a 38-22 lead. In the second half, UTC freshman Shanara Hollinquest tallied 12 of her 13 scores. She pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had one block. Kristen Spann scored a career-high 10 points for Chattanooga making 4-of-6 attempts including two 3-pointers. UTC out-rebounded APSU, 44-36, and offered 18 helpers on the night. Sophomore Lady Moc Erin Ogan hails from Knoxville, Tenn., where she attended Powell High School.
LADY VOLS VS. LADY MOCS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE
06-07 Exhib stats CHATTANOOGA
06-07 Season stats
OVERALL RECORD 2-0 1-0
SCORING 102.5 80.0
SCORING DEFENSE 50.0 56.0
POINT MARGIN +52.5 +24.0
REBOUNDS 46.0 44.0
OPP. REBOUNDS 33.5 36.0
REBOUND MARGIN +12.5 + 8.0
FG% .497 .470
OPPONENT FG% .371 .345
THREE POINT FG% .355 .280
OPPONENT 3FG% .296 .348
FT% .702 .579
OPPONENT FT% .541 .571
ASSISTS 23.5 18.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 4.5 5.0
STEALS AVERAGE 22.0 8.0
TURNOVER AVERAGE 15.0 12.0
OUR LAST MEETING
Shanna Zolman scored 20 points and second-ranked Tennessee beat Chattanooga 92-50 on Nov. 21, 2005. Rookie Candace Parker added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Vols (2-0), who beat Stetson 83-33 in their opener just 24-hours earlier. UT was playing in back-to-back contests prior to traveling to the three-day Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Nov. 24-26. The Lady Mocs (1-2) gave Tennessee a little bit more of a challenge than the Stetson Hatters, just a day earlier. The teams were even in the opening minutes until the Lady Vols broke a tie and went ahead on a 10-0 run that included two 3-pointers by Zolman. Tennessee pushed its lead to 12 and then put the game away with a 17-2 run to go up 42-17 with three minutes left before halftime. The Lady Vols opened the second half with a 14-2 run to stretch the lead to 35. The win was Tennessee's 14th straight over its sister school in the university system about 100 miles south. Chattanooga was led by Katasha Brown 11 points, and Alex Anderson and Tiffani Roberson each had 10 points. Sybil Dosty added 11 rebounds for the Lady Vols. Zolman shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt used all 11 players in various combinations, and everyone scored at least four points apiece. Rookie phenom Parker had chances to dunk several times but chose to finger roll the ball into the bucket. Parker appeared to hurt her knee in the first half when she was fouled and fell, but she was on the bench for only a short time.
EXHIBIONISTS I TELL YOU
In two 2006-07 preseason exhibition tilts against Carson-Newman and the Houston Jaguars, the Lady Vols averaged 102.5 ppg while giving up 50.0 ppg. UT connected on 49.7 percent from the field and cashed in on 70.2 percent from the line. Tennessee's defense forced 35.5 turnovers per game and came away with 22.0 steals per outing.
SIX IN DOUBLE-FIGS
Another interesting stat from the exhibition contests found six Lady Vols registering double-digits. Leader of the pack was sophomore forward Alex Fuller who tossed in 15.5 ppg while also grabbing a team leading 11.5 rpg. Fuller was followed in the scoring parade by senior Dominique Redding (15.0 ppg), sophomore Candace Parker (15.0 ppg), junior Alexis Hornbuckle (15.0 ppg), junior Nicky Anosike (12.5 ppg) and senior Sidney Spencer (11.5 ppg). Junior College transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta "Bird" Auguste were impressive in their Lady Vol debut. Bobbitt started at point guard and averaged 9.5 ppg, 6.0 apg and 3.5 spg. Auguste averaged 7.5 ppg, grabbed 5.5 rpg and handed out 4.0 apg.
62 INCHES OF DYNAMITE
Lady Vol junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt is listed at 5'2" and is the shortest player on the roster since Diane Brady donned uniform number 20 for Tennessee during the 1973-75 seasons.
FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON: STATE LOVE & PAC-10 EAST
In the first month of the 2006-07 season, the Lady Vols will face eight foes. Three teams hail from the state of Tennessee as the Lady Vols will face Chattanooga (Nov. 12), Middle Tennessee (Nov. 26) and Coach Pat Summitt's alma mater, UT-Martin (Dec. 5). UT will seem like a member of the PAC-10, eastern division, as the Lady Vols face three ranked PAC-10 schools in consecutive games: #23 UCLA (Nov. 16), at #13/12 Arizona State (Nov. 19) and #4 Stanford (Nov. 24). Trips to long-standing rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season.
FIVE MINUTES WITH SID
Senior Sidney Spencer spent five minutes sharing some answers to these questions:
What does the Tennessee Tradition mean to you? A legacy I must uphold - competition, desire, passion, intensity
Most memorable experience at UT? There are two - one is the SEC Championship win over LSU in 2006, and the other is when Shanna Zolman wore my #1 jersey for the first time after I was injured for the season.
If you could be head coach of this team for a day, what would you do? Play scrabble.
What do you want to do when you grow up? I would like to be a women's basketball coach at a major Division I school, and also a missionary.
If you could play any other sport at UT, which would it be? Football...linebacker.
PARKER NAMED TO AP A-A
Lady Vols' Candace Parker was named to yet another preseason All-America team earning the nod from the Associated Press on Nov. 9, 2006. Joining Parker (45 votes) on the team was leading vote getter Courtney Paris of Oklahoma (47 votes out of 50). Also named to the team was North Carolina's Ivory Latta (43), Stanford's Candice Wiggins (35) and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (28). Parker, the 2006 SEC rookie of the year, is returning for her second season at Tennessee after winning a bronze medal with the U.S. national team at the world championships in Brazil.
WOODEN AWARD NOMINEES
Tennessee Lady Vols Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle were named to the list of 30 preseason candidates for the 2006-07 John R. Wooden Women's Award. Defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Maryland and No. 2-ranked North Carolina placed three athletes each on the list, while Duke, Rutgers and Tennessee each added two players. The 30 candidates are comprised of the top returning players. The award, which is voted on by sports writers and broadcasters, is entering its fourth year.
PARKER UP FOR THE WADE
Lady Vol basketball star Candace Parker has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year for the 2006-2007 season. The list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are members of an NCAA Division I institution and are selected based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. The national awards committee who selects these candidates is comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators.
In 2006, Parker guided the Lady Vols to a 31-5 record, the SEC Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight during her rookie season. The Naperville, Ill., native led the team in scoring (17.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg) and was named a Kodak/WBCA All-American. Parker became the first female to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game and the only woman to dunk twice in the same contest, when she slammed two home against Army in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2006. She was a first team All-SEC selection, the SEC Freshman of the Year and the conference tournament MVP after hitting the game-winning shot to lift Tennessee past LSU, 63-62.
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA WELCOME TO "THE SUMMITT"
The playing court in the Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus donned a new look for the 2005-06 season. After Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt passed Dean Smith for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 win over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005, UT named the TBA court, "The Summitt." The floor had a complete overhaul with permanent logos of both the Lady Vols and Vols painted directly in front of the scorer's table; the free throw lanes were painted orange with "SEC" reversed out; the giant jump circle/mid-court TENNESSEE was given a new brighter color scheme, and "The Summitt," Coach Summitt's actual signature adorns the sidelines opposite the team benches.
ON OUR WAY TO 300 WINS
Tennessee recorded its 200th win in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Lady Vols defeated the University of Southern California on Nov. 18, 2001, 106-66. UT has now amassed a 265-16 (.943) record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987-88 season 19-years ago. Along the way, the Lady Vols have produced nine flawless home records in 1988-89 (15-0), 1991-92 (14-0), 1992-93 (13-0), 1993-94 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (16-0), 1998-99 (14-0), 2000-01 (15-0) and 2002-03 (16-0). UT also registered an NCAA record 69-game home court-winning streak from Feb. 1, 1991 thru Jan. 2, 1996.
JUST 16 LOSSES
The Tennessee Lady Vols rarely lose at home. In fact, since moving to the Thompson-Boling Arena for the 1987-88 campaign, UT has lost two games in one season just six times. UT lost two games in TBA during the inaugural 1987-88 campaign, 1996-97, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2003-04 and the 2005-06 seasons. The 16 all-time losses at Thompson-Boling Arena have come at the hands of just nine teams: Florida (2006), LSU (2006), Duke (2004), Connecticut (2004, 2002, 2000, 1996), Louisiana Tech (1999, 1989), Georgia (1996, 1991), Texas (2003, 2002, 1987), Stanford (1996) and Auburn (1988).
HOME SWEET HOME -- 400th HOME WIN
The victory over Georgia on Jan. 31, 2005, was the Lady Vols 400th home win since Pat Summitt took over as head coach in 1974. Summitt has won 91.4 percent of all home games in 32 years producing a 418-40 overall record. Home losses (in the Summitt era) include: six in Alumni Gym from 1974-76; 18 in Stokely Athletics Center from 1976-87; and 16 in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987.
216 OF 229 AT HOME
UT has won 216 of their last 229 games in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to 2-1-91. UT's 13 losses during this time have been to Florida, LSU, Duke, Louisiana Tech, UConn (four times), Stanford, Texas (three times) and Georgia (OT).
500 GAMES VERSUS RANKED
Tennessee's game versus #13 Georgia on Feb. 16, 2006 was the Lady Vols' 500th all-time versus a ranked team since the inception of the polls in 1976. UT is an amazing 369-145 (.703) versus ranked teams. Last year, Tennessee was 13-3 versus ranked teams.
LADY VOL STREAKS
The last time the Lady Vols lost at home was against Florida, 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006 -- since then, UT has not played at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 26, 2006 at Kentucky, since then, UT has won three road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against North Carolina, 75-63, in the NCAA Elite 8 game on Mar. 28, 2006 Since then, UT has not played on a neutral court.
LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM?
Florida became the second unranked team in the 2005-06 season to knock off the Lady Vols, when they won 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006. Exactly one month earlier, unranked Kentucky turned the trick with a 66-63 win over #1/3-ranked Tennessee on Jan. 26, 2006 at Rupp Arena. Previously, it had been four years since an unranked team upset the Lady Vols. So before Florida and Kentucky had their way with UT, when was the last time Tennessee lost to an unranked team? That would have been to LSU on Mar. 2, 2002 at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. LSU had been in and out of the Top 25 polls in late January and February. Prior to that, UT's last loss to an unranked team was five years previous (to the day) losing to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament.
100 POINT GAMES
Since 1974, the Lady Vols have gone over the century mark 71 times. This season, UT has eclipsed 100 points in two games - Princeton, 107 and #16/18 Texas, 102. Noteworthy: Tennessee went over 100 points in an NCAA playoff game for the first time ever in 1993-94 with the win over North Carolina A&T, 111-37. The 1987-88 team hit triple digits in seven games leading the NCAA.
IN OVERTIME
The Lady Vols are 24-13 all-time in overtime games. The most OT games in a year was tied in 2003-04 with four as the Lady Vols went 3-1 in overtime losing to Georgia, 68-66, and defeating Auburn, 68-61, DePaul, 96-89, and Stanford, 70-66. It tied the mark set in 1996-97, when the Lady Vols were 3-1 in overtime contests losing to Georgia, 94-93, and defeating Texas, 68-65, Vanderbilt, 92-79 and LSU, 100-99. UT's 22 points in the OT against Florida (2-3-05), was the most ever scored by the Lady Vols in a single overtime. UT's most recent OT affair was a 95-93 loss to Florida on 2-26-06.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 913-177 overall record... Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2005-06 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite...Finished with a 31-5 overall record and were the SEC Tournament Champions...
This season, UT returned six letterwinners, welcomed a senior manager turned player, two junior college transfers and a pair of rookies...The 2006-07 season will mark the Lady Vol debut for former senior manager #10 Elizabeth Curry, JC transfers #00 Shannon Bobbitt and #33 Alberta Auguste...True freshman, #2 Cait McMahan, a 5-4 guard from Maryville, Tenn., and #34 Nicci Moats, a 6-2 forward from Daleville, Va., will also see their first action in the Orange and White this season as well...
THE 4-1-1 ON THE LADY MOCS
The Chattanooga Lady Mocs opened their season on Friday with a 80-56 win over Austin Peay at the McKenzie Arena on the UTC campus. They were led in scoring by 6-1 junior forward Alex Anderson who tossed in 23 points.. The Lady Mocs were picked to finish second in the 2007 Southern Conference behind UNC Greensboro by a slim 74-73 margin. Chattanooga won its only preseason exhibition game with a 71-51 victory over nearby Lee University on Nov. 6. Last season, Chattanooga was 27-4 overall and SoCon Champions. The Lady Mocs advanced to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round to Kentucky, 69-59.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The #23/23 UCLA Bruins will visit Knoxville and face the Lady Vols on Thursday in a 7 p.m. meeting on CSS. It has been eight years (12-21-98, UT 100-77) since the last Bruin visit to Rocky Top. UCLA also opens the season today and faces UC-Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. Last season, the Bruins were 21-11 overall and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Purdue.
OPENING DAY RECORD
Over the last 32 years on opening day, the Lady Vols have won 29 times and lost just three contests. Coach Pat Summitt lost her very first game as a college head coach -- a heartbreaking one-point decision at home to Mercer, 84-83, on Dec. 7, 1974. The next time UT lost an opening game was in Knoxville on Nov. 21, 1981, to Stephen F. Austin, 80-74. Most recently, UT fell in their first contest of the 1999-2000 campaign dropping a 69-64 decision to Louisiana Tech in Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 14, 1999. Until the loss to the Lady Techsters, the Lady Vols had won 18 consecutive season openers.
FIRST ACTION FOR "CAITY-MAC"
Lady Vol rookie point guard Cait McMahan will be seeing her first career action in an Orange and White uniform against Chattanooga. The 5-4 point guard, McMahan missed the first two exhibition games of the season. The feisty freshman had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee on Oct. 20, 2006 by Dr. Greg Mathien, UT team orthopaedist. She was cleared to return to the practice floor on Nov. 6.
FIVE LADY VOL GAMES TO BE VIDEO STREAMED
The 2006-07 University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team already has a record 21 regular season games scheduled for television and now five home games have been added for video streaming on utladyvols.com. Beginning today, Tennessee fans will have the opportunity to watch Lady Vol games versus Chattanooga (Sun., Nov. 12), Stanford (Fri., Nov. 24), UT-Martin (Tues., Dec. 5), George Washington (Thurs., Dec. 7) and West Virginia (Wed., Dec. 20) via the internet. Listeners will be able to hear Mickey Dearstone's radio play-by-play while watching the live action from Thompson-Boling Arena. The Yahoo! Sports University of Tennessee School Pass costs $4.95 per month and features: UT football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and "Vol Calls" radio broadcasts as well as the Pat Summitt TV Show, the Phillip Fulmer TV Show and the Bruce Pearl TV Show during the season. An additional option is the College Pass subscription, which includes broadcasts for more than 100+ schools, and costs $9.95 per month.
MTSU TIP-OFF CHANGED
Tip-off time has changed for Tennessee's game versus Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26. To accommodate television, the tip-off has moved to 4:00 p.m.
All-Time Series Meetings
UT leads 20-6
DATE SITE W/L SCORE
Feb. 8, 1924 H W 19-4
Feb. 17, 1925 A W 39-16
Jan. 9, 1926 H W 45-8
Feb. 11, 1926 A W 45-15
Feb. 4, 1971 A L 52-60
Feb. 26, 1971 H L 47-53
Mar. 5, 1971 N3 L 22-46
Feb. 8, 1972 A W 58-48
Feb. 26, 1972 H L 49-50
Feb. 26, 1972 H W 56-53
Mar. 3, 1972 H L 52-56
Jan. 26, 1973 H L 55-58
Feb. 24, 1973 N4 W 55-51
Jan. 25, 1975 N4 W 77-73
Feb. 22, 1975 H W 90-78
Feb. 28, 1975 N12 W 112-88
Jan. 31, 1976 H W 96-62
Feb. 28, 1976 A W 67-66
Jan. 18, 1980 A W 73-53
Feb. 29, 1980 N10 W 71-63
Dec. 4, 1980 H W 90-56
Dec. 5, 1984 H W 78-54
Nov. 16, 2001 A W 97-57
Nov. 23, 2003 H W 83-52
Nov. 19, 2004 A W 68-34
Nov. 21, 2005 H W 92-50
THE SERIES
This marks the 27th meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1924 season. The Lady Vols dominated the series in the 1920s rolling up a 4-0 record. Chattanooga enjoyed its six-win success over UT in the early 1970 pre-Pat Head (Summitt) Era. Summitt's Lady Vols have won the last 14 consecutive games over the Lady Mocs.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-UTC game during the Summitt Era is 84.1 (1094 points) for UT and 60.4 (786 points) for UTC.
VERSUS THE SoCon
Tennessee has fashioned a 37-20 record all-time against six schools in the Southern Conference. UT is 3-5 vs. Appalachian St., 1-0 vs. the College of Charleston, 4-0 vs. Furman, 0-2 vs. UNC Greensboro, 20-6 vs. Chattanooga and 9-7 vs. Western Carolina.
FROM THE VOLUNTEER STATE
The Tennessee Lady Vols feature one player on the roster from the Volunteer State - sophomore Alex Fuller (Shelbyville). UTC has five players from the state of Tennessee: Courtney Atkinson (Chattanooga), Ashley Huff (New Market), Laura Hall (Oliver Springs), Kristen Spann (Lawrenceburg), and Erin Ogan (Knoxville).
WES IS AMONG BEST
UTC coach Wes Moore is the fifth winningest coach in the NCAA by percentage among active coaches. He trails Tennessee's Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma (UConn), Gail Goestenkors (Duke), and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford).
CHATTANOOGA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the Chattanooga basketball team tipped things off Friday night with an 80-56 victory over Austin Peay in the season opener for both teams. The Lady Mocs shot 47 percent on the night and were 7-of-25 from the 3-point line. With just three athletes who surpass the 6-foot plateau, UTC managed five blocks against the Lady Govs. Junior Alex Anderson led all scorers with 23 points. Chattanooga was 14-of-33 in the first half led by Anderson's 12 point performance. Brooke Hand scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half including a pair of 3-pointers. Freshman Tagan Hatchett, making her first collegiate start, pushed the Lady Moc lead to nine with a 3-pointer to help spur an 11-1 run to close the first period with a 38-22 lead. In the second half, UTC freshman Shanara Hollinquest tallied 12 of her 13 scores. She pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had one block. Kristen Spann scored a career-high 10 points for Chattanooga making 4-of-6 attempts including two 3-pointers. UTC out-rebounded APSU, 44-36, and offered 18 helpers on the night. Sophomore Lady Moc Erin Ogan hails from Knoxville, Tenn., where she attended Powell High School.
LADY VOLS VS. LADY MOCS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE
06-07 Exhib stats CHATTANOOGA
06-07 Season stats
OVERALL RECORD 2-0 1-0
SCORING 102.5 80.0
SCORING DEFENSE 50.0 56.0
POINT MARGIN +52.5 +24.0
REBOUNDS 46.0 44.0
OPP. REBOUNDS 33.5 36.0
REBOUND MARGIN +12.5 + 8.0
FG% .497 .470
OPPONENT FG% .371 .345
THREE POINT FG% .355 .280
OPPONENT 3FG% .296 .348
FT% .702 .579
OPPONENT FT% .541 .571
ASSISTS 23.5 18.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 4.5 5.0
STEALS AVERAGE 22.0 8.0
TURNOVER AVERAGE 15.0 12.0
OUR LAST MEETING
Shanna Zolman scored 20 points and second-ranked Tennessee beat Chattanooga 92-50 on Nov. 21, 2005. Rookie Candace Parker added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Vols (2-0), who beat Stetson 83-33 in their opener just 24-hours earlier. UT was playing in back-to-back contests prior to traveling to the three-day Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Nov. 24-26. The Lady Mocs (1-2) gave Tennessee a little bit more of a challenge than the Stetson Hatters, just a day earlier. The teams were even in the opening minutes until the Lady Vols broke a tie and went ahead on a 10-0 run that included two 3-pointers by Zolman. Tennessee pushed its lead to 12 and then put the game away with a 17-2 run to go up 42-17 with three minutes left before halftime. The Lady Vols opened the second half with a 14-2 run to stretch the lead to 35. The win was Tennessee's 14th straight over its sister school in the university system about 100 miles south. Chattanooga was led by Katasha Brown 11 points, and Alex Anderson and Tiffani Roberson each had 10 points. Sybil Dosty added 11 rebounds for the Lady Vols. Zolman shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt used all 11 players in various combinations, and everyone scored at least four points apiece. Rookie phenom Parker had chances to dunk several times but chose to finger roll the ball into the bucket. Parker appeared to hurt her knee in the first half when she was fouled and fell, but she was on the bench for only a short time.
EXHIBIONISTS I TELL YOU
In two 2006-07 preseason exhibition tilts against Carson-Newman and the Houston Jaguars, the Lady Vols averaged 102.5 ppg while giving up 50.0 ppg. UT connected on 49.7 percent from the field and cashed in on 70.2 percent from the line. Tennessee's defense forced 35.5 turnovers per game and came away with 22.0 steals per outing.
SIX IN DOUBLE-FIGS
Another interesting stat from the exhibition contests found six Lady Vols registering double-digits. Leader of the pack was sophomore forward Alex Fuller who tossed in 15.5 ppg while also grabbing a team leading 11.5 rpg. Fuller was followed in the scoring parade by senior Dominique Redding (15.0 ppg), sophomore Candace Parker (15.0 ppg), junior Alexis Hornbuckle (15.0 ppg), junior Nicky Anosike (12.5 ppg) and senior Sidney Spencer (11.5 ppg). Junior College transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta "Bird" Auguste were impressive in their Lady Vol debut. Bobbitt started at point guard and averaged 9.5 ppg, 6.0 apg and 3.5 spg. Auguste averaged 7.5 ppg, grabbed 5.5 rpg and handed out 4.0 apg.
62 INCHES OF DYNAMITE
Lady Vol junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt is listed at 5'2" and is the shortest player on the roster since Diane Brady donned uniform number 20 for Tennessee during the 1973-75 seasons.
FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON: STATE LOVE & PAC-10 EAST
In the first month of the 2006-07 season, the Lady Vols will face eight foes. Three teams hail from the state of Tennessee as the Lady Vols will face Chattanooga (Nov. 12), Middle Tennessee (Nov. 26) and Coach Pat Summitt's alma mater, UT-Martin (Dec. 5). UT will seem like a member of the PAC-10, eastern division, as the Lady Vols face three ranked PAC-10 schools in consecutive games: #23 UCLA (Nov. 16), at #13/12 Arizona State (Nov. 19) and #4 Stanford (Nov. 24). Trips to long-standing rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season.
FIVE MINUTES WITH SID
Senior Sidney Spencer spent five minutes sharing some answers to these questions:
What does the Tennessee Tradition mean to you? A legacy I must uphold - competition, desire, passion, intensity
Most memorable experience at UT? There are two - one is the SEC Championship win over LSU in 2006, and the other is when Shanna Zolman wore my #1 jersey for the first time after I was injured for the season.
If you could be head coach of this team for a day, what would you do? Play scrabble.
What do you want to do when you grow up? I would like to be a women's basketball coach at a major Division I school, and also a missionary.
If you could play any other sport at UT, which would it be? Football...linebacker.
PARKER NAMED TO AP A-A
Lady Vols' Candace Parker was named to yet another preseason All-America team earning the nod from the Associated Press on Nov. 9, 2006. Joining Parker (45 votes) on the team was leading vote getter Courtney Paris of Oklahoma (47 votes out of 50). Also named to the team was North Carolina's Ivory Latta (43), Stanford's Candice Wiggins (35) and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (28). Parker, the 2006 SEC rookie of the year, is returning for her second season at Tennessee after winning a bronze medal with the U.S. national team at the world championships in Brazil.
WOODEN AWARD NOMINEES
Tennessee Lady Vols Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle were named to the list of 30 preseason candidates for the 2006-07 John R. Wooden Women's Award. Defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Maryland and No. 2-ranked North Carolina placed three athletes each on the list, while Duke, Rutgers and Tennessee each added two players. The 30 candidates are comprised of the top returning players. The award, which is voted on by sports writers and broadcasters, is entering its fourth year.
PARKER UP FOR THE WADE
Lady Vol basketball star Candace Parker has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year for the 2006-2007 season. The list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are members of an NCAA Division I institution and are selected based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. The national awards committee who selects these candidates is comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators.
In 2006, Parker guided the Lady Vols to a 31-5 record, the SEC Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight during her rookie season. The Naperville, Ill., native led the team in scoring (17.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg) and was named a Kodak/WBCA All-American. Parker became the first female to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game and the only woman to dunk twice in the same contest, when she slammed two home against Army in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2006. She was a first team All-SEC selection, the SEC Freshman of the Year and the conference tournament MVP after hitting the game-winning shot to lift Tennessee past LSU, 63-62.
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA WELCOME TO "THE SUMMITT"
The playing court in the Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus donned a new look for the 2005-06 season. After Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt passed Dean Smith for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 win over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005, UT named the TBA court, "The Summitt." The floor had a complete overhaul with permanent logos of both the Lady Vols and Vols painted directly in front of the scorer's table; the free throw lanes were painted orange with "SEC" reversed out; the giant jump circle/mid-court TENNESSEE was given a new brighter color scheme, and "The Summitt," Coach Summitt's actual signature adorns the sidelines opposite the team benches.
ON OUR WAY TO 300 WINS
Tennessee recorded its 200th win in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Lady Vols defeated the University of Southern California on Nov. 18, 2001, 106-66. UT has now amassed a 265-16 (.943) record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987-88 season 19-years ago. Along the way, the Lady Vols have produced nine flawless home records in 1988-89 (15-0), 1991-92 (14-0), 1992-93 (13-0), 1993-94 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (16-0), 1998-99 (14-0), 2000-01 (15-0) and 2002-03 (16-0). UT also registered an NCAA record 69-game home court-winning streak from Feb. 1, 1991 thru Jan. 2, 1996.
JUST 16 LOSSES
The Tennessee Lady Vols rarely lose at home. In fact, since moving to the Thompson-Boling Arena for the 1987-88 campaign, UT has lost two games in one season just six times. UT lost two games in TBA during the inaugural 1987-88 campaign, 1996-97, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2003-04 and the 2005-06 seasons. The 16 all-time losses at Thompson-Boling Arena have come at the hands of just nine teams: Florida (2006), LSU (2006), Duke (2004), Connecticut (2004, 2002, 2000, 1996), Louisiana Tech (1999, 1989), Georgia (1996, 1991), Texas (2003, 2002, 1987), Stanford (1996) and Auburn (1988).
HOME SWEET HOME -- 400th HOME WIN
The victory over Georgia on Jan. 31, 2005, was the Lady Vols 400th home win since Pat Summitt took over as head coach in 1974. Summitt has won 91.4 percent of all home games in 32 years producing a 418-40 overall record. Home losses (in the Summitt era) include: six in Alumni Gym from 1974-76; 18 in Stokely Athletics Center from 1976-87; and 16 in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987.
216 OF 229 AT HOME
UT has won 216 of their last 229 games in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to 2-1-91. UT's 13 losses during this time have been to Florida, LSU, Duke, Louisiana Tech, UConn (four times), Stanford, Texas (three times) and Georgia (OT).
500 GAMES VERSUS RANKED
Tennessee's game versus #13 Georgia on Feb. 16, 2006 was the Lady Vols' 500th all-time versus a ranked team since the inception of the polls in 1976. UT is an amazing 369-145 (.703) versus ranked teams. Last year, Tennessee was 13-3 versus ranked teams.
LADY VOL STREAKS
The last time the Lady Vols lost at home was against Florida, 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006 -- since then, UT has not played at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 26, 2006 at Kentucky, since then, UT has won three road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against North Carolina, 75-63, in the NCAA Elite 8 game on Mar. 28, 2006 Since then, UT has not played on a neutral court.
LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM?
Florida became the second unranked team in the 2005-06 season to knock off the Lady Vols, when they won 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006. Exactly one month earlier, unranked Kentucky turned the trick with a 66-63 win over #1/3-ranked Tennessee on Jan. 26, 2006 at Rupp Arena. Previously, it had been four years since an unranked team upset the Lady Vols. So before Florida and Kentucky had their way with UT, when was the last time Tennessee lost to an unranked team? That would have been to LSU on Mar. 2, 2002 at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. LSU had been in and out of the Top 25 polls in late January and February. Prior to that, UT's last loss to an unranked team was five years previous (to the day) losing to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament.
100 POINT GAMES
Since 1974, the Lady Vols have gone over the century mark 71 times. This season, UT has eclipsed 100 points in two games - Princeton, 107 and #16/18 Texas, 102. Noteworthy: Tennessee went over 100 points in an NCAA playoff game for the first time ever in 1993-94 with the win over North Carolina A&T, 111-37. The 1987-88 team hit triple digits in seven games leading the NCAA.
IN OVERTIME
The Lady Vols are 24-13 all-time in overtime games. The most OT games in a year was tied in 2003-04 with four as the Lady Vols went 3-1 in overtime losing to Georgia, 68-66, and defeating Auburn, 68-61, DePaul, 96-89, and Stanford, 70-66. It tied the mark set in 1996-97, when the Lady Vols were 3-1 in overtime contests losing to Georgia, 94-93, and defeating Texas, 68-65, Vanderbilt, 92-79 and LSU, 100-99. UT's 22 points in the OT against Florida (2-3-05), was the most ever scored by the Lady Vols in a single overtime. UT's most recent OT affair was a 95-93 loss to Florida on 2-26-06.
Parker the best -- and only getting better
In 32 seasons at Tennessee, coach Pat Summitt's program has produced 12 Olympians and 19 Kodak All-Americans.
Yet according to the six-time NCAA champion, the best is yet to come.
"Candace Parker has a chance to be the best to ever play this game," Summitt told ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman in a phone interview earlier this week. "And if she isn't, I'll be very disappointed."
Best ever? Better than Miller? Holdsclaw? Taurasi? Maybe someday. For now, Parker is the best current player in women's college basketball. As we open the new season, she starts as the ESPN.com 2006-07 Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by ESPN's Lieberman and Beth Mowins and ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays and Melanie Jackson.
Parker's arsenal starts with her versatility. Tennessee's roster lists her as a guard, forward and center.
"We used to marvel about Katie Smith's ability to play four positions on the floor," Lieberman said, "but Parker can go all five."
After sitting out what should have been her freshman season in 2004-05 as her knee recuperated, Parker started last season at the power forward position. It wasn't long before she drifted to the 3, and the 6-foot-4 sophomore even filled in at point guard at times when Alexis Hornbuckle was hurt.
But Parker doesn't just have the ability to play every position -- she excels at them. The most multidimensional player in the game, Parker averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals. She also shot 55.2 percent from the field and 72.9 percent at the foul line.
"She can penetrate, post you up, play a face-up game … " said Lieberman, a Hall of Famer. "Candace has the handle to break an opponents' press and can even be effective at the point of your press."
Oh yeah, and Parker can dunk. In Tennessee's first-round rout of Army in March, Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game. She actually did it twice, and the second -- a baseline jam off a give-and-go with Nicky Anosike -- was even more entertaining than the first -- a one-handed breakaway.
Candace Parker is the fifth woman to dunk. She had two on March 19, 2006: the first on a breakaway and the second along the baseline.
"What impresses me is how well Parker handles pressure, seems unfazed by what's happening around her and wants the ball in key situations," Mowins said.
Parker must have felt plenty of pressure in September. She was the only collegian on Team USA's World Championship team (which won bronze in Brazil) and became the youngest player to suit up for the U.S. national team since 1994.
Summitt insists Parker has "improved significantly" since the end of last season, something she attributes to Parker's time with Team USA.
"I would say that the USA Basketball experience was a tremendous one for her," said Summitt, adding that former Lady Vols Tamika Catchings and Michelle Snow took Parker under their wings while in Brazil. "They paid close attention to her as she was making the adjustment of going into the international game and playing with very experienced players.
"That's where she really grew as a player. She's definitely initiating more physical contact in the paint instead of being finesse. She's imposing her will in the paint, and we need that."
The fact she was getting the chance to play alongside some of her idols didn't escape Parker. But she wasn't content. "When I left for training camp, Pat told me to enjoy the experience but to reach my goals. She said, 'Do not back down.' And I think that's one of the things that they respected. I played hard and never backed down," Parker told Lieberman. "I wanted to fit in with everybody, but it was important for me to respect everybody and not just sit around and be in awe of all those players."
Parker, in fact, got plenty of opportunity to impress everyone on the world stage. With Team USA staples Lisa Leslie and Yolanda Griffith sitting out the event, Parker averaged 19.2 minutes at the World Championship. Although she didn't start any of the U.S. women's nine games, Parker finished third in scoring (12.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (8.4). She also set a record for American women at the World Championship with 14 blocks, which surpassed the old mark of 11 set by three-time Olympian Katrina McClain-Johnson in 1990.
"One of most amazing parts of her game was her willingness to learn," Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault, who was an assistant coach for Team USA in Brazil, told Lieberman. "She asked a lot of questions. She talked a lot about the game."
Another area of Parker's game she has focused on since last season is defense. It's a must if you play in Knoxville, but something Summitt thought Parker could improve on.
"Defense is a commitment," said Summitt, who enters this season with an NCAA Division I record (for men's and women's basketball) 913 wins. "She had all the physical tools but not the mental commitment to play it. Now, her defense has picked up and she can defend 94 feet up and down."
Does Parker realize how good she is? That she can make history, not just be part of it in the women's game?
"I know I can have an impact on the game, but I know I still have a lot to prove. One of the most important things I've been told is to play hard all the time, regardless of who we're playing," she said. "I've been very lucky. I've developed life-long friendships through this game, traveled around the world. It's all been because of basketball, and I have a responsibility to do my part now because of the pioneers before me and what they've done."
Of course, helping Tennessee win its first national title since 1998 also probably ranks high on Parker's to-do list. It's something another SEC star, Seimone Augustus (who incidentally was ESPN.com's Preseason Player of the Year the past two seasons), wasn't able to do in three trips to the Final Four with LSU.
Mowins said a championship would help cement Parker's legendary status down the line.
"Parker deserves tremendous praise for her ability and versatility," Mowins said. "Now let's see if she can match Diana Taurasi's ability to elevate the play of her teammates and win national championships."
Who knows exactly what Parker will end up doing, but Summitt has an idea.
"I am going out on a limb saying that she could be the best player to ever play this game," Summitt said. "But I don't feel like that branch will break."
Thibault compared Parker to Kevin Garnett because of her versatility, length and athleticism.
"Parker is changing how we view the game right now," he added. "Even though her outside game is still evolving, she's dominant around the basket. She's an impact player at any level and is revolutionizing women's basketball."
Still, it's not these sorts of predictions or praise that affect Parker most. It's not the accolades or the way fans cheer when she dunks the ball.
"One of the coolest things for me was when I came into the [Tennessee] locker room and there was this little boy wearing my uniform, pretending to dunk," Parker recalled. "He ran up and hugged me, and I thought, 'How cool is that?' I realized that we're not just affecting little girls."
How cool is Parker?
Yet according to the six-time NCAA champion, the best is yet to come.
"Candace Parker has a chance to be the best to ever play this game," Summitt told ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman in a phone interview earlier this week. "And if she isn't, I'll be very disappointed."
Best ever? Better than Miller? Holdsclaw? Taurasi? Maybe someday. For now, Parker is the best current player in women's college basketball. As we open the new season, she starts as the ESPN.com 2006-07 Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by ESPN's Lieberman and Beth Mowins and ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays and Melanie Jackson.
Parker's arsenal starts with her versatility. Tennessee's roster lists her as a guard, forward and center.
"We used to marvel about Katie Smith's ability to play four positions on the floor," Lieberman said, "but Parker can go all five."
After sitting out what should have been her freshman season in 2004-05 as her knee recuperated, Parker started last season at the power forward position. It wasn't long before she drifted to the 3, and the 6-foot-4 sophomore even filled in at point guard at times when Alexis Hornbuckle was hurt.
But Parker doesn't just have the ability to play every position -- she excels at them. The most multidimensional player in the game, Parker averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals. She also shot 55.2 percent from the field and 72.9 percent at the foul line.
"She can penetrate, post you up, play a face-up game … " said Lieberman, a Hall of Famer. "Candace has the handle to break an opponents' press and can even be effective at the point of your press."
Oh yeah, and Parker can dunk. In Tennessee's first-round rout of Army in March, Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game. She actually did it twice, and the second -- a baseline jam off a give-and-go with Nicky Anosike -- was even more entertaining than the first -- a one-handed breakaway.
Candace Parker is the fifth woman to dunk. She had two on March 19, 2006: the first on a breakaway and the second along the baseline.
"What impresses me is how well Parker handles pressure, seems unfazed by what's happening around her and wants the ball in key situations," Mowins said.
Parker must have felt plenty of pressure in September. She was the only collegian on Team USA's World Championship team (which won bronze in Brazil) and became the youngest player to suit up for the U.S. national team since 1994.
Summitt insists Parker has "improved significantly" since the end of last season, something she attributes to Parker's time with Team USA.
"I would say that the USA Basketball experience was a tremendous one for her," said Summitt, adding that former Lady Vols Tamika Catchings and Michelle Snow took Parker under their wings while in Brazil. "They paid close attention to her as she was making the adjustment of going into the international game and playing with very experienced players.
"That's where she really grew as a player. She's definitely initiating more physical contact in the paint instead of being finesse. She's imposing her will in the paint, and we need that."
The fact she was getting the chance to play alongside some of her idols didn't escape Parker. But she wasn't content. "When I left for training camp, Pat told me to enjoy the experience but to reach my goals. She said, 'Do not back down.' And I think that's one of the things that they respected. I played hard and never backed down," Parker told Lieberman. "I wanted to fit in with everybody, but it was important for me to respect everybody and not just sit around and be in awe of all those players."
Parker, in fact, got plenty of opportunity to impress everyone on the world stage. With Team USA staples Lisa Leslie and Yolanda Griffith sitting out the event, Parker averaged 19.2 minutes at the World Championship. Although she didn't start any of the U.S. women's nine games, Parker finished third in scoring (12.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (8.4). She also set a record for American women at the World Championship with 14 blocks, which surpassed the old mark of 11 set by three-time Olympian Katrina McClain-Johnson in 1990.
"One of most amazing parts of her game was her willingness to learn," Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault, who was an assistant coach for Team USA in Brazil, told Lieberman. "She asked a lot of questions. She talked a lot about the game."
Another area of Parker's game she has focused on since last season is defense. It's a must if you play in Knoxville, but something Summitt thought Parker could improve on.
"Defense is a commitment," said Summitt, who enters this season with an NCAA Division I record (for men's and women's basketball) 913 wins. "She had all the physical tools but not the mental commitment to play it. Now, her defense has picked up and she can defend 94 feet up and down."
Does Parker realize how good she is? That she can make history, not just be part of it in the women's game?
"I know I can have an impact on the game, but I know I still have a lot to prove. One of the most important things I've been told is to play hard all the time, regardless of who we're playing," she said. "I've been very lucky. I've developed life-long friendships through this game, traveled around the world. It's all been because of basketball, and I have a responsibility to do my part now because of the pioneers before me and what they've done."
Of course, helping Tennessee win its first national title since 1998 also probably ranks high on Parker's to-do list. It's something another SEC star, Seimone Augustus (who incidentally was ESPN.com's Preseason Player of the Year the past two seasons), wasn't able to do in three trips to the Final Four with LSU.
Mowins said a championship would help cement Parker's legendary status down the line.
"Parker deserves tremendous praise for her ability and versatility," Mowins said. "Now let's see if she can match Diana Taurasi's ability to elevate the play of her teammates and win national championships."
Who knows exactly what Parker will end up doing, but Summitt has an idea.
"I am going out on a limb saying that she could be the best player to ever play this game," Summitt said. "But I don't feel like that branch will break."
Thibault compared Parker to Kevin Garnett because of her versatility, length and athleticism.
"Parker is changing how we view the game right now," he added. "Even though her outside game is still evolving, she's dominant around the basket. She's an impact player at any level and is revolutionizing women's basketball."
Still, it's not these sorts of predictions or praise that affect Parker most. It's not the accolades or the way fans cheer when she dunks the ball.
"One of the coolest things for me was when I came into the [Tennessee] locker room and there was this little boy wearing my uniform, pretending to dunk," Parker recalled. "He ran up and hugged me, and I thought, 'How cool is that?' I realized that we're not just affecting little girls."
How cool is Parker?
Thursday, November 09, 2006
5 Lady Vol Basketball Games To Be Video Streamed
The 2006-07 University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team already has a record 21 regular season games scheduled for television and now five home games have been added for video streaming on utladyvols.com.
Tennessee fans will have the opportunity to watch Lady Vol games versus Chattanooga (Sun., Nov. 12), Stanford (Fri., Nov. 24), UT-Martin (Tues., Dec. 5), George Washington (Thurs., Dec. 7) and West Virginia (Wed., Dec. 20) via the internet. Viewers will be able to hear Mickey Dearstone's radio play-by-play while watching the live action from Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Yahoo! Sports University of Tennessee School Pass costs $4.95 per month and features: UT football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and "Vol Calls" radio broadcasts as well as the Pat Summitt TV Show, the Phillip Fulmer TV Show and the Bruce Pearl TV Show during the season. An additional option is the College Pass subscription, which includes broadcasts for more than 100+ schools, and costs $9.95 per month
Service is available through Yahoo! Sports.
Fans will be able to click on the game, sign-up through utladyvols.com or by going to the link http://media.yahoo.com/ncaa/splash.html
Fans have to create a Yahoo! ID (user name and password) as part of the sign-up process, unless one has already been created.
The minimum technical specs are: Users wishing to view the video stream will need to make sure to meet the minimum technical requirements. PC users should have a 233MHz Pentium II or faster, 64MB of RAM and be running Windows 98 or later with Internet Explorer 5 (or higher) and be sure to have the Windows Media Player 7 or later installed. Mac users should have a 180MHz or faster processor with 64MB of RAM and be running Mac OS X 10 or later with Internet Explorer 5.2 or later running and be sure to have the Windows Media Player for Mac OS X installed. All users should have a 16-bit sound card and a 16-bit high color video card and have at least a 56kbps dialup access, though broadband access is recommended. The Windows Media Player can be downloaded from Microsoft.com.
Tennessee fans will have the opportunity to watch Lady Vol games versus Chattanooga (Sun., Nov. 12), Stanford (Fri., Nov. 24), UT-Martin (Tues., Dec. 5), George Washington (Thurs., Dec. 7) and West Virginia (Wed., Dec. 20) via the internet. Viewers will be able to hear Mickey Dearstone's radio play-by-play while watching the live action from Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Yahoo! Sports University of Tennessee School Pass costs $4.95 per month and features: UT football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and "Vol Calls" radio broadcasts as well as the Pat Summitt TV Show, the Phillip Fulmer TV Show and the Bruce Pearl TV Show during the season. An additional option is the College Pass subscription, which includes broadcasts for more than 100+ schools, and costs $9.95 per month
Service is available through Yahoo! Sports.
Fans will be able to click on the game, sign-up through utladyvols.com or by going to the link http://media.yahoo.com/ncaa/splash.html
Fans have to create a Yahoo! ID (user name and password) as part of the sign-up process, unless one has already been created.
The minimum technical specs are: Users wishing to view the video stream will need to make sure to meet the minimum technical requirements. PC users should have a 233MHz Pentium II or faster, 64MB of RAM and be running Windows 98 or later with Internet Explorer 5 (or higher) and be sure to have the Windows Media Player 7 or later installed. Mac users should have a 180MHz or faster processor with 64MB of RAM and be running Mac OS X 10 or later with Internet Explorer 5.2 or later running and be sure to have the Windows Media Player for Mac OS X installed. All users should have a 16-bit sound card and a 16-bit high color video card and have at least a 56kbps dialup access, though broadband access is recommended. The Windows Media Player can be downloaded from Microsoft.com.
Parker, Paris head All-America team
NEW YORK -- After leading the nation in rebounds, sophomore Courtney Paris of Oklahoma led the voting for The Associated Press preseason All-America team.
The first NCAA women's player with 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season, Paris received 47 votes from the 50-member national media panel.
Joining Paris on the team were Tennessee's Candace Parker (45 votes), North Carolina's Ivory Latta (43), Stanford's Candice Wiggins (35) and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (28).
The 6-foot-4 Paris -- daughter of former NFL lineman Bubba Paris -- broke a 21-year old NCAA record with her 539 rebounds last season.
"I can't imagine in the modern era a kid that has impacted the game and is as hard to cover as she is," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly, who's been a Division I coach for 19 years, including 11 with the Cyclones. "It's impossible to guard her."
Parker, the Southeastern Conference rookie of the year, is returning for her second season at Tennessee after winning a bronze medal with the U.S. national team at the world championships in Brazil.
"I learned a lot from the international game. I learned from the best players in the world, and they helped show me the tricks of the trade," said Parker, who became the youngest player on the national squad since Kara Walters played in 1994.
The experience of playing with the world's best was not lost on Parker's coach, Pat Summitt.
"She is more physical in the paint," Summitt said. "She had to be more aggressive and gained valuable experience playing with the WNBA players and learned volumes from them."
Paris, too, is still learning.
In her first college game, she played only 20 minutes, but scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. During the regular season, she averaged 21.4 points, led the nation in rebounding (15.1) and made over 61 percent of her shots. Last spring, she became the first freshman selected to the All-America first team.
Latta also made the first team, while Parker, Langhorne and Wiggins made the second team.
Now, Parker's excited to be part of the preseason All-America team.
"It's great to be on the team," she said. "They are a great group of girls, but there's only one girl that has the (championship) ring, and that is the ultimate goal."
That girl -- Langhorne -- led Maryland's improbable run to the national championship last season, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. She shot a school-record 67 percent from the field to lead the nation.
"The greatest thing about Crystal is she's never satisfied. Every season she comes back and adds more to her game," said Maryland coach Brenda Frese. "Obviously, she's a big reason for our success. She's a special talent as a player on the floor, and she's even more extraordinary in the things she does off the court. She really exemplifies what a student-athlete is all about."
Latta helped North Carolina to the ACC regular season and tournament title last season. The 5-6 point guard seems to know one speed: super fast. She averaged 18.4 points and 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals to help the Tar Heels reach the Final Four for the second time in school history.
Wiggins led Stanford to the final eight. The 5-11 guard averaged 21.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This summer, the two-time Pac-10 Player of the year played less basketball to rest her feet after playing through plantar fasciitis last season.
Instead, she watched lots of games.
"Observing things made me mentally realize what I needed to change," Wiggins said. "It really helped."
The first NCAA women's player with 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season, Paris received 47 votes from the 50-member national media panel.
Joining Paris on the team were Tennessee's Candace Parker (45 votes), North Carolina's Ivory Latta (43), Stanford's Candice Wiggins (35) and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (28).
The 6-foot-4 Paris -- daughter of former NFL lineman Bubba Paris -- broke a 21-year old NCAA record with her 539 rebounds last season.
"I can't imagine in the modern era a kid that has impacted the game and is as hard to cover as she is," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly, who's been a Division I coach for 19 years, including 11 with the Cyclones. "It's impossible to guard her."
Parker, the Southeastern Conference rookie of the year, is returning for her second season at Tennessee after winning a bronze medal with the U.S. national team at the world championships in Brazil.
"I learned a lot from the international game. I learned from the best players in the world, and they helped show me the tricks of the trade," said Parker, who became the youngest player on the national squad since Kara Walters played in 1994.
The experience of playing with the world's best was not lost on Parker's coach, Pat Summitt.
"She is more physical in the paint," Summitt said. "She had to be more aggressive and gained valuable experience playing with the WNBA players and learned volumes from them."
Paris, too, is still learning.
In her first college game, she played only 20 minutes, but scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. During the regular season, she averaged 21.4 points, led the nation in rebounding (15.1) and made over 61 percent of her shots. Last spring, she became the first freshman selected to the All-America first team.
Latta also made the first team, while Parker, Langhorne and Wiggins made the second team.
Now, Parker's excited to be part of the preseason All-America team.
"It's great to be on the team," she said. "They are a great group of girls, but there's only one girl that has the (championship) ring, and that is the ultimate goal."
That girl -- Langhorne -- led Maryland's improbable run to the national championship last season, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. She shot a school-record 67 percent from the field to lead the nation.
"The greatest thing about Crystal is she's never satisfied. Every season she comes back and adds more to her game," said Maryland coach Brenda Frese. "Obviously, she's a big reason for our success. She's a special talent as a player on the floor, and she's even more extraordinary in the things she does off the court. She really exemplifies what a student-athlete is all about."
Latta helped North Carolina to the ACC regular season and tournament title last season. The 5-6 point guard seems to know one speed: super fast. She averaged 18.4 points and 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals to help the Tar Heels reach the Final Four for the second time in school history.
Wiggins led Stanford to the final eight. The 5-11 guard averaged 21.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This summer, the two-time Pac-10 Player of the year played less basketball to rest her feet after playing through plantar fasciitis last season.
Instead, she watched lots of games.
"Observing things made me mentally realize what I needed to change," Wiggins said. "It really helped."
UT globe-trotter has world of talent
Playing for U.S. team helps Parker take game to next level
KNOXVILLE — Candace Parker hasn't had much time to slow down recently.
She's been too busy seeing the world.
Coming off an impressive redshirt freshman season with the Tennessee women's basketball team, Parker didn't get to relax as much as she would have liked.
She went through offseason conditioning with her Lady Vols teammates during the summer. Then, just as she was supposed to be starting school, she packed her bags and flew to Brazil.
"I think the last time I was (home) was in May," Parker said. "It was a busy, busy summer."
But it was all worth it.
Starting in late August, Tennessee's sophomore forward spent almost a month adjusting to a different level of competition as a member of the U.S. women's national team in the FIBA World Championships in Brazil.
Parker says it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. She grew up watching players such as Sheryl Swoopes and former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings. And for more than three weeks, she got to be their teammate.
"I learned a lot," Parker said. "It grew my game, and it prepared me for what's to come. It gave me a glimpse into the past, but it also helped me in the present at the college level."
Parker did her part to help the U.S. team. Despite being the only non-WNBA player on the roster, she was the third-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points per game. She led the team in scoring and rebounding in three of nine games, and in blocks seven times.
She came back with a bronze medal, a wealth of invaluable experience and perhaps a better understanding of her skills heading into her second season with the Lady Vols.
"Candace has improved significantly from the end of last season to now," UT Coach Pat Summitt said. "I would say that the U.S. basketball experience was a tremendous one for her. …
"She's definitely initiating more physical contact in the paint instead of being finesse. She's imposing her will in the paint, and we need that."
Upon returning from overseas, all Parker needed was some rest. Summitt allowed her to take off almost a month in preparation for preseason practice.
"I think I was at a point where I needed a break," Parker said. "I think everybody does. You can't go right from one season into the next without some sort of break."
Now, she says, she's fully rested and ready to make up for lost time — and a missed opportunity.
A tumultuous season for UT last year was headlined by the midseason departure of point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who later transferred to Maryland. Alexis Hornbuckle broke her wrist in February, leaving the Lady Vols to play without a point guard down the stretch.
Parker did her best to make up for the lack of a true ball-handler, sharing the point-guard duties with senior guard Shanna Zolman as the Lady Vols won the SEC Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
"We rallied around each other and ended up playing pretty well down the stretch," Parker said. "We came up short, but I think there's a lot to learn from last season."
For instance, the Lady Vols now have a go-to player in the clutch. Summitt says Parker stepped into that role when she knocked down the game-winning shot with 17 seconds left in the SEC championship game against LSU.
This season, there's another role Parker has fully embraced. With everything she learned with the U.S. team, she says she's prepared to lead a Lady Vols team with a few fresh faces but plenty of experience.
"Last year I was a freshman, so I don't think I really was the vocal leader and didn't necessarily have to bring the team into the huddle and things like that," Parker said. "But this year, it's kind of cool because this team is a little bit older."
And, like Parker, a little more-traveled.
KNOXVILLE — Candace Parker hasn't had much time to slow down recently.
She's been too busy seeing the world.
Coming off an impressive redshirt freshman season with the Tennessee women's basketball team, Parker didn't get to relax as much as she would have liked.
She went through offseason conditioning with her Lady Vols teammates during the summer. Then, just as she was supposed to be starting school, she packed her bags and flew to Brazil.
"I think the last time I was (home) was in May," Parker said. "It was a busy, busy summer."
But it was all worth it.
Starting in late August, Tennessee's sophomore forward spent almost a month adjusting to a different level of competition as a member of the U.S. women's national team in the FIBA World Championships in Brazil.
Parker says it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. She grew up watching players such as Sheryl Swoopes and former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings. And for more than three weeks, she got to be their teammate.
"I learned a lot," Parker said. "It grew my game, and it prepared me for what's to come. It gave me a glimpse into the past, but it also helped me in the present at the college level."
Parker did her part to help the U.S. team. Despite being the only non-WNBA player on the roster, she was the third-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points per game. She led the team in scoring and rebounding in three of nine games, and in blocks seven times.
She came back with a bronze medal, a wealth of invaluable experience and perhaps a better understanding of her skills heading into her second season with the Lady Vols.
"Candace has improved significantly from the end of last season to now," UT Coach Pat Summitt said. "I would say that the U.S. basketball experience was a tremendous one for her. …
"She's definitely initiating more physical contact in the paint instead of being finesse. She's imposing her will in the paint, and we need that."
Upon returning from overseas, all Parker needed was some rest. Summitt allowed her to take off almost a month in preparation for preseason practice.
"I think I was at a point where I needed a break," Parker said. "I think everybody does. You can't go right from one season into the next without some sort of break."
Now, she says, she's fully rested and ready to make up for lost time — and a missed opportunity.
A tumultuous season for UT last year was headlined by the midseason departure of point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who later transferred to Maryland. Alexis Hornbuckle broke her wrist in February, leaving the Lady Vols to play without a point guard down the stretch.
Parker did her best to make up for the lack of a true ball-handler, sharing the point-guard duties with senior guard Shanna Zolman as the Lady Vols won the SEC Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
"We rallied around each other and ended up playing pretty well down the stretch," Parker said. "We came up short, but I think there's a lot to learn from last season."
For instance, the Lady Vols now have a go-to player in the clutch. Summitt says Parker stepped into that role when she knocked down the game-winning shot with 17 seconds left in the SEC championship game against LSU.
This season, there's another role Parker has fully embraced. With everything she learned with the U.S. team, she says she's prepared to lead a Lady Vols team with a few fresh faces but plenty of experience.
"Last year I was a freshman, so I don't think I really was the vocal leader and didn't necessarily have to bring the team into the huddle and things like that," Parker said. "But this year, it's kind of cool because this team is a little bit older."
And, like Parker, a little more-traveled.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Lady Vols sign four players in lauded haul
KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee women’s basketball team has received signed scholarship papers from four players, finishing off what recruiting analysts are calling the top signing class in the country.
Three of the Lady Vols’ signees – 6-foot guard Angie Bjorklund of Spokane, Wash., 6-4 forward Vicki Baugh of Sacramento, Calif., and 6-6 center Kelley Cain of Atlanta – were among Scout.com’s top 12 players in the nation, and all four players were in the top 40.
Bjorklund was ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation, while Baugh was No. 5 and Cain No. 12. Sydney Smallbone, a 5-10 guard from South Bend, Ind., was ranked 38th.
Coach Pat Summitt said the four signees filled all of UT’s needs. The Lady Vols have only three seniors on the current team, two of which are forwards.
“This was, I feel like, a real talented class, and we identified our needs in the class,” Summitt said. “We felt like if we could get two guards and two front-line players that we could put together a very successful recruiting endeavor, and we did.”
Today is the first day players can sign national letters-of-intent for the fall signing period, which runs through next week.
Three of the Lady Vols’ signees – 6-foot guard Angie Bjorklund of Spokane, Wash., 6-4 forward Vicki Baugh of Sacramento, Calif., and 6-6 center Kelley Cain of Atlanta – were among Scout.com’s top 12 players in the nation, and all four players were in the top 40.
Bjorklund was ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation, while Baugh was No. 5 and Cain No. 12. Sydney Smallbone, a 5-10 guard from South Bend, Ind., was ranked 38th.
Coach Pat Summitt said the four signees filled all of UT’s needs. The Lady Vols have only three seniors on the current team, two of which are forwards.
“This was, I feel like, a real talented class, and we identified our needs in the class,” Summitt said. “We felt like if we could get two guards and two front-line players that we could put together a very successful recruiting endeavor, and we did.”
Today is the first day players can sign national letters-of-intent for the fall signing period, which runs through next week.
Sac High's Baugh signs to play at Tennessee
Sacramento High School's Vicki Baugh, considered by many to be the area's best-ever girls basketball player, has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Tennessee next fall.
The 6-foot-4 senior forward-guard made her decision Tuesday night and called Tennessee coach Pat Summitt with the news.
Baugh said as late as yesterday she was choosing among UCLA, Oklahoma, LSU, Cal and Tennessee.
"It was really last minute," Baugh said. "It really came down to that they were willing to let me play the position I'm most comfortable with, which is point guard."
Baugh, last year's Bee Player of the Year as a junior, signed her letter of intent at a school ceremony Wednesday morning along with boy's basketball standout Fred Ellis, who is bound for Baylor on scholarship.
During the summer, Baugh played for Team USA in the FIBA U-18 Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., helping her team win a gold medal.
When she returned to class at Sac High in August, Baugh had about 30 full-ride offers on the table, according Davin Johnson, her AAU coach.
The 6-foot-4 senior forward-guard made her decision Tuesday night and called Tennessee coach Pat Summitt with the news.
Baugh said as late as yesterday she was choosing among UCLA, Oklahoma, LSU, Cal and Tennessee.
"It was really last minute," Baugh said. "It really came down to that they were willing to let me play the position I'm most comfortable with, which is point guard."
Baugh, last year's Bee Player of the Year as a junior, signed her letter of intent at a school ceremony Wednesday morning along with boy's basketball standout Fred Ellis, who is bound for Baylor on scholarship.
During the summer, Baugh played for Team USA in the FIBA U-18 Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., helping her team win a gold medal.
When she returned to class at Sac High in August, Baugh had about 30 full-ride offers on the table, according Davin Johnson, her AAU coach.
Baugh's Bold Choice
Pat Summitt added the No. 5 prospect in the country to a class that already included the nation's No. 1 guard, the No. 2 center and a four-star guard ranked 38th in the HoopGurlz Hot 100.
Concluding what she calls "the toughest week of my life," Vicki Baugh made a decision that she didn't fear.
She didn't fear packing up and leaving a place where women's basketball barely registered for a place where it meant everything.
In the end, Tennessee wasn't a scary choice. It was the only choice.
"I've always taken big steps," said Baugh, the No. 5 overall prospect in the HoopGurlz National Hot 100. "I'm not afraid to play far away. I'm not afraid of anything. I couldn't base a decision like this on how close or far away the school was going to be."
In a way, Baugh said, Tennesse actually was a safe choice. Now that Baugh's part of it, coach Pat Summitt's 2007 class essentially is a ready-made team. There's the 6-foot-4 Baugh, from Sacramento, Calif., at wing; Angie Bjorklund of Spokane, Wash., the No. 2 overall prospect and top-rated guard, at shooting guard; Kelly Cain of Atlanta, Ga., the No. 2 center in the country, in the post, and Sydney Smallbone of South Bend, Ind., the No. 38 overall prospect, possibly at the point.
With three five-star prospects and all four recruits ranked within HoopGurlz's top 38, the Volunteers certainly have the top signing class in 2007.
"Of all my choices, Tennessee was strongest because of the recruiting class," Baugh said. "The other schools were going to get recruits next year. It was hypothetical. This is known. There's no risk there."
There's also the possibility of playing with Candace Parker who, though just a sophomore, already is thought to be the women's game's next great player. There also has been talk that she could be the first women to leave school early and play in the WNBA.
"I've thought of everything that could possibly happen," Baugh said. "If she ends up going, I know it's because she's doing what's best for her and I'd support that. Going to Tennessee is what's best for me."
As clear a choice as Tennessee might seem now, the decision was difficult, Baugh said, with all five of her finalists in play. "I love all my finalists," she said. "I wish I could go to all five." She took official visits to each of the five and learned something different at each spot:
# Tennessee: "The coaching was totally different than I anticipated," Baugh said. "I thought it was going to be a lot tougher, but I found coach Summitt to be really down to earth."
# UCLA: "The thing I really noticed was how close the team was, even off the court," Baugh said. "It didn't seem like they were showboating it just for me. It was real."
# Oklahoma: "I got to see a practice there and I don't think they ever took a water break," Baugh said. "The whole time, they were running sprints. I loved it. I thought, 'That's my game.' "
# LSU: "Pokey (Chatman) is magnificent; I love her to death," Baugh said. "When I left, I didn't feel like I was just on a visit. I felt like I'd actually been going to school there."
# Cal:
"Cal was always one of my schools," Baugh said. "I wasn't going to take an official, but not because I liked it any less. It was because I'd already been and knew so much about the program. In the end, I decided to visit to let them know I was interested and show them as much respect as I showed the other schools."
Baugh confirmed that all five of her finalists recruited her to play the wing. Back at the beginning of the summer, her list was dozens of schools long and, she admits, "I was really mixed up and confused." She was able to whittle her list because some schools recruited her to play center.
"I x-ed them off first," Baugh said.
Baugh said her family helped her come up with a final five, then left her to make her own decision.
Which, difficult as it was, she was not afraid to do. And so she boldly went where many girls would not - far from home, away from a grandmother with whom she's lived all her life.
And to a place where she "really, really" wanted to play.
Concluding what she calls "the toughest week of my life," Vicki Baugh made a decision that she didn't fear.
She didn't fear packing up and leaving a place where women's basketball barely registered for a place where it meant everything.
In the end, Tennessee wasn't a scary choice. It was the only choice.
"I've always taken big steps," said Baugh, the No. 5 overall prospect in the HoopGurlz National Hot 100. "I'm not afraid to play far away. I'm not afraid of anything. I couldn't base a decision like this on how close or far away the school was going to be."
In a way, Baugh said, Tennesse actually was a safe choice. Now that Baugh's part of it, coach Pat Summitt's 2007 class essentially is a ready-made team. There's the 6-foot-4 Baugh, from Sacramento, Calif., at wing; Angie Bjorklund of Spokane, Wash., the No. 2 overall prospect and top-rated guard, at shooting guard; Kelly Cain of Atlanta, Ga., the No. 2 center in the country, in the post, and Sydney Smallbone of South Bend, Ind., the No. 38 overall prospect, possibly at the point.
With three five-star prospects and all four recruits ranked within HoopGurlz's top 38, the Volunteers certainly have the top signing class in 2007.
"Of all my choices, Tennessee was strongest because of the recruiting class," Baugh said. "The other schools were going to get recruits next year. It was hypothetical. This is known. There's no risk there."
There's also the possibility of playing with Candace Parker who, though just a sophomore, already is thought to be the women's game's next great player. There also has been talk that she could be the first women to leave school early and play in the WNBA.
"I've thought of everything that could possibly happen," Baugh said. "If she ends up going, I know it's because she's doing what's best for her and I'd support that. Going to Tennessee is what's best for me."
As clear a choice as Tennessee might seem now, the decision was difficult, Baugh said, with all five of her finalists in play. "I love all my finalists," she said. "I wish I could go to all five." She took official visits to each of the five and learned something different at each spot:
# Tennessee: "The coaching was totally different than I anticipated," Baugh said. "I thought it was going to be a lot tougher, but I found coach Summitt to be really down to earth."
# UCLA: "The thing I really noticed was how close the team was, even off the court," Baugh said. "It didn't seem like they were showboating it just for me. It was real."
# Oklahoma: "I got to see a practice there and I don't think they ever took a water break," Baugh said. "The whole time, they were running sprints. I loved it. I thought, 'That's my game.' "
# LSU: "Pokey (Chatman) is magnificent; I love her to death," Baugh said. "When I left, I didn't feel like I was just on a visit. I felt like I'd actually been going to school there."
# Cal:
"Cal was always one of my schools," Baugh said. "I wasn't going to take an official, but not because I liked it any less. It was because I'd already been and knew so much about the program. In the end, I decided to visit to let them know I was interested and show them as much respect as I showed the other schools."
Baugh confirmed that all five of her finalists recruited her to play the wing. Back at the beginning of the summer, her list was dozens of schools long and, she admits, "I was really mixed up and confused." She was able to whittle her list because some schools recruited her to play center.
"I x-ed them off first," Baugh said.
Baugh said her family helped her come up with a final five, then left her to make her own decision.
Which, difficult as it was, she was not afraid to do. And so she boldly went where many girls would not - far from home, away from a grandmother with whom she's lived all her life.
And to a place where she "really, really" wanted to play.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Lady Vols prepare for regular season
The Lady Vols finished their exhibition slate on a high note Sunday, defeating the Houston Jaguars 101-51.
Forward Alexandria Fuller led four Lady Vols in double figures with her 20 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.
“I thought Alex Fuller came in and gave us a lot of good things. She’s shooting really well and hitting the boards,” coach Pat Summitt said. “She, Candace and Alexis were the ones who really hit the boards for us.”
The first half ended with the Lady Vols leading by 18 points, after the Jaguars cut into the Lady Vols’ 27-point lead late in the half.
Tennessee saw a different defense in the second half as Houston switched over to a zone defense. The defense initially stalled the Lady Vols’ offense, before they got rolling.
“When we went to the 2-3 zone, they were standing around — they weren’t moving. We really saved our zone for this game,” Houston coach Louis Ray III said.
The Lady Vols opened the second half with a 32-6 run in the first 10 minutes. Tennessee came out with intensity as they attacked the basket, drawing numerous Jaguar fouls. Tennessee finished 26 of 38 from the free-throw line.
Ray was impressed with Tennessee’s size and speed and believes it is one of the top teams in the country.
“Right now, I think Tennessee is the team to beat,” Ray said.
The Lady Vols had a 56-31 advantage rebounding including 32 offensive rebounds. Their domination on the boards, along with 35 Jaguar turnovers, helped counterbalance the poor Tennessee shooting of only 41 percent.
“When a team like this shoots 41 percent, they need to make some things happen in a positive way with their defense,” Summitt said.
Point guard Shannon Bobbitt played another huge role in the victory as she led all players with 30 minutes of action. Bobbitt provided Tennessee with a true point guard, something they lacked most of last season.
“Having a true point guard has made all the difference in the world,” senior Sidney Spencer said. “Last year, Alexis (Hornbuckle) was playing with a broken hand and out of position. Having Shannon gives us confidence and helps us out a lot.”
Houston’s coach had much praise for the 5-2 point guard, even comparing her speed to All-American guard Ivory Latta from North Carolina. He said her quickness and “ball-hawking” really startled his team, but she has even more to show Tennessee fans.
“Y’all haven’t seen nothing yet,” Ray said about Bobbitt.
The two exhibition games have highlighted the issues Tennessee needs to improve on heading into the season.
“We’ve got some work to do; we have to look at putting in our match-up defense,” Summitt said.
Summitt even hinted that freshman point guard Kait McMahan may see her first action of the season, after coming back from knee surgery.
“Based on what I’ve seen from Kate, I think there’s a good chance we can see her on board next Sunday,” Summitt said. “We don’t have to fast-forward this, but she’s worked hard, and she says she feels great.”
The regular season begins for the Lady Vols on Nov. 12 against UT Chattanooga at 3 p.m.
Forward Alexandria Fuller led four Lady Vols in double figures with her 20 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.
“I thought Alex Fuller came in and gave us a lot of good things. She’s shooting really well and hitting the boards,” coach Pat Summitt said. “She, Candace and Alexis were the ones who really hit the boards for us.”
The first half ended with the Lady Vols leading by 18 points, after the Jaguars cut into the Lady Vols’ 27-point lead late in the half.
Tennessee saw a different defense in the second half as Houston switched over to a zone defense. The defense initially stalled the Lady Vols’ offense, before they got rolling.
“When we went to the 2-3 zone, they were standing around — they weren’t moving. We really saved our zone for this game,” Houston coach Louis Ray III said.
The Lady Vols opened the second half with a 32-6 run in the first 10 minutes. Tennessee came out with intensity as they attacked the basket, drawing numerous Jaguar fouls. Tennessee finished 26 of 38 from the free-throw line.
Ray was impressed with Tennessee’s size and speed and believes it is one of the top teams in the country.
“Right now, I think Tennessee is the team to beat,” Ray said.
The Lady Vols had a 56-31 advantage rebounding including 32 offensive rebounds. Their domination on the boards, along with 35 Jaguar turnovers, helped counterbalance the poor Tennessee shooting of only 41 percent.
“When a team like this shoots 41 percent, they need to make some things happen in a positive way with their defense,” Summitt said.
Point guard Shannon Bobbitt played another huge role in the victory as she led all players with 30 minutes of action. Bobbitt provided Tennessee with a true point guard, something they lacked most of last season.
“Having a true point guard has made all the difference in the world,” senior Sidney Spencer said. “Last year, Alexis (Hornbuckle) was playing with a broken hand and out of position. Having Shannon gives us confidence and helps us out a lot.”
Houston’s coach had much praise for the 5-2 point guard, even comparing her speed to All-American guard Ivory Latta from North Carolina. He said her quickness and “ball-hawking” really startled his team, but she has even more to show Tennessee fans.
“Y’all haven’t seen nothing yet,” Ray said about Bobbitt.
The two exhibition games have highlighted the issues Tennessee needs to improve on heading into the season.
“We’ve got some work to do; we have to look at putting in our match-up defense,” Summitt said.
Summitt even hinted that freshman point guard Kait McMahan may see her first action of the season, after coming back from knee surgery.
“Based on what I’ve seen from Kate, I think there’s a good chance we can see her on board next Sunday,” Summitt said. “We don’t have to fast-forward this, but she’s worked hard, and she says she feels great.”
The regular season begins for the Lady Vols on Nov. 12 against UT Chattanooga at 3 p.m.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Fuller Up - Lady Vols Roll 101-51 Over Houston In Exhibition Finale
UT Opens Regular Season Next Sunday Hosting Lady Mocs
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee coach Pat Summitt named this Lady Vol sophomore redshirt as the fifth-ranked team’s most improved player.
She averaged 15.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds in Tennessee’s runaway exhibition victories over the Houston Jaguars 101-51 Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena and Wednesday’s 104-49 wipeout of Carson-Newman.
“In the first half (against the Jaguars), she wasn’t the same player I’d been watching in practice.” Summitt commented. “In the second half, though…”
“She’s got a lot of weapons. She can face-up. She can shoot the three and she’s got a good mid-range game.” she continued. “It’s apparent that she’s much faster in transition. She runs the floor well. She’s a better player all-around. She’s in better shape than she’s ever been in. She’s much more efficient on her offensive skills.”
For those of you who presumed that Summitt was referring to preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Wooden Award and Wade Trophy candidate Candace Parker, well guess again.
Tennessee’s leading scorer and rebounder at present is none other than Alex Fuller.
After struggling during the opening period with four points and two rebounds, Fuller erupted in the second half scoring 16 of her game high 20 points.
The 6’3” forward also won the rebounding category with 15 with thirteen of them occurring in her productive second half.
Against Carson-Newman, she scored 11 points while making eight rebounds.
Memo to Lady Vol opponents starting with Chattanooga coach Wes Moore whose Lady Mocs will face UT in the season opener in Knoxville next Sunday at 3 p.m. - get acquainted with Fuller. She is not the same player who had regular season career highs of eight points and seven rebounds in her freshman campaign. She’s better – much better and the other Lady Vol sophomore redshirt has noticed it as well.
“It was huge (Fuller’s performance)” said Parker. “Alex’s intensity to be on the inside and outside and hitting the glass opens up things.”
The most subdued Lady Vol afterwards?
Fuller.
She attributed her improvement to weight training, running several miles daily and playing in pick-up games with male collegiate players in North Carolina.
Fuller downplayed her individual performance saying regardless whether it’s an exhibition, regular season or tournament game, her preparedness remains the same.
“Every game means something.” she quietly told reporters. “I try to play hard every time I go out on the floor. I try to play my hardest for the team.”
Fuller is a Pre-Exercise major at UT.
She may be giving Lady Vol foes a workout they never expected.
Lady Vol Notes – Sidney Spencer, Parker and Dominique Redding joined Fuller as double digit scorers with 19, 18 and 10 points respectively. Like Fuller, Parker had her own double double as she had 10 rebounds.
Jaguar coach Louis Ray III, whose team remains winless after earlier losses to Texas Tech, Texas-El Paso, Texas and Rutgers, said that thanks to Parker and new point guard Shannon Bobbitt, the 2006 National Community College Player of the Year from Trinity Valley in Athens, Texas, Tennessee is the favorite to win the 2007 NCAA championship.
“Tennessee, right now, from what we’ve seen, is the best team in the country.” Ray said. “I know they’ve got a great player in Parker, but Bobbitt is definitely one of the best.”
“She’s up there with Latta (North Carolina point guard Ivory whose second ranked Tar Heels team will host the Lady Vols on Dec. 3 in Chapel Hill in a rematch of March’s NCAA Cleveland Regional Final in which UNC eliminated UT 75-63.”
“I know she could have probably done a little bit more (Bobbitt scored eight points, made five assists and four steals against the Jaguars) if she had wanted to, so y’all haven’t seen anything yet.”
Ray vividly recalls Bobbitt’s performances for Trinity Valley against the Jaguars in prior scrimmages.
“She was hitting outside shots like they were lay-ups.” he said of the 5’2” junior. “What makes her an even greater threat is the fact that she can take you off the dribble, then she’ll pass it and have the intelligence to find the open person>”
“She’s definitely an aggressive ball-hawk on defense.” Ray added. “We really didn’t give her a chance to show her defensive stress. She’s the type of player who can pressure a ball all up and down the floor.”
“She can guard Latta.”
True freshman Cait McMahan of Maryville, who had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee last month and has not participated in the exhibition games, may be ready to return to UT’s lineup in time for the Chattanooga game.
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee coach Pat Summitt named this Lady Vol sophomore redshirt as the fifth-ranked team’s most improved player.
She averaged 15.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds in Tennessee’s runaway exhibition victories over the Houston Jaguars 101-51 Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena and Wednesday’s 104-49 wipeout of Carson-Newman.
“In the first half (against the Jaguars), she wasn’t the same player I’d been watching in practice.” Summitt commented. “In the second half, though…”
“She’s got a lot of weapons. She can face-up. She can shoot the three and she’s got a good mid-range game.” she continued. “It’s apparent that she’s much faster in transition. She runs the floor well. She’s a better player all-around. She’s in better shape than she’s ever been in. She’s much more efficient on her offensive skills.”
For those of you who presumed that Summitt was referring to preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Wooden Award and Wade Trophy candidate Candace Parker, well guess again.
Tennessee’s leading scorer and rebounder at present is none other than Alex Fuller.
After struggling during the opening period with four points and two rebounds, Fuller erupted in the second half scoring 16 of her game high 20 points.
The 6’3” forward also won the rebounding category with 15 with thirteen of them occurring in her productive second half.
Against Carson-Newman, she scored 11 points while making eight rebounds.
Memo to Lady Vol opponents starting with Chattanooga coach Wes Moore whose Lady Mocs will face UT in the season opener in Knoxville next Sunday at 3 p.m. - get acquainted with Fuller. She is not the same player who had regular season career highs of eight points and seven rebounds in her freshman campaign. She’s better – much better and the other Lady Vol sophomore redshirt has noticed it as well.
“It was huge (Fuller’s performance)” said Parker. “Alex’s intensity to be on the inside and outside and hitting the glass opens up things.”
The most subdued Lady Vol afterwards?
Fuller.
She attributed her improvement to weight training, running several miles daily and playing in pick-up games with male collegiate players in North Carolina.
Fuller downplayed her individual performance saying regardless whether it’s an exhibition, regular season or tournament game, her preparedness remains the same.
“Every game means something.” she quietly told reporters. “I try to play hard every time I go out on the floor. I try to play my hardest for the team.”
Fuller is a Pre-Exercise major at UT.
She may be giving Lady Vol foes a workout they never expected.
Lady Vol Notes – Sidney Spencer, Parker and Dominique Redding joined Fuller as double digit scorers with 19, 18 and 10 points respectively. Like Fuller, Parker had her own double double as she had 10 rebounds.
Jaguar coach Louis Ray III, whose team remains winless after earlier losses to Texas Tech, Texas-El Paso, Texas and Rutgers, said that thanks to Parker and new point guard Shannon Bobbitt, the 2006 National Community College Player of the Year from Trinity Valley in Athens, Texas, Tennessee is the favorite to win the 2007 NCAA championship.
“Tennessee, right now, from what we’ve seen, is the best team in the country.” Ray said. “I know they’ve got a great player in Parker, but Bobbitt is definitely one of the best.”
“She’s up there with Latta (North Carolina point guard Ivory whose second ranked Tar Heels team will host the Lady Vols on Dec. 3 in Chapel Hill in a rematch of March’s NCAA Cleveland Regional Final in which UNC eliminated UT 75-63.”
“I know she could have probably done a little bit more (Bobbitt scored eight points, made five assists and four steals against the Jaguars) if she had wanted to, so y’all haven’t seen anything yet.”
Ray vividly recalls Bobbitt’s performances for Trinity Valley against the Jaguars in prior scrimmages.
“She was hitting outside shots like they were lay-ups.” he said of the 5’2” junior. “What makes her an even greater threat is the fact that she can take you off the dribble, then she’ll pass it and have the intelligence to find the open person>”
“She’s definitely an aggressive ball-hawk on defense.” Ray added. “We really didn’t give her a chance to show her defensive stress. She’s the type of player who can pressure a ball all up and down the floor.”
“She can guard Latta.”
True freshman Cait McMahan of Maryville, who had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee last month and has not participated in the exhibition games, may be ready to return to UT’s lineup in time for the Chattanooga game.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
No longer just Vols and Huskies
Five favorites for Cleveland
1. Maryland. Everybody's back from last season's title team, led by guard Kristi Toliver and forward Crystal Langhorne. But only three teams have repeated since 1982. The challenges? Continuing to win when everyone's gunning for you and adding Tennessee transfer Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood to the mix at guard without disrupting the chemistry that was a strength last spring.
2. Oklahoma. Courtney Paris made a name for herself as a freshman alongside twin Ashley, and the Sooners add freshman Abi Olajuwon (Hakeem's 6-foot-3 daughter) to what is now easily the nation's most dominant frontcourt.
3. Stanford. The never-ending War on Tara continues, though VanDerveer has won six Pac-10 titles in a row. With senior Brooke Smith and junior Candice Wiggins leading the way, the Cardinal can end a run of three straight losses in a region final.
4. Tennessee. We'll say Candace Parker is the best player in college basketball, and Pat Summitt's backcourt gets a boost from 5-2 junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt. After a rare year off, expect the Vols to return to the Final Four.
5. North Carolina. The Tar Heels' only two losses were to Maryland, and they might have three or four shots at avenging those this season. Senior Ivory Latta is the reigning ACC player of the year with Erlana Larkins and Camille Little a strong 1-2 punch inside.
Five Cinderellas
1. Baylor. The Bears are ranked 18th in the preseason poll and have only two players left from the 2005 NCAA champion. But watch out: Former Florida star Bernice Mosby transferred and joins, perhaps, the nation's top recruiting class, led by 6-3 Danielle Wilson, who averaged 29 points and 20 rebounds as a high school senior.
2. Kentucky. Picked to finish fifth in the SEC by league coaches, the Wildcats should surprise, coming off a 22-9 season and their first NCAA appearance in seven years. All five starters are back led by sophomore point guard Carly Ormerod.
3. Virginia. Debbie Ryan hasn't made a Sweet 16 in seven years, but a strong recruiting class, led by freshman guard Monica Wright and junior center Aisha Mohammed, could make the Cavaliers this season's Maryland of the ACC.
4. Purdue. Former Indiana coach Sharon Versyp returns to her alma mater and leads the Big Ten's best challenger to Ohio State. Senior Katie Gearlds is one of the nation's top point guards.
5. Bowling Green. Winning the MAC, even going undefeated, only goes so far: The Falcons are 1-8 in the NCAA Tournament. This season's squad has enough back to be the Mid-Major to Watch, led by senior forward Ali Mann.
Five super seniors
1. Ivory Latta, guard, North Carolina. Returning from a left knee injury sustained in NCAA semifinal loss.
2. Jessica Davenport, center, Ohio State. Led Big Ten in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (8.9) last season.
3. Brooke Smith, center, Stanford. Teams with guard Candice Wiggins for perhaps best inside-outside combo.
4. Tiffany Jackson, forward, Texas. Can 6-3 frontcourt star get Longhorns back to prominence?
5. Jessica Dickson, guard, USF. Third in nation in scoring last season has led Bulls' rise over past three years.
Five newcomers to watch
1. Tina Charles, center, Connecticut. The 6-foot-4 standout went 82-2 in high school, earned Gatorade national player of the year honors and has dunked.
2. Epiphanny Prince, guard, Rutgers. Great name, and she scored 113 points in a game last season.
3. Abi Olajuwon, center, Oklahoma. Bio on Sooners' site says her father is "NBA legend Hakeen Olajuwon."
4. Brittainey Raven, guard, Texas. Jody Conradt raves about her speed; could spark Longhorns' resurgence.
5. Jayne Appel, center, Stanford. Part of stellar recruiting class, she's 6-4 with great hands and range.
Five coaches under pressure
1. Brenda Frese, Maryland. Like Billy Donovan, she's a defending champ with everyone back, so any loss is a disappointment. Final Four or bust!
2. Carolyn Peck, Florida. Four seasons in Gainesville and she still hasn't made a Sweet 16 appearance.
3. Jody Conradt, Texas. The legend went 13-15 last season, but expectations are high for a quick recovery.
4. Kay Yow, N.C. State. Another coaching mainstay, but her teams haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2001.
5. Pokey Chatman, LSU. The Tigers must find success without Seimone Augustus, the two-time Wade Trophy winner as the nation's top player.
Five must-see early games
1. Tennessee. How about just the Vols' top five? We'll give you at No. 8 Connecticut on Jan. 6, vs. No. 4 Stanford on Nov. 24, at No. 2 North Carolina on Dec. 3, at No. 12 Arizona State on Nov. 19 with your pick of the SEC schedule for the fifth game.
2. Connecticut at North Carolina, Jan. 15. You'll know who freshman Tina Charles is before the Huskies go to Chapel Hill.
3. No. 7 Ohio State at No. 3 Oklahoma, Dec. 20. Frontcourt battles don't get much bigger than Jessica Davenport vs. Courtney Paris.
4. No. 4 Stanford at No. 22 USC Dec. 20, at No. 23 UCLA Dec. 22. Six straight Pac-10 crowns are on the line, facing two of the West Coast's top challengers in a span of three days.
5. No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 6 Duke. Is there a better rivalry? They meet in Durham on Jan. 13, in College Park on Feb. 18, and, to be sure, in the ACC tourney, if not the Final Four.
1. Maryland. Everybody's back from last season's title team, led by guard Kristi Toliver and forward Crystal Langhorne. But only three teams have repeated since 1982. The challenges? Continuing to win when everyone's gunning for you and adding Tennessee transfer Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood to the mix at guard without disrupting the chemistry that was a strength last spring.
2. Oklahoma. Courtney Paris made a name for herself as a freshman alongside twin Ashley, and the Sooners add freshman Abi Olajuwon (Hakeem's 6-foot-3 daughter) to what is now easily the nation's most dominant frontcourt.
3. Stanford. The never-ending War on Tara continues, though VanDerveer has won six Pac-10 titles in a row. With senior Brooke Smith and junior Candice Wiggins leading the way, the Cardinal can end a run of three straight losses in a region final.
4. Tennessee. We'll say Candace Parker is the best player in college basketball, and Pat Summitt's backcourt gets a boost from 5-2 junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt. After a rare year off, expect the Vols to return to the Final Four.
5. North Carolina. The Tar Heels' only two losses were to Maryland, and they might have three or four shots at avenging those this season. Senior Ivory Latta is the reigning ACC player of the year with Erlana Larkins and Camille Little a strong 1-2 punch inside.
Five Cinderellas
1. Baylor. The Bears are ranked 18th in the preseason poll and have only two players left from the 2005 NCAA champion. But watch out: Former Florida star Bernice Mosby transferred and joins, perhaps, the nation's top recruiting class, led by 6-3 Danielle Wilson, who averaged 29 points and 20 rebounds as a high school senior.
2. Kentucky. Picked to finish fifth in the SEC by league coaches, the Wildcats should surprise, coming off a 22-9 season and their first NCAA appearance in seven years. All five starters are back led by sophomore point guard Carly Ormerod.
3. Virginia. Debbie Ryan hasn't made a Sweet 16 in seven years, but a strong recruiting class, led by freshman guard Monica Wright and junior center Aisha Mohammed, could make the Cavaliers this season's Maryland of the ACC.
4. Purdue. Former Indiana coach Sharon Versyp returns to her alma mater and leads the Big Ten's best challenger to Ohio State. Senior Katie Gearlds is one of the nation's top point guards.
5. Bowling Green. Winning the MAC, even going undefeated, only goes so far: The Falcons are 1-8 in the NCAA Tournament. This season's squad has enough back to be the Mid-Major to Watch, led by senior forward Ali Mann.
Five super seniors
1. Ivory Latta, guard, North Carolina. Returning from a left knee injury sustained in NCAA semifinal loss.
2. Jessica Davenport, center, Ohio State. Led Big Ten in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (8.9) last season.
3. Brooke Smith, center, Stanford. Teams with guard Candice Wiggins for perhaps best inside-outside combo.
4. Tiffany Jackson, forward, Texas. Can 6-3 frontcourt star get Longhorns back to prominence?
5. Jessica Dickson, guard, USF. Third in nation in scoring last season has led Bulls' rise over past three years.
Five newcomers to watch
1. Tina Charles, center, Connecticut. The 6-foot-4 standout went 82-2 in high school, earned Gatorade national player of the year honors and has dunked.
2. Epiphanny Prince, guard, Rutgers. Great name, and she scored 113 points in a game last season.
3. Abi Olajuwon, center, Oklahoma. Bio on Sooners' site says her father is "NBA legend Hakeen Olajuwon."
4. Brittainey Raven, guard, Texas. Jody Conradt raves about her speed; could spark Longhorns' resurgence.
5. Jayne Appel, center, Stanford. Part of stellar recruiting class, she's 6-4 with great hands and range.
Five coaches under pressure
1. Brenda Frese, Maryland. Like Billy Donovan, she's a defending champ with everyone back, so any loss is a disappointment. Final Four or bust!
2. Carolyn Peck, Florida. Four seasons in Gainesville and she still hasn't made a Sweet 16 appearance.
3. Jody Conradt, Texas. The legend went 13-15 last season, but expectations are high for a quick recovery.
4. Kay Yow, N.C. State. Another coaching mainstay, but her teams haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2001.
5. Pokey Chatman, LSU. The Tigers must find success without Seimone Augustus, the two-time Wade Trophy winner as the nation's top player.
Five must-see early games
1. Tennessee. How about just the Vols' top five? We'll give you at No. 8 Connecticut on Jan. 6, vs. No. 4 Stanford on Nov. 24, at No. 2 North Carolina on Dec. 3, at No. 12 Arizona State on Nov. 19 with your pick of the SEC schedule for the fifth game.
2. Connecticut at North Carolina, Jan. 15. You'll know who freshman Tina Charles is before the Huskies go to Chapel Hill.
3. No. 7 Ohio State at No. 3 Oklahoma, Dec. 20. Frontcourt battles don't get much bigger than Jessica Davenport vs. Courtney Paris.
4. No. 4 Stanford at No. 22 USC Dec. 20, at No. 23 UCLA Dec. 22. Six straight Pac-10 crowns are on the line, facing two of the West Coast's top challengers in a span of three days.
5. No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 6 Duke. Is there a better rivalry? They meet in Durham on Jan. 13, in College Park on Feb. 18, and, to be sure, in the ACC tourney, if not the Final Four.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Lady Vols Fifth In USA Today/ESPN Preseason Poll
Knoxville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team will debut in tonight’s exhibition contest against Carson Newman as the fifth-ranked team in the country, according to the preseason poll released Wednesday by USA Today/ESPN.
During the 2005-06 campaign, Tennessee was ranked No. 1 for the first 13 weeks, third the next, fifth for four weeks, ninth on Feb. 27, sixth three times and fifth in the final poll. The Big Orange have been ranked in the top-five of the final poll every year since the first poll of the 1985-86 season.
Tennessee led all Southeastern Conference schools with 648 points. Georgia is ranked ninth (487), LSU 10th (454), Vanderbilt 15th (262) and Kentucky 16th (255).
Ten of the teams ranked in the top 25 are on the Lady Vol schedule for 2006-07, including top 10 squads North Carolina, Stanford, Duke, Connecticut, Georgia and LSU.
During the 2005-06 campaign, Tennessee was ranked No. 1 for the first 13 weeks, third the next, fifth for four weeks, ninth on Feb. 27, sixth three times and fifth in the final poll. The Big Orange have been ranked in the top-five of the final poll every year since the first poll of the 1985-86 season.
Tennessee led all Southeastern Conference schools with 648 points. Georgia is ranked ninth (487), LSU 10th (454), Vanderbilt 15th (262) and Kentucky 16th (255).
Ten of the teams ranked in the top 25 are on the Lady Vol schedule for 2006-07, including top 10 squads North Carolina, Stanford, Duke, Connecticut, Georgia and LSU.
Lady Vols look good in first exhibition
LADY VOLS ROUT CARSON-NEWMAN, 104-49
Alexis Hornbuckle Scores 21 In 29 Minutes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team opened the season with a 104-49 exhibition win over Carson-Newman at Thompson-Boling Arena on Wed., Nov. 1.
Junior Alexis Hornbuckle was among six Lady Vols in double-digit scoring as she tossed in a team-leading 21 points and added seven assists and five steals, all in 29 minutes of action. Senior Dominique Redding added 20 points on nine of 11 shooting, while Nicky Anosike dropped in 18 and Candace Parker added a dozen. Junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt and sophomore Alex Fuller added 11 each.
All dressed Lady Vols saw playing time and nine different athletes scored. Former manager Elizabeth Curry scored in her first game in a Lady Vol uniform.
The Lady Vols forced 36 Lady Eagle turnovers, six shy of the all-time record of 42.
The Big Orange were a smoking 43-of-73 from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
"I told our team that we did a lot of good things tonight," said Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt. "Shannon did a great job at the point, pushing the tempo. We established our inside game and that was a priority for us. It was good to see our team be as aggressive defensively as we thought we would be. I liked what I saw, but we can still get better."
Tonight's win marked the 16th consecutive victory over an exhibition opponent. Tennessee is now 30-3 in home exhibition tilts. The Lady Vols have crossed the century mark the last three years in exhibition games against Carson-Newman.
Tennessee improves to 17-2 all-time against the visitors from Jefferson City, Tenn. Three of those wins have come in exhibition contests.
Alexis Hornbuckle Scores 21 In 29 Minutes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team opened the season with a 104-49 exhibition win over Carson-Newman at Thompson-Boling Arena on Wed., Nov. 1.
Junior Alexis Hornbuckle was among six Lady Vols in double-digit scoring as she tossed in a team-leading 21 points and added seven assists and five steals, all in 29 minutes of action. Senior Dominique Redding added 20 points on nine of 11 shooting, while Nicky Anosike dropped in 18 and Candace Parker added a dozen. Junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt and sophomore Alex Fuller added 11 each.
All dressed Lady Vols saw playing time and nine different athletes scored. Former manager Elizabeth Curry scored in her first game in a Lady Vol uniform.
The Lady Vols forced 36 Lady Eagle turnovers, six shy of the all-time record of 42.
The Big Orange were a smoking 43-of-73 from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
"I told our team that we did a lot of good things tonight," said Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt. "Shannon did a great job at the point, pushing the tempo. We established our inside game and that was a priority for us. It was good to see our team be as aggressive defensively as we thought we would be. I liked what I saw, but we can still get better."
Tonight's win marked the 16th consecutive victory over an exhibition opponent. Tennessee is now 30-3 in home exhibition tilts. The Lady Vols have crossed the century mark the last three years in exhibition games against Carson-Newman.
Tennessee improves to 17-2 all-time against the visitors from Jefferson City, Tenn. Three of those wins have come in exhibition contests.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Lady Vols show off speed
Alexis Hornbuckle could tell this summer that there was something different about this Tennessee women’s basketball team.
“We were playing pick-up with the guys,” Hornbuckle said. “And, for once, we were keeping up with them.”
The Lady Vols showed their newfound speed early and often in their preseason opener Wednesday night, using a suffocating full-court press to breeze past Division II Carson-Newman for a 104-49 win at Thompson-Boling Arena.
A crowd of 5,935 watched Tennessee force 23 first-half turnovers and hold the Lady Eagles to two field goals in the first 13 minutes on the way to a 52-16 halftime lead.
Coach Pat Summitt credited junior-college transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste for the Lady Vols’ increase in speed from last year, when the transfer of Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood and an injury to Alexis Hornbuckle left UT without a true point guard down the stretch.
“Last year’s team, we were limited in terms of just our speed and quickness on the perimeter at times,” Summitt said. “This team can be a lot more disruptive.”
But it might be hard to top what the Lady Vols did in their debut.
They forced 36 Carson-Newman turnovers and held the Lady Eagles to 33.3-percent shooting for the game. They also had six scorers in double figures, led by Hornbuckle’s 21 points and seven assists.
“I think for the most part, they played well together both offensively and defensively,” Summitt said. “ … They really understand how good they can be if they play together.”
“We were playing pick-up with the guys,” Hornbuckle said. “And, for once, we were keeping up with them.”
The Lady Vols showed their newfound speed early and often in their preseason opener Wednesday night, using a suffocating full-court press to breeze past Division II Carson-Newman for a 104-49 win at Thompson-Boling Arena.
A crowd of 5,935 watched Tennessee force 23 first-half turnovers and hold the Lady Eagles to two field goals in the first 13 minutes on the way to a 52-16 halftime lead.
Coach Pat Summitt credited junior-college transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste for the Lady Vols’ increase in speed from last year, when the transfer of Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood and an injury to Alexis Hornbuckle left UT without a true point guard down the stretch.
“Last year’s team, we were limited in terms of just our speed and quickness on the perimeter at times,” Summitt said. “This team can be a lot more disruptive.”
But it might be hard to top what the Lady Vols did in their debut.
They forced 36 Carson-Newman turnovers and held the Lady Eagles to 33.3-percent shooting for the game. They also had six scorers in double figures, led by Hornbuckle’s 21 points and seven assists.
“I think for the most part, they played well together both offensively and defensively,” Summitt said. “ … They really understand how good they can be if they play together.”
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Size Matters To Lady Vols' Shannon Bobbitt
As the newest University of Tennessee Lady Vol point guard said during Monday’s Media Day in Knoxville, “It’s not about the size, it’s about the heart.”
The 5’2” junior transfer from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College won’t only be making steals on the court this season, she will undoubtedly be capturing the hearts of the Lady Vol faithful when she makes her debut at Thompson Boling Arena Wednesday night when fifth ranked UT hosts Carson-Newman in a 7 p.m. exhibition game.
The only Lady Vol shorter than Bobbitt was 5’1” Joy Scruggs of Cleveland who was a member of UT’s then rookie head coach Pat Summitt’s team 32 years ago.
Bobbitt’s height didn’t deter her from being named the 2006 WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) Junior/Community College Player of the Year for leading her former Cardinals team to a regional championship with a 30-2 overall record and a perfect 18-0 in conference play.
The Bronx, N.Y., native will be wearing jersey “00” for the Lady Vols, but her statistics at Trinity Valley were anything but zeroes.
Her 211 assists ranked third nationally with an average of 7.53 per game while scoring 16.4 points which attracted the attention of Summitt who was in desperate search of a point guard to replace the graduated Shanna Zolman with no successor in sight.
Summitt had not signed a player from the junior college ranks in almost three decades, the last being Cleveland’s Zandra Montgomery in 1977.
Now she has two. In addition to Bobbitt, Alberta Auguste of Central Florida Community College in Ocala has joined the Lady Vols. While Auguste is expected to be a key forward/guard reserve for UT, Bobbitt has cemented a spot in the starting lineup.
Off the court, Bobbitt is soft-spoken, but much to Summitt’s delight, her Texas transfer has quickly developed into a vocal leader on the court.
“Shannon has really done an outstanding job of coming in and being a take-charge person.” Summitt told reporters during Monday’s Media Day in Knoxville.
“She always takes responsibility for what happens on the floor whether it’s her fault or not.” she continued. “She is a true point guard. I have seen enough to know that we’re going to able to score more points in transition and on and off our defense because of her presence.”
Bobbitt said the transition from the tranquil junior college atmosphere to imminent Lady Vol prestige has been so far been seamless.
“It has been what I expected.” the psychology major said. “I know it’s going to be tough mentally and physically because of Pat’s style and coaching, but being the type of person I am, I’m well adjusted to that and so far it is going well.”
She had special words of praise for her new coach.
“She means business on the court, but off of it, she loves you like a daughter.”
Bobbitt was already acquainted with one of her new teammates. She has known fellow New Yorker Nicky Anosike since the two of them played against each other in seventh grade. Bobbitt said the Lady Vols have made her feel very welcome.
“We have connected well so far.” She said. “Everybody has a great chemistry and they make me laugh. We are bonding and we are going to make things happen.”
Bobbitt is also ready for the imminent fame in Knoxville and the endless lofty expectations that accompany being a Lady Vol.
“I’m just going to be Shannon.” She said. “I’m going to do whatever Pat needs me to do. I’m going to be myself, have fun and enjoy it.”
“We are going to have a great team this year.”
As for her height being a handicap….Bobbitt summed it up best.
“Don’t underestimate anyone.” she said. “Good things come in small packages.”
Summitt and her teammates know it already and soon so will everybody else.
The 5’2” junior transfer from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College won’t only be making steals on the court this season, she will undoubtedly be capturing the hearts of the Lady Vol faithful when she makes her debut at Thompson Boling Arena Wednesday night when fifth ranked UT hosts Carson-Newman in a 7 p.m. exhibition game.
The only Lady Vol shorter than Bobbitt was 5’1” Joy Scruggs of Cleveland who was a member of UT’s then rookie head coach Pat Summitt’s team 32 years ago.
Bobbitt’s height didn’t deter her from being named the 2006 WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) Junior/Community College Player of the Year for leading her former Cardinals team to a regional championship with a 30-2 overall record and a perfect 18-0 in conference play.
The Bronx, N.Y., native will be wearing jersey “00” for the Lady Vols, but her statistics at Trinity Valley were anything but zeroes.
Her 211 assists ranked third nationally with an average of 7.53 per game while scoring 16.4 points which attracted the attention of Summitt who was in desperate search of a point guard to replace the graduated Shanna Zolman with no successor in sight.
Summitt had not signed a player from the junior college ranks in almost three decades, the last being Cleveland’s Zandra Montgomery in 1977.
Now she has two. In addition to Bobbitt, Alberta Auguste of Central Florida Community College in Ocala has joined the Lady Vols. While Auguste is expected to be a key forward/guard reserve for UT, Bobbitt has cemented a spot in the starting lineup.
Off the court, Bobbitt is soft-spoken, but much to Summitt’s delight, her Texas transfer has quickly developed into a vocal leader on the court.
“Shannon has really done an outstanding job of coming in and being a take-charge person.” Summitt told reporters during Monday’s Media Day in Knoxville.
“She always takes responsibility for what happens on the floor whether it’s her fault or not.” she continued. “She is a true point guard. I have seen enough to know that we’re going to able to score more points in transition and on and off our defense because of her presence.”
Bobbitt said the transition from the tranquil junior college atmosphere to imminent Lady Vol prestige has been so far been seamless.
“It has been what I expected.” the psychology major said. “I know it’s going to be tough mentally and physically because of Pat’s style and coaching, but being the type of person I am, I’m well adjusted to that and so far it is going well.”
She had special words of praise for her new coach.
“She means business on the court, but off of it, she loves you like a daughter.”
Bobbitt was already acquainted with one of her new teammates. She has known fellow New Yorker Nicky Anosike since the two of them played against each other in seventh grade. Bobbitt said the Lady Vols have made her feel very welcome.
“We have connected well so far.” She said. “Everybody has a great chemistry and they make me laugh. We are bonding and we are going to make things happen.”
Bobbitt is also ready for the imminent fame in Knoxville and the endless lofty expectations that accompany being a Lady Vol.
“I’m just going to be Shannon.” She said. “I’m going to do whatever Pat needs me to do. I’m going to be myself, have fun and enjoy it.”
“We are going to have a great team this year.”
As for her height being a handicap….Bobbitt summed it up best.
“Don’t underestimate anyone.” she said. “Good things come in small packages.”
Summitt and her teammates know it already and soon so will everybody else.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Lady Vol Quotes On Media Day
LADY VOL HEAD COACH Pat Summitt
General comments on the Team: "Right now, I think our team is just making that needed improvement. That's what you want to do. Just make a little bit of progress each day. We had a good scrimmage on Sunday. That was the first time we put different combinations on the floor. We learned a lot, so it was good. Some of it wasn't all that impressive, but it gives us a gauge of where we are and what we need to do. We'll go back today and try to really tighten up our transition defense. Playing against practice squads was great experience because they really pushed the tempo on us and really spread the floor, so that was challenging. I thought that for the most part, we did some good things offensively. Our defense has to get a lot better. Rebounding in particular. We were very inconsistent on the boards. I like the quickness of our team. Shannon Bobbitt has really done an outstanding job of coming in, being vocal and being a leader, and just being a take-charge person. With Cait out right now, that is really important. Alexis [Hornbuckle] is going to back up Shannon at the head point guard position. She'll obviously be starting in the number two spot. That gives us two good point guards that understand how to push tempo and can also bring some pressure for us defensively."
On the starting lineup this year: "I would say our starting five would obviously be Shannon and Alexis in the backcourt, [Candace] Parker and [Nicky] Anosike inside and [Sidney] Spencer at the three. I think the good combination there with the three-four-five is that you have Parker who can play on the wing. Spencer looked great at the four. I think we have some options there in terms of how we play offensively and defensively. I like Sidney at the four. Obviously, Candace is a three, four, and five. She can play multiple positions, so I think that gives us a good front line look."
On Cait McMahan's progress: "She's doing great. You don't ever have to worry about her working hard. You would be more concerned that she would over train and that is something she has to be very mindful of. She has been great in her rehab. Jenny Moshak went with her for her check-up today and she is right on schedule. We don't want to try to push her to get ready for these exhibition games, but hopefully she will be ready for our opener against Chattanooga. "
On Parker: "I think Candace has been much more assertive at both ends, and defensively that would be huge for us. I think this team has the chemistry early. They know that they are going to face some adversity. I do think Candace is providing a better example in her play on both ends of the floor. With her experience with the World Championship Team, she has gotten a lot better. She has every reason to have tremendous confidence, and I think that filters throughout our team."
On defense: "We'll definitely hit defense hard and stay on it. This team has the speed and quickness to be very disruptive with their defense. It has to be a priority. With Shannon and Alberta [Auguste], I think the look of our team has changed defensively. In my opinion, Alex Fuller is the most improved basketball player and she's going to help us more defensively this year because she's a lot more mobile and wider on her feet. Again, you have to give her credit for the off-season she's had. You take that look and then, obviously with Candace and Nicky, we cover a lot of ground. We are just a quicker basketball team. I like the speed and the quickness because with that you can do a lot more things defensively and be a lot more creative and hopefully create more opportunities."
On the team's speed last year: "What we saw at the end of last season wasn't something I would describe as speed. I think we knew we were handicapped with Alexis' wrist. Shanna had to play the point and Candace had to play out of position and run the point as well. We just didn't have the overall speed. But you have to give this team credit for what they accomplished having to really adjust our philosophy from how we would like to play the game to how we needed to play the game to be successful. That is what great teams should do. Adjust when they have to adjust. When I look back, I think it was outstanding that they could go down and win that Southeastern Conference tournament. That was a tough run for us. I thought that really gave us some momentum going into postseason. We didn't exactly play the way we wanted to play. We couldn't extend our defense. We had to be a lot more creative in the half court, both offensively and defensively. "
On Parker as a team leader: "I definitely think Candace will step up. She has been more vocal in practice. I think she has certainly demonstrated what she can do on the floor, but I think she can also influence her teammates with just staying in touch with them. Whether it's from the bench or on the court, she certainly provides that kind of leadership. It brings a lot of stability to our basketball team. I think she and Shannon have really connected, which is a good thing. "
On Parker's Summer Experience: "I think, without question, Candace came back more confident in her game, more assertive and more physical in the paint. She had always been one to initiate contact. It's great to see her really post up and get on the block. It's tough for anyone to defend her one-on-one inside. She's going to draw a lot of double-team situations. She can really pass well out of that. In the college game, I would expect her to be double-teamed a tremendous amount in the post."
On the team's attitude this year versus last year: "I'll say this about the team's attitude, I think that the off-season pretty much told the tale about how they responded to not going to a Final Four. They got in the gym and worked really hard as a basketball team. That's when you win championships. This team really got a lot of workouts, took a lot of time to play pick-up and worked on their offensive skills. I thought that was a good indication that they will not take a Final Four for granted. We had been to four consecutive. Sidney and Dominique [Redding] didn't know what it was like not to go until we got beat in the Regional Finals last year. I think that really opened our eyes. There is no guarantee that it is going to happen every year. You have to make it happen. Your plan of attack should be to get better in the off-season."
On the pressure on Parker as a freshman last year: "I thought Candace handled it very well. You hope great players want to be in that position. Clearly, Candace wants to be in that position. She wants to be the go-to player. She's not a player that is going to do anything but step up. I like having a player like that. When you have one on your team, it really gives you an opportunity to make everyone around you better because of the attention she'll receive. Just like late in the SEC Championship game, there was no doubt she wanted that ball. When she came to the huddle I knew she wanted the ball. Obviously, she made the big shot at the end."
On the concern for Candace over the summer: "You're always concerned. When they go away for the summer you are concerned about the injuries and when they come you're concerned about them "hitting the wall," so to speak. That is why we gave her the time off. Candace is the type of player who loves the game and will take time off, but doesn't want to take a lot of time off. Just because of how she approaches the game, I feel good about where she is right now. I feel good about her going through this season and being challenged, but still being motivated. "
On the junior college transfers: "I think Shannon Bobbitt has been really impressive in her willingness to take on a vocal leadership role for our team. She always takes responsibility for what happens on the floor whether it's her fault or not. She is a true point guard. I have seen enough to know that we're going to be able to score more points in transition and off of our defense because of her presence. Same goes for Alberta Auguste. Alberta's the type of player that likes to play defense and has an aggressive mindset on the offensive end. I think the two of them have made a big difference already in what we want to do in terms of our defensive scheme and up-tempo basketball. I'm excited about what both Alberta and Shannon bring to our team. It's going to be a different look for us from a year ago just in terms of the pace of the game and the way we extend our defense and get after people and hopefully generate offense off of our defense."
SENIOR Elizabeth Curry
On the transition from a manager to a player: "It is obviously two different worlds, but at the same time it's something I got to see the last few years. I definitely respect the girls coming into it. I know the work they put in, but now I get to see it from a different side. It's definitely a challenge, but I'm excited. I'm looking forward to whatever the team and coach asks of me."
On the thought of playing for the Lady Vols when choosing to come to UT: "I had thought about it when I was in junior high school, but when I was in high school I was looking into Division III schools. I looked at UT for pre-veterinary medicine or basketball, but definitely from just the manager's standpoint."
On being a Lady Vol: "It's a dream come true, but it's a dream I hadn't thought about and hadn't seen. I am definitely excited and it's going to be a fun challenge."
SENIOR Dominique Redding
On taking on a leadership role as a senior: "Obviously I'm in a leadership position. I just have to go out there and work hard everyday to set a good example. My personal goal this season is to play real hard. The last three years I have underachieved in my eyes. I had a great summer working out, so I just want to go out and prove to myself that I can play. My goal for this team this season is to win every game; just play each game one game at a time and not to look ahead. I've learned not to take anything for granted. I have learned a lot."
SENIOR Sidney Spencer
On being a senior: "Being a senior is different because I'm looked to more as a leader and to serve in that role. I have more responsibility off the court as well. I have to make sure I know when practice is, and stuff like that, so I can help my teammates do the things we all need to do to be successful. I'm just trying to lead by example and go hard every play in practice to prepare for the season."
On missing the 2006 Final Four and how it will affect the attitude of the team this season: "Well, from the get-go this season we have to focus on taking each game one game at a time. We can't overlook any team, not that we do anyway, because a loss here or there can have a great effect in our conference and in who appears in our NCAA bracket to get to the Final Four. Every game matters, and we need to make sure we go out and take care of business each and every time."
On the newcomers: "Something we were missing last year was a true point guard. Alexis is awesome, but should be allowed to create more as a shooting guard. Having Shannon and Cait come in frees her up more to do just that. They've both done really well being the quarterback of our team. They all are always watching film and trying to get better. Alberta brings great effort, gets to the rim, rebounds well and gets steals. Nicci will be a great 3-4 player and provides us with a versatile presence at that position."
JUNIOR Nicky Anosike
On her expanded role after the graduation of Tye'sha Fluker: "We definitely miss Tye, she was getting 10 points and several boards a game. I know I need to pick up the slack and pick up where she left off. Hopefully I can do a little more. I had the defense going last year, but if I could just find the offense, I think I could help the team out a whole lot."
On how she feels going into the season: "I feel good. I feel like I'm in great shape. Last year I felt like I was in pretty good shape too, but I think I was able to work on more of my individual game this summer. Last summer I played international ball and didn't get a chance to do that as much."
On the areas she has worked on the most: "Definitely my face-up game and extending my range as far as my jump shot, and just working on getting as many easy points as I can. Basically that means free throws and easy layups, stuff like that."
On the increased speed of the team: "We definitely added some speed and quickness on the perimeter. That's definitely going to change the tempo. It's going to change my role. Last year I had to step out and guard on the perimeter. We have other people who can do that now. It's definitely going to change our style of play."
JUNIOR Alberta Auguste
On preparing for the season: "Over the summer, I did a lot of conditioning. I came here in June and took some summer classes. I worked out with the other transfer, Shannon Bobbitt, and Alexis Hornbuckle. I'm just ready for it now. I feel like I put a lot work into conditioning so now its time to play basketball."
On a game she is particularly excited about: "I really don't care about who we play or in what month. It doesn't really matter to me, I'm just ready. I take it one game at a time. "
On team chemistry: "The team chemistry is good. We get along with each other really well. We just have to bring it on the court. Off the court we have good chemistry and on the court we have good chemistry. We just gel together. If we keep it like that through the season, we won't have any problems this year."
JUNIOR Shannon Bobbitt
On the upcoming season: "I'm definitely excited about this year. Being a junior college transfer, it is definitely an honor for me to be here. I'm looking forward to every single game that we play, starting on Wednesday. This year, we are going to have quickness and speed so we will have a chance to win it all. "
On being a Lady Vol: "I'm playing at one of the top programs and playing for Pat [Summitt]. That shows that there is a great future for me."
On preparing: "We've been communicating with each other on and off the court, getting familiar with each other, forming a bond. We've just been enjoying each other. The chemistry is great. Everyone plays their own type of style, but everyone gives whatever they can to the whole team. We're going to be great."
On the preseason rankings: "I really don't care about being the underdog as long as we finish on top."
JUNIOR Alexis Hornbuckle
On the change in her role with the increased speed on the team: "I think we've got a lot more quickness across the board with Shannon and Bird. Their quickness and tenacity is going to help us a lot. I'm a little bit happier to be playing on the wing. It's challenging being a point guard for Pat Summitt. But at the same time, it brings so much character out of you that you didn't even know was a part of you. It helps you out in many ways, but the wing position is my natural position. I like playing the wing because I can get out and run. I don't have to worry about coming to the ball necessarily. I'm looking forward to seeing how different of a player I am this year."
On playing point guard for Tennessee: "It puts you in check because you have to think about every move. At point guard for Pat Summitt, you are the floor coach. So everything that happens falls back on you whether it's your fault or not. You have to be mentally tough and prepared to take it. It's constructive criticism, but at the same time, if you're not used to it, it could easily break you down."
On what the team learned last season: "We definitely learned that nothing is guaranteed. I know when I was younger, you'd always say, `Oh, Tennessee's automatically going to be in the Final Four.' Last year put everything into perspective as far as knowing that you have to work for everything you want. I think this year we took that into consideration in the summer and especially in the preseason, just getting in the gym and working on individual games and trying to pull everybody together as a team."
On avoiding overconfidence: "It's not that we walked on the floor knowing that the win is guaranteed, we knew we had to go out there and work for it. But in the end, no matter how we played, we might have thought we were going to come out on top. This year, we know that we can't take possessions off, we can't have that mentality."
On her wrist: "My wrist is doing pretty well. It doesn't quite feel the same, but I can go out there and play without a brace. Sometimes if I fall wrong or if a ball is thrown too hard and I catch it a certain way, it stings a little bit. But it will be interesting to see how it holds up throughout the season."
SOPHOMORE Candace Parker
On the end of last season: "Our goal is to win a national championship. We definitely had a great team. One thing I learned from last year is that every possession and every game is important."
On working hard in the off-season: "Training has been in the back of our mind since we lost to North Carolina. We've been working on putting up shots, working on our positions and putting ourselves in game situations."
On the work-out routine with the U.S. team: "I learned a lot. (Former Lady Vol Tamika) Catchings and I used to go lift. International games are a lot more physical."
SOPHOMORE Alex Fuller
Thoughts on the upcoming season: "I'm really excited about this season. I think we're a quicker team this year, so we'll be able to push the ball more. I like playing with the newcomers."
On the newcomers: "Shannon and (Alberta) bring quickness, they're both quick guards that like to push the ball. Nicci is a body inside and a good rebounder. Cait is a leader at the point, and she is very physical."
On working hard during the offseason: "I was here for a month, but I did most of my offseason work at home. I didn't really have a set plan. I just shot a lot, played some pick-up games. It's made me feel more comfortable with my shot, and it has me comfortable handling the ball and doing things that I'm not used to doing."
FRESHMAN Cait McMahan
On how she feels going into the season: "(The knee) is doing great. I'm ready to go for the season. I am very excited. It's probably the most excited I've ever been to play basketball in my life."
On being a Lady Vol: "It means a lot for me to be a Lady Vol. It means even more to me because I grew up so close to UT."
On the biggest surprise so far at UT: "It's taken a lot of effort to get used to the speed difference. It's a tough adjustment going from high school to college, but I'm getting used to it."
FRESHMAN Nicci Moats
On college life: "It has been a very big adjustment. I was really home sick at first but it's really been great. The team and coaches have really helped me feel comfortable down here. I think the biggest adjustment has been the pace of the game because the last game I played was a high school game. Playing in college at a big school was probably the biggest adjustment."
On being on a team with a legendary coach: "I love it. It's been my dream, and right now, I am honored to be on this team."
On what she has learned since being at UT: "I've learned a lot of mental things. A lot of the little things, like rebounding and boxing out, I've just realized are a big part of the game. I'm not just focusing on scoring and the points."
On her strengths as a player: "I definitely think rebounding will be a big thing for me, using my size. I know that is one of the reasons the coaches recruited me and hopefully I can just live up to my expectations and potential."
On being at Tennessee: "At first, I was intimidated by a big school, but then once I came down here, I was so comfortable with the fans and just the support that you have. I think I will play so much better with the loud fans and crowds, so I am excited."
General comments on the Team: "Right now, I think our team is just making that needed improvement. That's what you want to do. Just make a little bit of progress each day. We had a good scrimmage on Sunday. That was the first time we put different combinations on the floor. We learned a lot, so it was good. Some of it wasn't all that impressive, but it gives us a gauge of where we are and what we need to do. We'll go back today and try to really tighten up our transition defense. Playing against practice squads was great experience because they really pushed the tempo on us and really spread the floor, so that was challenging. I thought that for the most part, we did some good things offensively. Our defense has to get a lot better. Rebounding in particular. We were very inconsistent on the boards. I like the quickness of our team. Shannon Bobbitt has really done an outstanding job of coming in, being vocal and being a leader, and just being a take-charge person. With Cait out right now, that is really important. Alexis [Hornbuckle] is going to back up Shannon at the head point guard position. She'll obviously be starting in the number two spot. That gives us two good point guards that understand how to push tempo and can also bring some pressure for us defensively."
On the starting lineup this year: "I would say our starting five would obviously be Shannon and Alexis in the backcourt, [Candace] Parker and [Nicky] Anosike inside and [Sidney] Spencer at the three. I think the good combination there with the three-four-five is that you have Parker who can play on the wing. Spencer looked great at the four. I think we have some options there in terms of how we play offensively and defensively. I like Sidney at the four. Obviously, Candace is a three, four, and five. She can play multiple positions, so I think that gives us a good front line look."
On Cait McMahan's progress: "She's doing great. You don't ever have to worry about her working hard. You would be more concerned that she would over train and that is something she has to be very mindful of. She has been great in her rehab. Jenny Moshak went with her for her check-up today and she is right on schedule. We don't want to try to push her to get ready for these exhibition games, but hopefully she will be ready for our opener against Chattanooga. "
On Parker: "I think Candace has been much more assertive at both ends, and defensively that would be huge for us. I think this team has the chemistry early. They know that they are going to face some adversity. I do think Candace is providing a better example in her play on both ends of the floor. With her experience with the World Championship Team, she has gotten a lot better. She has every reason to have tremendous confidence, and I think that filters throughout our team."
On defense: "We'll definitely hit defense hard and stay on it. This team has the speed and quickness to be very disruptive with their defense. It has to be a priority. With Shannon and Alberta [Auguste], I think the look of our team has changed defensively. In my opinion, Alex Fuller is the most improved basketball player and she's going to help us more defensively this year because she's a lot more mobile and wider on her feet. Again, you have to give her credit for the off-season she's had. You take that look and then, obviously with Candace and Nicky, we cover a lot of ground. We are just a quicker basketball team. I like the speed and the quickness because with that you can do a lot more things defensively and be a lot more creative and hopefully create more opportunities."
On the team's speed last year: "What we saw at the end of last season wasn't something I would describe as speed. I think we knew we were handicapped with Alexis' wrist. Shanna had to play the point and Candace had to play out of position and run the point as well. We just didn't have the overall speed. But you have to give this team credit for what they accomplished having to really adjust our philosophy from how we would like to play the game to how we needed to play the game to be successful. That is what great teams should do. Adjust when they have to adjust. When I look back, I think it was outstanding that they could go down and win that Southeastern Conference tournament. That was a tough run for us. I thought that really gave us some momentum going into postseason. We didn't exactly play the way we wanted to play. We couldn't extend our defense. We had to be a lot more creative in the half court, both offensively and defensively. "
On Parker as a team leader: "I definitely think Candace will step up. She has been more vocal in practice. I think she has certainly demonstrated what she can do on the floor, but I think she can also influence her teammates with just staying in touch with them. Whether it's from the bench or on the court, she certainly provides that kind of leadership. It brings a lot of stability to our basketball team. I think she and Shannon have really connected, which is a good thing. "
On Parker's Summer Experience: "I think, without question, Candace came back more confident in her game, more assertive and more physical in the paint. She had always been one to initiate contact. It's great to see her really post up and get on the block. It's tough for anyone to defend her one-on-one inside. She's going to draw a lot of double-team situations. She can really pass well out of that. In the college game, I would expect her to be double-teamed a tremendous amount in the post."
On the team's attitude this year versus last year: "I'll say this about the team's attitude, I think that the off-season pretty much told the tale about how they responded to not going to a Final Four. They got in the gym and worked really hard as a basketball team. That's when you win championships. This team really got a lot of workouts, took a lot of time to play pick-up and worked on their offensive skills. I thought that was a good indication that they will not take a Final Four for granted. We had been to four consecutive. Sidney and Dominique [Redding] didn't know what it was like not to go until we got beat in the Regional Finals last year. I think that really opened our eyes. There is no guarantee that it is going to happen every year. You have to make it happen. Your plan of attack should be to get better in the off-season."
On the pressure on Parker as a freshman last year: "I thought Candace handled it very well. You hope great players want to be in that position. Clearly, Candace wants to be in that position. She wants to be the go-to player. She's not a player that is going to do anything but step up. I like having a player like that. When you have one on your team, it really gives you an opportunity to make everyone around you better because of the attention she'll receive. Just like late in the SEC Championship game, there was no doubt she wanted that ball. When she came to the huddle I knew she wanted the ball. Obviously, she made the big shot at the end."
On the concern for Candace over the summer: "You're always concerned. When they go away for the summer you are concerned about the injuries and when they come you're concerned about them "hitting the wall," so to speak. That is why we gave her the time off. Candace is the type of player who loves the game and will take time off, but doesn't want to take a lot of time off. Just because of how she approaches the game, I feel good about where she is right now. I feel good about her going through this season and being challenged, but still being motivated. "
On the junior college transfers: "I think Shannon Bobbitt has been really impressive in her willingness to take on a vocal leadership role for our team. She always takes responsibility for what happens on the floor whether it's her fault or not. She is a true point guard. I have seen enough to know that we're going to be able to score more points in transition and off of our defense because of her presence. Same goes for Alberta Auguste. Alberta's the type of player that likes to play defense and has an aggressive mindset on the offensive end. I think the two of them have made a big difference already in what we want to do in terms of our defensive scheme and up-tempo basketball. I'm excited about what both Alberta and Shannon bring to our team. It's going to be a different look for us from a year ago just in terms of the pace of the game and the way we extend our defense and get after people and hopefully generate offense off of our defense."
SENIOR Elizabeth Curry
On the transition from a manager to a player: "It is obviously two different worlds, but at the same time it's something I got to see the last few years. I definitely respect the girls coming into it. I know the work they put in, but now I get to see it from a different side. It's definitely a challenge, but I'm excited. I'm looking forward to whatever the team and coach asks of me."
On the thought of playing for the Lady Vols when choosing to come to UT: "I had thought about it when I was in junior high school, but when I was in high school I was looking into Division III schools. I looked at UT for pre-veterinary medicine or basketball, but definitely from just the manager's standpoint."
On being a Lady Vol: "It's a dream come true, but it's a dream I hadn't thought about and hadn't seen. I am definitely excited and it's going to be a fun challenge."
SENIOR Dominique Redding
On taking on a leadership role as a senior: "Obviously I'm in a leadership position. I just have to go out there and work hard everyday to set a good example. My personal goal this season is to play real hard. The last three years I have underachieved in my eyes. I had a great summer working out, so I just want to go out and prove to myself that I can play. My goal for this team this season is to win every game; just play each game one game at a time and not to look ahead. I've learned not to take anything for granted. I have learned a lot."
SENIOR Sidney Spencer
On being a senior: "Being a senior is different because I'm looked to more as a leader and to serve in that role. I have more responsibility off the court as well. I have to make sure I know when practice is, and stuff like that, so I can help my teammates do the things we all need to do to be successful. I'm just trying to lead by example and go hard every play in practice to prepare for the season."
On missing the 2006 Final Four and how it will affect the attitude of the team this season: "Well, from the get-go this season we have to focus on taking each game one game at a time. We can't overlook any team, not that we do anyway, because a loss here or there can have a great effect in our conference and in who appears in our NCAA bracket to get to the Final Four. Every game matters, and we need to make sure we go out and take care of business each and every time."
On the newcomers: "Something we were missing last year was a true point guard. Alexis is awesome, but should be allowed to create more as a shooting guard. Having Shannon and Cait come in frees her up more to do just that. They've both done really well being the quarterback of our team. They all are always watching film and trying to get better. Alberta brings great effort, gets to the rim, rebounds well and gets steals. Nicci will be a great 3-4 player and provides us with a versatile presence at that position."
JUNIOR Nicky Anosike
On her expanded role after the graduation of Tye'sha Fluker: "We definitely miss Tye, she was getting 10 points and several boards a game. I know I need to pick up the slack and pick up where she left off. Hopefully I can do a little more. I had the defense going last year, but if I could just find the offense, I think I could help the team out a whole lot."
On how she feels going into the season: "I feel good. I feel like I'm in great shape. Last year I felt like I was in pretty good shape too, but I think I was able to work on more of my individual game this summer. Last summer I played international ball and didn't get a chance to do that as much."
On the areas she has worked on the most: "Definitely my face-up game and extending my range as far as my jump shot, and just working on getting as many easy points as I can. Basically that means free throws and easy layups, stuff like that."
On the increased speed of the team: "We definitely added some speed and quickness on the perimeter. That's definitely going to change the tempo. It's going to change my role. Last year I had to step out and guard on the perimeter. We have other people who can do that now. It's definitely going to change our style of play."
JUNIOR Alberta Auguste
On preparing for the season: "Over the summer, I did a lot of conditioning. I came here in June and took some summer classes. I worked out with the other transfer, Shannon Bobbitt, and Alexis Hornbuckle. I'm just ready for it now. I feel like I put a lot work into conditioning so now its time to play basketball."
On a game she is particularly excited about: "I really don't care about who we play or in what month. It doesn't really matter to me, I'm just ready. I take it one game at a time. "
On team chemistry: "The team chemistry is good. We get along with each other really well. We just have to bring it on the court. Off the court we have good chemistry and on the court we have good chemistry. We just gel together. If we keep it like that through the season, we won't have any problems this year."
JUNIOR Shannon Bobbitt
On the upcoming season: "I'm definitely excited about this year. Being a junior college transfer, it is definitely an honor for me to be here. I'm looking forward to every single game that we play, starting on Wednesday. This year, we are going to have quickness and speed so we will have a chance to win it all. "
On being a Lady Vol: "I'm playing at one of the top programs and playing for Pat [Summitt]. That shows that there is a great future for me."
On preparing: "We've been communicating with each other on and off the court, getting familiar with each other, forming a bond. We've just been enjoying each other. The chemistry is great. Everyone plays their own type of style, but everyone gives whatever they can to the whole team. We're going to be great."
On the preseason rankings: "I really don't care about being the underdog as long as we finish on top."
JUNIOR Alexis Hornbuckle
On the change in her role with the increased speed on the team: "I think we've got a lot more quickness across the board with Shannon and Bird. Their quickness and tenacity is going to help us a lot. I'm a little bit happier to be playing on the wing. It's challenging being a point guard for Pat Summitt. But at the same time, it brings so much character out of you that you didn't even know was a part of you. It helps you out in many ways, but the wing position is my natural position. I like playing the wing because I can get out and run. I don't have to worry about coming to the ball necessarily. I'm looking forward to seeing how different of a player I am this year."
On playing point guard for Tennessee: "It puts you in check because you have to think about every move. At point guard for Pat Summitt, you are the floor coach. So everything that happens falls back on you whether it's your fault or not. You have to be mentally tough and prepared to take it. It's constructive criticism, but at the same time, if you're not used to it, it could easily break you down."
On what the team learned last season: "We definitely learned that nothing is guaranteed. I know when I was younger, you'd always say, `Oh, Tennessee's automatically going to be in the Final Four.' Last year put everything into perspective as far as knowing that you have to work for everything you want. I think this year we took that into consideration in the summer and especially in the preseason, just getting in the gym and working on individual games and trying to pull everybody together as a team."
On avoiding overconfidence: "It's not that we walked on the floor knowing that the win is guaranteed, we knew we had to go out there and work for it. But in the end, no matter how we played, we might have thought we were going to come out on top. This year, we know that we can't take possessions off, we can't have that mentality."
On her wrist: "My wrist is doing pretty well. It doesn't quite feel the same, but I can go out there and play without a brace. Sometimes if I fall wrong or if a ball is thrown too hard and I catch it a certain way, it stings a little bit. But it will be interesting to see how it holds up throughout the season."
SOPHOMORE Candace Parker
On the end of last season: "Our goal is to win a national championship. We definitely had a great team. One thing I learned from last year is that every possession and every game is important."
On working hard in the off-season: "Training has been in the back of our mind since we lost to North Carolina. We've been working on putting up shots, working on our positions and putting ourselves in game situations."
On the work-out routine with the U.S. team: "I learned a lot. (Former Lady Vol Tamika) Catchings and I used to go lift. International games are a lot more physical."
SOPHOMORE Alex Fuller
Thoughts on the upcoming season: "I'm really excited about this season. I think we're a quicker team this year, so we'll be able to push the ball more. I like playing with the newcomers."
On the newcomers: "Shannon and (Alberta) bring quickness, they're both quick guards that like to push the ball. Nicci is a body inside and a good rebounder. Cait is a leader at the point, and she is very physical."
On working hard during the offseason: "I was here for a month, but I did most of my offseason work at home. I didn't really have a set plan. I just shot a lot, played some pick-up games. It's made me feel more comfortable with my shot, and it has me comfortable handling the ball and doing things that I'm not used to doing."
FRESHMAN Cait McMahan
On how she feels going into the season: "(The knee) is doing great. I'm ready to go for the season. I am very excited. It's probably the most excited I've ever been to play basketball in my life."
On being a Lady Vol: "It means a lot for me to be a Lady Vol. It means even more to me because I grew up so close to UT."
On the biggest surprise so far at UT: "It's taken a lot of effort to get used to the speed difference. It's a tough adjustment going from high school to college, but I'm getting used to it."
FRESHMAN Nicci Moats
On college life: "It has been a very big adjustment. I was really home sick at first but it's really been great. The team and coaches have really helped me feel comfortable down here. I think the biggest adjustment has been the pace of the game because the last game I played was a high school game. Playing in college at a big school was probably the biggest adjustment."
On being on a team with a legendary coach: "I love it. It's been my dream, and right now, I am honored to be on this team."
On what she has learned since being at UT: "I've learned a lot of mental things. A lot of the little things, like rebounding and boxing out, I've just realized are a big part of the game. I'm not just focusing on scoring and the points."
On her strengths as a player: "I definitely think rebounding will be a big thing for me, using my size. I know that is one of the reasons the coaches recruited me and hopefully I can just live up to my expectations and potential."
On being at Tennessee: "At first, I was intimidated by a big school, but then once I came down here, I was so comfortable with the fans and just the support that you have. I think I will play so much better with the loud fans and crowds, so I am excited."
Spencer: "Lady Vols Are A Work In Progress"
Spencer: "Lady Vols Are A Work In Progress"
When Tennessee Lady Vol senior forward Sidney Spencer was asked about the prospects of her 2006-07 basketball team, she responded by stating that the team was "a work in progress, but nobody should push us aside."
Of course, with five newcomers on the roster this season including the first two junior college transfers (forward Alberta Auguste and 5'2" point guard Shannon Bobbitt) in almost three decades combined with the task of replacing five players from last season - Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman to graduation and the decisions by Sybil Dosty, Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood and Lindsey Moss to transfer to other universities, the Lady Vols will indeed have a different look when the team makes their season debut Wednesday night hosting Carson-Newman College in an exhibition game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Nevertheless, the off season changes didn't prevent the Lady Vols from being a unanimous choice to win the Southeastern Conference championship during last week's media gathering in Birmingham.
It was also no surprise that sophomore All-American Candace Parker, the youngest member of Team USA that won the bronze medal at the recent world championships, was unanimously acclaimed the Player of the Year.
After the season ended in a loss to eventual national runner-up North Carolina at March's Cleveland Regional Final, Spencer and her remaining teammates - fellow senior Dominique Redding, juniors Nicky Anosike and second team All-SEC selection Alexis Hornbuckle as well as Parker and her classmate Alex Fuller wasted little time in preparing for the upcoming season.
From informal practices in April, gym workouts in June and pickup games in July that sometimes included members of the men's team, the ladies held each other accountable for being prepared for the official workouts that began earlier this month.
Spencer, the 6'3" forward from Hoover, Ala., who established herself as a Lady Vol sharpshooter last season with her career high 21 point performances against heated rival Connecticut and conference foe Louisiana State, revealed that UT coach Pat Summitt has conducted practices a bit differently this go-around.
"She wants us to pay attention to details," Spencer said. "We have been working on game situations instead of drills. We haven't done a lot of that in the past, but now I think we are going to be a couple of steps ahead defensively."
Spencer has a warning for Lady Vol opponents who were at wit's end last season on how to cope with Parker who rewrote the NCAA and Tennessee record books by becoming the first female to perform two slam-dunks in a tournament game, scoring in double figures in 33 of 36 games and placing 13th in all-time UT career blocks with 86 for starters.
"She's improved on her turnaround jump shot and that was something she really wanted to work on," Spencer stated.
"I definitely would not want to play against her. I am so glad she's on my team," she added.
Spencer is also excited about the additions of Bobbitt ("She is quick and I like her leadership and communication") and Auguste ("A great defender") as well as freshmen Cait McMahan from Maryville's Heritage High and Nicci Moats along with senior walk-on Elizabeth Curry, who was head manager last season.
Bobbitt, who joins the Lady Vols from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Tex., was the 2006 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Junior/Community College Player of the Year and a Kodak All-American.
She averaged 7.53 assists per game to rank third in the nation with a total of 211 and averaged 16.4 points per game in leading Trinity Valley to a 30-2 record.
Auguste, a 5'11" guard/forward, was the nation's second leading NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) scorer averaging 23.6 points per game at Central Florida Community College in Ocala and third in steals with an average of just over five per outing.
McMahan, who is currently sidelined for an unannounced period due to recent knee surgery, scored a record 2,315 points in her career at Heritage while racking up numerous national, state and district honors.
Despite having knee surgery during her senior season at Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville, Virginia, the 6'2" Moats averaged 15.4 points and 11.3 rebounds throughout her playing days.
Spencer is ready for her final season as a Lady Vol, but said that while she will miss the presence of her best friend Zolman on the court, she also knows that the newlywed is nearby for advice.
"Having her at my access has been being a phone call or a short drive away," she said.
"It's been good to see how I've grown with her and to be now applying it by myself. She has helped me so much."
Spencer also has the greatest praise for her head coach Summitt, the legend who will be starting her 33rd season at the Lady Vol helm on the court named in her honor.
"She has taught me what it means to be a real woman of character. On the court you learn all the aspects of being a great team player and what it means to have communication, discipline and accountability. Off the court, she has taught us to be respected women and that is something I cherish."
However, when all is said and done, Spencer, who wears jersey number one and is a devout Christian who traveled to Belize, Brazil and the Dominican Republic this summer, knows her priorities.
"The most important thing I have learned is that it is not all about basketball and winning," she said. "It's about me playing for God and basketball is a platform for Him."
When Tennessee Lady Vol senior forward Sidney Spencer was asked about the prospects of her 2006-07 basketball team, she responded by stating that the team was "a work in progress, but nobody should push us aside."
Of course, with five newcomers on the roster this season including the first two junior college transfers (forward Alberta Auguste and 5'2" point guard Shannon Bobbitt) in almost three decades combined with the task of replacing five players from last season - Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman to graduation and the decisions by Sybil Dosty, Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood and Lindsey Moss to transfer to other universities, the Lady Vols will indeed have a different look when the team makes their season debut Wednesday night hosting Carson-Newman College in an exhibition game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Nevertheless, the off season changes didn't prevent the Lady Vols from being a unanimous choice to win the Southeastern Conference championship during last week's media gathering in Birmingham.
It was also no surprise that sophomore All-American Candace Parker, the youngest member of Team USA that won the bronze medal at the recent world championships, was unanimously acclaimed the Player of the Year.
After the season ended in a loss to eventual national runner-up North Carolina at March's Cleveland Regional Final, Spencer and her remaining teammates - fellow senior Dominique Redding, juniors Nicky Anosike and second team All-SEC selection Alexis Hornbuckle as well as Parker and her classmate Alex Fuller wasted little time in preparing for the upcoming season.
From informal practices in April, gym workouts in June and pickup games in July that sometimes included members of the men's team, the ladies held each other accountable for being prepared for the official workouts that began earlier this month.
Spencer, the 6'3" forward from Hoover, Ala., who established herself as a Lady Vol sharpshooter last season with her career high 21 point performances against heated rival Connecticut and conference foe Louisiana State, revealed that UT coach Pat Summitt has conducted practices a bit differently this go-around.
"She wants us to pay attention to details," Spencer said. "We have been working on game situations instead of drills. We haven't done a lot of that in the past, but now I think we are going to be a couple of steps ahead defensively."
Spencer has a warning for Lady Vol opponents who were at wit's end last season on how to cope with Parker who rewrote the NCAA and Tennessee record books by becoming the first female to perform two slam-dunks in a tournament game, scoring in double figures in 33 of 36 games and placing 13th in all-time UT career blocks with 86 for starters.
"She's improved on her turnaround jump shot and that was something she really wanted to work on," Spencer stated.
"I definitely would not want to play against her. I am so glad she's on my team," she added.
Spencer is also excited about the additions of Bobbitt ("She is quick and I like her leadership and communication") and Auguste ("A great defender") as well as freshmen Cait McMahan from Maryville's Heritage High and Nicci Moats along with senior walk-on Elizabeth Curry, who was head manager last season.
Bobbitt, who joins the Lady Vols from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Tex., was the 2006 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Junior/Community College Player of the Year and a Kodak All-American.
She averaged 7.53 assists per game to rank third in the nation with a total of 211 and averaged 16.4 points per game in leading Trinity Valley to a 30-2 record.
Auguste, a 5'11" guard/forward, was the nation's second leading NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) scorer averaging 23.6 points per game at Central Florida Community College in Ocala and third in steals with an average of just over five per outing.
McMahan, who is currently sidelined for an unannounced period due to recent knee surgery, scored a record 2,315 points in her career at Heritage while racking up numerous national, state and district honors.
Despite having knee surgery during her senior season at Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville, Virginia, the 6'2" Moats averaged 15.4 points and 11.3 rebounds throughout her playing days.
Spencer is ready for her final season as a Lady Vol, but said that while she will miss the presence of her best friend Zolman on the court, she also knows that the newlywed is nearby for advice.
"Having her at my access has been being a phone call or a short drive away," she said.
"It's been good to see how I've grown with her and to be now applying it by myself. She has helped me so much."
Spencer also has the greatest praise for her head coach Summitt, the legend who will be starting her 33rd season at the Lady Vol helm on the court named in her honor.
"She has taught me what it means to be a real woman of character. On the court you learn all the aspects of being a great team player and what it means to have communication, discipline and accountability. Off the court, she has taught us to be respected women and that is something I cherish."
However, when all is said and done, Spencer, who wears jersey number one and is a devout Christian who traveled to Belize, Brazil and the Dominican Republic this summer, knows her priorities.
"The most important thing I have learned is that it is not all about basketball and winning," she said. "It's about me playing for God and basketball is a platform for Him."
Friday, October 27, 2006
Lady Vols Picked First In SEC
The Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team was selected to finish first in the conference in a unanimous vote by the media on Thursday at the Southeastern Conference Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. Sophomore hoopster Candace Parker led the way for the Big Orange with a selection as the unanimous choice for SEC Player of the Year.
Nineteen media voted in Thursday's preseason SEC picks. Georgia and Louisiana State were tabbed to finish second and third, respectively, behind the Orange and White.
Parker garnered preseason SEC Player of the Year honors and was also named to the preseason All-SEC First Team, after receiving first team accolades from the league's coaches on Monday. The Naperville, Ill., native and Sylvia Fowles (LSU) were the only two unanimous first team selections, according to the media.
Already chosen to the coaches All-SEC second team, Alexis Hornbuckle - the Lady Vols top defensive player - returns for her junior campaign with a spot on the media's preseason All-SEC second team.
Six-time SEC Coach of the Year Pat Summitt has guided Big Orange to 13 SEC regular season crowns and 12 SEC Tournament Championships, including victories over regular season titlist LSU for the league tournament championship in 2005 and 2006. Tennessee claimed the regular season crown every year from 1998 to 2004.
The Lady Vols tip off the season with an exhibition contest against Carson-Newman at 7:00 p.m. on November 1 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Team Preseason Rankings
*1. TENNESSEE 19
2. Georgia 48
3. LSU 51
4. Vanderbilt 85
5. Kentucky 91
6. Florida 126
7. Ole Miss 146
8. Auburn 150
9. South Carolina 163
10. Arkansas 182
11. Alabama 203
12. Mississippi State 218
All-SEC First Team (Listed by Vote Total)
* Candace Parker, TENNESSEE 19
Sylvia Fowles, LSU 19
Tasha Humphrey, Georgia 18
Armintie Price, Ole Miss 17
Sha Brooks, Florida 7
All-SEC Second Team (Listed by Vote Total)
Dee-Davis, Vanderbilt 6
Cori Chambers, Georgia 3
Carly Ormerod, Kentucky 2
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn 1
Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee 1
Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt 1
Angel Robinson, Georgia 1
Player of the Year
* Candace Parker, TENNESSEE 19
Nineteen media voted in Thursday's preseason SEC picks. Georgia and Louisiana State were tabbed to finish second and third, respectively, behind the Orange and White.
Parker garnered preseason SEC Player of the Year honors and was also named to the preseason All-SEC First Team, after receiving first team accolades from the league's coaches on Monday. The Naperville, Ill., native and Sylvia Fowles (LSU) were the only two unanimous first team selections, according to the media.
Already chosen to the coaches All-SEC second team, Alexis Hornbuckle - the Lady Vols top defensive player - returns for her junior campaign with a spot on the media's preseason All-SEC second team.
Six-time SEC Coach of the Year Pat Summitt has guided Big Orange to 13 SEC regular season crowns and 12 SEC Tournament Championships, including victories over regular season titlist LSU for the league tournament championship in 2005 and 2006. Tennessee claimed the regular season crown every year from 1998 to 2004.
The Lady Vols tip off the season with an exhibition contest against Carson-Newman at 7:00 p.m. on November 1 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Team Preseason Rankings
*1. TENNESSEE 19
2. Georgia 48
3. LSU 51
4. Vanderbilt 85
5. Kentucky 91
6. Florida 126
7. Ole Miss 146
8. Auburn 150
9. South Carolina 163
10. Arkansas 182
11. Alabama 203
12. Mississippi State 218
All-SEC First Team (Listed by Vote Total)
* Candace Parker, TENNESSEE 19
Sylvia Fowles, LSU 19
Tasha Humphrey, Georgia 18
Armintie Price, Ole Miss 17
Sha Brooks, Florida 7
All-SEC Second Team (Listed by Vote Total)
Dee-Davis, Vanderbilt 6
Cori Chambers, Georgia 3
Carly Ormerod, Kentucky 2
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn 1
Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee 1
Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt 1
Angel Robinson, Georgia 1
Player of the Year
* Candace Parker, TENNESSEE 19
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