Tampa, Fla. - University of Tennessee junior basketball star Candace Parker was tabbed a 2008 State Farm Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American, announced the WBCA on Saturday. Parker was one of two Southeastern Conference Players on the 10-woman team.
“It is such an honor to be named one of the top 10 players in the country,” said Parker. “There are so many deserving young women in the game today, I am humbled to be among this group and thankful to all of those who helped shape the person and student-athlete that I am today.”
The Naperville, Ill., native leads her team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. She becomes the third Lady Vol in program history to garner Kodak/State Farm All-America accolades at least three times while wearing the orange and white. The others were Chamique Holdsclaw (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) and Tamika Catchings (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). The award switched sponsorship in 2008 from Kodak to State Farm.
A 6-4 rangy player, Parker is one of only four Lady Vols all-time to amass 2,000 career points and 900 career rebounds. Earlier this season she broke the school record for most blocked shots in a career and she holds the single-season records for free throws made and attempted, and blocked shots. She was the fastest UT player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, doing so in just 56th career game.
Senior Alexis Hornbuckle earned honorable mention All-America accolades from the WBCA.
Tennessee returns to the Final Four for the 18th time in program history. The No. 1 seed Lady Vols will face second-seeded and conference rival Louisiana State at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 6. The game will be aired live on ESPN.
The 2008 State Farm All-America Team:
Sylvia Fowles
Louisiana State
Sr. C 6-6
Crystal Langhorne
Maryland
Sr. C 6-2
Erlana Larkins
North Carolina
Sr. F 6-1
Angel McCoughtry
Louisville
Jr. F 6-1
Renee Montgomery
Connecticut
Jr. G 5-7
Maya Moore
Connecticut
Fr. F 6-0
Courtney Paris
Oklahoma
Jr. C 6-4
Candace Parker
Tennessee
Jr. G/F/C 6-4
Kristi Toliver
Maryland
Jr. G 5-7
*Candice Wiggins
Stanford
Sr. G 5-11
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Tennessee’s Parker selected AP’s college player of the year
TAMPA, Fla. — Candace Parker led Tennessee back to the Final Four and helped the U.S. national team qualify for the Olympics. On Saturday, she put another exclamation point on her All-American season: The Associated Press college basketball player of the year.
“I don’t know of another player—I haven’t coached one—who was 6-foot-5 with the skill set she has,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
Parker received 40 votes from the 50-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Maya Moore was second with five votes. Sylvia Fowles and Candice Wiggins had two each and Crystal Langhorne one.
Parker, a 6-foot-5 junior, averaged 21.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. On Tuesday night, she scored eight of her 26 points in the second half after twice dislocating her left shoulder to help Tennessee rally past Texas A&M and into the Final Four. She scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the regional semifinals to send the Lady Vols over Notre Dame.
I feel like just knowing when to take over and not waiting,” Parker said. “I try to play hard on both ends of the court and provide what my team needs.”
Parker was a unanimous All-American, earning first-team honors for the second straight year. She not only helped Tennessee win the national championship last season, but also sparked the U.S. team during Olympic qualifying by averaging a team-high 13.8 points in the FIBA Americas tournament in Chile. Parker will be a major part of the U.S. team at the Beijing Olympics.
Parker will graduate this May and not return for her last year of eligibility. She most likely will be the first pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA draft Wednesday.
“I don’t know of another player—I haven’t coached one—who was 6-foot-5 with the skill set she has,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
Parker received 40 votes from the 50-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Maya Moore was second with five votes. Sylvia Fowles and Candice Wiggins had two each and Crystal Langhorne one.
Parker, a 6-foot-5 junior, averaged 21.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. On Tuesday night, she scored eight of her 26 points in the second half after twice dislocating her left shoulder to help Tennessee rally past Texas A&M and into the Final Four. She scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the regional semifinals to send the Lady Vols over Notre Dame.
I feel like just knowing when to take over and not waiting,” Parker said. “I try to play hard on both ends of the court and provide what my team needs.”
Parker was a unanimous All-American, earning first-team honors for the second straight year. She not only helped Tennessee win the national championship last season, but also sparked the U.S. team during Olympic qualifying by averaging a team-high 13.8 points in the FIBA Americas tournament in Chile. Parker will be a major part of the U.S. team at the Beijing Olympics.
Parker will graduate this May and not return for her last year of eligibility. She most likely will be the first pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA draft Wednesday.
Summitt stands out among college coaches
The month of March is always an exciting time in sports. Men's basketball draws more attention during the month of March than any other sport and any other primetime TV show. The stakes are high, brackets are meticulously filled out and no one is ever ready for the surprises. All eyes are on this exciting tournament, and the women's March Madness tournament premiering at the same time always seems to be forgotten, even when history is made. Pat Summitt, the University of Tennessee women's basketball head coach, has won her 100th NCAA tournament game, the first coach to accomplish this feat in men's or women's Division I basketball.
Summitt has the reputation of success. She has led her team to 34 NCAA tournaments in the past 34 years. She has seven national titles and is on her way to lead her Lady Vols to another tournament championship. We have seen successful coaches like Summitt in every sport, for instance, Mike Kryzewski, the Duke men's basketball coach, and Roy Williams, the head coach of men's basketball at North Carolina. But we have seen fewer successful women coaches. How does a coach like Summitt achieve such accomplishments? You can be sure it's more than just talented basketball players.
Summitt has a reputation not only in the world of basketball but the world of sports. Most sports fans out there can attest to knowing who Summitt is, what sport she coaches and the name of her team. Her successes as a coach have placed her on the map as one of the all-time greatest coaches and has helped her attract some of the best talent in the nation. When it comes to recruiting, the Lady Vols do not lack interested girls. Recruits work and practice in order to be a part of this team and be coached by Summitt.
Summitt has become reputable through the way she treats her players. She is the type of coach that players respect. Her players want to succeed for their coach - a type of respect that is hard for coaches to earn. Through her knowledge and skill of the game, Summitt is able to further develop the players. You can tell from watching her games that Summitt demands the best from her team, and when she is not getting the best, her players know she is not happy, and this motivates them to do better. That is one of the reasons why Summitt is so successful: she has the respect of her team and knows how to motivate them to perform at their best level.
Motivated players are key in order to be successful, and Summit is the type of coach that knows how to motivate but also knows how to hold a strict hand. She demands hard work from every player and demands her players to stay on top of not only their basketball but their grades as well. On and off the basketball court, Summitt tends to her players needs. The players know she is there for them to talk to for any reason, whether basketball or something else going on in their lives, she is also the type of coach that claims the title of role model.
There is a thin line in coaching when it comes to gaining respect from all of your players. And Summitt does not play with this line. She knows that in order to earn respect she has to also give respect. You can tell when the Lady Vols are playing that Summitt shows her players as much respect as they show her. A key to success on any team is unity. This includes the coaches being as much a part of the team as the players. ESPN filmed the Lady Vol's practicing one day, and Summitt was just as much a part of the practice as the players. Instead of standing on the sideline, she took part in their drills and gave them one-on-one coaching.
It takes both sides of the game in order to be successful. The Lady Vols are one of those teams that have proven that great talent and a great coaching staff can lead to achieve the greatest accomplishments in sports. Summitt is an example of a coach who has the greatest of all worlds when it comes to sports. She has a team with great talent but has the respect for its coach and trusts that the coach has the best interests of her team. Summitt is the type of coach that all athletes should watch and hope that one day they will be able to play for and one of the best coaches in any sport - men's or women's.
Summitt has the reputation of success. She has led her team to 34 NCAA tournaments in the past 34 years. She has seven national titles and is on her way to lead her Lady Vols to another tournament championship. We have seen successful coaches like Summitt in every sport, for instance, Mike Kryzewski, the Duke men's basketball coach, and Roy Williams, the head coach of men's basketball at North Carolina. But we have seen fewer successful women coaches. How does a coach like Summitt achieve such accomplishments? You can be sure it's more than just talented basketball players.
Summitt has a reputation not only in the world of basketball but the world of sports. Most sports fans out there can attest to knowing who Summitt is, what sport she coaches and the name of her team. Her successes as a coach have placed her on the map as one of the all-time greatest coaches and has helped her attract some of the best talent in the nation. When it comes to recruiting, the Lady Vols do not lack interested girls. Recruits work and practice in order to be a part of this team and be coached by Summitt.
Summitt has become reputable through the way she treats her players. She is the type of coach that players respect. Her players want to succeed for their coach - a type of respect that is hard for coaches to earn. Through her knowledge and skill of the game, Summitt is able to further develop the players. You can tell from watching her games that Summitt demands the best from her team, and when she is not getting the best, her players know she is not happy, and this motivates them to do better. That is one of the reasons why Summitt is so successful: she has the respect of her team and knows how to motivate them to perform at their best level.
Motivated players are key in order to be successful, and Summit is the type of coach that knows how to motivate but also knows how to hold a strict hand. She demands hard work from every player and demands her players to stay on top of not only their basketball but their grades as well. On and off the basketball court, Summitt tends to her players needs. The players know she is there for them to talk to for any reason, whether basketball or something else going on in their lives, she is also the type of coach that claims the title of role model.
There is a thin line in coaching when it comes to gaining respect from all of your players. And Summitt does not play with this line. She knows that in order to earn respect she has to also give respect. You can tell when the Lady Vols are playing that Summitt shows her players as much respect as they show her. A key to success on any team is unity. This includes the coaches being as much a part of the team as the players. ESPN filmed the Lady Vol's practicing one day, and Summitt was just as much a part of the practice as the players. Instead of standing on the sideline, she took part in their drills and gave them one-on-one coaching.
It takes both sides of the game in order to be successful. The Lady Vols are one of those teams that have proven that great talent and a great coaching staff can lead to achieve the greatest accomplishments in sports. Summitt is an example of a coach who has the greatest of all worlds when it comes to sports. She has a team with great talent but has the respect for its coach and trusts that the coach has the best interests of her team. Summitt is the type of coach that all athletes should watch and hope that one day they will be able to play for and one of the best coaches in any sport - men's or women's.
Parker Not Necessarily the Key to the Lady Vols
Of all the outdoor activities that Pat Summitt planned on her deck this year, swatting a raccoon was not one of them. Last month, she stepped in, set a screen for her Labrador retriever, smacked the raccoon and dislocated her shoulder, an injury that has become as contagious among the Tennessee Lady Vols as the measles.
While reaching in to steal a ball Tuesday night, forward Candace Parker also dislocated a shoulder, not once but twice. She returned and played valiantly as Tennessee (34-2) defeated Texas A&M, 53-45, to reach the Final Four.
Parker, the consensus top player in the country, has been cleared to play Sunday against Louisiana State in the national semifinals in Tampa, Fla. But she will undoubtedly experience some discomfort and restricted motion while wearing a protective sleeve on her left shoulder. More than ever, Summitt said, the Lady Vols will probably have to rely on the resourcefulness of guard Alexis Hornbuckle to retain their national title.
It was Hornbuckle who hit the game’s most critical shot — a 3-pointer from downtown Muskogee — in the final of the Oklahoma City Region to give the Lady Vols a 48-43 lead with 48.8 seconds remaining against Texas A&M after Parker nearly lost the ball in the lane. In 37 minutes, Hornbuckle accounted for 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Against L.S.U., she is likely to guard the 3-point specialist Quianna Chaney and also to try to obstruct passes inside to the Lady Tigers’ 6-foot-6 center, Sylvia Fowles.
“Alexis has got to be a big-time player for us to be the team we’ll have to be to win in Tampa,” said Summitt, who will be seeking her eighth national title.
This has been a resurgent postseason for Hornbuckle, a 5-11 senior from Charleston, W.Va., whose gangly exertion is accentuated by a headband and rubber sleeves on both knees.
In the 2007 Final Four, she shot only 6 for 24 as the Lady Vols defeated North Carolina in the semifinals and Rutgers in the championship game. Afterward, Hornbuckle received this admonition from Summitt: “We won without you playing the way you had to play. We won No. 7. We cannot win No. 8 without you playing your A game.”
So far, she has. On Sunday, in the regional semifinals against Notre Dame, Hornbuckle delivered 9 rebounds, 8 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. In the regional final, it was left to Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike to steady the Lady Vols as Parker missed the first nine and a half minutes of the second half while team officials scrambled to find a protective sleeve for her left shoulder. Finally, the sleeve was located on one of the team buses.
“She knows the expectations,” Summitt said of Hornbuckle. “I have reminded her — just remember, you have to be playing, you have to be a guard that’s going to defend and rebound and get paint points. She’s responded really well. Her leadership by example is key to this team. She’s one of the best all-around guards I’ve coached.”
In the first half against Texas A&M, Hornbuckle hit all four of her shots as the Lady Vols held a slender 29-27 lead, despite the fact that Parker twice dislocated her shoulder. In the second half, though, Hornbuckle missed her first five attempts as the Aggies went ahead, 40-36. The Lady Vols appeared stagnant without Parker. Despite struggling, however, Hornbuckle played bothersome defense and even moved to point guard in stretches, freeing Shannon Bobbitt to look for her 3-point shot.
“There’s no quit in Hornbuckle,” Summitt said. “She got frustrated, but I just tried to stay positive with her. No one tries harder. She’s passionate. She does the defensive dirty work. She gets on the boards. She’s a great rebounding guard.”
With under a minute remaining and Tennessee narrowly ahead by 45-43, Parker dribbled into the lane and almost lost the ball. She recovered it, and with the shot clocking ticking to zero, flicked a desperate pass to Hornbuckle, who stood nearly 25 feet from the basket. This was the part of her game she had worked on most determinedly in the off-season.
“I haven’t hit a shot that big in my career,” Hornbuckle said. She added later: “Coach told me stay positive and your next shot is good. I had to have confidence in the shot.”
The shot landed — Hornbuckle is shooting 7 for 14 from 3-point range in the N.C.A.A. tournament — and after Texas A&M hit a jumper, Hornbuckle responded with a pair of free throws, giving the Lady Vols a 50-45 cushion with 25 seconds remaining.
“Whoever has to step up the next game will step up; we know that,” Anosike said. “Alexis brings size and athleticism on the perimeter, which is definitely key for us. And she’s a great rebounding guard. She definitely has a lot of weapons we need to win, and she brings it.”
While reaching in to steal a ball Tuesday night, forward Candace Parker also dislocated a shoulder, not once but twice. She returned and played valiantly as Tennessee (34-2) defeated Texas A&M, 53-45, to reach the Final Four.
Parker, the consensus top player in the country, has been cleared to play Sunday against Louisiana State in the national semifinals in Tampa, Fla. But she will undoubtedly experience some discomfort and restricted motion while wearing a protective sleeve on her left shoulder. More than ever, Summitt said, the Lady Vols will probably have to rely on the resourcefulness of guard Alexis Hornbuckle to retain their national title.
It was Hornbuckle who hit the game’s most critical shot — a 3-pointer from downtown Muskogee — in the final of the Oklahoma City Region to give the Lady Vols a 48-43 lead with 48.8 seconds remaining against Texas A&M after Parker nearly lost the ball in the lane. In 37 minutes, Hornbuckle accounted for 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Against L.S.U., she is likely to guard the 3-point specialist Quianna Chaney and also to try to obstruct passes inside to the Lady Tigers’ 6-foot-6 center, Sylvia Fowles.
“Alexis has got to be a big-time player for us to be the team we’ll have to be to win in Tampa,” said Summitt, who will be seeking her eighth national title.
This has been a resurgent postseason for Hornbuckle, a 5-11 senior from Charleston, W.Va., whose gangly exertion is accentuated by a headband and rubber sleeves on both knees.
In the 2007 Final Four, she shot only 6 for 24 as the Lady Vols defeated North Carolina in the semifinals and Rutgers in the championship game. Afterward, Hornbuckle received this admonition from Summitt: “We won without you playing the way you had to play. We won No. 7. We cannot win No. 8 without you playing your A game.”
So far, she has. On Sunday, in the regional semifinals against Notre Dame, Hornbuckle delivered 9 rebounds, 8 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. In the regional final, it was left to Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike to steady the Lady Vols as Parker missed the first nine and a half minutes of the second half while team officials scrambled to find a protective sleeve for her left shoulder. Finally, the sleeve was located on one of the team buses.
“She knows the expectations,” Summitt said of Hornbuckle. “I have reminded her — just remember, you have to be playing, you have to be a guard that’s going to defend and rebound and get paint points. She’s responded really well. Her leadership by example is key to this team. She’s one of the best all-around guards I’ve coached.”
In the first half against Texas A&M, Hornbuckle hit all four of her shots as the Lady Vols held a slender 29-27 lead, despite the fact that Parker twice dislocated her shoulder. In the second half, though, Hornbuckle missed her first five attempts as the Aggies went ahead, 40-36. The Lady Vols appeared stagnant without Parker. Despite struggling, however, Hornbuckle played bothersome defense and even moved to point guard in stretches, freeing Shannon Bobbitt to look for her 3-point shot.
“There’s no quit in Hornbuckle,” Summitt said. “She got frustrated, but I just tried to stay positive with her. No one tries harder. She’s passionate. She does the defensive dirty work. She gets on the boards. She’s a great rebounding guard.”
With under a minute remaining and Tennessee narrowly ahead by 45-43, Parker dribbled into the lane and almost lost the ball. She recovered it, and with the shot clocking ticking to zero, flicked a desperate pass to Hornbuckle, who stood nearly 25 feet from the basket. This was the part of her game she had worked on most determinedly in the off-season.
“I haven’t hit a shot that big in my career,” Hornbuckle said. She added later: “Coach told me stay positive and your next shot is good. I had to have confidence in the shot.”
The shot landed — Hornbuckle is shooting 7 for 14 from 3-point range in the N.C.A.A. tournament — and after Texas A&M hit a jumper, Hornbuckle responded with a pair of free throws, giving the Lady Vols a 50-45 cushion with 25 seconds remaining.
“Whoever has to step up the next game will step up; we know that,” Anosike said. “Alexis brings size and athleticism on the perimeter, which is definitely key for us. And she’s a great rebounding guard. She definitely has a lot of weapons we need to win, and she brings it.”
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Tennessee coach: Candace Parker will play
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Wednesday afternoon she had no doubt Naperville's Candace Parker would able to play in Sunday's NCAA semifinal against LSU in Tampa.
Parker dislocated her left shoulder late in the first half of Tuesday's 57-53 win over Texas A&M in the regional final. She missed 10 minutes of action but still scored 26 points.
"I talked with Candace this afternoon, and she's dealing with some soreness but doing well,'' Summitt said in a teleconference. "She sounded great, and I feel really good about it (her playing Sunday). She needs some rest, and we're going to give it to her.''
Tennessee had Wednesday off from practice, and Summitt said they would have a light practice Thursday.
Parker has had problems with partial dislocations of her shoulders, particularly the right shoulder. She had such a partial dislocation in Tennessee's second-round win over Purdue.
Parker knew Tuesday's injury was different when she tried unsuccessfully to pop it back in herself.
"That was the first time that happened,'' Parker said.
Parker was named Most Outstanding Player in the Oklahoma City regional, where she scored 60 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in 66 minutes of action. Before she was hurt in the first half against Texas A&M, Parker had scored 16 straight Tennessee points.
"It amazed me that she was managed to do what she did in the game,'' Summitt said.
Parker dislocated her left shoulder late in the first half of Tuesday's 57-53 win over Texas A&M in the regional final. She missed 10 minutes of action but still scored 26 points.
"I talked with Candace this afternoon, and she's dealing with some soreness but doing well,'' Summitt said in a teleconference. "She sounded great, and I feel really good about it (her playing Sunday). She needs some rest, and we're going to give it to her.''
Tennessee had Wednesday off from practice, and Summitt said they would have a light practice Thursday.
Parker has had problems with partial dislocations of her shoulders, particularly the right shoulder. She had such a partial dislocation in Tennessee's second-round win over Purdue.
Parker knew Tuesday's injury was different when she tried unsuccessfully to pop it back in herself.
"That was the first time that happened,'' Parker said.
Parker was named Most Outstanding Player in the Oklahoma City regional, where she scored 60 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in 66 minutes of action. Before she was hurt in the first half against Texas A&M, Parker had scored 16 straight Tennessee points.
"It amazed me that she was managed to do what she did in the game,'' Summitt said.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Parker unanimous All-American
Connecticut sensation Maya Moore became only the second freshman selected to The Associated Press women’s All-America team, an honor her coach hoped would not prove a burden during the NCAA tournament.
Moore was joined on the squad Tuesday by repeat All-Americans Candace Parker of Tennessee and Courtney Paris of Oklahoma and first-timers Sylvia Fowles of LSU and Candice Wiggins of Stanford.
To avoid further pressure, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma didn’t want Moore to know of her selection until after the Huskies played Rutgers in the Greensboro Regional final Tuesday night.
“I think given the circumstances, given the spotlight she plays under, I just think she’s matured beyond her years and I don’t know if any kid has had an impact on a team that she’s had,” Auriemma said. “I think the term ‘All-American’ back in the day meant more than just a player.
Moore helped lead the Huskies to the Big East regular-season and conference tournament titles. She was the first freshman—male or female—to win conference player of the year.
Moore broke the conference and school freshman scoring record and has averaged 22 points and 10.3 rebounds in the Huskies’ first three NCAA tournament games.
“If you look at what she’s done for this program, and how she conducts herself, she’s everyone’s All-American,” Auriemma said.
The only other freshman All-American was Paris, a first-teamer for the third straight season. Paris is only the third player to be a three-time All-American, joining Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee and Alana Beard of Duke.
“Wow, that’s a special group to be a part of,” said Paris, a junior who extended her double-double streak to 92 games this season. “It’s a huge honor.”
Parker, also a junior, received 250 points and was the only unanimous first-team choice among the 50-member national media panel that votes in the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the start of the NCAA tournament.
Parker will be graduate in May and most likely will be the first pick in the WNBA draft on April 9.
“I feel like I tried hard to come back and be better this year,” she said.
Wiggins and Fowles also will be picked high in the WNBA draft.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Wiggins, who led Stanford to its first Final Four in 11 years. “I have so much respect for the game, I was honored to be a second-teamer in the past, and now I’m in great company.”
Wiggins helped the Cardinal win their eighth straight Pac-10 title and became the conference’s all-time scoring leader.
Fowles averaged 17 points and helped lead LSU to its fifth straight Final Four.
“I am very honored to be considered one of the best players in the country,” Fowles said. “These awards mean a lot to me.”
Paris had 42 first-team votes and 234 points. Fowles and Wiggins each had 41 and 232, and Moore totaled 37 and 222.
“You put that team on the floor and we would all be fighting over who would be coaching them,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
Paris, Wiggins, Fowles, and Parker all played this summer with the U.S. select team. They helped the Americans qualify for the Beijing Olympics and will all be part of the U.S. senior team training camp in April.
“I’ve know those girls forever,” Wiggins said. “Maya’s a phenomenal freshman.”
Moore was on the under-19 team that breezed through the world championships last summer.
The second team had an ACC flavor, with conference player of the year Crystal Langhorne and Maryland teammate Kristi Toliver leading the way. North Carolina senior Erlana Larkins, Louisville junior Angel McCoughtry and Oklahoma State sophomore Andrea Riley complete the second team.
The third team included Connecticut teammates Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery. They were joined by Rutgers’ Epiphanny Prince, Middle Tennessee State’s Amber Holt, and Utah’s Leilani Mitchell.
The preseason All-America team was Paris, Parker, Wiggins, Fowles and Langhorne. Joining Paris and Parker on last year’s first team was Lindsey Harding of Duke, Ivory Latta of North Carolina and Jessica Davenport of Ohio State.
Moore was joined on the squad Tuesday by repeat All-Americans Candace Parker of Tennessee and Courtney Paris of Oklahoma and first-timers Sylvia Fowles of LSU and Candice Wiggins of Stanford.
To avoid further pressure, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma didn’t want Moore to know of her selection until after the Huskies played Rutgers in the Greensboro Regional final Tuesday night.
“I think given the circumstances, given the spotlight she plays under, I just think she’s matured beyond her years and I don’t know if any kid has had an impact on a team that she’s had,” Auriemma said. “I think the term ‘All-American’ back in the day meant more than just a player.
Moore helped lead the Huskies to the Big East regular-season and conference tournament titles. She was the first freshman—male or female—to win conference player of the year.
Moore broke the conference and school freshman scoring record and has averaged 22 points and 10.3 rebounds in the Huskies’ first three NCAA tournament games.
“If you look at what she’s done for this program, and how she conducts herself, she’s everyone’s All-American,” Auriemma said.
The only other freshman All-American was Paris, a first-teamer for the third straight season. Paris is only the third player to be a three-time All-American, joining Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee and Alana Beard of Duke.
“Wow, that’s a special group to be a part of,” said Paris, a junior who extended her double-double streak to 92 games this season. “It’s a huge honor.”
Parker, also a junior, received 250 points and was the only unanimous first-team choice among the 50-member national media panel that votes in the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the start of the NCAA tournament.
Parker will be graduate in May and most likely will be the first pick in the WNBA draft on April 9.
“I feel like I tried hard to come back and be better this year,” she said.
Wiggins and Fowles also will be picked high in the WNBA draft.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Wiggins, who led Stanford to its first Final Four in 11 years. “I have so much respect for the game, I was honored to be a second-teamer in the past, and now I’m in great company.”
Wiggins helped the Cardinal win their eighth straight Pac-10 title and became the conference’s all-time scoring leader.
Fowles averaged 17 points and helped lead LSU to its fifth straight Final Four.
“I am very honored to be considered one of the best players in the country,” Fowles said. “These awards mean a lot to me.”
Paris had 42 first-team votes and 234 points. Fowles and Wiggins each had 41 and 232, and Moore totaled 37 and 222.
“You put that team on the floor and we would all be fighting over who would be coaching them,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
Paris, Wiggins, Fowles, and Parker all played this summer with the U.S. select team. They helped the Americans qualify for the Beijing Olympics and will all be part of the U.S. senior team training camp in April.
“I’ve know those girls forever,” Wiggins said. “Maya’s a phenomenal freshman.”
Moore was on the under-19 team that breezed through the world championships last summer.
The second team had an ACC flavor, with conference player of the year Crystal Langhorne and Maryland teammate Kristi Toliver leading the way. North Carolina senior Erlana Larkins, Louisville junior Angel McCoughtry and Oklahoma State sophomore Andrea Riley complete the second team.
The third team included Connecticut teammates Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery. They were joined by Rutgers’ Epiphanny Prince, Middle Tennessee State’s Amber Holt, and Utah’s Leilani Mitchell.
The preseason All-America team was Paris, Parker, Wiggins, Fowles and Langhorne. Joining Paris and Parker on last year’s first team was Lindsey Harding of Duke, Ivory Latta of North Carolina and Jessica Davenport of Ohio State.
Oklahoma City leads in attendance for women’s regionals
After leading the four regionals with attendance of 10,032 in the third-round games, another 9,342 turned out for Tuesday night’s Oklahoma City Regional final between Texas A&M and Tennessee.
Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt thanked fans after the game for coming out.
“I think that Oklahoma City has once again proved itself as a city that can host tremendous championships. It doesn’t matter if it’s men’s or women’s, but for our first time ever to host a women’s regional, we’re very pleased with the experience that people are having and with the attendance,” Oklahoma City All-Sports Association executive director Tim Brassfield said.
Oklahoma City will host a regional at the Ford Center again next year, and first- and second-round games will be played on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman in 2010. After the completion of about $100 million in renovations to the Ford Center aimed at attracting the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, Brassfield hopes the arena could host a women’s Final Four.
The next available Final Four would be in 2012. St. Louis is next year’s host, and it goes to San Antonio in 2010 and Indianapolis in 2011.
“I think it does build our case, we think, for future and bigger events. We would love to host those things down the road like the women’s Final Four,” Brassfield said.
Brassfield said 85 percent of the tickets sold were used for the regional semifinals, even though fourth-seeded Oklahoma got upset in the second round and didn’t make it to Oklahoma City.
“I think we’re very loyal and we make sure people come to see the events,” Brassfield said. “They’re sports fans. They’re not necessarily team fans only.”
Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt thanked fans after the game for coming out.
“I think that Oklahoma City has once again proved itself as a city that can host tremendous championships. It doesn’t matter if it’s men’s or women’s, but for our first time ever to host a women’s regional, we’re very pleased with the experience that people are having and with the attendance,” Oklahoma City All-Sports Association executive director Tim Brassfield said.
Oklahoma City will host a regional at the Ford Center again next year, and first- and second-round games will be played on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman in 2010. After the completion of about $100 million in renovations to the Ford Center aimed at attracting the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, Brassfield hopes the arena could host a women’s Final Four.
The next available Final Four would be in 2012. St. Louis is next year’s host, and it goes to San Antonio in 2010 and Indianapolis in 2011.
“I think it does build our case, we think, for future and bigger events. We would love to host those things down the road like the women’s Final Four,” Brassfield said.
Brassfield said 85 percent of the tickets sold were used for the regional semifinals, even though fourth-seeded Oklahoma got upset in the second round and didn’t make it to Oklahoma City.
“I think we’re very loyal and we make sure people come to see the events,” Brassfield said. “They’re sports fans. They’re not necessarily team fans only.”
Parker overcomes injury to lead Lady Vols to Final Four
OKLAHOMA CITY — Even with an injured shoulder, Candace Parker was still able to lift Tennessee into another Final Four.
Parker scored 26 points and returned after dislocating her left shoulder to lead the Lady Vols out of a second-half deficit for a 53-45 win over Texas A&M in the Oklahoma City Regional final Tuesday night.
She twice left the game in the first half with the injury and she didn’t return until about halfway through the second half. She scored six of the Lady Vols’ points in an 8-0 run as they overcame a 42-37 deficit, all while wearing a brace to stabilize her left shoulder.
She scored only eight points in the second half, but it was enough to push the Lady Vols (34-2) ahead when combined with a sturdy defensive effort that kept Texas A&M (29-8) scoreless for a five-minute stretch.
Even after returning from the locker room with the shoulder wrapped, she shot an airball on her first jumper from the foul line and then couldn’t convert a layup off a lob at the right block.
She turned a second alley-oop attempt into a successful layup, and that got the Lady Vols’ run going. Shannon Bobbitt followed with two free throws, and Parker hit two of her own to put Tennessee ahead 43-42 with 3:44 to play. She went 1-for-2 on two successive trips to the foul line to stretch the lead to three.
After a free throw by the Aggies’ Takia Starks, Parker lost the ball in the lane but was able to recover and pass to Alexis Hornbuckle for a deep 3-pointer that gave the Lady Vols a 48-43 edge with 48.8 seconds left.
“That was an interesting 3-ball,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. “The thing about Alexis is she wants it so much.”
Hornbuckle and Bobbitt each hit two free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Top-seeded Tennessee advances to the Final Four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, where it will face Southeastern Conference rival LSU. The teams split their two meetings this season. The Lady Tigers beat Tennessee during the regular season, but lost in the SEC tournament championship game.
The Lady Vols are seeking their eighth national championship, and their second straight.
The best season ever in Texas A&M history concluded with another rugged defensive performance. The second-seeded Aggies held Tennessee to its lowest point total of the season.
Starks scored 12 to lead Texas A&M, A’Quonesia Franklin had 11 and Danielle Gant finished with 10.
Hornbuckle added 14 points for the Lady Vols.
Parker left for the first time after dislocating the shoulder with 3:50 left in the first half. After making a steal, she curled off to the side on the fast break and stopped. She hobbled toward the Tennessee bench, and was met by a trainer who helped her to the locker room.
She returned to the game less than a minute later, but re-injured the shoulder before halftime and wasn’t able to join her team at the start of the second half.
After getting the shoulder wrapped, she returned to the bench and checked in with the score tied at 36.
“It popped out twice,” Parker said. “I was happy I was able to get back. I owe it all to (trainer) Jenny Moshak and our great training staff.”
Parker had scored all 16 of Tennessee’s points in one stretch before leaving for the first time, but A&M was able to stay in it with uncharacteristically strong 3-point shooting.
The Aggies started out 5-for-7 from 3-point range before missing 11 of their last 12.
Oklahoma City All-Region Team
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Candace Parker, Tennessee
MEMBER: A'Quonesia Franklin, Texas A&M
MEMBER: Takia Starks, Texas A&M
MEMBER: Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee
MEMBER: Chante Black, Duke
Parker scored 26 points and returned after dislocating her left shoulder to lead the Lady Vols out of a second-half deficit for a 53-45 win over Texas A&M in the Oklahoma City Regional final Tuesday night.
She twice left the game in the first half with the injury and she didn’t return until about halfway through the second half. She scored six of the Lady Vols’ points in an 8-0 run as they overcame a 42-37 deficit, all while wearing a brace to stabilize her left shoulder.
She scored only eight points in the second half, but it was enough to push the Lady Vols (34-2) ahead when combined with a sturdy defensive effort that kept Texas A&M (29-8) scoreless for a five-minute stretch.
Even after returning from the locker room with the shoulder wrapped, she shot an airball on her first jumper from the foul line and then couldn’t convert a layup off a lob at the right block.
She turned a second alley-oop attempt into a successful layup, and that got the Lady Vols’ run going. Shannon Bobbitt followed with two free throws, and Parker hit two of her own to put Tennessee ahead 43-42 with 3:44 to play. She went 1-for-2 on two successive trips to the foul line to stretch the lead to three.
After a free throw by the Aggies’ Takia Starks, Parker lost the ball in the lane but was able to recover and pass to Alexis Hornbuckle for a deep 3-pointer that gave the Lady Vols a 48-43 edge with 48.8 seconds left.
“That was an interesting 3-ball,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. “The thing about Alexis is she wants it so much.”
Hornbuckle and Bobbitt each hit two free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Top-seeded Tennessee advances to the Final Four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, where it will face Southeastern Conference rival LSU. The teams split their two meetings this season. The Lady Tigers beat Tennessee during the regular season, but lost in the SEC tournament championship game.
The Lady Vols are seeking their eighth national championship, and their second straight.
The best season ever in Texas A&M history concluded with another rugged defensive performance. The second-seeded Aggies held Tennessee to its lowest point total of the season.
Starks scored 12 to lead Texas A&M, A’Quonesia Franklin had 11 and Danielle Gant finished with 10.
Hornbuckle added 14 points for the Lady Vols.
Parker left for the first time after dislocating the shoulder with 3:50 left in the first half. After making a steal, she curled off to the side on the fast break and stopped. She hobbled toward the Tennessee bench, and was met by a trainer who helped her to the locker room.
She returned to the game less than a minute later, but re-injured the shoulder before halftime and wasn’t able to join her team at the start of the second half.
After getting the shoulder wrapped, she returned to the bench and checked in with the score tied at 36.
“It popped out twice,” Parker said. “I was happy I was able to get back. I owe it all to (trainer) Jenny Moshak and our great training staff.”
Parker had scored all 16 of Tennessee’s points in one stretch before leaving for the first time, but A&M was able to stay in it with uncharacteristically strong 3-point shooting.
The Aggies started out 5-for-7 from 3-point range before missing 11 of their last 12.
Oklahoma City All-Region Team
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Candace Parker, Tennessee
MEMBER: A'Quonesia Franklin, Texas A&M
MEMBER: Takia Starks, Texas A&M
MEMBER: Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee
MEMBER: Chante Black, Duke
Tennessee’s Parker leaves game with left shoulder injury
OKLAHOMA CITY — Candace Parker dislocated her left shoulder in the first half of Tennessee’s regional final against Texas A&M on Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-4 All-American had just stolen the ball and was dribbling up court in transition when she curled to the side and stopped.
A team trainer met her on the court and escorted her to the locker room with 3:50 remaining in the first half. She returned to the bench a minute later and checked in at the first chance she got, but then clutched it again while trying to deflect a pass by Texas A&M’s La Toya Micheaux and went back to the locker room with 15.6 seconds left.
She was not with her team when it came out of the locker room after halftime, and team spokesman Debby Jennings said trainers were trying to restore strength to the shoulder.
Prior to the injury, she had scored Tennessee’s previous 16 points.
“It’s not good for us, certainly not good for Candace,” Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. “We’ll just see if we can support it at all at halftime. (Trainer) Jenny Moshak’s the best in the business.”
Parker returned to the bench with 14:19 remaining and checked back into the game at the 10:39 mark with the game tied.
A two-time All-American, Parker hurt her right shoulder in Tennessee’s second round game against Purdue but Jennings said she had not previously injured the left shoulder.
Summitt said earlier this week that she has not been having the Lady Vols’ go full-court in practice to try to keep her team healthy.
Tennessee, the defending national champion, was seeking its 18th Final Four appearance.
The 6-foot-4 All-American had just stolen the ball and was dribbling up court in transition when she curled to the side and stopped.
A team trainer met her on the court and escorted her to the locker room with 3:50 remaining in the first half. She returned to the bench a minute later and checked in at the first chance she got, but then clutched it again while trying to deflect a pass by Texas A&M’s La Toya Micheaux and went back to the locker room with 15.6 seconds left.
She was not with her team when it came out of the locker room after halftime, and team spokesman Debby Jennings said trainers were trying to restore strength to the shoulder.
Prior to the injury, she had scored Tennessee’s previous 16 points.
“It’s not good for us, certainly not good for Candace,” Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. “We’ll just see if we can support it at all at halftime. (Trainer) Jenny Moshak’s the best in the business.”
Parker returned to the bench with 14:19 remaining and checked back into the game at the 10:39 mark with the game tied.
A two-time All-American, Parker hurt her right shoulder in Tennessee’s second round game against Purdue but Jennings said she had not previously injured the left shoulder.
Summitt said earlier this week that she has not been having the Lady Vols’ go full-court in practice to try to keep her team healthy.
Tennessee, the defending national champion, was seeking its 18th Final Four appearance.
Hornbuckle's intangibles carry Tennessee as much as Parker
When you have a player as great as Candace Parker -- someone who doesn't just do everything, but does it all incredibly well -- it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking it doesn't matter who surrounds her.
Parker could have won a national championship and be trying for another Final Four no matter who she had as a supporting cast, right?
Nope … and she would be the first one to say that. Or maybe, before she even could say it, Pat Summitt would emphatically state, "You've gotta be kidding."
Because there's one player without whom Tennessee simply would not be Tennessee. The Orange Crush has always seemed to have at least one inextinguishable energy source on all its championship teams. And this group has Alexis Hornbuckle.
Here's how Summitt, whose program goes for its 18th Final Four on Tuesday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) against Texas A&M, described Hornbuckle during Monday's news conference in Oklahoma City: "I think her game starts with defense, and just her commitment to get in the passing lanes. She's great on the ball. She is even more dangerous off the ball because she does have great awareness, great anticipation, and she is a risk taker.
"She'll gamble, but for the most part, she's so heady in making those reads and one of the best all around guards I've coached at Tennessee."
That's the thing -- Hornbuckle is so smart about when she gambles that she's almost always right. And so it doesn't even seem a lot of the time as if she's gambling. She typically makes it look like she made the exact right play.
You can't gamble and wreak havoc in the passing lanes the way Hornbuckle does without considerable quickness. But there are quick players who run all over the court and expend considerable energy … and yet never get done what Hornbuckle does.
It goes back to basketball IQ. Really successful gamblers are never just "lucky;" they become experts on playing the percentages.
Of course, the NCAA will get very nervous with all these gambling references … so let's go to other things that Hornbuckle has always brought to Tennessee: fantastic rebounding from the guard spot, a knack for keeping possessions alive with her active hands, the ability to penetrate and get the ball to teammates in the best position for them to score, and a fun-loving personality.
That latter thing might sound unimportant, but it isn't. Playing the kind of high-pressure games Tennessee does every year, it matters to have that player who can keep everyone loose while not playing loosely.
Hornbuckle has a good time with her teammates, with opponents, with fans … even with taunting fans the way Duke's student section was to her in Tennessee's two visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium in her career.
Hornbuckle was rattled the first time she went there in 2006, and I really can't imagine any player who wouldn't have been shaken up in that setting. When she went back this season, instead of getting angry, she smiled at the Duke fans and just said, "Hey, it's all cool."
"The thing about Alexis is, she's going to do the dirty work," Summitt said. "And it's hard to get sometimes great athletes, high-profile players that say, 'Hey, Coach, let me guard the best player,' or 'I'll get to the glass.' "
But it has never been hard for Hornbuckle to not just say those things, but do them for four years.
Parker could have won a national championship and be trying for another Final Four no matter who she had as a supporting cast, right?
Nope … and she would be the first one to say that. Or maybe, before she even could say it, Pat Summitt would emphatically state, "You've gotta be kidding."
Because there's one player without whom Tennessee simply would not be Tennessee. The Orange Crush has always seemed to have at least one inextinguishable energy source on all its championship teams. And this group has Alexis Hornbuckle.
Here's how Summitt, whose program goes for its 18th Final Four on Tuesday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) against Texas A&M, described Hornbuckle during Monday's news conference in Oklahoma City: "I think her game starts with defense, and just her commitment to get in the passing lanes. She's great on the ball. She is even more dangerous off the ball because she does have great awareness, great anticipation, and she is a risk taker.
"She'll gamble, but for the most part, she's so heady in making those reads and one of the best all around guards I've coached at Tennessee."
That's the thing -- Hornbuckle is so smart about when she gambles that she's almost always right. And so it doesn't even seem a lot of the time as if she's gambling. She typically makes it look like she made the exact right play.
You can't gamble and wreak havoc in the passing lanes the way Hornbuckle does without considerable quickness. But there are quick players who run all over the court and expend considerable energy … and yet never get done what Hornbuckle does.
It goes back to basketball IQ. Really successful gamblers are never just "lucky;" they become experts on playing the percentages.
Of course, the NCAA will get very nervous with all these gambling references … so let's go to other things that Hornbuckle has always brought to Tennessee: fantastic rebounding from the guard spot, a knack for keeping possessions alive with her active hands, the ability to penetrate and get the ball to teammates in the best position for them to score, and a fun-loving personality.
That latter thing might sound unimportant, but it isn't. Playing the kind of high-pressure games Tennessee does every year, it matters to have that player who can keep everyone loose while not playing loosely.
Hornbuckle has a good time with her teammates, with opponents, with fans … even with taunting fans the way Duke's student section was to her in Tennessee's two visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium in her career.
Hornbuckle was rattled the first time she went there in 2006, and I really can't imagine any player who wouldn't have been shaken up in that setting. When she went back this season, instead of getting angry, she smiled at the Duke fans and just said, "Hey, it's all cool."
"The thing about Alexis is, she's going to do the dirty work," Summitt said. "And it's hard to get sometimes great athletes, high-profile players that say, 'Hey, Coach, let me guard the best player,' or 'I'll get to the glass.' "
But it has never been hard for Hornbuckle to not just say those things, but do them for four years.
Candace Parker's impact on all of women's basketball
The ally-oop arched high above the Ford Center court toward Candace Parker.
She leapt, eyeing the basketball, hanging in the air. The only thing that kept her from tipping the ball in as planned was a foul. As the Tennessee phenom stepped to the free-throw line, a voice rang out from the stands.
"She's not Michael Jordan!”
Who knows what's more telling — that someone thought the Volunteers set up Parker for a dunk or that she actually could've thrown it down.
Candace Parker is Michael Jordan.
Women's basketball has had its share of great players, but none have transcended the game like Parker. She has stretched the bounds, not just with her dunks but with her dynamics, too. The 6-foot-5 multi-tasker plays the point and the post with equal aplomb. Dribble. Pass. Shoot. Defend. She can do it all.
Parker is not only the face of the game but also the future of it.
It all started here in Oklahoma City.
Parker introduced herself to the sports world right here in our fair city. This is where she won the 2004 McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest, beating out the likes of Dwight Howard and Josh Smith, becoming the first girl to best the boys.
Parker considers that weekend the start of her college career.
"I feel like when I came on the scene, people were like, ‘Oh, that's the girl who can dunk,'” Parker said. "Now, people recognize that my game is not just that.
"That was my whole intent coming to college, not to just be a one-dimensional player.”
Mission accomplished.
And now in the city where her college days began, Parker will take one of her final steps as a collegian. Even though she has one more year of eligibility remaining, the fourth-year junior has decided to leave Knoxville and turn her attention toward the Olympics and the WNBA.
Tonight at the Ford Center, a trip to the Women's Final Four is up for grabs against Texas A&M.
Parker could add to her lofty status with another national title.
Thing is, her ascent hasn't always been easy.
Parker had been on campus at Tennessee only a short time when she started having problems with her left knee. A year earlier, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament but returned to lead Naperville Central High to an Illinois state championship. The knee was swelling, though, and a pair of surgeries revealed bad news — cartilage fragments as well as cartilage damage.
Parker, perhaps the most heralded recruit in Tennessee's storied women's basketball history, was forced to redshirt and rehab.
It was a life-changing experience.
"You take the game for granted, then you tear your knee up and all of a sudden you think, ‘I love this game more than I knew and I want to get it back,'” said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who tore her own ACL once upon a time. "Of all the players on this basketball team, she puts more time into her game. She invests in her skill development on a daily basis.”
Parker could rely on her natural abilities. Quickness. Length. Instinct.
Instead, she works. And works. And works. "I told her when we took a break, ‘Don't go in the gym,'” Summitt said.
The coach smiled.
"I whisper to a couple of them, ‘You can get in the gym, you know?'”
She doesn't have to with Parker.
"With her,” Summitt said, "she's all about getting better.”
Perhaps that explains how Parker has thrived on the court despite being pulled in so many directions off of it. There are autographs to sign and expectations to exceed and interviews to grant and fans to impress.
Heck, Parker is even doing the long-distance-relationship thing. She is engaged to Shelden Williams.
Yes, that Shelden Williams.
Parker met the former Midwest City High standout while on an official recruiting visit to Duke, where Williams starred. They struck up a friendship, then eventually began dating. They have been engaged for almost a year.
"It helps a lot both being in basketball,” Williams said via phone from Sacramento, where he now plays for the Kings. "We've both been in each other's situation.”
Parker's mother, Sara, said: "Each of them understands what the other's going through. Shelden understands the college schedule, and because of Anthony, Candace's brother (who starts for the Toronto Raptors), she understands the pro schedule.”
They catch each other's games on television, cell phones in hand. They text as they watch, then those comments are waiting on the other when the game is done.
"Candace would need a strong, confident young man; Shelden is that,” Sara Parker said. "You have to have a lot of confidence to handle a lot of the things that she's going to be faced with, and I think he handles it very well.”
Much like Parker. She didn't meet expectations at Tennessee. She exceeded them.
Ask Summitt about her, and the coach minces no words about the star.
"First thing I want to say is Candace Parker is the best player in the women's game,” she said. "There have been a lot of questions or suggestions who is the best player. The big question should be, ‘who is the best player in the world?'
"Is it Candace Parker, or is it Lauren Jackson?”
Jackson, by the way, is a two-time Olympian for Australia and a two-time player of the year in the WNBA.
"How many 6-5 players have you seen ever in the women's game play the way Candace Parker plays?” Summitt said. "She brought a whole different dimension and package.”
Sure, Parker can dunk, and that's still a big deal in the women's game. Thing is, she is the biggest deal nowadays not because she can jam but because she can flat-out ball.
Oklahoma City first came to know Candace Parker as the girl who could dunk. Now, she is the Michael Jordan of women's basketball.
My, how she has grown.
She leapt, eyeing the basketball, hanging in the air. The only thing that kept her from tipping the ball in as planned was a foul. As the Tennessee phenom stepped to the free-throw line, a voice rang out from the stands.
"She's not Michael Jordan!”
Who knows what's more telling — that someone thought the Volunteers set up Parker for a dunk or that she actually could've thrown it down.
Candace Parker is Michael Jordan.
Women's basketball has had its share of great players, but none have transcended the game like Parker. She has stretched the bounds, not just with her dunks but with her dynamics, too. The 6-foot-5 multi-tasker plays the point and the post with equal aplomb. Dribble. Pass. Shoot. Defend. She can do it all.
Parker is not only the face of the game but also the future of it.
It all started here in Oklahoma City.
Parker introduced herself to the sports world right here in our fair city. This is where she won the 2004 McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest, beating out the likes of Dwight Howard and Josh Smith, becoming the first girl to best the boys.
Parker considers that weekend the start of her college career.
"I feel like when I came on the scene, people were like, ‘Oh, that's the girl who can dunk,'” Parker said. "Now, people recognize that my game is not just that.
"That was my whole intent coming to college, not to just be a one-dimensional player.”
Mission accomplished.
And now in the city where her college days began, Parker will take one of her final steps as a collegian. Even though she has one more year of eligibility remaining, the fourth-year junior has decided to leave Knoxville and turn her attention toward the Olympics and the WNBA.
Tonight at the Ford Center, a trip to the Women's Final Four is up for grabs against Texas A&M.
Parker could add to her lofty status with another national title.
Thing is, her ascent hasn't always been easy.
Parker had been on campus at Tennessee only a short time when she started having problems with her left knee. A year earlier, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament but returned to lead Naperville Central High to an Illinois state championship. The knee was swelling, though, and a pair of surgeries revealed bad news — cartilage fragments as well as cartilage damage.
Parker, perhaps the most heralded recruit in Tennessee's storied women's basketball history, was forced to redshirt and rehab.
It was a life-changing experience.
"You take the game for granted, then you tear your knee up and all of a sudden you think, ‘I love this game more than I knew and I want to get it back,'” said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who tore her own ACL once upon a time. "Of all the players on this basketball team, she puts more time into her game. She invests in her skill development on a daily basis.”
Parker could rely on her natural abilities. Quickness. Length. Instinct.
Instead, she works. And works. And works. "I told her when we took a break, ‘Don't go in the gym,'” Summitt said.
The coach smiled.
"I whisper to a couple of them, ‘You can get in the gym, you know?'”
She doesn't have to with Parker.
"With her,” Summitt said, "she's all about getting better.”
Perhaps that explains how Parker has thrived on the court despite being pulled in so many directions off of it. There are autographs to sign and expectations to exceed and interviews to grant and fans to impress.
Heck, Parker is even doing the long-distance-relationship thing. She is engaged to Shelden Williams.
Yes, that Shelden Williams.
Parker met the former Midwest City High standout while on an official recruiting visit to Duke, where Williams starred. They struck up a friendship, then eventually began dating. They have been engaged for almost a year.
"It helps a lot both being in basketball,” Williams said via phone from Sacramento, where he now plays for the Kings. "We've both been in each other's situation.”
Parker's mother, Sara, said: "Each of them understands what the other's going through. Shelden understands the college schedule, and because of Anthony, Candace's brother (who starts for the Toronto Raptors), she understands the pro schedule.”
They catch each other's games on television, cell phones in hand. They text as they watch, then those comments are waiting on the other when the game is done.
"Candace would need a strong, confident young man; Shelden is that,” Sara Parker said. "You have to have a lot of confidence to handle a lot of the things that she's going to be faced with, and I think he handles it very well.”
Much like Parker. She didn't meet expectations at Tennessee. She exceeded them.
Ask Summitt about her, and the coach minces no words about the star.
"First thing I want to say is Candace Parker is the best player in the women's game,” she said. "There have been a lot of questions or suggestions who is the best player. The big question should be, ‘who is the best player in the world?'
"Is it Candace Parker, or is it Lauren Jackson?”
Jackson, by the way, is a two-time Olympian for Australia and a two-time player of the year in the WNBA.
"How many 6-5 players have you seen ever in the women's game play the way Candace Parker plays?” Summitt said. "She brought a whole different dimension and package.”
Sure, Parker can dunk, and that's still a big deal in the women's game. Thing is, she is the biggest deal nowadays not because she can jam but because she can flat-out ball.
Oklahoma City first came to know Candace Parker as the girl who could dunk. Now, she is the Michael Jordan of women's basketball.
My, how she has grown.
Blair tries again to beat Summitt
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gary Blair kissed point guard A’Quonesia Franklin on the cheek — and wondered if that was an NCAA violation — talked golf and compared Pat Summitt to Candace Parker.
Just a typical news conference for Blair, the engaging and long-winded Texas A&M women’s basketball coach whom Summitt said she misses at the SEC meetings. Blair coached at Arkansas from 1993 to 2003, going 1-11 against Tennessee and the winningest coach in NCAA Division I.
“I consider him a friend in this profession, and you don’t have a lot of them,” Summitt said. “I miss him being in the conference because he was always the one to speak up. It took him quite a while to get everything said, but that was OK.”
Blair said he met Summitt at a basketball camp in North Texas in 1977 after winning a state championship as a high school coach.
“And I thought I was somebody until I met Pat,” he said, even though she “was young, just really getting started.”
He mentioned that he played a pickup game with Summitt one day and she made him look bad.
“In my eyes, she was Candace Parker,” he said, likening UT’s coach to her current star. “And she would throw the elbow, behind-the-back passes, the whole nine yards, and I thought, ‘Golly, who is this?’”
Blair still remembers the exact date — Dec. 29, 1996 — that his Arkansas team edged Tennessee 77-75 and said the win meant a lot to him.
“She’s someone you should look up to, both on and off the court,” Blair said. “But she’s not going to get me out there singing ‘Rocky Top’ in some little skirt like she had to do there. I don’t know what was worse — her singing or Bruce Pearl with no shirt on.”
No respect?
Some of the Aggies felt, despite being a 2 seed, they didn’t have Duke’s respect until winning their regional semifinal game Sunday. Texas A&M is playing in just its fifth NCAA tournament and finished 9-19 — 2-14 in the Big 12 — just four years ago. The Aggies started conference play 1-4 this season.
“We’re not Duke,” Tennessee’s Alexis Hornbuckle said. “They might have come out and not respected this team, but we’ve been here and you have to respect every opponent.”
Added Parker: “You can’t overlook a 2 seed.”
Do it with defense
The Aggies are earning a reputation with their aggressive defense, which led the Big 12 and forced Duke into 14 first-half turnovers Sunday. Nebraska is the only team to score more than 68 points against Texas A&M this year.
In the second round, the Aggies held Hartford to just 39 points.
“The pressure that Texas A&M put on us was unlike anything we have seen and probably anything we would have been able to prepare for, even if we had a week,” Hartford coach Jennifer Rizzotti said after the game.
Gant will play
All Big-12 star Danielle Gant, who missed the entire second half of the Duke game due to dehydration, is expected to play tonight against Tennessee.
“She had stomach problems again in the morning after breakfast, but she’s going to be there somehow, some way,” Blair said. “There is no tomorrow, OK? If you’ve got the flu, you play. If you’ve got stomach problems, you play. And she will find a way. Our trainer will make sure she’s ready to go. If not, I’ll be looking for a new trainer.”
Just a typical news conference for Blair, the engaging and long-winded Texas A&M women’s basketball coach whom Summitt said she misses at the SEC meetings. Blair coached at Arkansas from 1993 to 2003, going 1-11 against Tennessee and the winningest coach in NCAA Division I.
“I consider him a friend in this profession, and you don’t have a lot of them,” Summitt said. “I miss him being in the conference because he was always the one to speak up. It took him quite a while to get everything said, but that was OK.”
Blair said he met Summitt at a basketball camp in North Texas in 1977 after winning a state championship as a high school coach.
“And I thought I was somebody until I met Pat,” he said, even though she “was young, just really getting started.”
He mentioned that he played a pickup game with Summitt one day and she made him look bad.
“In my eyes, she was Candace Parker,” he said, likening UT’s coach to her current star. “And she would throw the elbow, behind-the-back passes, the whole nine yards, and I thought, ‘Golly, who is this?’”
Blair still remembers the exact date — Dec. 29, 1996 — that his Arkansas team edged Tennessee 77-75 and said the win meant a lot to him.
“She’s someone you should look up to, both on and off the court,” Blair said. “But she’s not going to get me out there singing ‘Rocky Top’ in some little skirt like she had to do there. I don’t know what was worse — her singing or Bruce Pearl with no shirt on.”
No respect?
Some of the Aggies felt, despite being a 2 seed, they didn’t have Duke’s respect until winning their regional semifinal game Sunday. Texas A&M is playing in just its fifth NCAA tournament and finished 9-19 — 2-14 in the Big 12 — just four years ago. The Aggies started conference play 1-4 this season.
“We’re not Duke,” Tennessee’s Alexis Hornbuckle said. “They might have come out and not respected this team, but we’ve been here and you have to respect every opponent.”
Added Parker: “You can’t overlook a 2 seed.”
Do it with defense
The Aggies are earning a reputation with their aggressive defense, which led the Big 12 and forced Duke into 14 first-half turnovers Sunday. Nebraska is the only team to score more than 68 points against Texas A&M this year.
In the second round, the Aggies held Hartford to just 39 points.
“The pressure that Texas A&M put on us was unlike anything we have seen and probably anything we would have been able to prepare for, even if we had a week,” Hartford coach Jennifer Rizzotti said after the game.
Gant will play
All Big-12 star Danielle Gant, who missed the entire second half of the Duke game due to dehydration, is expected to play tonight against Tennessee.
“She had stomach problems again in the morning after breakfast, but she’s going to be there somehow, some way,” Blair said. “There is no tomorrow, OK? If you’ve got the flu, you play. If you’ve got stomach problems, you play. And she will find a way. Our trainer will make sure she’s ready to go. If not, I’ll be looking for a new trainer.”
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Parker scores 34 to lead Tennessee back to regional finals
OKLAHOMA CITY — Candace Parker sensed her team was in distress and rushed in for a Rocky Top rescue.
Parker matched her career best with 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading top-seeded Tennessee to the regional finals for the eighth straight year with a 74-64 win against Notre Dame on Sunday night in the Oklahoma City Regional.
The 6-foot-3 All-American put back Nicky Anosike’s miss and then converted a three-point play off a transition jumper to send Tennessee into the lead with a 14-0 run early in the second half, and the Lady Vols never looked back on their way to the round of eight for the 23rd time.
“Honestly, in postseason, you’ve got to come through. That’s what great players do,” Parker said.
Shannon Bobbitt added a pair of 3-pointers as Tennessee built its lead to 60-44 before Notre Dame made a late rally. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, who led the Irish to the 2001 national championship, fell to 0-16 against Tennessee.
The Lady Vols will face Texas A&M on Tuesday night in the regional final. Tennessee (33-2) is going for its 17th Final Four berth, while the Aggies are trying for their first.
Parker was on her game from the start, scoring Tennessee’s first eight points while her teammates combined to miss their first eight shots. But she needed to spark her teammates into action to secure the victory, and that’s what she did with the Lady Vols facing a surprising second-half deficit.
Parker rushed up in transition before pulling up for a jumper and getting fouled. Her free throw with 17:39 left put the Lady Vols up 38-37, and her teammates soon got in the game, too.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Parker was just doing her job as the team’s best offensive player—and doing it well.
“She has the size, she has the skills, she has the mind-set to take over a game,” Summitt said. “As a coach, you don’t always have that on your basketball team and when you do have it, you just hope that they have Candace’s mentality.
“She wants it, and she’s willing to step up and make the plays for us.”
Bobbitt finished with 11 and Anosike had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols.
Notre Dame freshman Becca Bruszewski scored 16 to match the career-high she had in the first round against SMU and Charel Allen also had 16 for the Irish. Lindsay Schrader, Parker’s teammate on a grade school AAU team, added 13 points and Ashley Barlow scored 11.
For a while, Notre Dame (25-9) was able to stay in front of the Lady Vols even with Parker on a tear.
Despite her 19 first-half points, Tennessee was down at halftime for only the third time this season—although they’d come back to win previously against Mississippi State and Georgia.
It was no different this time.
Notre Dame led 37-33 after point guard Tulyah Gaines drove the lane for a layup in the opening minutes of the second half, but Parker got help from three of her teammates in the big run, and the Irish didn’t have an answer. It was the second time in three NCAA tournament games that Tennessee had to overcome a sluggish start.
“I don’t know what it is but we need to fix it,” Parker said.
This one at least ended up a little closer than most of McGraw’s encounters with the Lady Vols.
Tennessee won all 15 of the previous meetings by an average margin of 23 points, and only one of the games was decided by single digits. Behind seven 3-pointers from Angie Bjorklund, the Lady Vols shot 55 percent from 3-point range in scorching Notre Dame 87-63 on its home floor in January.
“We were trying to guard the 3-point line this time. We didn’t really think that (Parker) would get that many because we did want to guard inside,” McGraw said. “But we did a really good job the first half of guarding the 3-point line … and that was the key to our game.
“Considering the last game we had with them, we’ve come a long way,” McGraw added.
The Lady Vols were already up by double digits this time before Bjorklund connected on a 3 from the left wing to make it 55-42 with 11:12 remaining. Anosike then answered Schrader’s layup, and Bobbitt hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Tennessee its biggest lead.
Bruszewski, pushed into more playing time by starter Erica Williamson’s foul trouble, tried to lead her team back but the Irish failed in their bid to reach the regional finals for the first time since their national championship run seven years ago.
“We felt from tipoff that we could play with them,” Allen said. “We believed in each other, we believed in ourselves and we just fought to the end.”
Parker matched her career best with 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading top-seeded Tennessee to the regional finals for the eighth straight year with a 74-64 win against Notre Dame on Sunday night in the Oklahoma City Regional.
The 6-foot-3 All-American put back Nicky Anosike’s miss and then converted a three-point play off a transition jumper to send Tennessee into the lead with a 14-0 run early in the second half, and the Lady Vols never looked back on their way to the round of eight for the 23rd time.
“Honestly, in postseason, you’ve got to come through. That’s what great players do,” Parker said.
Shannon Bobbitt added a pair of 3-pointers as Tennessee built its lead to 60-44 before Notre Dame made a late rally. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, who led the Irish to the 2001 national championship, fell to 0-16 against Tennessee.
The Lady Vols will face Texas A&M on Tuesday night in the regional final. Tennessee (33-2) is going for its 17th Final Four berth, while the Aggies are trying for their first.
Parker was on her game from the start, scoring Tennessee’s first eight points while her teammates combined to miss their first eight shots. But she needed to spark her teammates into action to secure the victory, and that’s what she did with the Lady Vols facing a surprising second-half deficit.
Parker rushed up in transition before pulling up for a jumper and getting fouled. Her free throw with 17:39 left put the Lady Vols up 38-37, and her teammates soon got in the game, too.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Parker was just doing her job as the team’s best offensive player—and doing it well.
“She has the size, she has the skills, she has the mind-set to take over a game,” Summitt said. “As a coach, you don’t always have that on your basketball team and when you do have it, you just hope that they have Candace’s mentality.
“She wants it, and she’s willing to step up and make the plays for us.”
Bobbitt finished with 11 and Anosike had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols.
Notre Dame freshman Becca Bruszewski scored 16 to match the career-high she had in the first round against SMU and Charel Allen also had 16 for the Irish. Lindsay Schrader, Parker’s teammate on a grade school AAU team, added 13 points and Ashley Barlow scored 11.
For a while, Notre Dame (25-9) was able to stay in front of the Lady Vols even with Parker on a tear.
Despite her 19 first-half points, Tennessee was down at halftime for only the third time this season—although they’d come back to win previously against Mississippi State and Georgia.
It was no different this time.
Notre Dame led 37-33 after point guard Tulyah Gaines drove the lane for a layup in the opening minutes of the second half, but Parker got help from three of her teammates in the big run, and the Irish didn’t have an answer. It was the second time in three NCAA tournament games that Tennessee had to overcome a sluggish start.
“I don’t know what it is but we need to fix it,” Parker said.
This one at least ended up a little closer than most of McGraw’s encounters with the Lady Vols.
Tennessee won all 15 of the previous meetings by an average margin of 23 points, and only one of the games was decided by single digits. Behind seven 3-pointers from Angie Bjorklund, the Lady Vols shot 55 percent from 3-point range in scorching Notre Dame 87-63 on its home floor in January.
“We were trying to guard the 3-point line this time. We didn’t really think that (Parker) would get that many because we did want to guard inside,” McGraw said. “But we did a really good job the first half of guarding the 3-point line … and that was the key to our game.
“Considering the last game we had with them, we’ve come a long way,” McGraw added.
The Lady Vols were already up by double digits this time before Bjorklund connected on a 3 from the left wing to make it 55-42 with 11:12 remaining. Anosike then answered Schrader’s layup, and Bobbitt hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Tennessee its biggest lead.
Bruszewski, pushed into more playing time by starter Erica Williamson’s foul trouble, tried to lead her team back but the Irish failed in their bid to reach the regional finals for the first time since their national championship run seven years ago.
“We felt from tipoff that we could play with them,” Allen said. “We believed in each other, we believed in ourselves and we just fought to the end.”
Parker insists she's OK; Summitt not so sure
Notre Dame has gone '0-for-Tennessee' under McGraw's leadership
OKLAHOMA CITY - Candace Parker said Saturday her right shoulder is fine, but Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has been taking no chances going into Sunday's NCAA tournament regional semifinal against Notre Dame at the Ford Center.
"You just hold your breath," Summitt said of watching her star player wince in pain after aggravating a chronic shoulder problem early in the Vols' Tuesday victory over Purdue.
"From the time we left Purdue, we did very little contact and virtually nothing up and down the floor. I'm a little paranoid at this time of the year about keeping them healthy."
Deja vu?
Naperville Central's Parker was on the West team and Tennessee teammates Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike on the East in the 2004 McDonald's High School All-America Game at the Ford Center. Hornbuckle and Anosike have marked their return to the arena by reminding Parker about the outcome.
"The West lost. By a lot," Hornbuckle said.
It was 91-66, to be exact. Hornbuckle was the game's MVP with a game-record 22 points.
Tough stretch
Notre Dame is winless in 19 previous games with Tennessee. Fifteen losses have come during Muffet McGraw's 21 years as Irish coach.
"I feel like it's printed on my forehead: 0-for-Tennessee," McGraw said. "But I think I'm getting Pat at a good time. Her shoulder's hurting, and she has bad knees. I think if we get her in a running game, I have her."
Said Summitt: "She's going to have to take those high heels off to catch me."
Notre Dame's 2001 NCAA champions did not play Tennessee. The teams have met twice in the tournament, with the Irish losing by 39 points in 2002 and 16 in 1997.
Most games in the Irish-Vols series have been similarly lopsided.
The Irish have lost only three by fewer than 10 points. They lost the two most recent meetings by 24 each.
That includes the Jan. 5 game at South Bend that Tennessee won 87-63, with Vols' freshman Angie Bjorklund hitting 7 of 9 three-pointers.
Calling all Catholics
Notre Dame played spoiler for the regional by knocking out Oklahoma, which means the upper deck at the Ford Center will be closed.
"We're combing the state for Catholics right now," McGraw said. "I plan on wearing red (Oklahoma's color) and hope the people will cheer for us."
OKLAHOMA CITY - Candace Parker said Saturday her right shoulder is fine, but Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has been taking no chances going into Sunday's NCAA tournament regional semifinal against Notre Dame at the Ford Center.
"You just hold your breath," Summitt said of watching her star player wince in pain after aggravating a chronic shoulder problem early in the Vols' Tuesday victory over Purdue.
"From the time we left Purdue, we did very little contact and virtually nothing up and down the floor. I'm a little paranoid at this time of the year about keeping them healthy."
Deja vu?
Naperville Central's Parker was on the West team and Tennessee teammates Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike on the East in the 2004 McDonald's High School All-America Game at the Ford Center. Hornbuckle and Anosike have marked their return to the arena by reminding Parker about the outcome.
"The West lost. By a lot," Hornbuckle said.
It was 91-66, to be exact. Hornbuckle was the game's MVP with a game-record 22 points.
Tough stretch
Notre Dame is winless in 19 previous games with Tennessee. Fifteen losses have come during Muffet McGraw's 21 years as Irish coach.
"I feel like it's printed on my forehead: 0-for-Tennessee," McGraw said. "But I think I'm getting Pat at a good time. Her shoulder's hurting, and she has bad knees. I think if we get her in a running game, I have her."
Said Summitt: "She's going to have to take those high heels off to catch me."
Notre Dame's 2001 NCAA champions did not play Tennessee. The teams have met twice in the tournament, with the Irish losing by 39 points in 2002 and 16 in 1997.
Most games in the Irish-Vols series have been similarly lopsided.
The Irish have lost only three by fewer than 10 points. They lost the two most recent meetings by 24 each.
That includes the Jan. 5 game at South Bend that Tennessee won 87-63, with Vols' freshman Angie Bjorklund hitting 7 of 9 three-pointers.
Calling all Catholics
Notre Dame played spoiler for the regional by knocking out Oklahoma, which means the upper deck at the Ford Center will be closed.
"We're combing the state for Catholics right now," McGraw said. "I plan on wearing red (Oklahoma's color) and hope the people will cheer for us."
Saturday, March 29, 2008
For Hornbuckle, it's words to play by
When Alexis Hornbuckle closes her eyes and bows her head to pray, she never asks about results.
"You can't pray for a win or a loss,'' the Tennessee women's basketball guard said.
She's more inclined to seek help.
"I pray every night and every day,'' Hornbuckle said. "I say, 'Lord bless me to play with the most energy that I can (have).' Luckily, I've been able to do that."
Her good fortune has been Tennessee's, which arrived in Oklahoma City on Friday in advance of the Midwest Regional semifinals.
The top-seeded Lady Vols (32-2) face No. 5 Notre Dame (25-8) at 9:30 p.m. Sunday (TV: ESPN2). The game follows No. 2 Texas A&M versus No. 3 Duke at 7.
The winners meet Tuesday for a trip to the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla.
Through two NCAA tournament games, Hornbuckle has been a full-service senior. She's averaging 13.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor (10 for 19). She's more accurate on 3-pointers at 55.6 percent (5 for 9).
Those impressive numbers haven't been achieved at the expense of her trademark defense. She arguably was better on that end of the floor Tuesday against Purdue. Seven of her career single-game-high eight steals came in the first half. She almost single-handedly robbed the Boilermakers of any chance of competing.
"We need that,'' fellow senior Nicky Anosike said. "I mean it means the world to us, just to have a guard out there playing like an All-American right now. We've been looking for that all year."
So far, Hornbuckle's offensive production is a far cry from last March, when she averaged a relatively quiet 7.5 points per tournament game and shot 34.5 percent (20 for 58) from the floor. UT coach Pat Summitt has called her out on this shortfall on numerous occasions.
"It's definitely in the forefront of my mind,'' Hornbuckle said. "I didn't want to be silent offensively in the tournament like I was last year."
Summitt took a different tack as the tournament approached. Hornbuckle needed encouragement more than anything after averaging 6.7 points for the final seven games of the regular season and shooting the same 34.5 percent from the floor. She was a shadow of the scorer who averaging 12.4 points per game for the first 12 games of the season and shot 50 percent from the floor.
Hornbuckle revived her production with 30 total points and 48 percent field goal shooting in the first two games of the SEC tournament, only to finish 1 for 8 with two points in the championship game against LSU.
Summitt convened a film session with her wayward guard and re-emphasized shot selection and shooting with proper balance. Judging by Hornbuckle's attempts and her accuracy in the first two rounds, it was time well spent.
"I've been really pleased with her shot selection, just her composure offensively,'' Summitt said. "I think she took maybe one shot that was off-balance."
A squared-away Hornbuckle is more confident and better able to answer the postseason call.
"I just know coach has been talking about guard play, just asking them to show up I guess,'' Anosike said. "So, like I said, I guess she's taken that to heart. Now she's trying to give us everything she has."
Hornbuckle has heard the same talk and taken it more as incentive than as a burden.
"Coach always kind of says the team goes as I go,'' she said. "I look at that not as they're on my back, but I want to be the defensive fire.
What Hornbuckle wants to do is perhaps best summed up by what she's written on her basketball shoes. On one there's "Give me strength." On the other it's simply: "Spirit."
As directives go, they are specific and powerful. Words to pray by and play by.
"You can't pray for a win or a loss,'' the Tennessee women's basketball guard said.
She's more inclined to seek help.
"I pray every night and every day,'' Hornbuckle said. "I say, 'Lord bless me to play with the most energy that I can (have).' Luckily, I've been able to do that."
Her good fortune has been Tennessee's, which arrived in Oklahoma City on Friday in advance of the Midwest Regional semifinals.
The top-seeded Lady Vols (32-2) face No. 5 Notre Dame (25-8) at 9:30 p.m. Sunday (TV: ESPN2). The game follows No. 2 Texas A&M versus No. 3 Duke at 7.
The winners meet Tuesday for a trip to the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla.
Through two NCAA tournament games, Hornbuckle has been a full-service senior. She's averaging 13.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor (10 for 19). She's more accurate on 3-pointers at 55.6 percent (5 for 9).
Those impressive numbers haven't been achieved at the expense of her trademark defense. She arguably was better on that end of the floor Tuesday against Purdue. Seven of her career single-game-high eight steals came in the first half. She almost single-handedly robbed the Boilermakers of any chance of competing.
"We need that,'' fellow senior Nicky Anosike said. "I mean it means the world to us, just to have a guard out there playing like an All-American right now. We've been looking for that all year."
So far, Hornbuckle's offensive production is a far cry from last March, when she averaged a relatively quiet 7.5 points per tournament game and shot 34.5 percent (20 for 58) from the floor. UT coach Pat Summitt has called her out on this shortfall on numerous occasions.
"It's definitely in the forefront of my mind,'' Hornbuckle said. "I didn't want to be silent offensively in the tournament like I was last year."
Summitt took a different tack as the tournament approached. Hornbuckle needed encouragement more than anything after averaging 6.7 points for the final seven games of the regular season and shooting the same 34.5 percent from the floor. She was a shadow of the scorer who averaging 12.4 points per game for the first 12 games of the season and shot 50 percent from the floor.
Hornbuckle revived her production with 30 total points and 48 percent field goal shooting in the first two games of the SEC tournament, only to finish 1 for 8 with two points in the championship game against LSU.
Summitt convened a film session with her wayward guard and re-emphasized shot selection and shooting with proper balance. Judging by Hornbuckle's attempts and her accuracy in the first two rounds, it was time well spent.
"I've been really pleased with her shot selection, just her composure offensively,'' Summitt said. "I think she took maybe one shot that was off-balance."
A squared-away Hornbuckle is more confident and better able to answer the postseason call.
"I just know coach has been talking about guard play, just asking them to show up I guess,'' Anosike said. "So, like I said, I guess she's taken that to heart. Now she's trying to give us everything she has."
Hornbuckle has heard the same talk and taken it more as incentive than as a burden.
"Coach always kind of says the team goes as I go,'' she said. "I look at that not as they're on my back, but I want to be the defensive fire.
What Hornbuckle wants to do is perhaps best summed up by what she's written on her basketball shoes. On one there's "Give me strength." On the other it's simply: "Spirit."
As directives go, they are specific and powerful. Words to pray by and play by.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tennessee routs Purdue 78-52, giving Summitt 100th tourney win
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Pat Summitt celebrated her 100th NCAA tournament win in typical fashion: a second-round blowout.
Two days after Summitt publicly challenged her team to play harder, the Lady Vols responded with a dominant defensive effort, crisp offense and a 78-52 rout of host Purdue on Tuesday night. The win not only sent top-seeded Tennessee to its annual regional semifinal appearance, but also made Summitt the first coach in Division I basketball history—men’s or women’s—to record 100 wins in the tournament.
Tennessee (32-2) will face either Oklahoma or Notre Dame on Sunday in the Oklahoma City regional semifinals.
For a while, it looked as if the Lady Vols (32-2) might even have a special commendation for Summitt: most lopsided second-round victory. But ninth-seeded Purdue (19-15) closed the 33-point gap in the final 10 minutes and avoided the indignity of breaking Summitt’s personal record in a 41-point victory over Rutgers in 1992.
The lackluster finish sure didn’t delay the celebrations.
When Tennessee’s players stepped off the team bus, they were surrounded by the pep band playing “Rocky Top.” When Summitt finally yanked her starters for good in the final 4 minutes, Candace Parker had 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Alexis Hornbuckle had 14 points, five assists and eight of the Vols’ 15 steals.
It was never even close.
The ninth-seeded Boilermakers (19-15), this year’s Big Ten tournament champs and a regional finalist last year, were led by Keshia Mosley with 14 points and Kalika France with 10. But they shot only 37.3 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers.
The Vols full-court pressure and inside play were simply too much for Purdue.
Tennessee scored the first six points, extended the lead to 15-6, then scored nine straight points to make it 24-6 with 9:35 left in the first half.
Things went more downhill from there for Purdue.
The Boilermakers couldn’t keep up with the Lady Vols’ rebounding, winding up on the low end of a 41-28 disparity, and struggled to find good shots. During one first-half stretch, Purdue went more than 8 minutes without a basket and nearly 11 minutes with only one player, Mosley, in the scoring column.
Predictably, Tennessee took advantage of that, too. An 11-0 spurt gave the Vols a 35-8 lead that Purdue never even challenged. Purdue had an 8-0 run to get within 37-20 just before halftime and used a 7-0 run midway through the second half to cut a 63-32 deficit to 63-39.
Two days after Summitt publicly challenged her team to play harder, the Lady Vols responded with a dominant defensive effort, crisp offense and a 78-52 rout of host Purdue on Tuesday night. The win not only sent top-seeded Tennessee to its annual regional semifinal appearance, but also made Summitt the first coach in Division I basketball history—men’s or women’s—to record 100 wins in the tournament.
Tennessee (32-2) will face either Oklahoma or Notre Dame on Sunday in the Oklahoma City regional semifinals.
For a while, it looked as if the Lady Vols (32-2) might even have a special commendation for Summitt: most lopsided second-round victory. But ninth-seeded Purdue (19-15) closed the 33-point gap in the final 10 minutes and avoided the indignity of breaking Summitt’s personal record in a 41-point victory over Rutgers in 1992.
The lackluster finish sure didn’t delay the celebrations.
When Tennessee’s players stepped off the team bus, they were surrounded by the pep band playing “Rocky Top.” When Summitt finally yanked her starters for good in the final 4 minutes, Candace Parker had 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Alexis Hornbuckle had 14 points, five assists and eight of the Vols’ 15 steals.
It was never even close.
The ninth-seeded Boilermakers (19-15), this year’s Big Ten tournament champs and a regional finalist last year, were led by Keshia Mosley with 14 points and Kalika France with 10. But they shot only 37.3 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers.
The Vols full-court pressure and inside play were simply too much for Purdue.
Tennessee scored the first six points, extended the lead to 15-6, then scored nine straight points to make it 24-6 with 9:35 left in the first half.
Things went more downhill from there for Purdue.
The Boilermakers couldn’t keep up with the Lady Vols’ rebounding, winding up on the low end of a 41-28 disparity, and struggled to find good shots. During one first-half stretch, Purdue went more than 8 minutes without a basket and nearly 11 minutes with only one player, Mosley, in the scoring column.
Predictably, Tennessee took advantage of that, too. An 11-0 spurt gave the Vols a 35-8 lead that Purdue never even challenged. Purdue had an 8-0 run to get within 37-20 just before halftime and used a 7-0 run midway through the second half to cut a 63-32 deficit to 63-39.
Homework assignment for Lady Vols
Purdue will be loud; so is Summitt
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Natasha Bogdanova remembers her visit to Knoxville two years ago as a sight to behold.
"Lots of orange,'' Purdue's junior forward said.
There was lots of history, too.
The Boilermakers suffered a 75-54 loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament and Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt was celebrated for career victory No. 880, which made her the winningest coach in Division I history.
"They had already given out (newspapers) 10 minutes before the game ended,'' Bogdanova said. "A little frustrating."
The teams meet again at 7 tonight at Mackey Arena in a second-round game of the Midwest Regional (TV: ESPN2). The winner advances to a regional semifinal game Sunday in Oklahoma City.
The evening's color scheme definitely will be different. Purdue black and gold and Tennessee orange isn't something you'd blend together for painting the garage. But it suits March Madness
"It's going to be like a house divided,'' Bogdanova said. "It's going to be fun to hear them yell and go at it."
The historical storyline also has shifted. If there's going to be anything to rival the milestone of two years ago, it's up to the Boilermakers to produce it."
"Tennessee is such a great team,'' Bogdanova said. "It would be making history if we could beat them."
The event would be positively seismic. Tennessee (31-2) is the regional's top seed and is 41-0 in NCAA first-/second-round play. No. 9 seed Purdue (19-14), which lost top players Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Jodi Howell to injuries before the season, likely wouldn't be here without first winning the Big 10 tournament, which provided an automatic NCAA berth.
And now, after a 66-59 first-round victory over Utah, comes this glorious chance.
"Every game, we've been able to take something and learn something from it," said Purdue guard FahKara Malone of a season that included a 100-50 home loss to Connecticut on Jan. 6. "It just prepared us more for this great opportunity we have ahead of us."
Oddly enough, the Boilermakers have been receiving a helping hand of sorts from Summitt. She's been trying to drum up a crowd from the moment she arrived here.
"Purdue had to play us at home a few years back, so the last thing that I would ever do is sit here and say 'I can't believe I might have to play Purdue on their home court,' '' she said Saturday. "I would rather have a packed gym and have them boo us for 40 minutes than have a sparse crowd and get complacent."
She reiterated her feeling on Monday.
"I wasn't in the gym for the first game last night but (associate head coach) Holly (Warlick) came around the corner and she goes 'It's loud out there,' '' Summitt said. "I said, 'well good' because I think when we struggle is when people are not in the gym."
Just in case, Summitt supplied some added incentive. She brought Shannon Bobbitt, Alex Fuller and Alberta Auguste to Monday's press conference and essentially introduced them as three players who needed to improve on their performances in Sunday's 94-55 first-round victory over Oral Roberts.
Bobbitt is squarely in the cross hairs after a relatively ineffectual six points and three assists against the Golden Eagles.
"I told Shannon Bobbitt that she better come to this gym as one of the best point guards in the country when we play Purdue because she was not on top of her game (Sunday),'' Summitt said. "I expect her to respond."
Bobbitt was hearing her coach loud and clear.
"I have to set the tone for this team,'' she said. "I'm the point guard."
In a quiet corner of the locker room, teammate Nicky Anosike took her own roll call.
"I think the starters let the team down (Sunday),'' she said. "I think we have to key on getting the team off to a good start. That's definitely a key.''
Given all the names being bandied about, it sounded like the Lady Vols were trying to drum up a crowd in their own locker room.
For them, it's a good place to start. Lots of orange in there.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Natasha Bogdanova remembers her visit to Knoxville two years ago as a sight to behold.
"Lots of orange,'' Purdue's junior forward said.
There was lots of history, too.
The Boilermakers suffered a 75-54 loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament and Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt was celebrated for career victory No. 880, which made her the winningest coach in Division I history.
"They had already given out (newspapers) 10 minutes before the game ended,'' Bogdanova said. "A little frustrating."
The teams meet again at 7 tonight at Mackey Arena in a second-round game of the Midwest Regional (TV: ESPN2). The winner advances to a regional semifinal game Sunday in Oklahoma City.
The evening's color scheme definitely will be different. Purdue black and gold and Tennessee orange isn't something you'd blend together for painting the garage. But it suits March Madness
"It's going to be like a house divided,'' Bogdanova said. "It's going to be fun to hear them yell and go at it."
The historical storyline also has shifted. If there's going to be anything to rival the milestone of two years ago, it's up to the Boilermakers to produce it."
"Tennessee is such a great team,'' Bogdanova said. "It would be making history if we could beat them."
The event would be positively seismic. Tennessee (31-2) is the regional's top seed and is 41-0 in NCAA first-/second-round play. No. 9 seed Purdue (19-14), which lost top players Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Jodi Howell to injuries before the season, likely wouldn't be here without first winning the Big 10 tournament, which provided an automatic NCAA berth.
And now, after a 66-59 first-round victory over Utah, comes this glorious chance.
"Every game, we've been able to take something and learn something from it," said Purdue guard FahKara Malone of a season that included a 100-50 home loss to Connecticut on Jan. 6. "It just prepared us more for this great opportunity we have ahead of us."
Oddly enough, the Boilermakers have been receiving a helping hand of sorts from Summitt. She's been trying to drum up a crowd from the moment she arrived here.
"Purdue had to play us at home a few years back, so the last thing that I would ever do is sit here and say 'I can't believe I might have to play Purdue on their home court,' '' she said Saturday. "I would rather have a packed gym and have them boo us for 40 minutes than have a sparse crowd and get complacent."
She reiterated her feeling on Monday.
"I wasn't in the gym for the first game last night but (associate head coach) Holly (Warlick) came around the corner and she goes 'It's loud out there,' '' Summitt said. "I said, 'well good' because I think when we struggle is when people are not in the gym."
Just in case, Summitt supplied some added incentive. She brought Shannon Bobbitt, Alex Fuller and Alberta Auguste to Monday's press conference and essentially introduced them as three players who needed to improve on their performances in Sunday's 94-55 first-round victory over Oral Roberts.
Bobbitt is squarely in the cross hairs after a relatively ineffectual six points and three assists against the Golden Eagles.
"I told Shannon Bobbitt that she better come to this gym as one of the best point guards in the country when we play Purdue because she was not on top of her game (Sunday),'' Summitt said. "I expect her to respond."
Bobbitt was hearing her coach loud and clear.
"I have to set the tone for this team,'' she said. "I'm the point guard."
In a quiet corner of the locker room, teammate Nicky Anosike took her own roll call.
"I think the starters let the team down (Sunday),'' she said. "I think we have to key on getting the team off to a good start. That's definitely a key.''
Given all the names being bandied about, it sounded like the Lady Vols were trying to drum up a crowd in their own locker room.
For them, it's a good place to start. Lots of orange in there.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Camargo's injury not caused by sign
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After reviewing the videotape of Oral Roberts guard Mariana Camargo going down with a left knee injury Sunday night, Jenny Moshak has a different view on how it happened.
"The cheerleader sign did not cause this injury,'' said Moshak, the Tennessee Lady Vols assistant athletic director for sports medicine. "It's very evident from watching the film."
The sign, which was lying just a few feet beyond the baseline, was singled out as the cause for Camargo going down in the opening seconds of the Golden Eagles' NCAA women's tournament game against UT.
Moshak said Camargo overextended her left leg while chasing after the ball and the leg buckled.
"Her momentum carried her forward and she hit the sign with the right leg and she went flying,'' Moshak said.
Moshak said that she talked with the cheerleaders' coach. Moshak said that Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt talked to the coach, the cheerleaders and Camargo.
"First, I had to hold back tears,'' said Summitt, who met with Camargo after the game. "It was such a freak thing, the way it happened. I was thinking, 'Why?' "
Summitt also related her knee injury experiences with Camargo and said, "I've been there. It's all about the rehab."
Cooking For A Cause: Purdue junior guard Laura Mioton, who is a New Orleans native, put together a "Live to Eat" cookbook to help with the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
The book sold out its initial allotment of 500 copies in one month, raising more than $7,000 for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation to support their "Save the Coast" Foundation.
Mioton said people are sending her recipes and that she's planning a second edition.
Different Memories: Tennessee has a checkered past playing in Mackey Arena. In 1992, the Lady Vols lost a Sweet 16 game here to Western Kentucky, 75-70. In 1998, Purdue ended UT's 46-game winning streak with a 78-68 victory.
"In the past, this place has not been real kind to Tennessee and Coach Summitt, but we're going to change that,'' Summitt said.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, has great memories of the place, which were enhanced by Sunday's 69-61 first-round victory over Illinois State in the other portion of the Midwest Regional being played here.
In 2000, the Sooners burst onto the national scene with a second-round victory over Purdue. They advanced to the Sweet 16, where they lost to eventual national champion Connecticut.
"I have countless memories of this city and this floor and how we were able to catapult our program on this spot in 2000,'' Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
No. 4 seed Oklahoma plays No. 5 Notre Dame in the late game tonight. If the Sooners again advance to the Sweet 16, they will play the Tennessee-Purdue winner in a home setting in Oklahoma City.
Notebook: The 21 points Oral Roberts scored in the second half Sunday was the second-lowest total by a Tennessee opponent this season. UT held Vanderbilt to 20 second-half points in the SEC tournament semifinals. … Alex Fuller tied her career high with eight rebounds Sunday. … Alberta Auguste matched her career high with 13 points against the Golden Eagles. … UT is going for the 100th NCAA tournament victory tonight. ... The Women’s Basketball Coaches Associations named Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma the Division I National Coach of the Year.
"The cheerleader sign did not cause this injury,'' said Moshak, the Tennessee Lady Vols assistant athletic director for sports medicine. "It's very evident from watching the film."
The sign, which was lying just a few feet beyond the baseline, was singled out as the cause for Camargo going down in the opening seconds of the Golden Eagles' NCAA women's tournament game against UT.
Moshak said Camargo overextended her left leg while chasing after the ball and the leg buckled.
"Her momentum carried her forward and she hit the sign with the right leg and she went flying,'' Moshak said.
Moshak said that she talked with the cheerleaders' coach. Moshak said that Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt talked to the coach, the cheerleaders and Camargo.
"First, I had to hold back tears,'' said Summitt, who met with Camargo after the game. "It was such a freak thing, the way it happened. I was thinking, 'Why?' "
Summitt also related her knee injury experiences with Camargo and said, "I've been there. It's all about the rehab."
Cooking For A Cause: Purdue junior guard Laura Mioton, who is a New Orleans native, put together a "Live to Eat" cookbook to help with the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
The book sold out its initial allotment of 500 copies in one month, raising more than $7,000 for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation to support their "Save the Coast" Foundation.
Mioton said people are sending her recipes and that she's planning a second edition.
Different Memories: Tennessee has a checkered past playing in Mackey Arena. In 1992, the Lady Vols lost a Sweet 16 game here to Western Kentucky, 75-70. In 1998, Purdue ended UT's 46-game winning streak with a 78-68 victory.
"In the past, this place has not been real kind to Tennessee and Coach Summitt, but we're going to change that,'' Summitt said.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, has great memories of the place, which were enhanced by Sunday's 69-61 first-round victory over Illinois State in the other portion of the Midwest Regional being played here.
In 2000, the Sooners burst onto the national scene with a second-round victory over Purdue. They advanced to the Sweet 16, where they lost to eventual national champion Connecticut.
"I have countless memories of this city and this floor and how we were able to catapult our program on this spot in 2000,'' Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
No. 4 seed Oklahoma plays No. 5 Notre Dame in the late game tonight. If the Sooners again advance to the Sweet 16, they will play the Tennessee-Purdue winner in a home setting in Oklahoma City.
Notebook: The 21 points Oral Roberts scored in the second half Sunday was the second-lowest total by a Tennessee opponent this season. UT held Vanderbilt to 20 second-half points in the SEC tournament semifinals. … Alex Fuller tied her career high with eight rebounds Sunday. … Alberta Auguste matched her career high with 13 points against the Golden Eagles. … UT is going for the 100th NCAA tournament victory tonight. ... The Women’s Basketball Coaches Associations named Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma the Division I National Coach of the Year.
Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt Wants NCAA To Think About New Safety Rules
Pat Summitt thinks it's time to consider new safety rules in college basketball.
After seeing Oral Roberts guard Mariana Camargo crumple to the ground on top of a cheerleader's sign in the opening seconds of Sunday night's game, Summitt told The Associated Press on Monday that she would support looking into a rule backing cheerleaders, photographers and camera crews off the baseline to help prevent injuries.
"I would certainly be in favor of that," Summitt said.
The issue cropped up Monday, a day after Camargo apparently tore the anterior cruciate ligament while chasing the ball out of bounds off the opening tip.
After the game, Oral Roberts coach Jerry Finkbeiner said he believed Camargo slipped awkwardly when she stepped on the sign. But Summitt and Purdue coach Sharon Versyp, who both watched tape of the game in preparation for their second-round matchup Tuesday night, said the injury actually occurred earlier and that Camargo merely landed on top of the sign.
Semantics or not, players and coaches at the West Lafayette site had mixed reactions to whether anything could - or should - be done to give players more protection.
"I think someone will draft legislation, probably their (Oral Roberts') conference," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "It seems like a potential hazard that can be easily avoided. I don't know that we've ever had that happen. I think we've probably kicked a few cheerleaders in the head jumping over them, but they probably got the worst end of it."
Purdue guard FahKara Malone said she doesn't understand why the signs even need to be on the court. She thinks they should be farther away yet close enough that cheerleaders can get to them during timeouts.
And last year's national player of the year, Courtney Paris, said she's never feared a collision on the baseline although those near her might have.
"Most of the time, I think most of those guys are more worried about me falling on top of them," she said. "But I do think people will be more cautious of those things now."
Others don't see the need to jump so fast.
"It's only when you go out of bounds and this was kind of a random situation, unfortunately," Versyp said.
But it's not the first time Summitt has witnessed that kind of injury. Two years ago, Tennessee guard Alexis Hornbuckle broke her right wrist while going after a ball, a play in which Summitt recalled she was trying to avoid a collision with a cheerleader.
Cheerleaders aren't even Summitt's biggest fear.
"Have you looked at those cameras down there? They're huge," Summitt said.
After seeing Oral Roberts guard Mariana Camargo crumple to the ground on top of a cheerleader's sign in the opening seconds of Sunday night's game, Summitt told The Associated Press on Monday that she would support looking into a rule backing cheerleaders, photographers and camera crews off the baseline to help prevent injuries.
"I would certainly be in favor of that," Summitt said.
The issue cropped up Monday, a day after Camargo apparently tore the anterior cruciate ligament while chasing the ball out of bounds off the opening tip.
After the game, Oral Roberts coach Jerry Finkbeiner said he believed Camargo slipped awkwardly when she stepped on the sign. But Summitt and Purdue coach Sharon Versyp, who both watched tape of the game in preparation for their second-round matchup Tuesday night, said the injury actually occurred earlier and that Camargo merely landed on top of the sign.
Semantics or not, players and coaches at the West Lafayette site had mixed reactions to whether anything could - or should - be done to give players more protection.
"I think someone will draft legislation, probably their (Oral Roberts') conference," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "It seems like a potential hazard that can be easily avoided. I don't know that we've ever had that happen. I think we've probably kicked a few cheerleaders in the head jumping over them, but they probably got the worst end of it."
Purdue guard FahKara Malone said she doesn't understand why the signs even need to be on the court. She thinks they should be farther away yet close enough that cheerleaders can get to them during timeouts.
And last year's national player of the year, Courtney Paris, said she's never feared a collision on the baseline although those near her might have.
"Most of the time, I think most of those guys are more worried about me falling on top of them," she said. "But I do think people will be more cautious of those things now."
Others don't see the need to jump so fast.
"It's only when you go out of bounds and this was kind of a random situation, unfortunately," Versyp said.
But it's not the first time Summitt has witnessed that kind of injury. Two years ago, Tennessee guard Alexis Hornbuckle broke her right wrist while going after a ball, a play in which Summitt recalled she was trying to avoid a collision with a cheerleader.
Cheerleaders aren't even Summitt's biggest fear.
"Have you looked at those cameras down there? They're huge," Summitt said.
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