Pat Summitt doesn't get overwhelmed too often. So she resorted to what's becoming an old standby as she was inducted into her fifth Hall of Fame on Friday.
The NCAA's winningest Division I basketball coach led the room in a chorus of "Rocky Top."
"I did not anticipate there being this many people, and when we drove up and I saw the people I was like, 'I wonder what they're having in this event,'" Summitt said.
The coach thanked her parents, family and friends, her staff and Joan Cronan, now the Volunteer's interim athletics director, after being inducted into the Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame by the state's Economic Council on Women. Summitt also deflected credit to Tennessee fans and leadership.
"There's a lot of successful people in this room, and I have a lot of great friends here. It was touching. I was very humbled," Summitt said. "But I want to keep doing the right things for women all the time."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb and North Carolina State coach Kellie Jolly Harper were among those helping to celebrate this latest honor.
Summitt, 1,071-199 in 37 seasons, also has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
Cronan lightheartedly pointed out that one of the first questions she hears from people in her travels is whether Summitt stares at her like she does her players and referees.
She turned serious when describing the impact of sports.
"Did you know that 80 percent of the women at the top echelon of Fortune 500 companies participated in athletics? So we are making a difference teaching them more than a game, and Pat has done that so well for so many years," Cronan said.
Haslam called Summitt a role model not only for women but for anyone wanting to excel. Haslam said Summitt could have been a CEO or a lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court.
"If she were running for governor, I wouldn't be standing here," Haslam said. "It's true. It's that commitment to excellence."
At times, the tribute veered into a roast of Summitt with stories and jokes. Tennessee associate coach Holly Warlick noted Summitt was coaching her as she tried to detail how many former players now are coaches.
Balcomb, her SEC coaching rival, said Summitt called the athletic director for her when the Vanderbilt women's basketball job was open.
"I tell Pat stories usually when Pat isn't in the room, so I'm extremely nervous," she said, joking.
Balcomb remembered her first meeting with Summitt after Balcomb's Xavier team beat the Lady Vols in the NCAA tournament. That was the first time she got what she called the "Pat finger" wagging at her.
Those watching thought Summitt chewed her out and Balcomb was asked what she said. Summitt simply told her that Xavier had kicked Tennessee and deserved to win, while Balcomb could only stare up at the taller Summitt.
"Why I stay at Vanderbilt is to play against her because she is the best," Balcomb said.
Summitt said jokingly that Warlick wants her job, and she is a likely successor if she ever retires. Summitt, who turned 59 on Tuesday, said she expects to coach at least three, four or five more years. She's looking forward to the top recruits she has lined up.
"There are some teams out there I don't want to give up," she said.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, June 03, 2011
Pat Summitt to be inducted into TN Women's Hall of Fame
Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt will be inducted into the Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame on June 17.
According to a release, officials are inducting Summit into the hall of fame for her "unparalleled contributions to the lives of women and girls throughout the State through her leadership and example."
The ceremony will take place at the Airport Marriot in Nashvillle.
For more information on the event, read the following release:
NASHVILLE, TN - The championship banners hang over the court that bears her name. The record books document her accomplishments in hard numbers and cold facts. Women's basketball, college and professional, will be changed forever by the numbers of players, coaches and administrators she's taught. But Pat Summitt is being inducted into the Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame because she has made unparalleled contributions to the lives of women and girls throughout the State through her leadership and example.
On June 17, 2011 at the Airport Marriott in Nashville, the Tennessee Economic Council on Women will induct Coach Summitt as the third member of its Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame. The award, which celebrates women whose lives reflect exceptional accomplishments and devotion to improving the economic status of women and girls in Tennessee, will be presented to Coach Summitt by Governor Bill Haslam.
"Although we are very proud of her record number of wins, it's her legacy of leadership that we're honoring. Her contribution to women and girls across the State of Tennessee go far beyond the basketball court and are more important than any record book could describe," said Dr. Carol Danehower, Chair of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. The Hall of Fame's previous inductees are Jane Eskind and Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey.
In addition to Governor Haslam, Coach Summitt will be joined by Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Coach Melanie Balcomb, UT Women's Athletics Director Joan Cronan, UT Associate Head Coach Holly Warlick and Billie Moore who coached a young Pat Head on the 1976 U.S. Women's Basketball silver-medal team.
The event will take place on June 17 at the Airport Marriott from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and will include a luncheon. Tickets can be purchased at www.womenseconomicfoundation.org. For additional information, please call (615) 444-9663.
According to a release, officials are inducting Summit into the hall of fame for her "unparalleled contributions to the lives of women and girls throughout the State through her leadership and example."
The ceremony will take place at the Airport Marriot in Nashvillle.
For more information on the event, read the following release:
NASHVILLE, TN - The championship banners hang over the court that bears her name. The record books document her accomplishments in hard numbers and cold facts. Women's basketball, college and professional, will be changed forever by the numbers of players, coaches and administrators she's taught. But Pat Summitt is being inducted into the Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame because she has made unparalleled contributions to the lives of women and girls throughout the State through her leadership and example.
On June 17, 2011 at the Airport Marriott in Nashville, the Tennessee Economic Council on Women will induct Coach Summitt as the third member of its Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame. The award, which celebrates women whose lives reflect exceptional accomplishments and devotion to improving the economic status of women and girls in Tennessee, will be presented to Coach Summitt by Governor Bill Haslam.
"Although we are very proud of her record number of wins, it's her legacy of leadership that we're honoring. Her contribution to women and girls across the State of Tennessee go far beyond the basketball court and are more important than any record book could describe," said Dr. Carol Danehower, Chair of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. The Hall of Fame's previous inductees are Jane Eskind and Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey.
In addition to Governor Haslam, Coach Summitt will be joined by Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Coach Melanie Balcomb, UT Women's Athletics Director Joan Cronan, UT Associate Head Coach Holly Warlick and Billie Moore who coached a young Pat Head on the 1976 U.S. Women's Basketball silver-medal team.
The event will take place on June 17 at the Airport Marriott from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and will include a luncheon. Tickets can be purchased at www.womenseconomicfoundation.org. For additional information, please call (615) 444-9663.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Mystics Acquire All-Star Nicky Anosike
Washington Mystics General Manager and Head Coach Trudi Lacey announced today that the team has acquired All-Star Nicky Anosike from the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx will receive the Mystics' first round pick in the 2012 WNBA draft.
"We are thrilled to sign a player of Nicky's caliber," said Lacey. "She will be an excellent addition to our team and give us the low post presence we have been missing. Nicky's experience both at the collegiate and professional levels as well her skill set brings a dimension to our team that is unprecedented. "
A 6-3 forward/center, Anosike was drafted in the second round (16th overall) of the 2008 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Last season, she played 31 games and averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The 2009 season was a stellar year for Anosike, as she led the Lynx in scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounding (7.4 rpg), assists (2.7 apg), steals (2.7 spg) and blocked shots (.93 bpg) to become one of only two late round draft picks to be named to the All-Star team since 2001.
A standout player from the University of Tennessee, Anosike won back-to-back National Championships (2007 & 2008) and was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Teams. In addition to earning All-American and All-SEC honors throughout her collegiate career, Anosike was named the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year for her dedication to her community and her studies.
"We are thrilled to sign a player of Nicky's caliber," said Lacey. "She will be an excellent addition to our team and give us the low post presence we have been missing. Nicky's experience both at the collegiate and professional levels as well her skill set brings a dimension to our team that is unprecedented. "
A 6-3 forward/center, Anosike was drafted in the second round (16th overall) of the 2008 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Last season, she played 31 games and averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The 2009 season was a stellar year for Anosike, as she led the Lynx in scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounding (7.4 rpg), assists (2.7 apg), steals (2.7 spg) and blocked shots (.93 bpg) to become one of only two late round draft picks to be named to the All-Star team since 2001.
A standout player from the University of Tennessee, Anosike won back-to-back National Championships (2007 & 2008) and was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Teams. In addition to earning All-American and All-SEC honors throughout her collegiate career, Anosike was named the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year for her dedication to her community and her studies.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Tennessee's Pat Summitt gets head start on 2011-12
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is getting a head start on next season.
Summitt and her Lady Volunteers program didn't reach the Final Four for a third straight year, the longest drought in nearly two decades. To make sure her current junior class doesn't become the first in Tennessee history to never make a national semifinals appearance, Summitt has been making a few changes and imposing extra demands on her players.
"I'm still not over it," Summitt said on Wednesday, more than a week after Tennessee's 73-59 loss to Notre Dame in the regional finals in Dayton, Ohio. "I just felt like we didn't come ready to play at the highest level. You've got to bring your 'A' game."
Only those players who do bring their 'A' game will be playing next year, Summitt said, promising to shorten the deep rotation that was the hallmark of Tennessee's 34-3 season and undefeated Southeastern Conference run if necessary.
At the core of Summitt's disappointment was the team's lack of commitment to defense and some players' desire to improve their game. She's already named forwards Glory Johnson and Alicia Manning and guard Taber Spani as team captains for next season, hoping that their emphasis on defense and putting extra hours in the gym will inspire their teammates to do on the same.
"I think the thing that I've realized with this particular team is we have a lot of players that are very skilled offensively, but we just don't have the defensive mentality across the board, and I think the defense and board play is going to be without a question a point of emphasis for us."
Summitt has had them in the gym twice since their season ended on March 28 — once to watch film of their NCAA loss and once to practice their defense — but it's the extra time the players invest trying to rid their game of weaknesses during the offseason that will convince her they need to stay in the playing rotation.
The Lady Vols can also count on contending with a fresh set of faces in the fall. Summitt has signed top forward prospect Cierra Burdick, top point guard prospect Ariel Massengale and the state of Tennessee's top prospect, forward Isabelle Harrison.
But with the decisions of center Kelley Cain and point guard Lauren Avant to leave the program, Summitt has plans of adding even more new players, either by signing incoming freshmen or bringing in junior college players.
"We've been looking, you don't have to worry about that," Summitt said. "We'll just say everything's open right now, but we will have more players."
Massengale is all but guaranteed a starting role if she's healthy upon arrival, which could help Tennessee at a position that's been a sore spot for Summitt. Forward Shekinna Stricklen and shooting guard Meighan Simmons adjusted their play to fill in at the position for the past three seasons.
"I've watched (Massengale) play. I just think she's a real special guard. Cierra Burdick — the two of them played really well together (in the McDonald's high school all-American game). I feel good about that, but I also think we'll have some good guards coming in as well."
In the mean time, it's up to the current Lady Vols to decide how much they're willing to do to make sure next year's season outcome changes.
"I think they understand the sense of urgency for each individual to step up," Summitt said. "We all understand that we can get better in all aspects. That's why I keep going back and saying take ownership of your team, invest in this program, do the things you have to do on a daily basis to get better."
Summitt and her Lady Volunteers program didn't reach the Final Four for a third straight year, the longest drought in nearly two decades. To make sure her current junior class doesn't become the first in Tennessee history to never make a national semifinals appearance, Summitt has been making a few changes and imposing extra demands on her players.
"I'm still not over it," Summitt said on Wednesday, more than a week after Tennessee's 73-59 loss to Notre Dame in the regional finals in Dayton, Ohio. "I just felt like we didn't come ready to play at the highest level. You've got to bring your 'A' game."
Only those players who do bring their 'A' game will be playing next year, Summitt said, promising to shorten the deep rotation that was the hallmark of Tennessee's 34-3 season and undefeated Southeastern Conference run if necessary.
At the core of Summitt's disappointment was the team's lack of commitment to defense and some players' desire to improve their game. She's already named forwards Glory Johnson and Alicia Manning and guard Taber Spani as team captains for next season, hoping that their emphasis on defense and putting extra hours in the gym will inspire their teammates to do on the same.
"I think the thing that I've realized with this particular team is we have a lot of players that are very skilled offensively, but we just don't have the defensive mentality across the board, and I think the defense and board play is going to be without a question a point of emphasis for us."
Summitt has had them in the gym twice since their season ended on March 28 — once to watch film of their NCAA loss and once to practice their defense — but it's the extra time the players invest trying to rid their game of weaknesses during the offseason that will convince her they need to stay in the playing rotation.
The Lady Vols can also count on contending with a fresh set of faces in the fall. Summitt has signed top forward prospect Cierra Burdick, top point guard prospect Ariel Massengale and the state of Tennessee's top prospect, forward Isabelle Harrison.
But with the decisions of center Kelley Cain and point guard Lauren Avant to leave the program, Summitt has plans of adding even more new players, either by signing incoming freshmen or bringing in junior college players.
"We've been looking, you don't have to worry about that," Summitt said. "We'll just say everything's open right now, but we will have more players."
Massengale is all but guaranteed a starting role if she's healthy upon arrival, which could help Tennessee at a position that's been a sore spot for Summitt. Forward Shekinna Stricklen and shooting guard Meighan Simmons adjusted their play to fill in at the position for the past three seasons.
"I've watched (Massengale) play. I just think she's a real special guard. Cierra Burdick — the two of them played really well together (in the McDonald's high school all-American game). I feel good about that, but I also think we'll have some good guards coming in as well."
In the mean time, it's up to the current Lady Vols to decide how much they're willing to do to make sure next year's season outcome changes.
"I think they understand the sense of urgency for each individual to step up," Summitt said. "We all understand that we can get better in all aspects. That's why I keep going back and saying take ownership of your team, invest in this program, do the things you have to do on a daily basis to get better."
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Lauren Avant leaving Lady Vols
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has announced that freshman guard Lauren Avant will not return to play for the Lady Vols next season.
The Avant announcement came a day after redshirt junior center Kelley Cain said that she would forgo her final season of eligibility because of her history of injuries. Summitt said that wasn't expecting any more attrition. But Avant, who also dealt with a multitude of injuries, came to her on Tuesday and said that she wanted to transfer to a smaller school.
"I think with the injuries and I think also thinking about being closer to home and not having the pressure of Division I here, you know, at Tennessee,'' said Summitt, listing the reasoning behind Avant's decision. "She said she wants a smaller school."
Avant, who is from Memphis, would be eligible to play next season if she transferred to a Division II or Division III school.
With two scholarships suddenly available, Summitt indicated that Tennessee will be adding at least one player in the spring signing period.
The Avant announcement came a day after redshirt junior center Kelley Cain said that she would forgo her final season of eligibility because of her history of injuries. Summitt said that wasn't expecting any more attrition. But Avant, who also dealt with a multitude of injuries, came to her on Tuesday and said that she wanted to transfer to a smaller school.
"I think with the injuries and I think also thinking about being closer to home and not having the pressure of Division I here, you know, at Tennessee,'' said Summitt, listing the reasoning behind Avant's decision. "She said she wants a smaller school."
Avant, who is from Memphis, would be eligible to play next season if she transferred to a Division II or Division III school.
With two scholarships suddenly available, Summitt indicated that Tennessee will be adding at least one player in the spring signing period.
Baylor, Notre Dame lead first look at preseason Top 10 for 2011-12
The defending champion is Texas A&M, and Maya Moore is soon to be a member of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. Indeed, we're entering a new era in women's college basketball. While we reserve the right to change these picks come next November, here's SI.com's way-too-early preseason Top 10 for 2011-12 ...
1. Baylor (34-3)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims and Destiny Williams
The Skinny: Look for point guard Sims -- the freshman of the year -- to make a huge leap as a sophomore. Remember, she was expected to back up Kelli Griffin this year before Griffin shockingly left the Lady Bears before the opening game. The junior-to-be Griner will use the loss to Texas A&M in the Dallas Regional final as motivation to get stronger.
Quotable: "I harp on this, but truthfully, when you look out on that floor, I have one senior and a bunch of sophomores and one freshman who get the majority of the minutes." -- Baylor coach Kim Mulkey on her inexperience this season.
2. Notre Dame (30-8)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Skylar Diggins, Natalie Novosel and Devereaux Peters
The Skinny: The deepest team in the country (they lost only one player) will be led by Diggins and Novosel. Redshirt senior guard Brittany Mallory has one more year of eligibility and will make her decision on whether she's coming back later in the summer. Most expected Notre Dame to make its big run in 2012, and they exceeded expectations by losing in a tight championship game. The Irish are the co-favorites with the Lady Bears.
Quotable: "I think there's definitely a little carry over, but you're just not guaranteed anything. Getting here this year doesn't mean that because we have everybody back but Becca (Bruszewski) that we're going to be back here next year. And that's something we'll have to guard against after the season. We can't get complacent. We know how hard we worked to get here. This was an unbelievable effort by everybody to get here."-- Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw.
3. Tennessee (34-3)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Meighan Simmons, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson
The Skinny: Pat Summitt has a deep and athletic team returning, but the best news of all is incoming point guard Ariel Massengale, a big-time talent who will likely start as a freshman. That means Simmons moves to the wing, where she'll be even more deadly. Tennessee also adds another major recruit in forward Cierra Burdick.
Quotable: "I am very disappointed in our basketball team. I don't think we came here with the focus and don't ask me why. I look at this junior class and Angie [Bjorklund] as a senior and I am kind of lost for words as to why they wouldn't come in and already know what they were going to do. I hate this for our program, our administration. I hope our players will learn from it because we have a way to go. We were exposed today." -- Summitt, following her team's loss to Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.
4. UConn (36-2)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Farris and Caroline Doty
The Skinny: Moore is gone, but UConn isn't going away from the national stage with the core above and a great freshman class led by wing player Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, the WBCA national high school player of the year. The 6-foot-3 forward-center recruit Kiah Stokes also has promise.
Quotable: "What Maya and Lorin [Dixon] experienced in the two years between their loss in the Final Four and the loss against Notre Dame, that's what I'm going to choose to focus on when I think about those two, especially Maya. I'm going to think more about the best player in the history of the Big East and maybe the best student-athlete in the history of college basketball." -- Coach Geno Auriemma, after the loss to Notre Dame in the national semifinals.
5. Louisville (22-13)
Starters Returning: Five
Key Players: Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid, Tia Gibbs
The Skinny: Schimmel (15.1 points), a Magic Johnson-like point guard who ranked second in the Big East with 4.9 assists per game, had a fantastic freshman year. If not for Reid suffering a right groin strain early against Gonzaga, Louisville might have faced Stanford in the Elite Eight. This team has every starter back, and the Cardinal also add a big-time recruit in forward Sarah Hammond.
Quotable: "We have to have some kids that want to put in some time to become better basketball players. We need children that didn't play as much to be hungry and want to be in the gym. I'm excited about the future of this program, but we can't stop working." -- Louisville coach Jeff Waltz, to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
6. Stanford (33-3)
The Skinny: The Ogumwike sisters (All-America senior forward Necka and sophomore forward Chinay) are back, but Stanford will have trouble replacing the scoring from graduating seniors Melanie Murphy, Kayla Pedersen and Jeanette Pohlen. Incoming point guard Amber Orrange has plenty of promise.
7. Texas A&M (33-5)
The Skinny: The champs lose leading scoring Danielle Adams and inspirational point guard Sydney Colson, but senior guard Sydney Carter and senior forward and NCAA hero Tyra White can fill it up. Coach Gary Blair gets an impact transfer in center Kelsey Bone, who has star potential.
8. Duke (32-4)
The Skinny: The vaunted freshman class -- led by Chelsea Gray -- now takes ownership of this team with the departures of Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Karima Christmas. Incoming post Elizabeth Williams and forward Amber Hanson (sister of North Carolina's John) will be impact recruits.
9. Georgetown (24-11)
The Skinny: The Hoyas have a fabulous point guard in Sugar Rogers and return four starters (sans Monica McNutt). Their defense will keep them in every game.
10. LSU (19-13)
The Skinny: New coach Nicki Caldwell built up UCLA very quickly and now heads to LSU where she has returning talent (senior forward LaSondra Barrett and junior guard Adrienne Webb) and a major recruit in 6-foot-4 forward Krystal Forthan. Watch out for this program the next two years.
1. Baylor (34-3)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims and Destiny Williams
The Skinny: Look for point guard Sims -- the freshman of the year -- to make a huge leap as a sophomore. Remember, she was expected to back up Kelli Griffin this year before Griffin shockingly left the Lady Bears before the opening game. The junior-to-be Griner will use the loss to Texas A&M in the Dallas Regional final as motivation to get stronger.
Quotable: "I harp on this, but truthfully, when you look out on that floor, I have one senior and a bunch of sophomores and one freshman who get the majority of the minutes." -- Baylor coach Kim Mulkey on her inexperience this season.
2. Notre Dame (30-8)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Skylar Diggins, Natalie Novosel and Devereaux Peters
The Skinny: The deepest team in the country (they lost only one player) will be led by Diggins and Novosel. Redshirt senior guard Brittany Mallory has one more year of eligibility and will make her decision on whether she's coming back later in the summer. Most expected Notre Dame to make its big run in 2012, and they exceeded expectations by losing in a tight championship game. The Irish are the co-favorites with the Lady Bears.
Quotable: "I think there's definitely a little carry over, but you're just not guaranteed anything. Getting here this year doesn't mean that because we have everybody back but Becca (Bruszewski) that we're going to be back here next year. And that's something we'll have to guard against after the season. We can't get complacent. We know how hard we worked to get here. This was an unbelievable effort by everybody to get here."-- Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw.
3. Tennessee (34-3)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Meighan Simmons, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson
The Skinny: Pat Summitt has a deep and athletic team returning, but the best news of all is incoming point guard Ariel Massengale, a big-time talent who will likely start as a freshman. That means Simmons moves to the wing, where she'll be even more deadly. Tennessee also adds another major recruit in forward Cierra Burdick.
Quotable: "I am very disappointed in our basketball team. I don't think we came here with the focus and don't ask me why. I look at this junior class and Angie [Bjorklund] as a senior and I am kind of lost for words as to why they wouldn't come in and already know what they were going to do. I hate this for our program, our administration. I hope our players will learn from it because we have a way to go. We were exposed today." -- Summitt, following her team's loss to Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.
4. UConn (36-2)
Starters Returning: Four
Key Players: Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Farris and Caroline Doty
The Skinny: Moore is gone, but UConn isn't going away from the national stage with the core above and a great freshman class led by wing player Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, the WBCA national high school player of the year. The 6-foot-3 forward-center recruit Kiah Stokes also has promise.
Quotable: "What Maya and Lorin [Dixon] experienced in the two years between their loss in the Final Four and the loss against Notre Dame, that's what I'm going to choose to focus on when I think about those two, especially Maya. I'm going to think more about the best player in the history of the Big East and maybe the best student-athlete in the history of college basketball." -- Coach Geno Auriemma, after the loss to Notre Dame in the national semifinals.
5. Louisville (22-13)
Starters Returning: Five
Key Players: Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid, Tia Gibbs
The Skinny: Schimmel (15.1 points), a Magic Johnson-like point guard who ranked second in the Big East with 4.9 assists per game, had a fantastic freshman year. If not for Reid suffering a right groin strain early against Gonzaga, Louisville might have faced Stanford in the Elite Eight. This team has every starter back, and the Cardinal also add a big-time recruit in forward Sarah Hammond.
Quotable: "We have to have some kids that want to put in some time to become better basketball players. We need children that didn't play as much to be hungry and want to be in the gym. I'm excited about the future of this program, but we can't stop working." -- Louisville coach Jeff Waltz, to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
6. Stanford (33-3)
The Skinny: The Ogumwike sisters (All-America senior forward Necka and sophomore forward Chinay) are back, but Stanford will have trouble replacing the scoring from graduating seniors Melanie Murphy, Kayla Pedersen and Jeanette Pohlen. Incoming point guard Amber Orrange has plenty of promise.
7. Texas A&M (33-5)
The Skinny: The champs lose leading scoring Danielle Adams and inspirational point guard Sydney Colson, but senior guard Sydney Carter and senior forward and NCAA hero Tyra White can fill it up. Coach Gary Blair gets an impact transfer in center Kelsey Bone, who has star potential.
8. Duke (32-4)
The Skinny: The vaunted freshman class -- led by Chelsea Gray -- now takes ownership of this team with the departures of Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Karima Christmas. Incoming post Elizabeth Williams and forward Amber Hanson (sister of North Carolina's John) will be impact recruits.
9. Georgetown (24-11)
The Skinny: The Hoyas have a fabulous point guard in Sugar Rogers and return four starters (sans Monica McNutt). Their defense will keep them in every game.
10. LSU (19-13)
The Skinny: New coach Nicki Caldwell built up UCLA very quickly and now heads to LSU where she has returning talent (senior forward LaSondra Barrett and junior guard Adrienne Webb) and a major recruit in 6-foot-4 forward Krystal Forthan. Watch out for this program the next two years.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Kelley Cain passes on senior season
Tennessee redshirt junior Kelley Cain, who is scheduled to graduate this semester with a degree in marketing, will forego her final year of eligibility with the Lady Vols, coach Pat Summitt announced Tuesday.
The 6-foot-6 center from Atlanta was a prolific shot-blocker at Tennessee, totaling 228 in 92 games spanning three seasons. Cain led the Southeastern Conference in blocks for the past two seasons.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2009-10, Cain set a Tennessee single-season record with 113 blocks, including a Lady Vols single-game record of 12 against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010.
Cain redshirted the 2007-08 season after having right knee surgery. She had another procedure on the knee in 2009.
"We appreciate all that Kelley brought to our Lady Vol basketball program," Summitt said in a statement. "It's truly unfortunate that her career was cut short, but her health and well-being must come first. Kelley was a great teammate and oftentimes had to push through a great deal of pain to play.
"She is a winner who concludes her UT career with a degree in hand, and we wish her continued success in life."
For her career, Cain averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shot 60.6 percent from the field. Her field goal percentage is the third-best in Tennessee history behind Cindy Noble's 62.5 mark set from 1978 to 1981, and Trish Roberts' 1976-77 percentage of 64.7.
"It has been my pleasure and privilege to be a part of the Lady Vols for the past four years," Cain said. "After numerous months of prayer, doctors' visits and treatments, I have accepted the fact that I am currently unable to meet the demands of playing collegiate basketball. My family and I must now focus on my quality of life."
The 6-foot-6 center from Atlanta was a prolific shot-blocker at Tennessee, totaling 228 in 92 games spanning three seasons. Cain led the Southeastern Conference in blocks for the past two seasons.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2009-10, Cain set a Tennessee single-season record with 113 blocks, including a Lady Vols single-game record of 12 against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010.
Cain redshirted the 2007-08 season after having right knee surgery. She had another procedure on the knee in 2009.
"We appreciate all that Kelley brought to our Lady Vol basketball program," Summitt said in a statement. "It's truly unfortunate that her career was cut short, but her health and well-being must come first. Kelley was a great teammate and oftentimes had to push through a great deal of pain to play.
"She is a winner who concludes her UT career with a degree in hand, and we wish her continued success in life."
For her career, Cain averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shot 60.6 percent from the field. Her field goal percentage is the third-best in Tennessee history behind Cindy Noble's 62.5 mark set from 1978 to 1981, and Trish Roberts' 1976-77 percentage of 64.7.
"It has been my pleasure and privilege to be a part of the Lady Vols for the past four years," Cain said. "After numerous months of prayer, doctors' visits and treatments, I have accepted the fact that I am currently unable to meet the demands of playing collegiate basketball. My family and I must now focus on my quality of life."
Monday, April 04, 2011
Notre Dame upsets UConn 72-63, heads to title game
It’s not often Maya Moore meets her match. Skylar Diggins was up to the task and Notre Dame will play for a national championship because of it.
The sensational sophomore guard scored 28 points and hot-shooting Notre Dame upset UConn 72-63 on Sunday night, ending the brilliant career of Moore and the Huskies’ quest for a third straight national championship.
Ten years after their last title, the Irish will be playing for another one Tuesday night against Texas A&M, which beat Stanford 63-62 in the first semifinal.
Notre Dame was 0-3 against its Big East rival this season but the Irish had all the answers this time for the Huskies, who lost for just the second time in three seasons. Notre Dame had already beaten Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, ending a 20-game skid against the Volunteers.
Now the Irish (31-7) have knocked out the two-time defending champions.
Moore finished with 36 points, including 12 straight as she tried to rally the Huskies from a 12-point deficit in the final 6 minutes, but it wasn’t enough for UConn (36-2).
The four-time All-American and AP player of the year was overshadowed by Diggins, the South Bend native who felt right at home in Conseco Fieldhouse, where she led her high school to three straight championships.
Calmly directing her offense and fearlessly driving into the lane to create chances for herself and her teammates, Diggins now has a chance to add a NCAA championship to that list.
“We had to be poised, I mean, we had to try to make Maya take tough shots, and I think she did,” Diggins said. “And at the end we said, ‘We have to stay poised on defense and we have to execute on offense.’ We showed a lot more poise than we did in the first three games against Connecticut.”
Trailing 34-26 early in the second half, Diggins’ three-point play started a 15-4 run by the Irish. Devereaux Peters’ added her own three-point play that gave Notre Dame a 38-37 advantage—its first lead since midway through the first half.
Diggins capped the burst with another three-point play that made it 41-38 with 13:17 left and brought the pro-Irish crowd to its feet and left Geno Auriemma’s team reeling.
The Irish extended their lead to 47-40 a few minutes later before UConn cut the deficit to four on Bria Hartley’s 3-pointer.
Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel hit consecutive 3-pointers to make it a 12-point game with just over 7 minutes left. Moore did her best to try to rally her young team, but the Huskies fell short.
Moore started her flurry with a three-point play and then a hit a deep 3-pointer. After Novosel hit a layup Moore hit another 3-pointer that made it 63-60 with 2:26 left. That’s as close as the Huskies would get as Diggins and the Irish were too much for them down the stretch.
As the clock ran out, Diggins and the Notre Dame players rushed the floor and danced, knowing they had pulled off the monumental victory.
Notre Dame was making its first trip to the Final Four since winning a national title in 2001 after knocking out UConn in the semifinals that year. The Irish faced a 16-point first half deficit in that game but rallied to the victory.
A half-dozen members of that team were among the 30 former Irish players at the game Sunday night.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw had said leading up to the game that her team would try and draw inspiration from Texas A&M, which lost three games to Baylor in the regular season before beating the Lady Bears in the regional final.
Now the two No. 2 seeds will play with a championship at stake. It’s the first time since 1994 that no top-seed made it to the championship game.
The Irish were the second straight team to play in a Final Four game in their home state. Baylor reached the national semifinals last season in Texas, but also lost to UConn.
The sensational sophomore guard scored 28 points and hot-shooting Notre Dame upset UConn 72-63 on Sunday night, ending the brilliant career of Moore and the Huskies’ quest for a third straight national championship.
Ten years after their last title, the Irish will be playing for another one Tuesday night against Texas A&M, which beat Stanford 63-62 in the first semifinal.
Notre Dame was 0-3 against its Big East rival this season but the Irish had all the answers this time for the Huskies, who lost for just the second time in three seasons. Notre Dame had already beaten Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, ending a 20-game skid against the Volunteers.
Now the Irish (31-7) have knocked out the two-time defending champions.
Moore finished with 36 points, including 12 straight as she tried to rally the Huskies from a 12-point deficit in the final 6 minutes, but it wasn’t enough for UConn (36-2).
The four-time All-American and AP player of the year was overshadowed by Diggins, the South Bend native who felt right at home in Conseco Fieldhouse, where she led her high school to three straight championships.
Calmly directing her offense and fearlessly driving into the lane to create chances for herself and her teammates, Diggins now has a chance to add a NCAA championship to that list.
“We had to be poised, I mean, we had to try to make Maya take tough shots, and I think she did,” Diggins said. “And at the end we said, ‘We have to stay poised on defense and we have to execute on offense.’ We showed a lot more poise than we did in the first three games against Connecticut.”
Trailing 34-26 early in the second half, Diggins’ three-point play started a 15-4 run by the Irish. Devereaux Peters’ added her own three-point play that gave Notre Dame a 38-37 advantage—its first lead since midway through the first half.
Diggins capped the burst with another three-point play that made it 41-38 with 13:17 left and brought the pro-Irish crowd to its feet and left Geno Auriemma’s team reeling.
The Irish extended their lead to 47-40 a few minutes later before UConn cut the deficit to four on Bria Hartley’s 3-pointer.
Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel hit consecutive 3-pointers to make it a 12-point game with just over 7 minutes left. Moore did her best to try to rally her young team, but the Huskies fell short.
Moore started her flurry with a three-point play and then a hit a deep 3-pointer. After Novosel hit a layup Moore hit another 3-pointer that made it 63-60 with 2:26 left. That’s as close as the Huskies would get as Diggins and the Irish were too much for them down the stretch.
As the clock ran out, Diggins and the Notre Dame players rushed the floor and danced, knowing they had pulled off the monumental victory.
Notre Dame was making its first trip to the Final Four since winning a national title in 2001 after knocking out UConn in the semifinals that year. The Irish faced a 16-point first half deficit in that game but rallied to the victory.
A half-dozen members of that team were among the 30 former Irish players at the game Sunday night.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw had said leading up to the game that her team would try and draw inspiration from Texas A&M, which lost three games to Baylor in the regular season before beating the Lady Bears in the regional final.
Now the two No. 2 seeds will play with a championship at stake. It’s the first time since 1994 that no top-seed made it to the championship game.
The Irish were the second straight team to play in a Final Four game in their home state. Baylor reached the national semifinals last season in Texas, but also lost to UConn.
UConn and Stanford Both Go Down!
Stanford & UConn going down tonight is the best thing that could've happened for the women's game. Looking forward to ND-Texas A&M final. :)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
On a day when Coach Pat Summitt was calling out her teammates, guard Shekinna Stricklen was named to the USBWA All-America team
The junior from Arkansas played all over the floor for the SEC champs and still averaged almost 13 points and over seven rebounds a game.
Stricklen was the only SEC player on the 10 member team.
Here is more from the University of Tennessee:
The awards and accolades keep rolling in for Lady Vol junior Shekinna Stricklen, as the do-it-all forward/guard was named to the USBWA All-America Team on Wednesday.
A native of Morrilton, Ark., Stricklen averaged 12.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg and shot 48.9 percent from the floor this season, while playing point guard, on the wing and in the post for the SEC regular season and tournament champions.
Stricklen helped lead Tennessee to a No. 4 final national ranking in both the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and the program's 24th Elite Eight appearance. UT bowed out of the NCAA Tournament against Note Dame in the Dayton Regional Final on Monday night and finished with a 34-3 record.
Along the way, Stricklen picked up numerous honors, including the SEC Player of the Year award from the league's coaches, First Team All-SEC from the coaches and the media, Third-Team AP All-America accolades and WBCA All-Region team membership.
She also captured All-Tournament honors from the NCAA Tournament Dayton Regional and the SEC Tournament, as well as earning SEC Tournament MVP accolades after scoring 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting against No. 16 Kentucky in the 90-65 championship game win.
Stricklen had 11 double-doubles and a season-high scoring mark of 26 points, including six three-pointers, at Arkansas on Jan. 30. She became the 35th Lady Vol to score 1,000 career points on Dec. 22 versus ETSU, and will head into her senior season ranked No. 23 on the all-time Big Orange scoring chart with 1,343 points. She has started all 104 games of her career.
Stricklen is one of 10 members selected for the prestigious All-America team. Joining her on the 2010-11 squad are Danielle Adams (Texas A&M), Brittney Griner (Baylor), Amber Harris (Xavier), Shenise Johnson (Miami), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State), Maya Moore (Connecticut), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford), Jeanette Pohlen (Stanford) and Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga).
Moore was named the USBWA Player of the Year, while Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey captured Coach of the Year and Baylor's Odyssey Sims nabbed Freshman of the Year.
Stricklen was the only SEC player on the 10 member team.
Here is more from the University of Tennessee:
The awards and accolades keep rolling in for Lady Vol junior Shekinna Stricklen, as the do-it-all forward/guard was named to the USBWA All-America Team on Wednesday.
A native of Morrilton, Ark., Stricklen averaged 12.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg and shot 48.9 percent from the floor this season, while playing point guard, on the wing and in the post for the SEC regular season and tournament champions.
Stricklen helped lead Tennessee to a No. 4 final national ranking in both the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and the program's 24th Elite Eight appearance. UT bowed out of the NCAA Tournament against Note Dame in the Dayton Regional Final on Monday night and finished with a 34-3 record.
Along the way, Stricklen picked up numerous honors, including the SEC Player of the Year award from the league's coaches, First Team All-SEC from the coaches and the media, Third-Team AP All-America accolades and WBCA All-Region team membership.
She also captured All-Tournament honors from the NCAA Tournament Dayton Regional and the SEC Tournament, as well as earning SEC Tournament MVP accolades after scoring 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting against No. 16 Kentucky in the 90-65 championship game win.
Stricklen had 11 double-doubles and a season-high scoring mark of 26 points, including six three-pointers, at Arkansas on Jan. 30. She became the 35th Lady Vol to score 1,000 career points on Dec. 22 versus ETSU, and will head into her senior season ranked No. 23 on the all-time Big Orange scoring chart with 1,343 points. She has started all 104 games of her career.
Stricklen is one of 10 members selected for the prestigious All-America team. Joining her on the 2010-11 squad are Danielle Adams (Texas A&M), Brittney Griner (Baylor), Amber Harris (Xavier), Shenise Johnson (Miami), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State), Maya Moore (Connecticut), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford), Jeanette Pohlen (Stanford) and Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga).
Moore was named the USBWA Player of the Year, while Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey captured Coach of the Year and Baylor's Odyssey Sims nabbed Freshman of the Year.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Diggins helps Irish stun Lady Vols, 73-59
Skylar Diggins scored 24 points and second-seeded Notre Dame made up for 28 years of beatings at the hands of Tennessee, upsetting the top-seeded Lady Vols 73-59 Monday night to earn a spot in the Final Four.
The Fighting Irish (30-7) came in 0-20 all-time against the Lady Vols. But the operative number on this night was 3-0—Notre Dame’s record in regional championship games.
Natalie Novosel added 17 points and Becca Bruszewski—who didn’t practice Sunday and was listed as questionable to even play with a knee injury—had 13 for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame advanced to the play the winner of top-ranked Connecticut (35-1) and second-seeded Duke (32-3). They play on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Taber Spani and Shekinna Stricklen had 13 points for the Lady Vols (34-3). Glory Johnson added 12.
The Fighting Irish (30-7) came in 0-20 all-time against the Lady Vols. But the operative number on this night was 3-0—Notre Dame’s record in regional championship games.
Natalie Novosel added 17 points and Becca Bruszewski—who didn’t practice Sunday and was listed as questionable to even play with a knee injury—had 13 for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame advanced to the play the winner of top-ranked Connecticut (35-1) and second-seeded Duke (32-3). They play on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Taber Spani and Shekinna Stricklen had 13 points for the Lady Vols (34-3). Glory Johnson added 12.
Change in lineup planned to counter Notre Dame
Game info: 7:00 pm EDT Mon Mar 28, 2011 (ESPN)
After meeting with her assistants Sunday morning, UT coach Pat Summitt added a little upheaval by rearranging the starting lineup against the Fighting Irish (29-7). Alyssia Brewer and Taber Spani will start against the Fighting Irish in place of Kelley Cain and Angie Bjorklund, respectively, as the Lady Vols revert to the starters they utilized at the SEC tournament.
After meeting with her assistants Sunday morning, UT coach Pat Summitt added a little upheaval by rearranging the starting lineup against the Fighting Irish (29-7). Alyssia Brewer and Taber Spani will start against the Fighting Irish in place of Kelley Cain and Angie Bjorklund, respectively, as the Lady Vols revert to the starters they utilized at the SEC tournament.
Irish won't be discussing 0-20 mark vs. Lady Vols
The teams are different. These players have never met before. That was all in the distant past.
But still, Tennessee is 20-0 against Notre Dame heading into their regional championship game on Monday night. That's got to count for something, right?
The Fighting Irish's Muffet McGraw and the Lady Vols' Pat Summitt swear they're coaches and not historians. They are aware of the old meetings but won't make a big deal out of them.
"That would be really silly of me to bring that up I think," McGraw said of Notre Dame's drought against Tennessee, which dates to 1983 and includes an 0-3 mark in the NCAA tournament. "This team is a team that hasn't played Tennessee. The seniors played them once in Oklahoma City in the regional semifinal. That's the only time we've played them. So certainly we're not going to be talking about the past."
Second-seeded Notre Dame (29-7) and top-seed Tennessee (34-2) haven't met on the court since two engagements three years ago. The score was 87-63 in South Bend, Ind., on Jan. 5, and 74-64 in the Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City. Of course, Tennessee won both.
Summitt expects McGraw and the Fighting Irish to use the 0-20 mark as fuel to add to the fire.
"Absolutely. If I was in their situation, I would do the same," she said.
Her players, riding a 25-game winning streak, also figure that it will serve as motivation for Notre Dame to finally try to stamp out all that orange-tinged domination.
"It would be important to any team to be the first to beat Tennessee," said Shekinna Stricklen, who led the way with 20 points in the Lady Vols' 85-75 victory over Ohio State in Saturday's semifinal. "For them to not beat us, we need to buckle down and play great defense and play as a team."
The Fighting Irish are unbothered by the lopsided nature of the series.
"Me, personally, I haven't been a part of any of those 20 games. But we know the history between the two programs," sophomore guard Skylar Diggins said. "Two hall-of-fame coaches, and it's just going to be a great game. Teams that haven't met up with each other. We're obviously looking to break that (losing streak)."
Besides, both sides have enough to worry about dealing with the next 40 minutes on the court instead of 28 years of baggage.
The numbers for both teams are almost identical through 36 games apiece this season: Tennessee is scoring 79.9 points and allowing 55.9 points a game, while Notre Dame is putting up 77.5 points and giving up 55.4 a game.
The Lady Vols come at teams in waves, with nine players scoring against Ohio State in the first half alone and Summit going as deep as 13 players in some games. But at the same time, they have been erratic of late. The team had a players-only meeting early last week after struggling before subduing Marquette 79-70 in Knoxville, Tenn., in the second round.
Then the Lady Vols were outplayed in the opening half on Saturday — although they trailed just 42-40 at the break — leading Summitt to give a roaring halftime speech to shock her team out of its funk.
"She is one of the greatest motivators in sports," forward Taber Spani said. "After that speech we came out and played a lot different in the second half. We needed to."
Summitt, who is replacing Kelley Cain with Alyssia Brewer in the starting lineup to make her starters "more mobile," said it was a pivotal moment for her squad.
"At that time, our coaching staff was desperate to get this team to step up and do what they had to do," she said.
Notre Dame had no such problems in its semifinal, jumping on sixth-seeded Oklahoma early and coasting to a 78-53 win. The Fighting Irish aren't stocked with stars, but they've got terrific balance. Natalie Novosel leads in scoring at 14.9 points a game, with Diggins right behind at 14.2. Five others hit for at least 7 a game.
In case you were wondering, the Lady Vols have seven players averaging 7 a game, too.
So the intensity should be white hot with so many skilled performers playing without regard to foul trouble or weariness.
"It's going to be a fight between two teams that have the will to come out with the win," Brewer said. "It's whoever has the biggest heart."
The Fighting Irish could be without co-captain Becca Bruszewski, who has a sore knee. She was not cleared for Sunday's practice but McGraw said she hoped that she would be permitted to play against the Lady Vols.
But still, Tennessee is 20-0 against Notre Dame heading into their regional championship game on Monday night. That's got to count for something, right?
The Fighting Irish's Muffet McGraw and the Lady Vols' Pat Summitt swear they're coaches and not historians. They are aware of the old meetings but won't make a big deal out of them.
"That would be really silly of me to bring that up I think," McGraw said of Notre Dame's drought against Tennessee, which dates to 1983 and includes an 0-3 mark in the NCAA tournament. "This team is a team that hasn't played Tennessee. The seniors played them once in Oklahoma City in the regional semifinal. That's the only time we've played them. So certainly we're not going to be talking about the past."
Second-seeded Notre Dame (29-7) and top-seed Tennessee (34-2) haven't met on the court since two engagements three years ago. The score was 87-63 in South Bend, Ind., on Jan. 5, and 74-64 in the Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City. Of course, Tennessee won both.
Summitt expects McGraw and the Fighting Irish to use the 0-20 mark as fuel to add to the fire.
"Absolutely. If I was in their situation, I would do the same," she said.
Her players, riding a 25-game winning streak, also figure that it will serve as motivation for Notre Dame to finally try to stamp out all that orange-tinged domination.
"It would be important to any team to be the first to beat Tennessee," said Shekinna Stricklen, who led the way with 20 points in the Lady Vols' 85-75 victory over Ohio State in Saturday's semifinal. "For them to not beat us, we need to buckle down and play great defense and play as a team."
The Fighting Irish are unbothered by the lopsided nature of the series.
"Me, personally, I haven't been a part of any of those 20 games. But we know the history between the two programs," sophomore guard Skylar Diggins said. "Two hall-of-fame coaches, and it's just going to be a great game. Teams that haven't met up with each other. We're obviously looking to break that (losing streak)."
Besides, both sides have enough to worry about dealing with the next 40 minutes on the court instead of 28 years of baggage.
The numbers for both teams are almost identical through 36 games apiece this season: Tennessee is scoring 79.9 points and allowing 55.9 points a game, while Notre Dame is putting up 77.5 points and giving up 55.4 a game.
The Lady Vols come at teams in waves, with nine players scoring against Ohio State in the first half alone and Summit going as deep as 13 players in some games. But at the same time, they have been erratic of late. The team had a players-only meeting early last week after struggling before subduing Marquette 79-70 in Knoxville, Tenn., in the second round.
Then the Lady Vols were outplayed in the opening half on Saturday — although they trailed just 42-40 at the break — leading Summitt to give a roaring halftime speech to shock her team out of its funk.
"She is one of the greatest motivators in sports," forward Taber Spani said. "After that speech we came out and played a lot different in the second half. We needed to."
Summitt, who is replacing Kelley Cain with Alyssia Brewer in the starting lineup to make her starters "more mobile," said it was a pivotal moment for her squad.
"At that time, our coaching staff was desperate to get this team to step up and do what they had to do," she said.
Notre Dame had no such problems in its semifinal, jumping on sixth-seeded Oklahoma early and coasting to a 78-53 win. The Fighting Irish aren't stocked with stars, but they've got terrific balance. Natalie Novosel leads in scoring at 14.9 points a game, with Diggins right behind at 14.2. Five others hit for at least 7 a game.
In case you were wondering, the Lady Vols have seven players averaging 7 a game, too.
So the intensity should be white hot with so many skilled performers playing without regard to foul trouble or weariness.
"It's going to be a fight between two teams that have the will to come out with the win," Brewer said. "It's whoever has the biggest heart."
The Fighting Irish could be without co-captain Becca Bruszewski, who has a sore knee. She was not cleared for Sunday's practice but McGraw said she hoped that she would be permitted to play against the Lady Vols.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Lady Vols beat Ohio State 85-75
Shekinna Stricklen scored 20 points and touched off a critical 11-3 second-half run to power top-seeded Tennessee past Ohio State 85-75 Saturday in a NCAA regional semifinal.
The Lady Vols (34-2) won their 25th consecutive game, but trailed for much of it and only took control with their charge in the final minutes.
Meighan Simmons added 18 points and Kelley Cain had 16 for Tennessee, pursuing a ninth NCAA title. The Lady Vols meet either Notre Dame or Oklahoma in the regional championship game on Monday night, with a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis on the line.
Samantha Prahalis had 22 points, Jantel Lavender 19, Brittany Johnson 16 and Tayler Hill 12 for Ohio State (24-10), which had won its last 11.
The Lady Vols (34-2) won their 25th consecutive game, but trailed for much of it and only took control with their charge in the final minutes.
Meighan Simmons added 18 points and Kelley Cain had 16 for Tennessee, pursuing a ninth NCAA title. The Lady Vols meet either Notre Dame or Oklahoma in the regional championship game on Monday night, with a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis on the line.
Samantha Prahalis had 22 points, Jantel Lavender 19, Brittany Johnson 16 and Tayler Hill 12 for Ohio State (24-10), which had won its last 11.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tennessee beats Marquette 79-70 to head to Dayton
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt doesn’t like to overwork her players during postseason practices. She hopes Marquette has convinced the Lady Volunteers to try a little bit harder though.
The top-seeded Lady Vols survived a scrappy match with eighth-seeded Marquette to advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals with a 79-70 victory Monday night. They will face No. 4 Ohio State next in Dayton, Ohio.
“I think that we’ve had some good practices but not great practices, and the last couple have not been at the level of intensity (necessary),” Summitt said. “This is probably a good wake-up call.”
Tennessee will be making its 29th appearance in the round of 16 and is aiming for a Final Four berth after back-to-back disappointing ends to the postseason. The Lady Vols suffered their first and only first-round loss in 2009 to Ball State and lost in the 2010 regional semifinals to Baylor, despite having a No. 1 seed and playing in Memphis.
Marquette never led, but every time the Lady Vols (33-2) built a lead, the Golden Eagles fought back. It was Tennessee’s narrowest margin in a NCAA win on its home court since a 69-65 victory over Auburn in 1991 and second narrowest second-round victory.
The Lady Vols, who are now 50-0 in NCAA games played in Knoxville, led by as many as 11 points in the second half and had a 62-55 lead when Marquette’s Tatiyiana McMorris sank a 3-pointer and Angel Robinson hit two long jumpers to cut it to 63-62 with 6:15 left.
“That stretch was about making stops,” Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. “We threw in some random traps. We started switching, doing a little more doubling inside, we got some stops and we pushed it. We were better when we were pushing it and attacking.”
Tennessee answered by scoring the next six points to make it 69-62 with 4:53 left and kept Marquette at bay by clamping down on defense and hitting six of their next eight foul shots.
Meighan Simmons led Tennessee with 18 points. Glory Johnson scored 16 points, Alicia Manning sank 11 and Shekinna Stricklen scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Tennessee, which shot 51.7 percent, also built an eight-point lead midway through the first half, but the Golden Eagles used a 7-0 run to cut it to 28-27 with 5:18 before halftime.
The Golden Eagles, led by six seniors, had spent extra time in the offseason working out in hopes of reaching their first NCAA tournament in four seasons. Marquette has reached the second round four times now but never won.
Angel Robinson led Marquette (24-9) with 19 points. McMorris added 15 points, Jasmine Collins 14 and Fiedorowicz 12.
The Golden Eagles were smaller than the Lady Vols but managed to frustrate them in the paint at both ends of the court. Marquette matched Tennessee’s 32 points in the paint and kept the Lady Vols from hitting as many layups as they would have liked.
“When they have physical guards and their whole team is physical, we have to be physical back,” Johnson said. “We can’t let them throw us around in the paint, and that’s something that we struggled with for the majority of the game.”
Both teams turned the ball over 11 times, but the Lady Vols scored nine more points off of giveaways.
Marquette shot 40.3 percent and hit eight 3s but seemed to lose what little advantage it had inside when starting forward Paige Fiedorowicz fouled out with 5:25 left to play.
“There were two good teams out there on the floor, and good teams make runs,” Robinson said. “We were back and forth with making our runs. We stopped them, and they stopped us. The outcome is who scores the most points. Everybody up here said we left everything out there. We played until the buzzer buzzed.”
The top-seeded Lady Vols survived a scrappy match with eighth-seeded Marquette to advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals with a 79-70 victory Monday night. They will face No. 4 Ohio State next in Dayton, Ohio.
“I think that we’ve had some good practices but not great practices, and the last couple have not been at the level of intensity (necessary),” Summitt said. “This is probably a good wake-up call.”
Tennessee will be making its 29th appearance in the round of 16 and is aiming for a Final Four berth after back-to-back disappointing ends to the postseason. The Lady Vols suffered their first and only first-round loss in 2009 to Ball State and lost in the 2010 regional semifinals to Baylor, despite having a No. 1 seed and playing in Memphis.
Marquette never led, but every time the Lady Vols (33-2) built a lead, the Golden Eagles fought back. It was Tennessee’s narrowest margin in a NCAA win on its home court since a 69-65 victory over Auburn in 1991 and second narrowest second-round victory.
The Lady Vols, who are now 50-0 in NCAA games played in Knoxville, led by as many as 11 points in the second half and had a 62-55 lead when Marquette’s Tatiyiana McMorris sank a 3-pointer and Angel Robinson hit two long jumpers to cut it to 63-62 with 6:15 left.
“That stretch was about making stops,” Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. “We threw in some random traps. We started switching, doing a little more doubling inside, we got some stops and we pushed it. We were better when we were pushing it and attacking.”
Tennessee answered by scoring the next six points to make it 69-62 with 4:53 left and kept Marquette at bay by clamping down on defense and hitting six of their next eight foul shots.
Meighan Simmons led Tennessee with 18 points. Glory Johnson scored 16 points, Alicia Manning sank 11 and Shekinna Stricklen scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Tennessee, which shot 51.7 percent, also built an eight-point lead midway through the first half, but the Golden Eagles used a 7-0 run to cut it to 28-27 with 5:18 before halftime.
The Golden Eagles, led by six seniors, had spent extra time in the offseason working out in hopes of reaching their first NCAA tournament in four seasons. Marquette has reached the second round four times now but never won.
Angel Robinson led Marquette (24-9) with 19 points. McMorris added 15 points, Jasmine Collins 14 and Fiedorowicz 12.
The Golden Eagles were smaller than the Lady Vols but managed to frustrate them in the paint at both ends of the court. Marquette matched Tennessee’s 32 points in the paint and kept the Lady Vols from hitting as many layups as they would have liked.
“When they have physical guards and their whole team is physical, we have to be physical back,” Johnson said. “We can’t let them throw us around in the paint, and that’s something that we struggled with for the majority of the game.”
Both teams turned the ball over 11 times, but the Lady Vols scored nine more points off of giveaways.
Marquette shot 40.3 percent and hit eight 3s but seemed to lose what little advantage it had inside when starting forward Paige Fiedorowicz fouled out with 5:25 left to play.
“There were two good teams out there on the floor, and good teams make runs,” Robinson said. “We were back and forth with making our runs. We stopped them, and they stopped us. The outcome is who scores the most points. Everybody up here said we left everything out there. We played until the buzzer buzzed.”
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tennessee cruises to 99-34 NCAA win over Stetson
Even Pat Summitt will have a hard time finding fault with Tennessee’s start to the NCAA tournament.
Glory Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the top-seeded Lady Vols cruised to a 99-34 win over Stetson on Saturday in the opening round of the Dayton region.
Tennessee (32-2) has its sights set on a return to the Final Four after two seasons of frustration in the tournament, and the 16th-seeded Hatters (20-13) were little more than a warm-up act. The Lady Volunteers nearly tied their largest margin of victory in a first-round game, which came during an NCAA-record 111-37 victory over North Carolina A&T in 1994.
The Lady Vols have scored an average 23.6 points more than their opponents this season and previously had their best offensive game of the year in a 90-65 win against Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference tournament championship. They hit a school-record 16 3-pointers and shot 70.4 percent in the second half in that game.
Still, Summitt had been unhappy with her team’s defensive and rebounding efforts in the SEC tournament. After two weeks of grueling practices, the Lady Vols outrebounded the Hatters 63-31 and limited them to just 18.2 percent shooting.
The two-week layoff between tournaments didn’t seem to slow Tennessee, either, as it shot 55.7 percent and hit eight 3s against the Hatters.
Stetson managed to hit a few early shots to keep up with Tennessee, which led 10-9 with 15:13 left in the first half. The Lady Vols’ size and shooting became too much for the Hatters, though, and a 23-0 run put the game away early.
The Hatters hit no field goals and only five free throws during an 11:11 stretch before halftime. Tennessee shot 57.9 percent and had a 34-13 rebounding margin at the break.
Tierra Brown, Victoria McGowan and Natasha Graboski each scored seven points for the Hatters (20-13), who shot just 21.2 percent in the first half.
Summitt had emptied her bench by that point, 13 players deep, and when Briana Bass hit a lane-driving layup with 53 seconds left in the game, every Lady Vol had scored a basket.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 15 points, Angie Bjorklund had 13 and Alyssia Brewer added 10 for the Lady Vols, who scored 52 points in the paint.
Stetson went through a 15:37 scoring drought in the second half as Tennessee expanded its lead on nearly every trip down the floor. The drought ended when McGowan hit one final layup with 29 seconds left to play.
Atlantic Sun tournament champion Stetson had surprised a lot of fans just by reaching the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history. The Hatters had been picked to finish 10th of 11 in the conference, and needed a 55-foot shot from McGowan at the buzzer for a 69-50 victory over Belmont in the A-Sun semifinals.
By contrast, Tennessee has played in all 30 NCAA tournaments. The Lady Vols’ only defeat in the first or second rounds came two seasons ago at the hands of Ball State, a loss that has stuck with them for two seasons.
Glory Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the top-seeded Lady Vols cruised to a 99-34 win over Stetson on Saturday in the opening round of the Dayton region.
Tennessee (32-2) has its sights set on a return to the Final Four after two seasons of frustration in the tournament, and the 16th-seeded Hatters (20-13) were little more than a warm-up act. The Lady Volunteers nearly tied their largest margin of victory in a first-round game, which came during an NCAA-record 111-37 victory over North Carolina A&T in 1994.
The Lady Vols have scored an average 23.6 points more than their opponents this season and previously had their best offensive game of the year in a 90-65 win against Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference tournament championship. They hit a school-record 16 3-pointers and shot 70.4 percent in the second half in that game.
Still, Summitt had been unhappy with her team’s defensive and rebounding efforts in the SEC tournament. After two weeks of grueling practices, the Lady Vols outrebounded the Hatters 63-31 and limited them to just 18.2 percent shooting.
The two-week layoff between tournaments didn’t seem to slow Tennessee, either, as it shot 55.7 percent and hit eight 3s against the Hatters.
Stetson managed to hit a few early shots to keep up with Tennessee, which led 10-9 with 15:13 left in the first half. The Lady Vols’ size and shooting became too much for the Hatters, though, and a 23-0 run put the game away early.
The Hatters hit no field goals and only five free throws during an 11:11 stretch before halftime. Tennessee shot 57.9 percent and had a 34-13 rebounding margin at the break.
Tierra Brown, Victoria McGowan and Natasha Graboski each scored seven points for the Hatters (20-13), who shot just 21.2 percent in the first half.
Summitt had emptied her bench by that point, 13 players deep, and when Briana Bass hit a lane-driving layup with 53 seconds left in the game, every Lady Vol had scored a basket.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 15 points, Angie Bjorklund had 13 and Alyssia Brewer added 10 for the Lady Vols, who scored 52 points in the paint.
Stetson went through a 15:37 scoring drought in the second half as Tennessee expanded its lead on nearly every trip down the floor. The drought ended when McGowan hit one final layup with 29 seconds left to play.
Atlantic Sun tournament champion Stetson had surprised a lot of fans just by reaching the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history. The Hatters had been picked to finish 10th of 11 in the conference, and needed a 55-foot shot from McGowan at the buzzer for a 69-50 victory over Belmont in the A-Sun semifinals.
By contrast, Tennessee has played in all 30 NCAA tournaments. The Lady Vols’ only defeat in the first or second rounds came two seasons ago at the hands of Ball State, a loss that has stuck with them for two seasons.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tennessee draws on support of fans in NCAA tourney
Fans of the Lady Volunteers travel so well that Tennessee forward Glory Johnson says if they played on another planet at least one carload would show up.
“We’d make it there … and everyone would be wearing an orange shirt,” Johnson said.
She won’t have to worry about that now, at least not in the first round of the NCAA tournament—that’ll be more of a concern for Stetson, Marquette and Texas.
The No. 1-seeded Lady Vols (31-2) will be playing in front of thousands of their own fans on their home court named “The Summitt” in honor of their coach. They’ve won 34 straight there and have never lost a first- or second-round NCAA game in Knoxville in 36 tries.
No. 16 seed Stetson hopes to interrupt those streaks Saturday. Eighth-seeded Marquette and ninth-seeded Texas meet later that day for a chance of possibly facing the Lady Vols in the second round on Monday.
Stetson coach Lynn Bria warned her players not to get too caught up in Tennessee’s tradition. After all, the only Lady Vols team the Hatters are playing is the 2010-11 version.
But senior guard Tierra Brown enjoys the idea of going against a team that has eight national championships.
“I came in just wanting to take in the whole experience and take in Tennessee,” she said. “I grew up being a Tennessee fan. I think it’s better for me to come in and look at the (championship) banners and look at all the history. To just have the opportunity to beat the No. 1 team, it gets me a little more pumped up for the game.”
Stetson (20-12) earned its spot in the tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun tournament. The Hatters were nearly done in the semifinals until Victoria McGowan hit a 55 footer as the clock expired, sending them to a 48-46 win over Belmont.
The Hatters had been picked to finish second from last in the conference but beat Jacksonville 69-50 in the championship, so they don’t have a problem as the underdog.
“Certainly nobody thinks we’re going to win” against Tennessee, Bria said. “We’re used to it This isn’t a position we haven’t been in all year. We had confidence before (McGowan’s shot), but for her to even take that shot showed that we believe we can win if there’s time on the clock.”
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt doesn’t want to think about the prospect of her team losing an NCAA tournament game at home. She’s only lost one first-round game before—in 2009 to Ball State—and doesn’t want to be in that position again.
She’s got a lot to be confident about with the Lady Vols coming off an undefeated Southeastern Conference season and an SEC tournament championship that saw her team shot 70.4 percent in the second half of a 90-65 victory against Kentucky in the championship game.
“I’m just trying to hold onto the positives and think about what we have to do to prepare,” Summitt said. “It would not be a pretty scene. I have a lot of confidence in the maturity of our team.”
Marquette is happy to be back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season. After a trip to the NIT last season, this year’s senior class pledged to work harder. The Golden Eagles (23-8) finished fifth in the Big East this season and believe their tough conference games have prepared them for Texas and any team they might face, should they win.
“It makes us tougher emotionally, mentally and physically to play in the Big East,” Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. “As we prepare for Texas, we have said to our players, ‘They run like this team. They do this like this team.’ It’s given them familiarity with Texas by using Big East names.”
Texas (19-13) is also glad to be playing in the tournament after a difficult Big 12 season. The Longhorns finished seventh in the conference and were holding their breath when the NCAA brackets were announced.
Coach Gail Goestenkors didn’t actually hear Texas’ name called, but felt the sense of relief from her players as they screamed and hugged when they drew their spot in the Dayton region.
“There was that joy, but once you are in you want to make a statement,” the coach said. “You want to prove you deserve to be here.”
“We’d make it there … and everyone would be wearing an orange shirt,” Johnson said.
She won’t have to worry about that now, at least not in the first round of the NCAA tournament—that’ll be more of a concern for Stetson, Marquette and Texas.
The No. 1-seeded Lady Vols (31-2) will be playing in front of thousands of their own fans on their home court named “The Summitt” in honor of their coach. They’ve won 34 straight there and have never lost a first- or second-round NCAA game in Knoxville in 36 tries.
No. 16 seed Stetson hopes to interrupt those streaks Saturday. Eighth-seeded Marquette and ninth-seeded Texas meet later that day for a chance of possibly facing the Lady Vols in the second round on Monday.
Stetson coach Lynn Bria warned her players not to get too caught up in Tennessee’s tradition. After all, the only Lady Vols team the Hatters are playing is the 2010-11 version.
But senior guard Tierra Brown enjoys the idea of going against a team that has eight national championships.
“I came in just wanting to take in the whole experience and take in Tennessee,” she said. “I grew up being a Tennessee fan. I think it’s better for me to come in and look at the (championship) banners and look at all the history. To just have the opportunity to beat the No. 1 team, it gets me a little more pumped up for the game.”
Stetson (20-12) earned its spot in the tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun tournament. The Hatters were nearly done in the semifinals until Victoria McGowan hit a 55 footer as the clock expired, sending them to a 48-46 win over Belmont.
The Hatters had been picked to finish second from last in the conference but beat Jacksonville 69-50 in the championship, so they don’t have a problem as the underdog.
“Certainly nobody thinks we’re going to win” against Tennessee, Bria said. “We’re used to it This isn’t a position we haven’t been in all year. We had confidence before (McGowan’s shot), but for her to even take that shot showed that we believe we can win if there’s time on the clock.”
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt doesn’t want to think about the prospect of her team losing an NCAA tournament game at home. She’s only lost one first-round game before—in 2009 to Ball State—and doesn’t want to be in that position again.
She’s got a lot to be confident about with the Lady Vols coming off an undefeated Southeastern Conference season and an SEC tournament championship that saw her team shot 70.4 percent in the second half of a 90-65 victory against Kentucky in the championship game.
“I’m just trying to hold onto the positives and think about what we have to do to prepare,” Summitt said. “It would not be a pretty scene. I have a lot of confidence in the maturity of our team.”
Marquette is happy to be back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season. After a trip to the NIT last season, this year’s senior class pledged to work harder. The Golden Eagles (23-8) finished fifth in the Big East this season and believe their tough conference games have prepared them for Texas and any team they might face, should they win.
“It makes us tougher emotionally, mentally and physically to play in the Big East,” Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. “As we prepare for Texas, we have said to our players, ‘They run like this team. They do this like this team.’ It’s given them familiarity with Texas by using Big East names.”
Texas (19-13) is also glad to be playing in the tournament after a difficult Big 12 season. The Longhorns finished seventh in the conference and were holding their breath when the NCAA brackets were announced.
Coach Gail Goestenkors didn’t actually hear Texas’ name called, but felt the sense of relief from her players as they screamed and hugged when they drew their spot in the Dayton region.
“There was that joy, but once you are in you want to make a statement,” the coach said. “You want to prove you deserve to be here.”
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Finalists Announced
Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, who together have claimed 11 Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year awards, lead the group of four finalists for the 2011 honor, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Joining them on the final ballot are Baylor’s Kim Mulkey and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, who won the award in 1990.
The finalists were determined by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The academy based its criteria on coaching performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. HA&W is the largest independent accounting firm in Georgia and one of the top 50 firms in the United States.
The Naismith Award is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the women’s college basketball coach of the year. The winner will be announced in early April.
“There is obviously a correlation between the success of these coaches and the fact that their programs each earned a No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament,” said Eric Oberman, Atlanta Tipoff Club executive director. “Each has done a remarkable job of coaching this season, which is reflective of their entire careers. Each is very deserving of this prestigious award and we’re excited to crown a winner after the season.”
ABOUT THE FINALISTS
Geno Auriemma: In his 26th season at the helm, Auriemma, the BIG EAST Coach of the Year, has led UCONN to a 32-1 record. The Huskies captured the BIG EAST Regular Season and BIG EAST Tournament championships along the way, for the fourth straight season and 15th time overall. Connecticut is a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship for the 14th time, and the fifth year in a row. Auriemma, with a career mark of 767-123, aims to win his eighth NCAA title. He has previously won the Naismith Award in 2009.
Kim Mulkey: Mulkey led the Lady Bears to a 31-2 record and captured both the 2011 regular-season and tournament Big 12 titles. She picked up the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year honors and the team was ranked No. 1 in the country for a good part of the season. Baylor is a No. 1 seed for the first time and playing at home to start this year's NCAA women's tournament. They host SWAC tournament champion Prairie View (21-11) on Sunday at the Ferrell Center, where Baylor is 19-0 this season. Mulkey has a career mark of 295-78.
Pat Summitt: Summitt, already the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history (men or women), has eight NCAA Championships in the trophy case including her most recent back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008. She has enjoyed one of her better coaching jobs in her 37th season, going 31-2 thus far. Over her four-decade career, the Lady Vols have gone 1,068-198. In addition, the team has won eight NCAA titles, as well as 31 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Tennessee has made an unprecedented 30 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament with 21 number one seeds. They enter the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship as a No. 1 seed in the Dayton Region, hosting Stetson on Saturday.
Tara VanDerveer: This season VanDerveer guided the Cardinals to the program's 20th Pac-10 regular season title, and 11th in a row, while Stanford finished a perfect 18-0 in Pac-10 play for the second straight year and sixth time overall. For her efforts, VanDerveer was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, marking the seventh time since the 2001-02 season and 11th time overall that she has taken home the conference's top coaching honor. VanDerveer joined the elite 800-win club back on Dec. 22 with a victory at San Francisco. Stanford (29-2) is the top seed in the Spokane Region of the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship against UC-Davis.
Last year, Connie Yori of the University of Nebraska claimed the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year award, the first ever for a Big 12 Conference school.
The finalists were determined by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The academy based its criteria on coaching performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. HA&W is the largest independent accounting firm in Georgia and one of the top 50 firms in the United States.
The Naismith Award is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the women’s college basketball coach of the year. The winner will be announced in early April.
“There is obviously a correlation between the success of these coaches and the fact that their programs each earned a No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament,” said Eric Oberman, Atlanta Tipoff Club executive director. “Each has done a remarkable job of coaching this season, which is reflective of their entire careers. Each is very deserving of this prestigious award and we’re excited to crown a winner after the season.”
ABOUT THE FINALISTS
Geno Auriemma: In his 26th season at the helm, Auriemma, the BIG EAST Coach of the Year, has led UCONN to a 32-1 record. The Huskies captured the BIG EAST Regular Season and BIG EAST Tournament championships along the way, for the fourth straight season and 15th time overall. Connecticut is a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship for the 14th time, and the fifth year in a row. Auriemma, with a career mark of 767-123, aims to win his eighth NCAA title. He has previously won the Naismith Award in 2009.
Kim Mulkey: Mulkey led the Lady Bears to a 31-2 record and captured both the 2011 regular-season and tournament Big 12 titles. She picked up the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year honors and the team was ranked No. 1 in the country for a good part of the season. Baylor is a No. 1 seed for the first time and playing at home to start this year's NCAA women's tournament. They host SWAC tournament champion Prairie View (21-11) on Sunday at the Ferrell Center, where Baylor is 19-0 this season. Mulkey has a career mark of 295-78.
Pat Summitt: Summitt, already the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history (men or women), has eight NCAA Championships in the trophy case including her most recent back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008. She has enjoyed one of her better coaching jobs in her 37th season, going 31-2 thus far. Over her four-decade career, the Lady Vols have gone 1,068-198. In addition, the team has won eight NCAA titles, as well as 31 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Tennessee has made an unprecedented 30 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament with 21 number one seeds. They enter the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship as a No. 1 seed in the Dayton Region, hosting Stetson on Saturday.
Tara VanDerveer: This season VanDerveer guided the Cardinals to the program's 20th Pac-10 regular season title, and 11th in a row, while Stanford finished a perfect 18-0 in Pac-10 play for the second straight year and sixth time overall. For her efforts, VanDerveer was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, marking the seventh time since the 2001-02 season and 11th time overall that she has taken home the conference's top coaching honor. VanDerveer joined the elite 800-win club back on Dec. 22 with a victory at San Francisco. Stanford (29-2) is the top seed in the Spokane Region of the 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship against UC-Davis.
Last year, Connie Yori of the University of Nebraska claimed the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year award, the first ever for a Big 12 Conference school.
Lady Vols have maturity needed to chase NCAA title
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt had to wait for her talented Lady Volunteers to develope into championship contenders.
And Summitt isn’t a patient woman when it comes to winning.
“It was at times very frustrating for our coaching staff,” Summitt said. “At the same time, we knew it would be a process for them to get in the gym.”
The work has paid off. The players who were a part of Tennessee’s 2009 first-round loss and last year’s regional semifinal loss as a No. 1 seed have grown up. Now they understand what it takes to reach a Final Four and chase Tennessee’s ninth national championship.
“I think the real key to it is the maturity,” Summitt said. “As freshmen it was very, very challenging. As sophomores, they grew, but they still weren’t at the level where every game you knew they were going to bring our ‘A’ game and the opponent was going to get our best shot. We couldn’t fast forward that process.”
The Lady Vols (31-2) again earned a No. 1 seed this season after an undefeated run through the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament. Their attempt to reach the national semifinals in Indianapolis begins Saturday in Knoxville with 16th-seeded Stetson.
The team is anchored by their junior class, a group of McDonald’s high school All-Americans who were expected to fill the shoes of Candace Parker, Nicky Anosike and others who won back-to-back national championships in 2007-08.
Those players clearly had the talent but did not seem to listen to Summitt when she told them as freshmen that they couldn’t just put on the Tennessee uniform and expect to win championships.
“As a freshman, I just kind of did what I wanted to with my game,” junior forward Glory Johnson said. “I didn’t really put in too much extra time. I just felt like I could do this with talent, and clearly it didn’t work. You have to put in extra work outside of practice. You have to take your game seriously all of the time.”
That lesson started immediately after the first-round loss to Ball State in the 2009, the first time a Lady Vols team had ever lost on the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Summitt was so angry she forced the team to return to practice as soon as they returned to Knoxville.
The message? Spend some more time in the gym working on your game.
“It took them a couple of years to buy into that concept and kind of embrace the game for themselves,” Summitt said. “Going into this junior year, it’s been a tremendous difference in what the players are willing to invest.”
The team has spent the past two offseasons going through grueling workouts with strength and conditioning coach Heather Mason and now use their free time during the season getting extra shots in at the practice gym.
That committment has helped the team develop the depth and extra skills that helped the Lady Vols go undefeated in Southeastern Conference play this season and win the SEC tournament championship.
“I think the thing about this team is if someone is not having a good game or is in foul trouble, our depth is really key,” Summitt said. “I think it really brings a lot of confidence throughout the team to know that we have a lot of options.”
The confidence also comes from the bond the players have developed through the ups and downs of their career. The Lady Vols have found they can talk frankly with each other about their struggles, mistakes and losses while managing to stay positive about the team.
“It sounds really cliche, but we definitely are like sisters,” junior forward Alyssia Brewer said. “We do anything and everything—movies, bowling, go-karting, whatever. Most of us live with each other. It’s like you have your own family here.”
Despite the maturity and confidence, the Lady Vols still occasionally have some lapses. Turnovers have frequently been a problem, and sometimes player resort to taking bad shots instead of focusing on defense to get the job done.
Every so often there’s a lapse in the Lady Vols’ effort and attitude during practice, but it doesn’t take quite as much for Summitt to get the team back on track.
“It works a whole lot better when they have leadership and make other people accountable,” she said. “We’ve been pretty good at that all year, we just had a couple of lapses.”
And Summitt isn’t a patient woman when it comes to winning.
“It was at times very frustrating for our coaching staff,” Summitt said. “At the same time, we knew it would be a process for them to get in the gym.”
The work has paid off. The players who were a part of Tennessee’s 2009 first-round loss and last year’s regional semifinal loss as a No. 1 seed have grown up. Now they understand what it takes to reach a Final Four and chase Tennessee’s ninth national championship.
“I think the real key to it is the maturity,” Summitt said. “As freshmen it was very, very challenging. As sophomores, they grew, but they still weren’t at the level where every game you knew they were going to bring our ‘A’ game and the opponent was going to get our best shot. We couldn’t fast forward that process.”
The Lady Vols (31-2) again earned a No. 1 seed this season after an undefeated run through the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament. Their attempt to reach the national semifinals in Indianapolis begins Saturday in Knoxville with 16th-seeded Stetson.
The team is anchored by their junior class, a group of McDonald’s high school All-Americans who were expected to fill the shoes of Candace Parker, Nicky Anosike and others who won back-to-back national championships in 2007-08.
Those players clearly had the talent but did not seem to listen to Summitt when she told them as freshmen that they couldn’t just put on the Tennessee uniform and expect to win championships.
“As a freshman, I just kind of did what I wanted to with my game,” junior forward Glory Johnson said. “I didn’t really put in too much extra time. I just felt like I could do this with talent, and clearly it didn’t work. You have to put in extra work outside of practice. You have to take your game seriously all of the time.”
That lesson started immediately after the first-round loss to Ball State in the 2009, the first time a Lady Vols team had ever lost on the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Summitt was so angry she forced the team to return to practice as soon as they returned to Knoxville.
The message? Spend some more time in the gym working on your game.
“It took them a couple of years to buy into that concept and kind of embrace the game for themselves,” Summitt said. “Going into this junior year, it’s been a tremendous difference in what the players are willing to invest.”
The team has spent the past two offseasons going through grueling workouts with strength and conditioning coach Heather Mason and now use their free time during the season getting extra shots in at the practice gym.
That committment has helped the team develop the depth and extra skills that helped the Lady Vols go undefeated in Southeastern Conference play this season and win the SEC tournament championship.
“I think the thing about this team is if someone is not having a good game or is in foul trouble, our depth is really key,” Summitt said. “I think it really brings a lot of confidence throughout the team to know that we have a lot of options.”
The confidence also comes from the bond the players have developed through the ups and downs of their career. The Lady Vols have found they can talk frankly with each other about their struggles, mistakes and losses while managing to stay positive about the team.
“It sounds really cliche, but we definitely are like sisters,” junior forward Alyssia Brewer said. “We do anything and everything—movies, bowling, go-karting, whatever. Most of us live with each other. It’s like you have your own family here.”
Despite the maturity and confidence, the Lady Vols still occasionally have some lapses. Turnovers have frequently been a problem, and sometimes player resort to taking bad shots instead of focusing on defense to get the job done.
Every so often there’s a lapse in the Lady Vols’ effort and attitude during practice, but it doesn’t take quite as much for Summitt to get the team back on track.
“It works a whole lot better when they have leadership and make other people accountable,” she said. “We’ve been pretty good at that all year, we just had a couple of lapses.”
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tennessee nabs 21st No. 1 seed in NCAA tourney
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is still a little upset about her team bowing out of the NCAA tournament early two years in a row. A trip to the Final Four or national championship might help her forget, though.
The Lady Volunteers (31-2) earned their 21st No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament on Monday night and will host Stetson on Saturday in Knoxville in the first round of the Dayton region.
After eight national championships, anything less than a trip to the Final Four is a disappointment for Summitt. In 2009, the fifth-seeded Lady Vols suffered the only opening-round loss in program history to Ball State, and in 2010, top-seeded Tennessee lost in the regional semifinals to Baylor.
“They’ve heard about it a whole lot,” Summitt said of the 2009 loss. “Ball State, it happened, but we learned a lot from it and we’ve improved obviously every year.”
Tennessee’s Dayton region draw puts it in position for a possible Final Four matchup with fellow No. 1 seed Connecticut, the team Summitt dropped from the regular season schedule after the 2006-07 season. Summitt and Geno Auriemma’s teams haven’t met since, despite strategic bracket arrangement by the NCAA selection committee.
Summitt isn’t talking about a potential matchup with the Huskies yet or about second-seeded Notre Dame, fourth-seeded Ohio State, sixth-seeded Oklahoma or any other Dayton region team for that matter.
“Our focus right now is on Tennessee and Stetson and finding out as much as we can about them and what we need to do to make our preparation the best it can be,” Summitt said. “I have all the confidence in the world.”
The Lady Vols have four all-time wins against Stetson, most recently a 83-33 victory in Knoxville on Nov. 20, 2005. The Hatters (20-12) earned an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic Sun Championship.
Tennessee ran through the Southeastern Conference undefeated and tacked on a tournament championship a week ago, cruising through those three games. Three other SEC teams earned NCAA bids: No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 10 seed Vanderbilt in the Spokane region and No. 6 seed Georgia in the Dallas region.
Even with the SEC accolades and No. 1 seed, the Lady Vols feel like they’re a bit under the radar with plenty of attention going to Connecticut and Baylor.
“After they got done (announcing the brackets), we all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, they didn’t say anything about us,”’ junior forward Shekinna Stricklen said. “That’s OK. We have been down a little bit, but we feel like this is the year for us. We’ve got a lot of proving to do, proving to people that we can get to the Final Four.”
The Lady Volunteers (31-2) earned their 21st No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament on Monday night and will host Stetson on Saturday in Knoxville in the first round of the Dayton region.
After eight national championships, anything less than a trip to the Final Four is a disappointment for Summitt. In 2009, the fifth-seeded Lady Vols suffered the only opening-round loss in program history to Ball State, and in 2010, top-seeded Tennessee lost in the regional semifinals to Baylor.
“They’ve heard about it a whole lot,” Summitt said of the 2009 loss. “Ball State, it happened, but we learned a lot from it and we’ve improved obviously every year.”
Tennessee’s Dayton region draw puts it in position for a possible Final Four matchup with fellow No. 1 seed Connecticut, the team Summitt dropped from the regular season schedule after the 2006-07 season. Summitt and Geno Auriemma’s teams haven’t met since, despite strategic bracket arrangement by the NCAA selection committee.
Summitt isn’t talking about a potential matchup with the Huskies yet or about second-seeded Notre Dame, fourth-seeded Ohio State, sixth-seeded Oklahoma or any other Dayton region team for that matter.
“Our focus right now is on Tennessee and Stetson and finding out as much as we can about them and what we need to do to make our preparation the best it can be,” Summitt said. “I have all the confidence in the world.”
The Lady Vols have four all-time wins against Stetson, most recently a 83-33 victory in Knoxville on Nov. 20, 2005. The Hatters (20-12) earned an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic Sun Championship.
Tennessee ran through the Southeastern Conference undefeated and tacked on a tournament championship a week ago, cruising through those three games. Three other SEC teams earned NCAA bids: No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 10 seed Vanderbilt in the Spokane region and No. 6 seed Georgia in the Dallas region.
Even with the SEC accolades and No. 1 seed, the Lady Vols feel like they’re a bit under the radar with plenty of attention going to Connecticut and Baylor.
“After they got done (announcing the brackets), we all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, they didn’t say anything about us,”’ junior forward Shekinna Stricklen said. “That’s OK. We have been down a little bit, but we feel like this is the year for us. We’ve got a lot of proving to do, proving to people that we can get to the Final Four.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)