Lady Vols' Hornbuckle, Cain remain sidelined
Pat Summitt was mingling with select company Monday night.
The Tennessee women's basketball coach traveled to New York to be honored after being named by U.S. News & World Report magazine in its weekly issue as one of America's best leaders.
"I think obviously because its really a leadership award and not a coaching award, it's unique to any award I can remember receiving," said Summitt before departing team practice Monday afternoon.
Summitt is among 18 individuals featured in the magazine. Other include James Baker and Lee Hamilton, co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, actor Michael J. Fox, founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I'll be in awe of a lot of these people,'' said Summitt, who is the lone honoree connected with sports.
The magazine issue explores elements of leadership in society today. It also features a national poll in which 77 percent of those surveyed believe there is a leadership crisis in the country.
"Americans may have lost confidence in the current crop of leaders, but they haven't lost hope,'' said U.S. News & World Report editor Brian Kelly in a press release.
Regarding the honorees, Kelly said: "This group's conviction to lead in authentic and effective ways is truly remarkable."
Down on Depth: The Lady Vols were down to eight players for Monday's workout. Freshman center Kelley Cain remained sidelined after suffering a knee injury last Wednesday. Senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle, who has dealt with tendinitis throughout her UT career, also sat out.
"If we stay healthy we're a great basketball team,'' UT associate head coach Holly Warlick said. "If our numbers are low, it cuts into what your game plan is."
Hornbuckle indicated she's OK with a game against Oklahoma looming Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Cain was examined Sunday by Dr. Greg Mathien, UT's orthopedic specialist. For now, the prognosis remains uncertain.
"We get her back to practice, then we'll see what happens,'' said Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols' assistant athletic director for sports medicine.
Notebook: UT remained a unanimous No. 1 in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll. Oklahoma dropped three spots to No. 9 after losing to No. 3 Maryland Sunday, 76-66. ... The Lady Vols spent considerable time Monday working on their transition defense. ... Warlick on UT's ability to play through a slow shooting start in Sunday' 76-56 victory over Chattanooga: "We didn't have to coach effort. They didn't let their offense affect their defense."
Monday, November 12, 2007
Summitt among nation's best leaders
U.S. News & World Report magazine names Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt among America's best leaders in its weekly issue, which hits newsstands today.
The issue explores elements of leadership in society today. It also features a national poll in which 77 percent of those surveyed believe their is a leadership crisis in the country.
Summitt is featured with 18 individuals, including James Baker and Lee Hamilton, co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The issue explores elements of leadership in society today. It also features a national poll in which 77 percent of those surveyed believe their is a leadership crisis in the country.
Summitt is featured with 18 individuals, including James Baker and Lee Hamilton, co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
(1) Tennessee 76, Chattanooga 56
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Candace Parker was discouraged after an uncharacteristic poor-shooting performance in the first half.
With a little encouragement from her coach and teammates she went right back to the basket in the second half and finished with 23 points, leading No. 1 Tennessee to a 76-56 victory over Chattanooga in its season opener Sunday.
"It was tough. Sometimes, you're going to have a lid on the bucket," Parker said of going 1-of-8 from the floor in the first half. "In the first half, there were shots that I'm used to making that were not falling."
Parker hit eight of 10 shots in the second half, and the defending national champions won their season opener for the eighth straight year and improved to 31-3 in openers under coach Pat Summitt.
Freshman Vicki Baugh added 11 points, and freshman Angie Bjorklund became only the 11th Lady Vol to start the first game of her career. She finished with eight points. Nicky Anosike had 10 rebounds and nine points.
Summitt called the game a good reminder of how opponents will be prepared for the defending champions.
"Winning a national championship provides even more motivation for the other team. We face that every game, because we are Tennessee, and because they want the chance to beat the defending national champions. They want to prove their worth," Summitt said.
"It's not going to be easy for us, because we don't schedule easy games. Chattanooga spread us out as much as anyone will this season, except for maybe Stanford," she added.
Tennessee scored the first five points and never trailed. Chattanooga (1-1) didn't score until Laura Hall's 3 with 16:26 to go and trailed 32-28 at halftime.
Chattanooga went to the NCAA tournament last season as the Southern Conference tournament champion. Coach Wes Moore said his goal was to come in, stay close and have a chance at the end.
He thought his Lady Mocs did that with the exception of a few runs by Tennessee, a team he predicted will get better as the season goes on.
"I know this wasn't one of their better days, but you're talking about defending national champions, the consensus No. 1 in the country, they have pretty much everyone else intact and added some talented freshmen," Moore said.
"They still have to do it on the court, but they have an opportunity to repeat and if they do that then they'd have to be considered one of the best teams ever," Moore said.
Chattanooga stayed close by hitting 8-of-22 from 3-point range.
But the Lady Vols forced Chattanooga into 32 turnovers, and Parker hit 8-of-10 in the second half as Tennessee padded the lead.
"With their defense and their press, they get after people," Hall said. "Coach Moore told us a few days ago that's what they do. They get a layup, get in the press, get a steal and get a 3 and that's what happened today."
Hall led Chattanooga with 15 points, and Shanara Hollinquest added 13.
With a little encouragement from her coach and teammates she went right back to the basket in the second half and finished with 23 points, leading No. 1 Tennessee to a 76-56 victory over Chattanooga in its season opener Sunday.
"It was tough. Sometimes, you're going to have a lid on the bucket," Parker said of going 1-of-8 from the floor in the first half. "In the first half, there were shots that I'm used to making that were not falling."
Parker hit eight of 10 shots in the second half, and the defending national champions won their season opener for the eighth straight year and improved to 31-3 in openers under coach Pat Summitt.
Freshman Vicki Baugh added 11 points, and freshman Angie Bjorklund became only the 11th Lady Vol to start the first game of her career. She finished with eight points. Nicky Anosike had 10 rebounds and nine points.
Summitt called the game a good reminder of how opponents will be prepared for the defending champions.
"Winning a national championship provides even more motivation for the other team. We face that every game, because we are Tennessee, and because they want the chance to beat the defending national champions. They want to prove their worth," Summitt said.
"It's not going to be easy for us, because we don't schedule easy games. Chattanooga spread us out as much as anyone will this season, except for maybe Stanford," she added.
Tennessee scored the first five points and never trailed. Chattanooga (1-1) didn't score until Laura Hall's 3 with 16:26 to go and trailed 32-28 at halftime.
Chattanooga went to the NCAA tournament last season as the Southern Conference tournament champion. Coach Wes Moore said his goal was to come in, stay close and have a chance at the end.
He thought his Lady Mocs did that with the exception of a few runs by Tennessee, a team he predicted will get better as the season goes on.
"I know this wasn't one of their better days, but you're talking about defending national champions, the consensus No. 1 in the country, they have pretty much everyone else intact and added some talented freshmen," Moore said.
"They still have to do it on the court, but they have an opportunity to repeat and if they do that then they'd have to be considered one of the best teams ever," Moore said.
Chattanooga stayed close by hitting 8-of-22 from 3-point range.
But the Lady Vols forced Chattanooga into 32 turnovers, and Parker hit 8-of-10 in the second half as Tennessee padded the lead.
"With their defense and their press, they get after people," Hall said. "Coach Moore told us a few days ago that's what they do. They get a layup, get in the press, get a steal and get a 3 and that's what happened today."
Hall led Chattanooga with 15 points, and Shanara Hollinquest added 13.
Pat Summitt: The No. 1 Volunteer
Tamika Catchings was in the eighth grade the first time she witnessed "the glare."
As a young basketball player growing up in Duncanville, Texas, Catchings caught her first glimpse of the Tennessee Lady Vols on TV and remembers her first impression of Coach Pat Head Summitt.
"The camera came across her face and that glare," Catchings said. "I noticed that intensity and the way she motivated her players and thought I wouldn't mind playing for her."
Four years later, Summitt was in Catchings' living room on a recruiting visit.
"I was nervous because not everyone gets the opportunity to meet her, let alone play for her," she said. "You know when you're going to Tennessee you're going to be playing with the best players in the country and you're going to be playing for the best coach ever with the best glare ever."
Summitt and her glare come to town this week to help tip off the college basketball season. The defending national champion Lady Vols will take on Oklahoma on Thursday night in the ESPNU Invitational at the St. Pete Times Forum. In the first game of the doubleheader, South Florida plays Duke. The season begins where it will end, in Tampa, the host of the 2008 Women's Final Four.
Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in basketball history - men or women - will be seeking her eighth national championship. But she's about more than victories and titles.
"She is undoubtedly the single most influential person in our game," said Judy Southard, LSU's associate athletics director and chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee. "And she uses that influence the right way. She's been enormously successful. She will give anything back to the game to help grow the game."
And she'll do anything for the University of Tennessee.
Vols football coach Phil Fulmer enlists Summitt's help from time to time for recruiting. He recalled a time a top prospect was visiting the campus. As soon as Fulmer discovered how much the player's parents loved Summitt, he knew where the tour would begin.
The group headed to a Tennessee basketball practice, where despite her regimented schedule, Summitt took the time to speak with the player and his parents.
That player committed to Tennessee.
"People are in awe of her when they first meet her, but she relieves that immediately with her demeanor," Fulmer said. "As a sports figure, she is someone you really should be in awe of, but once you get around her, you find out that's she's really just a great person."
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts, who developed a friendship with Summitt during her work at ESPN, hears from the coach on a regular basis. With each phone call, Roberts, a standout player at Southeastern Louisiana University in the early 1980s, finds herself spitting out her gum and sitting up a little straighter out of ultimate respect.
"Her contribution goes so far beyond basketball and the University of Tennessee," Roberts said. "It is immeasurable, her impact for women. Not just women athletes, but women period."
Her impact on Catchings remains immeasurable. Without Summitt, Catchings might still be hiding behind the embarrassment of hearing loss and a speech impediment. While at Tennessee, Catchings stopped wearing her hearing aids, even though she was missing some of the things her coach was saying. Summitt called Catchings into her office one day to talk about the problem, but not how it related to becoming a better player.
"She sat me down and talked to me about my future and how I was going to play professional basketball one day and I would have a platform to reach all these people that were hearing impaired or had speech problems," said Catchings, a four-time All-American and member of the WNBA Indiana Fever. "She got me back to wearing my hearing aids. It was just the way she broke it down for me. I knew she really cared about me."
That's what insiders know intimately about Summitt. Go past the 947 victories, the seven national titles, the glare, and there lies the heart of a coach who ultimately wants the best out of her players - on the court and off.
"There's just something about her," Roberts said. "She's such a loving soul. She's such a caring person, but one of those rare individuals that God blessed with that uncanny ability to just make things happen. People would walk through fire for Pat.
"She could coach and do anything."
This summer, Summitt proved that by coaching her son's 16-and-under AAU basketball team. Tyler Summitt's team was overmatched by more physical and experienced teams and finished the national tournament 0-4.
Think Summitt coached the boys any differently than her Tennessee players? Think again. She benched a player during one game when he came off the court complaining about his tough assignment.
"I can't guard that guy," the player told Summitt.
She replied as she would to any of her Lady Vols players.
"I can't relate to 'I can't,' so somebody else get in there and guard that guy," she said.
To learn where Summitt gets her work ethic and her desire for those around her to put forth the same effort, look no farther than Henrietta, Tenn., and the farm she was raised on. The fourth of five children, and the first daughter, Summitt's daily chores ranged from baling hay to chopping tobacco to plowing the field.
At a recent dinner in Tampa for NCAA corporate sponsors, Summitt recalled her days on the farm and how they shaped her.
"Cows never take a day off," she said.
So Summitt doesn't. This is a woman who never missed a day of school from kindergarten through high school. Not one.
"She's really committed to being the best and staying on top," Catchings said. "Everything has to be done to a T."
This is a woman who went into labor during a recruiting visit. In 1990 while recruiting Michelle Marciniak, Summitt's contractions began in Marciniak's Macungie, Pa., living room. But she stayed until the recruiting trip was over, then hopped on a plane and landed in Knoxville just in time to give birth to Tyler.
It's not all intensity with Summitt. She showed off her sense of humor and sense of adventure when she donned a cheerleading uniform, stood atop a human pyramid and sang "Rocky Top" at a Tennessee men's basketball game. It was payback to Coach Bruce Pearl for sporting body paint at a women's game.
"I've never been so nervous in my life, no championship game, no nothing," she said.
And that was after weeks of practice in front of her mother.
Those who know Summitt well notice how she's mellowed over the years and changed her coaching style to relate better to her players. What will never change is the glare, which is just as intense as ever, and her drive to succeed.
"I'm so competitive," Summitt said. "People that don't compete hard, they don't need to come to Tennessee. They know that up front and I tell them that when I make the visit because I won't be happy. And if I ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It's having the desire to be the best you can be. That's means something to me."
As a young basketball player growing up in Duncanville, Texas, Catchings caught her first glimpse of the Tennessee Lady Vols on TV and remembers her first impression of Coach Pat Head Summitt.
"The camera came across her face and that glare," Catchings said. "I noticed that intensity and the way she motivated her players and thought I wouldn't mind playing for her."
Four years later, Summitt was in Catchings' living room on a recruiting visit.
"I was nervous because not everyone gets the opportunity to meet her, let alone play for her," she said. "You know when you're going to Tennessee you're going to be playing with the best players in the country and you're going to be playing for the best coach ever with the best glare ever."
Summitt and her glare come to town this week to help tip off the college basketball season. The defending national champion Lady Vols will take on Oklahoma on Thursday night in the ESPNU Invitational at the St. Pete Times Forum. In the first game of the doubleheader, South Florida plays Duke. The season begins where it will end, in Tampa, the host of the 2008 Women's Final Four.
Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in basketball history - men or women - will be seeking her eighth national championship. But she's about more than victories and titles.
"She is undoubtedly the single most influential person in our game," said Judy Southard, LSU's associate athletics director and chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee. "And she uses that influence the right way. She's been enormously successful. She will give anything back to the game to help grow the game."
And she'll do anything for the University of Tennessee.
Vols football coach Phil Fulmer enlists Summitt's help from time to time for recruiting. He recalled a time a top prospect was visiting the campus. As soon as Fulmer discovered how much the player's parents loved Summitt, he knew where the tour would begin.
The group headed to a Tennessee basketball practice, where despite her regimented schedule, Summitt took the time to speak with the player and his parents.
That player committed to Tennessee.
"People are in awe of her when they first meet her, but she relieves that immediately with her demeanor," Fulmer said. "As a sports figure, she is someone you really should be in awe of, but once you get around her, you find out that's she's really just a great person."
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts, who developed a friendship with Summitt during her work at ESPN, hears from the coach on a regular basis. With each phone call, Roberts, a standout player at Southeastern Louisiana University in the early 1980s, finds herself spitting out her gum and sitting up a little straighter out of ultimate respect.
"Her contribution goes so far beyond basketball and the University of Tennessee," Roberts said. "It is immeasurable, her impact for women. Not just women athletes, but women period."
Her impact on Catchings remains immeasurable. Without Summitt, Catchings might still be hiding behind the embarrassment of hearing loss and a speech impediment. While at Tennessee, Catchings stopped wearing her hearing aids, even though she was missing some of the things her coach was saying. Summitt called Catchings into her office one day to talk about the problem, but not how it related to becoming a better player.
"She sat me down and talked to me about my future and how I was going to play professional basketball one day and I would have a platform to reach all these people that were hearing impaired or had speech problems," said Catchings, a four-time All-American and member of the WNBA Indiana Fever. "She got me back to wearing my hearing aids. It was just the way she broke it down for me. I knew she really cared about me."
That's what insiders know intimately about Summitt. Go past the 947 victories, the seven national titles, the glare, and there lies the heart of a coach who ultimately wants the best out of her players - on the court and off.
"There's just something about her," Roberts said. "She's such a loving soul. She's such a caring person, but one of those rare individuals that God blessed with that uncanny ability to just make things happen. People would walk through fire for Pat.
"She could coach and do anything."
This summer, Summitt proved that by coaching her son's 16-and-under AAU basketball team. Tyler Summitt's team was overmatched by more physical and experienced teams and finished the national tournament 0-4.
Think Summitt coached the boys any differently than her Tennessee players? Think again. She benched a player during one game when he came off the court complaining about his tough assignment.
"I can't guard that guy," the player told Summitt.
She replied as she would to any of her Lady Vols players.
"I can't relate to 'I can't,' so somebody else get in there and guard that guy," she said.
To learn where Summitt gets her work ethic and her desire for those around her to put forth the same effort, look no farther than Henrietta, Tenn., and the farm she was raised on. The fourth of five children, and the first daughter, Summitt's daily chores ranged from baling hay to chopping tobacco to plowing the field.
At a recent dinner in Tampa for NCAA corporate sponsors, Summitt recalled her days on the farm and how they shaped her.
"Cows never take a day off," she said.
So Summitt doesn't. This is a woman who never missed a day of school from kindergarten through high school. Not one.
"She's really committed to being the best and staying on top," Catchings said. "Everything has to be done to a T."
This is a woman who went into labor during a recruiting visit. In 1990 while recruiting Michelle Marciniak, Summitt's contractions began in Marciniak's Macungie, Pa., living room. But she stayed until the recruiting trip was over, then hopped on a plane and landed in Knoxville just in time to give birth to Tyler.
It's not all intensity with Summitt. She showed off her sense of humor and sense of adventure when she donned a cheerleading uniform, stood atop a human pyramid and sang "Rocky Top" at a Tennessee men's basketball game. It was payback to Coach Bruce Pearl for sporting body paint at a women's game.
"I've never been so nervous in my life, no championship game, no nothing," she said.
And that was after weeks of practice in front of her mother.
Those who know Summitt well notice how she's mellowed over the years and changed her coaching style to relate better to her players. What will never change is the glare, which is just as intense as ever, and her drive to succeed.
"I'm so competitive," Summitt said. "People that don't compete hard, they don't need to come to Tennessee. They know that up front and I tell them that when I make the visit because I won't be happy. And if I ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It's having the desire to be the best you can be. That's means something to me."
Friday, November 09, 2007
Parker repeats as ESPN.com preseason player of the year
Two seasons was all it took for Candace Parker to lead Tennessee to a national title.
Now, she's back for her junior season and looking to lead the Lady Vols to back-to-back championships for the first time since 1997-98.
Parker already has one double sewn up: her second straight honor as ESPN.com's preseason player of the year.
Parker was the unanimous choice among ESPN.com contributors Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Kara Lawson, Beth Mowins and editor Melanie Jackson.
Two years ago, the Parker punch line was all about her dunking prowess. Last season, we focused on her versatility and the fact she can play all five positions on the court. Now?
"Don't worry about figuring out what position she plays; she's the best at all of them," Hays writes. "The debate is whether she's the best women's player in the world right now."
Yes, at 21 years old (she redshirted her freshman season, 2004-05, as she recovered from a pair of offseason knee surgeries), Parker already has established herself as a key part of USA Basketball's senior national team. By this time next year, she might be able to add "Olympic gold medalist" to her résumé.
In the meantime, how has all her time with Team USA helped Parker's game?
"Her patience as an offensive player is improved from a year ago," writes Lawson, an ESPN analyst and Parker's USA Basketball teammate. "She is more composed handling double teams and the attention that comes with being the nation's premier player. The most notable addition to her offensive repertoire is a more consistent perimeter jump shot."
"Although you would love for Candace to develop and expand her game, against collegiate competition her biggest advantage is her ability to score around the basket," Lawson continues. "A more mature Parker understands that it isn't necessary to showcase all of your abilities offensively if a team has trouble stopping just a few of them. In other words, keep doing the same thing until someone proves they can stop it. "
In 2006-07, Parker averaged 19.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and shot 53 percent from the field. Her skills and natural ability are obviously impressive, but Parker's game has evolved way past raw athleticism.
"Parker understands the game and anticipates things the way the greatest athletes do," notes Voepel.
Parker already has accumulated an impressive list of accolades. Last season, she became the first junior to win the State Farm Wade Trophy and Wooden Player of the Year award. The Kodak All-American also garnered the Honda Award for basketball player of the year, was the Basketball Writers Association national player of the year, voted a first-team Associated Press All-American and was the NCAA Final Four MVP.
The only major honor she hasn't won yet is the Naismith Award (Duke's Lindsey Harding won last season).
But this might be Parker's last chance at a sweep -- she'll be eligible for April's WNBA draft and could be bound for Los Angeles. The Sparks have the No. 1 overall pick.
Parker, of course, could have left after last season. But Parker's decision to possibly leave early is something she and coach Pat Summitt rarely discuss.
"I want Candace to just enjoy the moment," Summitt told Voepel recently. "I think the feeling is that this is her last year -- and if she can arrive at that decision, she's got a lot of things going on. With the WNBA, and with USA Basketball, wanting to make that Olympic team next summer. The main thing I want her to do is what's best for her."
And we're looking forward to enjoying our front-row seat.
"Her defensive impact is always felt clearing the glass or blocking shots," Lawson writes. "Her ability to use her length and athleticism to control the game on that end could tilt the scales in Tennessee's favor for a repeat run."
Now, she's back for her junior season and looking to lead the Lady Vols to back-to-back championships for the first time since 1997-98.
Parker already has one double sewn up: her second straight honor as ESPN.com's preseason player of the year.
Parker was the unanimous choice among ESPN.com contributors Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Kara Lawson, Beth Mowins and editor Melanie Jackson.
Two years ago, the Parker punch line was all about her dunking prowess. Last season, we focused on her versatility and the fact she can play all five positions on the court. Now?
"Don't worry about figuring out what position she plays; she's the best at all of them," Hays writes. "The debate is whether she's the best women's player in the world right now."
Yes, at 21 years old (she redshirted her freshman season, 2004-05, as she recovered from a pair of offseason knee surgeries), Parker already has established herself as a key part of USA Basketball's senior national team. By this time next year, she might be able to add "Olympic gold medalist" to her résumé.
In the meantime, how has all her time with Team USA helped Parker's game?
"Her patience as an offensive player is improved from a year ago," writes Lawson, an ESPN analyst and Parker's USA Basketball teammate. "She is more composed handling double teams and the attention that comes with being the nation's premier player. The most notable addition to her offensive repertoire is a more consistent perimeter jump shot."
"Although you would love for Candace to develop and expand her game, against collegiate competition her biggest advantage is her ability to score around the basket," Lawson continues. "A more mature Parker understands that it isn't necessary to showcase all of your abilities offensively if a team has trouble stopping just a few of them. In other words, keep doing the same thing until someone proves they can stop it. "
In 2006-07, Parker averaged 19.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and shot 53 percent from the field. Her skills and natural ability are obviously impressive, but Parker's game has evolved way past raw athleticism.
"Parker understands the game and anticipates things the way the greatest athletes do," notes Voepel.
Parker already has accumulated an impressive list of accolades. Last season, she became the first junior to win the State Farm Wade Trophy and Wooden Player of the Year award. The Kodak All-American also garnered the Honda Award for basketball player of the year, was the Basketball Writers Association national player of the year, voted a first-team Associated Press All-American and was the NCAA Final Four MVP.
The only major honor she hasn't won yet is the Naismith Award (Duke's Lindsey Harding won last season).
But this might be Parker's last chance at a sweep -- she'll be eligible for April's WNBA draft and could be bound for Los Angeles. The Sparks have the No. 1 overall pick.
Parker, of course, could have left after last season. But Parker's decision to possibly leave early is something she and coach Pat Summitt rarely discuss.
"I want Candace to just enjoy the moment," Summitt told Voepel recently. "I think the feeling is that this is her last year -- and if she can arrive at that decision, she's got a lot of things going on. With the WNBA, and with USA Basketball, wanting to make that Olympic team next summer. The main thing I want her to do is what's best for her."
And we're looking forward to enjoying our front-row seat.
"Her defensive impact is always felt clearing the glass or blocking shots," Lawson writes. "Her ability to use her length and athleticism to control the game on that end could tilt the scales in Tennessee's favor for a repeat run."
Lady Vols could be better than last year
KNOXVILLE — With a modest nod of the head, Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt confirmed what women's college basketball teams around the country already might have suspected.
The defending national champion Lady Vols are back for a run at another title and they could be even better than they were last year.
"Are we (better) right now? No," Summitt said. "But I think that we can be."
If so, it will have plenty to do with experience. Four starters, including junior All-American Candace Parker, are back from the team that brought Tennessee its seventh national title, ending a nine-year drought.
And, even with one title already under their belts, they're as hungry as ever.
"I think with winning comes greed," said Parker, who averaged a team-high 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds as a sophomore. "You just want more and more.
"I think we had the same hunger last year. We wanted to win a national championship because we'd never experienced it. But once you experience it, you realize how great of a feeling it is, so you want to do it again."
Tough to repeat
Regardless of desire, Summitt said, it's easier said than done.
Tennessee's 34th-year coach, who ranks as the NCAA's all-time wins leader, speaks from experience. Her teams failed to repeat after four of UT's six previous national championships and the only two times she succeeded came during the Lady Vols' run of three consecutive titles from 1996-98.
"This is one of the hardest things to do in sports, to repeat the performance of a national championship," Summitt said. "You have a big target on you. We have to not look ahead. It's about daily improvement in practice. …
"Last year, we had great chemistry. What I see right now appears to be something that will be special chemistry. But they are not aware of what it's like to carry the big ol' national championship on your back every possession, every game."
Impact freshmen
The addition of a talented freshman class, combined with the losses of only two players from last year's roster, should help.
Sharp-shooting forward Angie Bjorklund headlines the incoming group of freshmen, which also includes 6-foot-6 center Kelley Cain, 6-4 forward Vicki Baugh and guard Sydney Smallbone.
Bjorklund is expected to make the most immediate impact, taking over the starting spot vacated by Sidney Spencer, the second-leading scorer on last year's team.
"I love the girl's game," senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle said of Bjorklund. "I said that from the get-go. If I have an option, I'm going to Angie. I'm driving and kicking to Angie and (starting point guard) Shannon (Bobbitt). That's my first two 3-point threats."
Cain and Baugh, meanwhile, will give the Lady Vols four players 6-foot-4 or taller, counting Parker and senior center Nicky Anosike.
Junior forward Alex Fuller, a former Shelbyville High standout, and senior guard Alberta Auguste will join Cain, Baugh and Smallbone on a bench as deep as any Tennessee has ever had.
"We don't really drop off too much substituting," Hornbuckle said, "and that's hard to say across the board on any NCAA team."
UT WOMEN'S ROSTER
No. Player Class Pos. Height
00 Shannon Bobbitt SR G 5-2
2 Cait McMahan SO G 5-4
3 Candace Parker JR F 6-4
5 Angie Bjorklund FR G/F 6-0
14 Alexis Hornbuckle SR G 5-11
20 Sydney Smallbone FR G 5-10
21 Vicki Baugh FR F/C 6-4
33 Alberta Auguste SR G/F 5-11
44 Alex Fuller JR F 6-3
52 Kelley Cain FR C 6-6
55 Nicky Anosike SR C 6-4
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
F Angie Bjorklund
F Candace Parker
C Nicky Anosike
G Alexis Hornbuckle
G Shannon Bobbitt
2006-07 RECORD: 34-3 overall, 14-0 SEC
The defending national champion Lady Vols are back for a run at another title and they could be even better than they were last year.
"Are we (better) right now? No," Summitt said. "But I think that we can be."
If so, it will have plenty to do with experience. Four starters, including junior All-American Candace Parker, are back from the team that brought Tennessee its seventh national title, ending a nine-year drought.
And, even with one title already under their belts, they're as hungry as ever.
"I think with winning comes greed," said Parker, who averaged a team-high 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds as a sophomore. "You just want more and more.
"I think we had the same hunger last year. We wanted to win a national championship because we'd never experienced it. But once you experience it, you realize how great of a feeling it is, so you want to do it again."
Tough to repeat
Regardless of desire, Summitt said, it's easier said than done.
Tennessee's 34th-year coach, who ranks as the NCAA's all-time wins leader, speaks from experience. Her teams failed to repeat after four of UT's six previous national championships and the only two times she succeeded came during the Lady Vols' run of three consecutive titles from 1996-98.
"This is one of the hardest things to do in sports, to repeat the performance of a national championship," Summitt said. "You have a big target on you. We have to not look ahead. It's about daily improvement in practice. …
"Last year, we had great chemistry. What I see right now appears to be something that will be special chemistry. But they are not aware of what it's like to carry the big ol' national championship on your back every possession, every game."
Impact freshmen
The addition of a talented freshman class, combined with the losses of only two players from last year's roster, should help.
Sharp-shooting forward Angie Bjorklund headlines the incoming group of freshmen, which also includes 6-foot-6 center Kelley Cain, 6-4 forward Vicki Baugh and guard Sydney Smallbone.
Bjorklund is expected to make the most immediate impact, taking over the starting spot vacated by Sidney Spencer, the second-leading scorer on last year's team.
"I love the girl's game," senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle said of Bjorklund. "I said that from the get-go. If I have an option, I'm going to Angie. I'm driving and kicking to Angie and (starting point guard) Shannon (Bobbitt). That's my first two 3-point threats."
Cain and Baugh, meanwhile, will give the Lady Vols four players 6-foot-4 or taller, counting Parker and senior center Nicky Anosike.
Junior forward Alex Fuller, a former Shelbyville High standout, and senior guard Alberta Auguste will join Cain, Baugh and Smallbone on a bench as deep as any Tennessee has ever had.
"We don't really drop off too much substituting," Hornbuckle said, "and that's hard to say across the board on any NCAA team."
UT WOMEN'S ROSTER
No. Player Class Pos. Height
00 Shannon Bobbitt SR G 5-2
2 Cait McMahan SO G 5-4
3 Candace Parker JR F 6-4
5 Angie Bjorklund FR G/F 6-0
14 Alexis Hornbuckle SR G 5-11
20 Sydney Smallbone FR G 5-10
21 Vicki Baugh FR F/C 6-4
33 Alberta Auguste SR G/F 5-11
44 Alex Fuller JR F 6-3
52 Kelley Cain FR C 6-6
55 Nicky Anosike SR C 6-4
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
F Angie Bjorklund
F Candace Parker
C Nicky Anosike
G Alexis Hornbuckle
G Shannon Bobbitt
2006-07 RECORD: 34-3 overall, 14-0 SEC
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Pat Summitt Says Lady Vols Need To Be "Very Focused" Against Lady Mocs
UT Coach Pat Summitt, in a teleconference, said the Lady Vols need to be "very focused" in Sunday's game at home versus the UTC Lady Mocs.
On the upcoming game against UTC:
"I haven’t had much time to focus on them at this point. We are trying to get better ourselves. I know they do a great job, and we are familiar with their style of play. Coach Wes Moore does a great job of preparing his teams and having them get up and down the floor, and they really have great spacing offensively and a toughness to them. We are going to need to be very focused and go into that game understanding that we have to defend. We certainly will have to defend the three-ball, the inside game and dribble penetration. That is what we need, and I think that is exactly what we will face”
On the two exhibition games against the USA National Team and Carson-Newman:
“The two exhibition games really served a purpose of what we had in mind. First of all, the USA team really challenged us right out of the gate. Overall, we grew in that game, and because of it we got tougher from the first to second half. We identified some areas where we could get much better, in particular with our defensive transition game. We had to make sure we could get five people on the same page in order for our defense to really be as strong as it needed to be. Overall, with offensive execution I thought we did a good job, but we had too many turnovers and not enough good screening action. That game pointed out a lot of things that we know and knew as a staff going into the game that we would have to get better at. Now we can go back and work on those things. In the game last night vs. Carson-Newman, I thought that was really a great way to get our four freshmen some quality playing time and challenge them to play extended minutes and see how they would fight through a little adversity. Overall, I thought they did a nice job. I wanted them to have to learn to play and play together, to get up and down the court, defend and talk. After watching the tape I was pleased overall with the effort they gave.”
On the loss of three-point shooting in 2007 seniors Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding:
“I am encouraged by this team. I think going into this year we had potential to really improve our spacing, because I thought we had more players who could stretch the defense, Angie and Sydney in particular. Alex, depending on how much time she spends at the four versus the three, she will stretch you if she is playing the four. Because, at the top of the floor, she has solid consistency and three-point range. From that standpoint, I do feel like we have been able to fill the void, so to speak. It is hard to replace the experience of our two seniors last year, but certainly with the skill coming in, I think we have a chance to be successful and to help our offensive spacing overall.”
How do you handle teams of yours that have had to defend NCAA titles?
“First, we really look at what level of intensity we bring to the court. Because of the way we play, if we’re going to play an up-tempo game, it is difficult to be successful in that if you don’t have five people committed to running the floor and really attacking on the offensive end. Defensively, because we like to pressure, if you have a player or players who are not committed, it is very difficult to run that type of defense. We all have to be on the same page and commit to the system that we put in place. We did not do that in the first half of the game against the USA. In the second half there was a different intensity and a different commitment on both ends of the floor. That gave us a chance to be much more competitive. As a coaching staff, we have to get people to understand and be accountable for their play and the intensity of their play. We have to have consistency at that level of intensity and the commitment to our system.”
On freshman Vicki Baugh
“She reminds me a lot of Carla McGhee. It is like she has no fear. She is going to rebound and just bring the ball up. She’s plays a lot instinctively right now, which is not a bad thing. I like to have a player like a Vicki that has that size, athleticism and skill. She will get so much better and tighten her skills up as she goes along. The energy in her style of play is an aggressive style. You don’t always see that out of an incoming freshman. She has played with no fear.
On Baugh possibly defending away from the basket
“I think she could come away from the rim some. That has not been an area where we have gotten her a lot of reps or made that a priority. First things first with her, we wanted to make sure she understood how we defended the post game, and for that reason she hasn’t really been on the perimeter much, but certainly in the future that will be a priority.”
On starting out with tough opponents in Oklahoma and Texas so early in the season:
“Hopefully this will have a positive impact on this team. This team will go into these games with respect for their opponents. We didn’t play Oklahoma last year in the NCAA Tournament, when we thought we may, and we were looking forward to that. A lot of people wanted to see Courtney Paris and Candace Parker go up against each other. We didn’t have the opportunity to see that head-to-head last year. I think that will be appealing to both teams and spectators of women’s basketball to see how they will match-up and play.”
On Candace Parker’s excitement for playing Oklahoma:
“I think our team is excited about playing Oklahoma. Candace has not indicated that specifically, but as a team they have talked about the fact that they are excited about having the chance to play Oklahoma.”
On three-point defense – limited opponents to six treys in two exhibitions:
“We’ve done a better job of extending on the perimeter. One thing that will allow us to continue to grow in that area is our size in the paint. That gives us a sense of comfort at times to be able to over-extend defensively and also the aggressiveness of our defensive philosophy. Try to deny and limit touches, that has perhaps been a factor, but we’ll see as we progress and take on a very challenging schedule.”
On Shannon Bobbitt defensively during the exhibition games:
“She has probably been the target of a lot of challenges from me. I have stayed on her. I felt like early on there was a lack of intensity and commitment on the defensive end. I know she can push tempo and create shots for others and herself, but where I saw a drop-off from last year to this year in practice was her commitment to getting after people on the ball and in the passing lanes from a defensive standpoint. I really placed a pretty significant daily challenge on Shannon and she has responded very well. I told her last night I was really pleased with what I’d seen and how she’s responded.”
On the importance of defensive intensity as a team:
“Defense is a place in my opinion and philosophy where you can be consistent night-in and night-out. You don’t always know if you’ll be on and make shots so you have to be able to rely on second-chance opportunities and creating easy scoring opportunities. I think we have a very rangy group that can get out into passing lanes. They are tall, have great length and can extend in passing lanes. Understanding the benefits of committing to the defensive system and up-tempo basketball is what we try to emphasize to them and re-emphasize all the time what they have to do.”
On extended minutes by freshmen last night:
“I was very pleased that they were able to play that much. They pushed themselves through it. Kelley Cain was the one who was challenged the most because she hasn’t been on the floor as much or had the up-and-down, as far as overall time and conditioning and reps in scrimmage situations that the rest of her teammates have. I was pleased to see her fight through that.”
On turnovers (13 by freshmen 22 by upperclassmen in two exhibitions):
“We have to do a better job in our decision making. Some of that comes in the full-court but probably more has occurred in the half-court. We need to do a better job of reading our post defense. We have turned the ball over trying to force it, particularly the young players not really opening up and securing the passing lanes to the post. The tempo for them is a little different, we have played pretty fast even for our upperclassmen. With that you will have turnovers, but we do plan to cut those down significantly.”
On the upcoming game against UTC:
"I haven’t had much time to focus on them at this point. We are trying to get better ourselves. I know they do a great job, and we are familiar with their style of play. Coach Wes Moore does a great job of preparing his teams and having them get up and down the floor, and they really have great spacing offensively and a toughness to them. We are going to need to be very focused and go into that game understanding that we have to defend. We certainly will have to defend the three-ball, the inside game and dribble penetration. That is what we need, and I think that is exactly what we will face”
On the two exhibition games against the USA National Team and Carson-Newman:
“The two exhibition games really served a purpose of what we had in mind. First of all, the USA team really challenged us right out of the gate. Overall, we grew in that game, and because of it we got tougher from the first to second half. We identified some areas where we could get much better, in particular with our defensive transition game. We had to make sure we could get five people on the same page in order for our defense to really be as strong as it needed to be. Overall, with offensive execution I thought we did a good job, but we had too many turnovers and not enough good screening action. That game pointed out a lot of things that we know and knew as a staff going into the game that we would have to get better at. Now we can go back and work on those things. In the game last night vs. Carson-Newman, I thought that was really a great way to get our four freshmen some quality playing time and challenge them to play extended minutes and see how they would fight through a little adversity. Overall, I thought they did a nice job. I wanted them to have to learn to play and play together, to get up and down the court, defend and talk. After watching the tape I was pleased overall with the effort they gave.”
On the loss of three-point shooting in 2007 seniors Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding:
“I am encouraged by this team. I think going into this year we had potential to really improve our spacing, because I thought we had more players who could stretch the defense, Angie and Sydney in particular. Alex, depending on how much time she spends at the four versus the three, she will stretch you if she is playing the four. Because, at the top of the floor, she has solid consistency and three-point range. From that standpoint, I do feel like we have been able to fill the void, so to speak. It is hard to replace the experience of our two seniors last year, but certainly with the skill coming in, I think we have a chance to be successful and to help our offensive spacing overall.”
How do you handle teams of yours that have had to defend NCAA titles?
“First, we really look at what level of intensity we bring to the court. Because of the way we play, if we’re going to play an up-tempo game, it is difficult to be successful in that if you don’t have five people committed to running the floor and really attacking on the offensive end. Defensively, because we like to pressure, if you have a player or players who are not committed, it is very difficult to run that type of defense. We all have to be on the same page and commit to the system that we put in place. We did not do that in the first half of the game against the USA. In the second half there was a different intensity and a different commitment on both ends of the floor. That gave us a chance to be much more competitive. As a coaching staff, we have to get people to understand and be accountable for their play and the intensity of their play. We have to have consistency at that level of intensity and the commitment to our system.”
On freshman Vicki Baugh
“She reminds me a lot of Carla McGhee. It is like she has no fear. She is going to rebound and just bring the ball up. She’s plays a lot instinctively right now, which is not a bad thing. I like to have a player like a Vicki that has that size, athleticism and skill. She will get so much better and tighten her skills up as she goes along. The energy in her style of play is an aggressive style. You don’t always see that out of an incoming freshman. She has played with no fear.
On Baugh possibly defending away from the basket
“I think she could come away from the rim some. That has not been an area where we have gotten her a lot of reps or made that a priority. First things first with her, we wanted to make sure she understood how we defended the post game, and for that reason she hasn’t really been on the perimeter much, but certainly in the future that will be a priority.”
On starting out with tough opponents in Oklahoma and Texas so early in the season:
“Hopefully this will have a positive impact on this team. This team will go into these games with respect for their opponents. We didn’t play Oklahoma last year in the NCAA Tournament, when we thought we may, and we were looking forward to that. A lot of people wanted to see Courtney Paris and Candace Parker go up against each other. We didn’t have the opportunity to see that head-to-head last year. I think that will be appealing to both teams and spectators of women’s basketball to see how they will match-up and play.”
On Candace Parker’s excitement for playing Oklahoma:
“I think our team is excited about playing Oklahoma. Candace has not indicated that specifically, but as a team they have talked about the fact that they are excited about having the chance to play Oklahoma.”
On three-point defense – limited opponents to six treys in two exhibitions:
“We’ve done a better job of extending on the perimeter. One thing that will allow us to continue to grow in that area is our size in the paint. That gives us a sense of comfort at times to be able to over-extend defensively and also the aggressiveness of our defensive philosophy. Try to deny and limit touches, that has perhaps been a factor, but we’ll see as we progress and take on a very challenging schedule.”
On Shannon Bobbitt defensively during the exhibition games:
“She has probably been the target of a lot of challenges from me. I have stayed on her. I felt like early on there was a lack of intensity and commitment on the defensive end. I know she can push tempo and create shots for others and herself, but where I saw a drop-off from last year to this year in practice was her commitment to getting after people on the ball and in the passing lanes from a defensive standpoint. I really placed a pretty significant daily challenge on Shannon and she has responded very well. I told her last night I was really pleased with what I’d seen and how she’s responded.”
On the importance of defensive intensity as a team:
“Defense is a place in my opinion and philosophy where you can be consistent night-in and night-out. You don’t always know if you’ll be on and make shots so you have to be able to rely on second-chance opportunities and creating easy scoring opportunities. I think we have a very rangy group that can get out into passing lanes. They are tall, have great length and can extend in passing lanes. Understanding the benefits of committing to the defensive system and up-tempo basketball is what we try to emphasize to them and re-emphasize all the time what they have to do.”
On extended minutes by freshmen last night:
“I was very pleased that they were able to play that much. They pushed themselves through it. Kelley Cain was the one who was challenged the most because she hasn’t been on the floor as much or had the up-and-down, as far as overall time and conditioning and reps in scrimmage situations that the rest of her teammates have. I was pleased to see her fight through that.”
On turnovers (13 by freshmen 22 by upperclassmen in two exhibitions):
“We have to do a better job in our decision making. Some of that comes in the full-court but probably more has occurred in the half-court. We need to do a better job of reading our post defense. We have turned the ball over trying to force it, particularly the young players not really opening up and securing the passing lanes to the post. The tempo for them is a little different, we have played pretty fast even for our upperclassmen. With that you will have turnovers, but we do plan to cut those down significantly.”
University of Tennessee’s Lady Volunteers Deemed Women’s College Basketball’s "America's Team" for 2007
Lady Vols Honored for Commitment to Integrity, Sportsmanship and Community Involvement
Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 7, 2007 - Today, the America's Team™ Foundation announced that it has chosen the Lady Vol Basketball Team to receive the 2007 America's Team Award for women’s college basketball. Based on integrity, teamwork, sportsmanship and commitment to the community, the America's Team Award honors American sports teams and their athletes in the achievement of overall excellence.
"The America's Team™ Award celebrates athletic excellence as well as recognizes team dedication to community development. This year we are honored to give the America's Team Award for women’s college ball to the Lady Vols," said Bryan Reichel, America's Team Foundation president. "This team gives of themselves on and off the court – from organizing basketball clinics to hosting kids movie nights. The team's commitment to improving the lives of children and their families in Tennessee is appreciated and admired by many alumni, students and fans."
The award was presented at the Nov. 6th game to the team and coaching staff of the Lady Vols by Bryan Reichel, president of the America's Team organization.
Past America's Team Award trophy recipients include: Minnesota Twins (professional baseball), Pittsburgh Steelers (professional football), and Florida Gators (men's college basketball.)
About Lady Vols
Tennessee compiled a 34-3 overall record during the 2006-07 season and brought home the program's seventh NCAA Championship. Head coach Pat Summitt earned SEC Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year Honors. Candace Parker earned SEC Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Player of the Year, State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year, ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors and first team All-American by almost every publication in the country. Nicky Anosike and Sidney Spencer garnered Academic All-District recognition, while Alexis Hornbuckle and Spencer picked up All-SEC accolades. The team won two ESPY Awards and placed six of its 10 members on the SEC All-Academic squad.
About America’s Team™
The America’s Team™ Foundation is an organization that celebrates the role of good will in athletics and offers recognition for the honest effort put forth by athletes, both on and off the field. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, America’s Team Properties LLP honors excellence and commitment in American sports through awards, promotions and community giving. Learn more at www.americasteamusa.com.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 7, 2007 - Today, the America's Team™ Foundation announced that it has chosen the Lady Vol Basketball Team to receive the 2007 America's Team Award for women’s college basketball. Based on integrity, teamwork, sportsmanship and commitment to the community, the America's Team Award honors American sports teams and their athletes in the achievement of overall excellence.
"The America's Team™ Award celebrates athletic excellence as well as recognizes team dedication to community development. This year we are honored to give the America's Team Award for women’s college ball to the Lady Vols," said Bryan Reichel, America's Team Foundation president. "This team gives of themselves on and off the court – from organizing basketball clinics to hosting kids movie nights. The team's commitment to improving the lives of children and their families in Tennessee is appreciated and admired by many alumni, students and fans."
The award was presented at the Nov. 6th game to the team and coaching staff of the Lady Vols by Bryan Reichel, president of the America's Team organization.
Past America's Team Award trophy recipients include: Minnesota Twins (professional baseball), Pittsburgh Steelers (professional football), and Florida Gators (men's college basketball.)
About Lady Vols
Tennessee compiled a 34-3 overall record during the 2006-07 season and brought home the program's seventh NCAA Championship. Head coach Pat Summitt earned SEC Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year Honors. Candace Parker earned SEC Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Player of the Year, State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year, ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors and first team All-American by almost every publication in the country. Nicky Anosike and Sidney Spencer garnered Academic All-District recognition, while Alexis Hornbuckle and Spencer picked up All-SEC accolades. The team won two ESPY Awards and placed six of its 10 members on the SEC All-Academic squad.
About America’s Team™
The America’s Team™ Foundation is an organization that celebrates the role of good will in athletics and offers recognition for the honest effort put forth by athletes, both on and off the field. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, America’s Team Properties LLP honors excellence and commitment in American sports through awards, promotions and community giving. Learn more at www.americasteamusa.com.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Candace Parker leads All-America squad
Candace Parker helped Tennessee win a national title and the United States qualify for the Olympics. Now there's one more honor to add to this run the last few months: a unanimous choice for the preseason All-America team by The Associated Press.
The Tennessee junior was joined on the squad Tuesday by Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, Stanford's Candice Wiggins, LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne.
Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt of Tennessee already knew Parker could score. It's the other aspects of Parker's game that impress her.
"If there is one thing to separate her out, it's her commitment to defending," Summitt said. "Her intensity on the defensive end is so much better. She's also much better attacking the basket."
Parker sparked the Lady Vols to their seventh national title last April and the national team to a spot in the Beijing Games. She was the top scorer on the U.S. team that won the FIBA Americas tournament in September.
Parker was on every ballot of the 50-member national media panel. The only other previous unanimous selections were Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Alana Beard and Seimone Augustus.
"That's a special group," Parker said. "I wouldn't be who I was without my teammates or coaches support."
Paris came close to a unanimous selection, getting 48 votes. Wiggins drew 43, Fowles 41 and Langhorne 28. Paris and Parker were All-Americans last season. Langhorne, Wiggins and Fowles earned second-team honors.
Summitt saw Parker, Paris, Wiggins and Fowles play with the U.S. national team this fall.
"I thought just watching them play, they are impact players on their respective teams," she said. "They did some amazing things for the U.S. team."
The four have known each other for years, playing on various U.S. teams. Their friendship was evident in a discussion with the AP at the national team training camp.
"We've been friends for a long time," Wiggins said. "I've know Courtney since freshman year in high school and I've know Candace forever and Syl, too."
When they aren't facing each other on the court, the four always check out how the others are doing.
"I'm a fan of our game," Paris said. "It's hard not to follow everyone's career. The media does such a good job. It's easy to pop on the TV, or open up the newspaper and follow them."
The 6-foot-4 Paris was third in the nation in scoring at 23.5 points and second in rebounding with 15.9 last season en route to becoming AP Player of the Year. Oklahoma coach Sheri Coale has seen a change in the junior's ability to move without the ball.
"Her greatest strides have been what she does when she doesn't have the ball in her hands," Coale said. "That's always the last part of a game to develop. She's already thinking. She's wiser and is always looking to expand her game."
Maryland coach Brenda Frese marvels at Langhorne's ability to score.
"She's the best finisher in the game and her explosive quickness makes her very hard to guard. ... There are very few players like Crystal," Frese said.
Langhorne became the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in field goal percentage two straight seasons — no player has done it three years in a row. She shot .707 last season, the sixth best mark ever.
"With all the great players in the country, I'm honored to have been chosen among such elite players," she said. "I have to credit my teammates and coaches because they've been a big part of my career and my development."
Fowles has carried LSU to three straight Final Four appearances, and with new coach Van Chancellor hopes to get the elusive championship.
"That's always the goal," Fowles said. "Just putting the work in 24-7 definitely plays its part. With coach we have a new system coming on. Whatever he wants to do to change the system will do to win a championship."
Wiggins led Stanford to the another Pac-10 title, then came a second-round loss in the NCAA tournament to Florida State. The 5-11 guard averaged 16.9 points last season. She had a busy summer winning gold medals for the U.S. on the under-21 and Pan American teams.
Paris, Parker, Langhorne and Wiggins were all preseason All-Americans last year.
Said Paris: "That kind of stuff never gets old. ... It's really cool."
The Tennessee junior was joined on the squad Tuesday by Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, Stanford's Candice Wiggins, LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne.
Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt of Tennessee already knew Parker could score. It's the other aspects of Parker's game that impress her.
"If there is one thing to separate her out, it's her commitment to defending," Summitt said. "Her intensity on the defensive end is so much better. She's also much better attacking the basket."
Parker sparked the Lady Vols to their seventh national title last April and the national team to a spot in the Beijing Games. She was the top scorer on the U.S. team that won the FIBA Americas tournament in September.
Parker was on every ballot of the 50-member national media panel. The only other previous unanimous selections were Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Alana Beard and Seimone Augustus.
"That's a special group," Parker said. "I wouldn't be who I was without my teammates or coaches support."
Paris came close to a unanimous selection, getting 48 votes. Wiggins drew 43, Fowles 41 and Langhorne 28. Paris and Parker were All-Americans last season. Langhorne, Wiggins and Fowles earned second-team honors.
Summitt saw Parker, Paris, Wiggins and Fowles play with the U.S. national team this fall.
"I thought just watching them play, they are impact players on their respective teams," she said. "They did some amazing things for the U.S. team."
The four have known each other for years, playing on various U.S. teams. Their friendship was evident in a discussion with the AP at the national team training camp.
"We've been friends for a long time," Wiggins said. "I've know Courtney since freshman year in high school and I've know Candace forever and Syl, too."
When they aren't facing each other on the court, the four always check out how the others are doing.
"I'm a fan of our game," Paris said. "It's hard not to follow everyone's career. The media does such a good job. It's easy to pop on the TV, or open up the newspaper and follow them."
The 6-foot-4 Paris was third in the nation in scoring at 23.5 points and second in rebounding with 15.9 last season en route to becoming AP Player of the Year. Oklahoma coach Sheri Coale has seen a change in the junior's ability to move without the ball.
"Her greatest strides have been what she does when she doesn't have the ball in her hands," Coale said. "That's always the last part of a game to develop. She's already thinking. She's wiser and is always looking to expand her game."
Maryland coach Brenda Frese marvels at Langhorne's ability to score.
"She's the best finisher in the game and her explosive quickness makes her very hard to guard. ... There are very few players like Crystal," Frese said.
Langhorne became the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in field goal percentage two straight seasons — no player has done it three years in a row. She shot .707 last season, the sixth best mark ever.
"With all the great players in the country, I'm honored to have been chosen among such elite players," she said. "I have to credit my teammates and coaches because they've been a big part of my career and my development."
Fowles has carried LSU to three straight Final Four appearances, and with new coach Van Chancellor hopes to get the elusive championship.
"That's always the goal," Fowles said. "Just putting the work in 24-7 definitely plays its part. With coach we have a new system coming on. Whatever he wants to do to change the system will do to win a championship."
Wiggins led Stanford to the another Pac-10 title, then came a second-round loss in the NCAA tournament to Florida State. The 5-11 guard averaged 16.9 points last season. She had a busy summer winning gold medals for the U.S. on the under-21 and Pan American teams.
Paris, Parker, Langhorne and Wiggins were all preseason All-Americans last year.
Said Paris: "That kind of stuff never gets old. ... It's really cool."
UT Routs Carson-Newman in Final Exhibition
Knoxville, Tenn. - The No. 1-ranked Lady Vols defeated Carson-Newman, 91-30, in their final exhibition match of the season on Tuesday night. Angie Bjorklund led all scorers with 26 points. Tennessee's defense held the Lady Eagles to nine points in the first half, the third fewest in UT history.
Carson-Newman scored the first three points of the game before UT went a 16-0 run, snapped by Lady Eagle Ashley Kyle's short jumper in the paint. An ensuing 12-0 sprint by UT was again snapped by Kyle, who scored five of Carson-Newman's nine first-half points.
The Lady Eagles scored just 30 points for the game, their lowest total against the Lady Vols since a 57-25 loss on Jan. 22, 1974. Tennessee did not reach the century mark in tonight's game, for the first time in an exhibition contest against Carson-Newman.
Freshman Angie Bjorklund scored the first UT points for the second game in a row. She would have 10 of the first 16 for the orange and white and was the first Lady Vol to reach double figure scoring for the second consecutive contest.
Kelley Cain came off the bench and scored her first points in a Lady Vol uniform after her offensive rebound on Alex Fuller's missed three-pointer with six-and-a-half minutes left in the first half. She grabbed eight rebounds in the first half in just 12 minutes of action and would finish with her first career double-double, with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Alex Fuller came in for 11 points in the first half, including a personal-best three treys. She finished with 17 points, three better than her career-best.
Vicki Baugh showed fans what a multi-dimensional player she can be, dishing out two assists, a block, seven rebounds and five points in her 12 minutes of action in the first half. She finished with her first career double-double, with 11 points and 10 boards.
Shannon Bobbitt was credited with a basket with 7:42 left in the game, after a Carson-Newman player shot the ball into Tennessee's basket.
With the win, Tennessee improves to 18-2 against Carson-Newman all-time, including four exhibition victories in the series.
Tennessee seems to be filling the shoes of 2007 senior sharp-shooter Sidney Spencer, as the Lady Vols drained a combined 21 three-pointers in two exhibition contests this season. Five UT players scored in double figures.
The Lady Vols return to the hardwood in the season-opener against Chattanooga on Nov. 11. Tip-off with the Lady Mocs is scheduled for 3:06 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Carson-Newman scored the first three points of the game before UT went a 16-0 run, snapped by Lady Eagle Ashley Kyle's short jumper in the paint. An ensuing 12-0 sprint by UT was again snapped by Kyle, who scored five of Carson-Newman's nine first-half points.
The Lady Eagles scored just 30 points for the game, their lowest total against the Lady Vols since a 57-25 loss on Jan. 22, 1974. Tennessee did not reach the century mark in tonight's game, for the first time in an exhibition contest against Carson-Newman.
Freshman Angie Bjorklund scored the first UT points for the second game in a row. She would have 10 of the first 16 for the orange and white and was the first Lady Vol to reach double figure scoring for the second consecutive contest.
Kelley Cain came off the bench and scored her first points in a Lady Vol uniform after her offensive rebound on Alex Fuller's missed three-pointer with six-and-a-half minutes left in the first half. She grabbed eight rebounds in the first half in just 12 minutes of action and would finish with her first career double-double, with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Alex Fuller came in for 11 points in the first half, including a personal-best three treys. She finished with 17 points, three better than her career-best.
Vicki Baugh showed fans what a multi-dimensional player she can be, dishing out two assists, a block, seven rebounds and five points in her 12 minutes of action in the first half. She finished with her first career double-double, with 11 points and 10 boards.
Shannon Bobbitt was credited with a basket with 7:42 left in the game, after a Carson-Newman player shot the ball into Tennessee's basket.
With the win, Tennessee improves to 18-2 against Carson-Newman all-time, including four exhibition victories in the series.
Tennessee seems to be filling the shoes of 2007 senior sharp-shooter Sidney Spencer, as the Lady Vols drained a combined 21 three-pointers in two exhibition contests this season. Five UT players scored in double figures.
The Lady Vols return to the hardwood in the season-opener against Chattanooga on Nov. 11. Tip-off with the Lady Mocs is scheduled for 3:06 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Orange checked: National Team defeats Lady Vols
KNOXVILLE — Kara Lawson wasn’t the only USA National Team player with that homecoming feeling on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The former Lady Vol, who graduated in 2003 and is now a member of the WNBA Sacramento Monarchs, was joined by LSU grad Seimone Augustus and former Connecticut players Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, all of whom drew plenty of attention from Tennessee fans in years past for their successful efforts against UT.
“We actually miss the orange seats,” Taurasi said of the new black decor in the arena. “It’s like an NBA arena out there. I don’t see why Knoxville wouldn’t be the next franchise for the WNBA.”
A WNBA atmosphere was certainly present in the USA team’s 83-72 victory over the defending NCAA champion Lady Vols.
Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, who defined the league in its start-up years, combined with Taurasi, a member of the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, for the difference in the outcome.
Taurasi led all scoring in the contest with 28 points and had nine rebounds on the defensive end. Leslie dominated the paint in her 29 minutes of play, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 boards.
Augustus added 12 points, and Bird had 11.
In contrast, only two Tennessee players reached double figures. Candace Parker scored 22, most of them in the second half, and freshman forward Angie Bjorklund had a hot hand shooting from the perimeter for 13 points. Guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Shannon Bobbitt combined for 12 assists.
Despite the disparity in double-figure scoring, the No. 1-ranked Lady Vols cut a 12-point deficit to only three points, 73-70, with four minutes left before a 10-2 USA team run put the game away.
“We obviously competed and I told our basketball team that we didn’t invite them (USA National team) here just to compete; we wanted to beat them,” Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said.
“I thought we had a great run late in second half. That started with our defense. Our board play has got to pick up, especially our defensive board play. We talked about it last year and here we are talking about it again.”
Summitt was pleased with the composure of her four freshmen, especially Bjorklund and Sydney Smallbone, both of whom didn’t hesitate to fire away from the perimeter.
“This team has got a chance to be a special team, but they’re going to have to have better ball security and be the best rebounding team in the country,” Summitt added.
Parker, who played on the USA National Team this past summer, was held to only four points in the first half but rallied to nearly equal Taurasi’s offensive output.
“I’m proud of having battled,” Parker said of her team. “You’re battling against some of the best in the world. However, we have to go back to the drawing board because there were possessions we took off or we messed up running plays.
“I don’t think it was a moral victory when we lose. We lost.”
On the other side of the floor, Lawson didn’t score a single point, took only one shot and played just 19 minutes in the newly-renovated facility she once called home, but her contributions to the USA National team have been obvious.
She scored in double figures in each of the team’s first two exhibition games against Connecticut and Maryland, and she is a vocal leader when she’s on the floor.
“We’re excited to play here. It’s been a good college tour so far,” Lawson said. “Tennessee played very well and forced us to execute in the second half to get the win.
“Tennessee compared pretty favorably (with the other two college teams). Having Candace, that’s something the other schools we’ve played don’t have.”
Coincidentally, Lawson was on the winning side last time the USA National Team faced UT. In 1999, she scored the winning shot to put the only blemish on the USA team’s touring record.
The USA National team will continue its college tour under the guidance of coach Anne Donovan at Baylor.
The Lady Vols will host Carson-Newman in the second and final exhibition game of the preseason on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. UT opens the regular season at home against UT Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
The former Lady Vol, who graduated in 2003 and is now a member of the WNBA Sacramento Monarchs, was joined by LSU grad Seimone Augustus and former Connecticut players Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, all of whom drew plenty of attention from Tennessee fans in years past for their successful efforts against UT.
“We actually miss the orange seats,” Taurasi said of the new black decor in the arena. “It’s like an NBA arena out there. I don’t see why Knoxville wouldn’t be the next franchise for the WNBA.”
A WNBA atmosphere was certainly present in the USA team’s 83-72 victory over the defending NCAA champion Lady Vols.
Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, who defined the league in its start-up years, combined with Taurasi, a member of the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, for the difference in the outcome.
Taurasi led all scoring in the contest with 28 points and had nine rebounds on the defensive end. Leslie dominated the paint in her 29 minutes of play, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 boards.
Augustus added 12 points, and Bird had 11.
In contrast, only two Tennessee players reached double figures. Candace Parker scored 22, most of them in the second half, and freshman forward Angie Bjorklund had a hot hand shooting from the perimeter for 13 points. Guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Shannon Bobbitt combined for 12 assists.
Despite the disparity in double-figure scoring, the No. 1-ranked Lady Vols cut a 12-point deficit to only three points, 73-70, with four minutes left before a 10-2 USA team run put the game away.
“We obviously competed and I told our basketball team that we didn’t invite them (USA National team) here just to compete; we wanted to beat them,” Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said.
“I thought we had a great run late in second half. That started with our defense. Our board play has got to pick up, especially our defensive board play. We talked about it last year and here we are talking about it again.”
Summitt was pleased with the composure of her four freshmen, especially Bjorklund and Sydney Smallbone, both of whom didn’t hesitate to fire away from the perimeter.
“This team has got a chance to be a special team, but they’re going to have to have better ball security and be the best rebounding team in the country,” Summitt added.
Parker, who played on the USA National Team this past summer, was held to only four points in the first half but rallied to nearly equal Taurasi’s offensive output.
“I’m proud of having battled,” Parker said of her team. “You’re battling against some of the best in the world. However, we have to go back to the drawing board because there were possessions we took off or we messed up running plays.
“I don’t think it was a moral victory when we lose. We lost.”
On the other side of the floor, Lawson didn’t score a single point, took only one shot and played just 19 minutes in the newly-renovated facility she once called home, but her contributions to the USA National team have been obvious.
She scored in double figures in each of the team’s first two exhibition games against Connecticut and Maryland, and she is a vocal leader when she’s on the floor.
“We’re excited to play here. It’s been a good college tour so far,” Lawson said. “Tennessee played very well and forced us to execute in the second half to get the win.
“Tennessee compared pretty favorably (with the other two college teams). Having Candace, that’s something the other schools we’ve played don’t have.”
Coincidentally, Lawson was on the winning side last time the USA National Team faced UT. In 1999, she scored the winning shot to put the only blemish on the USA team’s touring record.
The USA National team will continue its college tour under the guidance of coach Anne Donovan at Baylor.
The Lady Vols will host Carson-Newman in the second and final exhibition game of the preseason on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. UT opens the regular season at home against UT Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Ever-persistent Summitt, Tennessee ready for title defense
As we enter this year with Tennessee as preseason No. 1, let's go back several months. To one of those moments that only happens in corny movies … or when you're at a program like Tennessee.
Last April, the Orange Crush seemed about to get crushed itself … again. Tennessee was in yet another Final Four, but folks have long ago stopped really "celebrating" such things in Knoxville.
This was going to be another so-called "disappointment." North Carolina was leading the Tennessee by 12 points in the second half of the national semifinal. Coach Pat Summitt called a time out with just more than eight minutes left.
"I went to the huddle, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, 'We're not leaving here without a national championship!" Summitt said recently, reflecting back on that pivotal moment. "Then I said, 'Can we make a stop?' Because I thought we had really broken down defensively."
That's when Candace Parker, the national player of the year, asked her teammates, "Can we make five consecutive stops?"
Summitt said that is what's called the "persistence drill" that Tennessee does almost daily in practice: get five stops in a row. That's really what sports comes down to so often isn't it? When players remember, "Hey, let's just do what we do in practice!"
It's not so easy, of course, to translate that single-minded objective in a practice setting to being on your sport's biggest stage with so much at stake. But it's exactly what Summitt's players did.
"Right then is when everyone took ownership," Summitt said. "We had seven consecutive stops."
North Carolina's offense dried up, the Tar Heels' fouls piled up, and Tennessee cleaned up. Then it was on to a championship game with Rutgers for which Summitt gave her team so much confidence going in that the Scarlet Knights were all but running uphill on court.
Summitt ended up with another NCAA title -- "Seventh Heaven" as it's referred to at Tennessee -- and, sure, that took a season-long effort to achieve.
Yet it was that one absolutely critical juncture with everything hanging in the balance when Summitt said exactly the right thing … and had the right players to hear it.
"WE'RE NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!"
Now, plenty of coaches could scream this (or many other things) at the "top of their lungs" … and the result would not be the same. And in fact, no amount of screaming anything had worked for Tennessee in terms of winning the title since 1998.
Parker is, obviously, a huge element to what was different in 2007: a player so talented that normal glowing adjectives seem stale when used to describe her. Tennessee couldn't have won the championship without Parker, no question.
Yet what got Tennessee title No. 7 was that every piece came together right when it needed to on both nights at the Final Four in Cleveland. Parker was magnificent. But also, Shannon Bobbitt hit critical 3-pointers and was a defensive spark plug. Nicky Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle rebounded very well from the post and guard spots, respectively. Both more than carried their weight on defense, as did everyone else once they hunkered down.
That blue-collar team effort was critical. Because while Parker was the top player at the Final Four, overall Tennessee wasn't clearly superior across the board to North Carolina or Rutgers last season. Tennessee had lost at North Carolina and at home to Duke during the regular season, then to LSU (before the Pokey Chatman mess publicly exploded) in the SEC tournament semifinals.
Things like that happen in the SEC tournament, which is always a collection of pretty good to extremely good teams, but this one shook up Tennessee. In a productive way.
"Sometimes you need to lose to find out the personality of your team," Anosike said. "We had won a lot of games in a row, and we probably felt like we could just step on the court and win. It can be easy to get complacent, but that game was really a reality check. We realized it doesn't matter who's on the court; we had to work to win."
Summitt said Tennessee had its best practices of the season after the LSU loss. Then it worked to Tennessee's advantage that in the Final Four, there was such eerie similarity to the end of the previous season.
Tennessee and North Carolina also had matched up in Cleveland in the 2006 tournament. That game was a regional final, and Tennessee lost.
Anosike said what went through her mind during the aforementioned timeout in the 2007 national semifinal was, "Let's do whatever we have to do so we don't have to end up like last season: losing on the exact same floor to the exact same team."
Then before the championship game with Rutgers, Summitt had a feeling of calm that really only comes when you've "been there and done that" before. She knew that Rutgers was going to feel a lot of pressure to get coach C. Vivian Stringer her first NCAA title. And it was clear in the remarks Stringer made after the loss that she had felt that pressure as well and did not alleviate it in her players.
Summitt has felt excessive pressure to the point of it being counter-productive in past Final Fours -- even after she'd won a few titles. What was different this time was that she didn't feel that way.
Then when it was over, and she'd ended the (cough) drought for Tennessee -- which hadn't won the NCAA title since 1998 -- what Summitt took away from 2007 was that it was really a blast to coach her team.
"I didn't celebrate this one any more than any other championship," Summitt said. "I think, honestly, the first one [1987] was the most gratifying, because we'd been to seven Final Fours and four title games before we won it.
"But this one was great in terms of our personnel. I loved my coaching staff. And the previous team [in 2005-2006] really had not been the most enjoyable group. I don't think they understood how important it was for them to all be on the same page every day, every possession, all the time. And we had some injuries as well, which really hurt us.
"After that year, they decided, 'We're going to do this.' Watching that was gratifying, particularly Nicky, Alexis and Candace stepping up their leadership. I was proud for them."
Those three players are back, as is fellow starter Bobbitt. Tennessee lost starter Sidney Spencer, who made an impact with the Los Angeles Sparks this summer, and reserve Dominique Redding.
Tennessee has another alliteratively named "Sydney" (different spelling) in Sydney Smallbone among its four freshmen. She's a 5-foot-10 guard; the others are 6-4 center Vicki Baugh, 6-foot wing player Angie Bjorklund and 6-6 center Kelley Cain.
"All four have a chance to contribute," Summitt said. "I think right now, the two freshmen that have really fit in the quickest and seem to be very comfortable are Vicki and Angie.
"And Alexis is a natural leader, which I see even more right now. She has done a great job with these incoming players, helping to teach them and being really positive with them. Which is important with the transition they have to make to the college game. She's been terrific."
Summitt acknowledged, though, that the senior Hornbuckle needs to score more consistently this season.
"She did not shoot the ball well in the [NCAA] tournament," Summitt said, adding with a little chuckle, "I've told her we won in spite of her offense. She worked hard in the offseason on her offensive game."
Ah, yes, the offseason … there was that little dust-up, if you will, about Tennessee's schedule and some team that Summitt decided not to play this year. It seemed to raise quite a fuss, especially up in the Northeast.
In all seriousness, Summitt has not said specifically why she ended the most famous rivalry in women's hoops: the series with Connecticut.
Huskies coach Geno Auriemma told the Hartford Courant that, "I think she should just come out and say she's not playing us because she hates my guts."
Naturally, Summitt is never going to publicly say any such thing.
"I had my reasons, and I only shared them with Geno," Summitt said. "And that's pretty much all I've said."
Summitt took a lot of heat from fans and media, and she was expecting most of that. Still, the extreme to which she was criticized by some was absurd. Disagreeing with the decision and feeling it's a loss for the sport is one thing. To accuse Summitt of not caring about women's hoops as a whole is nonsensical and ignores Tennessee's history of being willing to play any and every other program that elevates itself in the sport.
"I did what I felt I needed to do," Summitt said. "I was a little surprised at how strongly some people responded and some of the things I read. But I didn't spend any time thinking, 'Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Why are they saying this?' I knew it was not going to be a popular decision."
Speaking of unpopular decisions, it seems like Parker will make one that will disappoint Tennessee fans when this season ends. Despite being a junior (she redshirted the 2004-2005 season with a knee injury) she'll be eligible for the WNBA draft and could join Spencer (and Lisa Leslie) in Los Angeles.
Because of her academic status, Parker also could have declared for the draft last spring. Summitt said during last season that she really didn't discuss the "leaving early" issue much with Parker, and it's the same way now.
"I want Candace to just enjoy the moment," Summitt said. "I think the feeling is that this is her last year -- and if she can arrive at that decision, she's got a lot of things going on. With the WNBA, and with USA Basketball, wanting to make that Olympic team next summer. The main thing I want her to do is what's best for her."
She'd like for Parker to experience another championship first, and Summitt said she has not had to do any special motivation to prepare this squad for its the title defense. The players, taking Summitt's lead, are thinking about another mountain to scale.
The "persistence drill" got them through the most treacherous part of the climb last year. It got them seven stops in a row.
And when you think about it, Summitt has been doing her own "persistence drill" for decades now. Tennessee's got seven titles to show for it.
Last April, the Orange Crush seemed about to get crushed itself … again. Tennessee was in yet another Final Four, but folks have long ago stopped really "celebrating" such things in Knoxville.
This was going to be another so-called "disappointment." North Carolina was leading the Tennessee by 12 points in the second half of the national semifinal. Coach Pat Summitt called a time out with just more than eight minutes left.
"I went to the huddle, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, 'We're not leaving here without a national championship!" Summitt said recently, reflecting back on that pivotal moment. "Then I said, 'Can we make a stop?' Because I thought we had really broken down defensively."
That's when Candace Parker, the national player of the year, asked her teammates, "Can we make five consecutive stops?"
Summitt said that is what's called the "persistence drill" that Tennessee does almost daily in practice: get five stops in a row. That's really what sports comes down to so often isn't it? When players remember, "Hey, let's just do what we do in practice!"
It's not so easy, of course, to translate that single-minded objective in a practice setting to being on your sport's biggest stage with so much at stake. But it's exactly what Summitt's players did.
"Right then is when everyone took ownership," Summitt said. "We had seven consecutive stops."
North Carolina's offense dried up, the Tar Heels' fouls piled up, and Tennessee cleaned up. Then it was on to a championship game with Rutgers for which Summitt gave her team so much confidence going in that the Scarlet Knights were all but running uphill on court.
Summitt ended up with another NCAA title -- "Seventh Heaven" as it's referred to at Tennessee -- and, sure, that took a season-long effort to achieve.
Yet it was that one absolutely critical juncture with everything hanging in the balance when Summitt said exactly the right thing … and had the right players to hear it.
"WE'RE NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!"
Now, plenty of coaches could scream this (or many other things) at the "top of their lungs" … and the result would not be the same. And in fact, no amount of screaming anything had worked for Tennessee in terms of winning the title since 1998.
Parker is, obviously, a huge element to what was different in 2007: a player so talented that normal glowing adjectives seem stale when used to describe her. Tennessee couldn't have won the championship without Parker, no question.
Yet what got Tennessee title No. 7 was that every piece came together right when it needed to on both nights at the Final Four in Cleveland. Parker was magnificent. But also, Shannon Bobbitt hit critical 3-pointers and was a defensive spark plug. Nicky Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle rebounded very well from the post and guard spots, respectively. Both more than carried their weight on defense, as did everyone else once they hunkered down.
That blue-collar team effort was critical. Because while Parker was the top player at the Final Four, overall Tennessee wasn't clearly superior across the board to North Carolina or Rutgers last season. Tennessee had lost at North Carolina and at home to Duke during the regular season, then to LSU (before the Pokey Chatman mess publicly exploded) in the SEC tournament semifinals.
Things like that happen in the SEC tournament, which is always a collection of pretty good to extremely good teams, but this one shook up Tennessee. In a productive way.
"Sometimes you need to lose to find out the personality of your team," Anosike said. "We had won a lot of games in a row, and we probably felt like we could just step on the court and win. It can be easy to get complacent, but that game was really a reality check. We realized it doesn't matter who's on the court; we had to work to win."
Summitt said Tennessee had its best practices of the season after the LSU loss. Then it worked to Tennessee's advantage that in the Final Four, there was such eerie similarity to the end of the previous season.
Tennessee and North Carolina also had matched up in Cleveland in the 2006 tournament. That game was a regional final, and Tennessee lost.
Anosike said what went through her mind during the aforementioned timeout in the 2007 national semifinal was, "Let's do whatever we have to do so we don't have to end up like last season: losing on the exact same floor to the exact same team."
Then before the championship game with Rutgers, Summitt had a feeling of calm that really only comes when you've "been there and done that" before. She knew that Rutgers was going to feel a lot of pressure to get coach C. Vivian Stringer her first NCAA title. And it was clear in the remarks Stringer made after the loss that she had felt that pressure as well and did not alleviate it in her players.
Summitt has felt excessive pressure to the point of it being counter-productive in past Final Fours -- even after she'd won a few titles. What was different this time was that she didn't feel that way.
Then when it was over, and she'd ended the (cough) drought for Tennessee -- which hadn't won the NCAA title since 1998 -- what Summitt took away from 2007 was that it was really a blast to coach her team.
"I didn't celebrate this one any more than any other championship," Summitt said. "I think, honestly, the first one [1987] was the most gratifying, because we'd been to seven Final Fours and four title games before we won it.
"But this one was great in terms of our personnel. I loved my coaching staff. And the previous team [in 2005-2006] really had not been the most enjoyable group. I don't think they understood how important it was for them to all be on the same page every day, every possession, all the time. And we had some injuries as well, which really hurt us.
"After that year, they decided, 'We're going to do this.' Watching that was gratifying, particularly Nicky, Alexis and Candace stepping up their leadership. I was proud for them."
Those three players are back, as is fellow starter Bobbitt. Tennessee lost starter Sidney Spencer, who made an impact with the Los Angeles Sparks this summer, and reserve Dominique Redding.
Tennessee has another alliteratively named "Sydney" (different spelling) in Sydney Smallbone among its four freshmen. She's a 5-foot-10 guard; the others are 6-4 center Vicki Baugh, 6-foot wing player Angie Bjorklund and 6-6 center Kelley Cain.
"All four have a chance to contribute," Summitt said. "I think right now, the two freshmen that have really fit in the quickest and seem to be very comfortable are Vicki and Angie.
"And Alexis is a natural leader, which I see even more right now. She has done a great job with these incoming players, helping to teach them and being really positive with them. Which is important with the transition they have to make to the college game. She's been terrific."
Summitt acknowledged, though, that the senior Hornbuckle needs to score more consistently this season.
"She did not shoot the ball well in the [NCAA] tournament," Summitt said, adding with a little chuckle, "I've told her we won in spite of her offense. She worked hard in the offseason on her offensive game."
Ah, yes, the offseason … there was that little dust-up, if you will, about Tennessee's schedule and some team that Summitt decided not to play this year. It seemed to raise quite a fuss, especially up in the Northeast.
In all seriousness, Summitt has not said specifically why she ended the most famous rivalry in women's hoops: the series with Connecticut.
Huskies coach Geno Auriemma told the Hartford Courant that, "I think she should just come out and say she's not playing us because she hates my guts."
Naturally, Summitt is never going to publicly say any such thing.
"I had my reasons, and I only shared them with Geno," Summitt said. "And that's pretty much all I've said."
Summitt took a lot of heat from fans and media, and she was expecting most of that. Still, the extreme to which she was criticized by some was absurd. Disagreeing with the decision and feeling it's a loss for the sport is one thing. To accuse Summitt of not caring about women's hoops as a whole is nonsensical and ignores Tennessee's history of being willing to play any and every other program that elevates itself in the sport.
"I did what I felt I needed to do," Summitt said. "I was a little surprised at how strongly some people responded and some of the things I read. But I didn't spend any time thinking, 'Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Why are they saying this?' I knew it was not going to be a popular decision."
Speaking of unpopular decisions, it seems like Parker will make one that will disappoint Tennessee fans when this season ends. Despite being a junior (she redshirted the 2004-2005 season with a knee injury) she'll be eligible for the WNBA draft and could join Spencer (and Lisa Leslie) in Los Angeles.
Because of her academic status, Parker also could have declared for the draft last spring. Summitt said during last season that she really didn't discuss the "leaving early" issue much with Parker, and it's the same way now.
"I want Candace to just enjoy the moment," Summitt said. "I think the feeling is that this is her last year -- and if she can arrive at that decision, she's got a lot of things going on. With the WNBA, and with USA Basketball, wanting to make that Olympic team next summer. The main thing I want her to do is what's best for her."
She'd like for Parker to experience another championship first, and Summitt said she has not had to do any special motivation to prepare this squad for its the title defense. The players, taking Summitt's lead, are thinking about another mountain to scale.
The "persistence drill" got them through the most treacherous part of the climb last year. It got them seven stops in a row.
And when you think about it, Summitt has been doing her own "persistence drill" for decades now. Tennessee's got seven titles to show for it.
UT falls to USA National Team in Exhibition
Knoxville, Tenn. – Former Connecticut star Diana Taurasi continued to haunt the Lady Vols, as she scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the United States National Team to an 83-72 victory. With the win, the red, white and blue improve to 3-0 on the 2007 college tour, while Tennessee drops to 0-1 in exhibition contests this season.
The loss was Tennessee’s first in an exhibition contest since falling 82-58 to the USA National Team on Nov. 22, 1995. The Lady Vols beat Team USA on Nov. 7, 1999, 65-64 on a last-second shot by then-UT rookie Kara Lawson.
Candace Parker led orange-clad scorers with 22 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Angie Bjorklund became just the 11th Lady Vol freshman to start in her first UT game. The Spokane Valley, Wash., native tallied 13 points on three-of-four shooting from beyond the arc. Fellow freshmen Sydney Smallbone contributed eight points and Vicki Baugh five in their first efforts for the Big Orange.
Alexis Hornbuckle offered six rebounds, seven points, five assists and five steals. Her final two steals set up three-pointers for Shannon Bobbitt, bringing the game within a three-point reach with three-and-a-half minutes left, but it was not enough, as the USA National Team scored 10 points in the final three minutes for the win.
Tennessee grabbed 31 rebounds compared to 45 by the USA, but scored 18 points off of 18 National Team turnovers. The Lady Vols had three blocks and 13 steals in their first contest in the newly-renovated Thompson-Boling Arena. 13,927 fans were on hand to watch the game in the re-done facility.
UT returns to the hardwood in its second and final exhibition contest of the season, when the team takes on the Carson-Newman Lady Eagles at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.
The loss was Tennessee’s first in an exhibition contest since falling 82-58 to the USA National Team on Nov. 22, 1995. The Lady Vols beat Team USA on Nov. 7, 1999, 65-64 on a last-second shot by then-UT rookie Kara Lawson.
Candace Parker led orange-clad scorers with 22 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Angie Bjorklund became just the 11th Lady Vol freshman to start in her first UT game. The Spokane Valley, Wash., native tallied 13 points on three-of-four shooting from beyond the arc. Fellow freshmen Sydney Smallbone contributed eight points and Vicki Baugh five in their first efforts for the Big Orange.
Alexis Hornbuckle offered six rebounds, seven points, five assists and five steals. Her final two steals set up three-pointers for Shannon Bobbitt, bringing the game within a three-point reach with three-and-a-half minutes left, but it was not enough, as the USA National Team scored 10 points in the final three minutes for the win.
Tennessee grabbed 31 rebounds compared to 45 by the USA, but scored 18 points off of 18 National Team turnovers. The Lady Vols had three blocks and 13 steals in their first contest in the newly-renovated Thompson-Boling Arena. 13,927 fans were on hand to watch the game in the re-done facility.
UT returns to the hardwood in its second and final exhibition contest of the season, when the team takes on the Carson-Newman Lady Eagles at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Parker All-Orange for U.S. exhibition
The question was irresistible and not entirely inappropriate.
In advance of the U.S. senior national team's women's basketball exhibition against Tennessee, U.S. guard Kara Lawson asked Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt: "Is Candace playing with us when we come to Tennessee?"
Doesn't hurt to inquire. Parker has played with the U.S. team the past two years. She helped the Americans clinch a berth in the 2008 Summer Olympics by playing a key role at the FIBA Americas tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September.
Lawson, a former Lady Vol, was Parker's U.S. teammate there just five weeks ago. She won't be her teammate when the teams tip off at 3 today at Thompson-Boling Arena. As Summitt told Lawson: "There's no way."
Parker dismissed a suggestion that she play a half with both teams much like she'd reject an opponent's shot.
"I don't think my coach or my teammates would allow that to happen,'' Parker said.
The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior forward is All-Orange today. She is Tennessee's best asset, in terms of both talent and experience. There's no questioning her advice either.
"We have to go out there and play intense,'' Parker said. "We can't play scared."
That's easy for her to say. The thought is easy to grasp for her veteran teammates, too. They played key roles in Tennessee's drive to a national championship last spring.
But four freshmen will be making their UT debuts. First-year wing player Angie Bjorklund will start. She will take the court before an expected crowd of about 13,000 and line up against seasoned professionals. Some have Olympic gold medals and WNBA championships to their credit.
Lawson is stoked for this game and was trying to fire up her U.S. teammates in the aftermath of Friday's 90-74 win at Connecticut.
"I already told these guys after this game was over that they have to come and play because we have to win,'' Lawson said.
Doesn't sound like Lawson is convening a freshman welcoming committee.
"My first college game,'' Bjorklund said, "is against people I watched when I was like 5 (years old) on TV."
Summitt jokingly emphasized the importance of no gawking.
"I'll remind them not to get autographs in the pregame,'' she said. "At least wait until after the game."
Tennessee senior center Nicky Anosike has given this game considerable thought and developed a dual perspective.
"I think it's good for the seniors because we know what the competition is like. I think it will be good for us to see where we are and how we measure up,'' she said. "But as far as the freshmen, I just hope they give everything they have, just so they won't feel discouraged. ... as long as they use it as more of a teaching tool and not let it discourage them, I think they'll be fine, too."
Bjorklund and the rest of the rookies could use Lawson's experience in this game as their guide. Her first game at Tennessee in 1999 also was against the U.S. national team. She recalled being guarded by living legend Teresa Edwards and lining up at the free-throw line next to 6-5 center Lisa Leslie, who's making a comeback on this tour after having a baby.
"I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get that rebound if it came off,'' Lawson said.
Lawson also seemed pretty sure of herself in the final moments, when she banked in a 10-footer with 9.4 seconds left to finish her 14-point performance and give Tennessee a 65-64 victory. The outcome remains the lone U.S. loss on a collegiate tour.
"It's a win-win situation for the college teams,'' Lawson said. "They have nothing to lose. You want to see how good you can do against players you've grown up watching."
About the only thing the Lady Vols could squander is the opportunity.
"It's going to be pretty packed (in the arena) on Sunday,'' Parker said, "so it's going to be like a real game."
In advance of the U.S. senior national team's women's basketball exhibition against Tennessee, U.S. guard Kara Lawson asked Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt: "Is Candace playing with us when we come to Tennessee?"
Doesn't hurt to inquire. Parker has played with the U.S. team the past two years. She helped the Americans clinch a berth in the 2008 Summer Olympics by playing a key role at the FIBA Americas tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September.
Lawson, a former Lady Vol, was Parker's U.S. teammate there just five weeks ago. She won't be her teammate when the teams tip off at 3 today at Thompson-Boling Arena. As Summitt told Lawson: "There's no way."
Parker dismissed a suggestion that she play a half with both teams much like she'd reject an opponent's shot.
"I don't think my coach or my teammates would allow that to happen,'' Parker said.
The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior forward is All-Orange today. She is Tennessee's best asset, in terms of both talent and experience. There's no questioning her advice either.
"We have to go out there and play intense,'' Parker said. "We can't play scared."
That's easy for her to say. The thought is easy to grasp for her veteran teammates, too. They played key roles in Tennessee's drive to a national championship last spring.
But four freshmen will be making their UT debuts. First-year wing player Angie Bjorklund will start. She will take the court before an expected crowd of about 13,000 and line up against seasoned professionals. Some have Olympic gold medals and WNBA championships to their credit.
Lawson is stoked for this game and was trying to fire up her U.S. teammates in the aftermath of Friday's 90-74 win at Connecticut.
"I already told these guys after this game was over that they have to come and play because we have to win,'' Lawson said.
Doesn't sound like Lawson is convening a freshman welcoming committee.
"My first college game,'' Bjorklund said, "is against people I watched when I was like 5 (years old) on TV."
Summitt jokingly emphasized the importance of no gawking.
"I'll remind them not to get autographs in the pregame,'' she said. "At least wait until after the game."
Tennessee senior center Nicky Anosike has given this game considerable thought and developed a dual perspective.
"I think it's good for the seniors because we know what the competition is like. I think it will be good for us to see where we are and how we measure up,'' she said. "But as far as the freshmen, I just hope they give everything they have, just so they won't feel discouraged. ... as long as they use it as more of a teaching tool and not let it discourage them, I think they'll be fine, too."
Bjorklund and the rest of the rookies could use Lawson's experience in this game as their guide. Her first game at Tennessee in 1999 also was against the U.S. national team. She recalled being guarded by living legend Teresa Edwards and lining up at the free-throw line next to 6-5 center Lisa Leslie, who's making a comeback on this tour after having a baby.
"I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get that rebound if it came off,'' Lawson said.
Lawson also seemed pretty sure of herself in the final moments, when she banked in a 10-footer with 9.4 seconds left to finish her 14-point performance and give Tennessee a 65-64 victory. The outcome remains the lone U.S. loss on a collegiate tour.
"It's a win-win situation for the college teams,'' Lawson said. "They have nothing to lose. You want to see how good you can do against players you've grown up watching."
About the only thing the Lady Vols could squander is the opportunity.
"It's going to be pretty packed (in the arena) on Sunday,'' Parker said, "so it's going to be like a real game."
Champion Lady Vols get No. 1 preseason AP rank
It's unanimous. Tennessee is No. 1.
Seven months after winning their seventh national championship, the Lady Vols are the top team in The Associated Press preseason poll for the 12th time in school history.
The Lady Vols received all 50 first-places votes Saturday from a national media panel and compiled 1,250 points -- 75 more than No. 2 Connecticut.
It's easy to see why.
Coach Pat Summitt returns four starters, including All-American Candace Parker, from the team that ran through the NCAA Tournament last season, beating Rutgers 59-46 in the title game to finish 34-3.
"For our team being No. 1 is a tremendous compliment," Summitt said. "It's also a tremendous challenge. Coming off a national championship, we are every opponent's target."
Rutgers is third in the poll, Maryland is fourth, and LSU fifth. All three teams return almost their entire rosters from last season.
This is only the fourth time since it became a writer's poll in 1994 that the preseason No. 1 pick has been unanimous. The Lady Vols received all the first place votes in 1998-99, the season after their last title. Connecticut held the honor twice, in 2000-01 and 2003-04.
Still, Summitt understands that talent and the top ranking don't guarantee anything. Since the 1989-90 season, the No. 1 team in the preseason poll has won the NCAA championship only four times, most recently Connecticut in 2003-04.
"I think this team has yet to understand what goes with a No. 1 ranking," Summitt said. "It's a first for them, at the same time, we play a tough schedule every year. There are always high expectations here. It's interesting because it's amazing to see how teams respond to that."
Tennessee opens against Chattanooga on Sunday, Nov. 11.
Connecticut heads seven Big East schools in the poll. Joining the Huskies are Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville, and DePaul. It's just the third time a conference has had seven teams in the preseason Top 25. The Southeastern
Conference did it twice in 1991-92 and 1997-98.
"It proves the Big East has an extremely well-balanced conference and you can't take any days off, not one," said Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer. "We really believe we have the toughest league in the country. Connecticut set the pace and others have
followed, Notre Dame has had tremendous success. West Virginia and Pittsburgh have emerged, as has DePaul. And I hope we have improved each year."
Oklahoma follows LSU at No. 6.
"We're the inexperienced team in the group," said Sooners coach Sheri Coale. "I think it's unusual, it's atypical. There were a lot of young teams last year that experienced a great deal of success."
Stanford is ranked seventh, followed by North Carolina, Georgia and Duke, in its first season under coach Joanne McCallie.
Texas A&M is No. 11 then Arizona State, California, George Washington, Baylor and Ohio State at 16. Michigan State, West Virginia, Florida State and Pittsburgh round out the first 20.
"Our chancellor and our administration believed in us and gave us a real chance at becoming a Top 25 program," Pitt coach Agnus Berenato said. "We feel, that as a women's basketball program, we are finally pulling our weight and we knew it was only a matter of time. I am happy for our staff and our kids. This is the first year
that we have all of our kids on the team and it is validating our work over the last four years."
Louisville, Texas, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and DePaul held the final five spots.
Louisville, Pittsburgh, Florida State and West Virginia are the only teams in the Top 25 that had never before appeared in the preseason poll. The Mountaineers are ranked for the first time since the final poll of the 1991-92 season.
"It really means a lot for the program," West Virginia coach Mike Carey said. "We've been trying hard to get our program better the last few years so we can be recognized nationally. But we haven't played a game yet and it's going to take a lot more work to stay there."
The Mountaineers have all five starters back from last season's team that lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia and six other teams in the poll weren't ranked at the end of last season. Joining the Mountaineers are California, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Notre Dame, and DePaul. Cal had been ranked for eight weeks last season before falling out of the Top 25 on Feb. 26.
Seven months after winning their seventh national championship, the Lady Vols are the top team in The Associated Press preseason poll for the 12th time in school history.
The Lady Vols received all 50 first-places votes Saturday from a national media panel and compiled 1,250 points -- 75 more than No. 2 Connecticut.
It's easy to see why.
Coach Pat Summitt returns four starters, including All-American Candace Parker, from the team that ran through the NCAA Tournament last season, beating Rutgers 59-46 in the title game to finish 34-3.
"For our team being No. 1 is a tremendous compliment," Summitt said. "It's also a tremendous challenge. Coming off a national championship, we are every opponent's target."
Rutgers is third in the poll, Maryland is fourth, and LSU fifth. All three teams return almost their entire rosters from last season.
This is only the fourth time since it became a writer's poll in 1994 that the preseason No. 1 pick has been unanimous. The Lady Vols received all the first place votes in 1998-99, the season after their last title. Connecticut held the honor twice, in 2000-01 and 2003-04.
Still, Summitt understands that talent and the top ranking don't guarantee anything. Since the 1989-90 season, the No. 1 team in the preseason poll has won the NCAA championship only four times, most recently Connecticut in 2003-04.
"I think this team has yet to understand what goes with a No. 1 ranking," Summitt said. "It's a first for them, at the same time, we play a tough schedule every year. There are always high expectations here. It's interesting because it's amazing to see how teams respond to that."
Tennessee opens against Chattanooga on Sunday, Nov. 11.
Connecticut heads seven Big East schools in the poll. Joining the Huskies are Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville, and DePaul. It's just the third time a conference has had seven teams in the preseason Top 25. The Southeastern
Conference did it twice in 1991-92 and 1997-98.
"It proves the Big East has an extremely well-balanced conference and you can't take any days off, not one," said Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer. "We really believe we have the toughest league in the country. Connecticut set the pace and others have
followed, Notre Dame has had tremendous success. West Virginia and Pittsburgh have emerged, as has DePaul. And I hope we have improved each year."
Oklahoma follows LSU at No. 6.
"We're the inexperienced team in the group," said Sooners coach Sheri Coale. "I think it's unusual, it's atypical. There were a lot of young teams last year that experienced a great deal of success."
Stanford is ranked seventh, followed by North Carolina, Georgia and Duke, in its first season under coach Joanne McCallie.
Texas A&M is No. 11 then Arizona State, California, George Washington, Baylor and Ohio State at 16. Michigan State, West Virginia, Florida State and Pittsburgh round out the first 20.
"Our chancellor and our administration believed in us and gave us a real chance at becoming a Top 25 program," Pitt coach Agnus Berenato said. "We feel, that as a women's basketball program, we are finally pulling our weight and we knew it was only a matter of time. I am happy for our staff and our kids. This is the first year
that we have all of our kids on the team and it is validating our work over the last four years."
Louisville, Texas, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and DePaul held the final five spots.
Louisville, Pittsburgh, Florida State and West Virginia are the only teams in the Top 25 that had never before appeared in the preseason poll. The Mountaineers are ranked for the first time since the final poll of the 1991-92 season.
"It really means a lot for the program," West Virginia coach Mike Carey said. "We've been trying hard to get our program better the last few years so we can be recognized nationally. But we haven't played a game yet and it's going to take a lot more work to stay there."
The Mountaineers have all five starters back from last season's team that lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia and six other teams in the poll weren't ranked at the end of last season. Joining the Mountaineers are California, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Notre Dame, and DePaul. Cal had been ranked for eight weeks last season before falling out of the Top 25 on Feb. 26.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Lawson asked by U.S. to even score against UT
When Kara Lawson was named to the U.S senior national team roster for its collegiate tour, Carol Callan told the former University of Tennessee guard: "We're glad you're going to be on our team for the college tour.''
Callan, USA Basketball's assistant executive director for women's programs, specifically had the exhibition basketball rematch against Tennessee in mind. The teams meet at 3 p.m. Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Nearly eight years ago to the day - Nov. 7, 1999, to be exact - Lawson was on the other side of this game. It turned out to be one for the ages as Tennessee rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 81<0x2044>2 minutes to beat the U.S. national team, 65-64.
Lawson, a freshman who was wearing a Lady Vols uniform for the first time, cooly banked in a game-winning 10-footer with 9.4 seconds left. The outcome remains the only loss a U.S team has suffered on one of these collegiate tours.
"I remember everything in slow motion about that last play,'' said Lawson, who finished with 14 points in the game.
The play was designed for either All-American teammate Tamika Catchings or Lawson, who confessed to a mental no-no coming back on the court after a timeout.
"I predetermined to pass the ball to Catch off the screen,'' Lawson said.
The U.S. defenders had another idea, swarming on Catchings and forcing a different shooting scenario on Lawson.
"Well, I thought I might as well take it,'' she said.
UT coach Pat Summitt wasn't expecting her to think otherwise, no matter how young she was.
"That's the kind of focus Kara has,'' Summitt said. "She was open and she didn't hesitate."
The inspiration behind the moment wasn't much different than Lawson's presence on the U.S. tour. It's all about taking advantage of an opportunity.
With the Olympics in Beijing, China, looming next year, Lawson played for the U.S. in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September. She helped the U.S. clinch an Olympic spot by averaging 7 points and three rebounds per game in the five-game tournament. She was second on the team in 3-pointers with eight.
The 5-foot-9 Lawson also played in the World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, last week, averaging 5.8 points per game and scoring 20 in a 93-49 victory over Canberra in the tournament opener.
She scored a team-high 17 points and had a game-high eight assists Wednesday night as the U.S. opened the college tour with a 90-73 win at Maryland. The U.S. plays at Connecticut tonight.
"I've been able to take advantage of some openings,'' Lawson said. "What they stress to us is everyone is here for a reason. The longer you're here, the longer they get to take a look at you."
Former Lady Vols guard Loree Moore also is getting look with the U.S. on this tour. She was at the World League tournament but played sparingly, apparently because she was bothered by a sore knee.
"I think it's going to be a great experience,'' she said.
Moore is coming off her best season with the WNBA's New York Liberty, one in which her role expanded with the trade of guard Becky Hammon to San Antonio. Moore started 33 of 34 games, averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
"I felt I made a lot of strides,'' Moore said. "After Becky left, I had to step up my game."
Lawson averaged a career-best 11 points per game as a reserve player for the Sacramento Monarchs. Summitt thinks that Lawson has continued to polish her game with the hopes of someday earning a starting spot.
"I know how competitive she is,'' Summitt said. "I know she wants to keep working."
There's some history regarding Lawson and taking her best shot.
Callan, USA Basketball's assistant executive director for women's programs, specifically had the exhibition basketball rematch against Tennessee in mind. The teams meet at 3 p.m. Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Nearly eight years ago to the day - Nov. 7, 1999, to be exact - Lawson was on the other side of this game. It turned out to be one for the ages as Tennessee rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 81<0x2044>2 minutes to beat the U.S. national team, 65-64.
Lawson, a freshman who was wearing a Lady Vols uniform for the first time, cooly banked in a game-winning 10-footer with 9.4 seconds left. The outcome remains the only loss a U.S team has suffered on one of these collegiate tours.
"I remember everything in slow motion about that last play,'' said Lawson, who finished with 14 points in the game.
The play was designed for either All-American teammate Tamika Catchings or Lawson, who confessed to a mental no-no coming back on the court after a timeout.
"I predetermined to pass the ball to Catch off the screen,'' Lawson said.
The U.S. defenders had another idea, swarming on Catchings and forcing a different shooting scenario on Lawson.
"Well, I thought I might as well take it,'' she said.
UT coach Pat Summitt wasn't expecting her to think otherwise, no matter how young she was.
"That's the kind of focus Kara has,'' Summitt said. "She was open and she didn't hesitate."
The inspiration behind the moment wasn't much different than Lawson's presence on the U.S. tour. It's all about taking advantage of an opportunity.
With the Olympics in Beijing, China, looming next year, Lawson played for the U.S. in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September. She helped the U.S. clinch an Olympic spot by averaging 7 points and three rebounds per game in the five-game tournament. She was second on the team in 3-pointers with eight.
The 5-foot-9 Lawson also played in the World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, last week, averaging 5.8 points per game and scoring 20 in a 93-49 victory over Canberra in the tournament opener.
She scored a team-high 17 points and had a game-high eight assists Wednesday night as the U.S. opened the college tour with a 90-73 win at Maryland. The U.S. plays at Connecticut tonight.
"I've been able to take advantage of some openings,'' Lawson said. "What they stress to us is everyone is here for a reason. The longer you're here, the longer they get to take a look at you."
Former Lady Vols guard Loree Moore also is getting look with the U.S. on this tour. She was at the World League tournament but played sparingly, apparently because she was bothered by a sore knee.
"I think it's going to be a great experience,'' she said.
Moore is coming off her best season with the WNBA's New York Liberty, one in which her role expanded with the trade of guard Becky Hammon to San Antonio. Moore started 33 of 34 games, averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
"I felt I made a lot of strides,'' Moore said. "After Becky left, I had to step up my game."
Lawson averaged a career-best 11 points per game as a reserve player for the Sacramento Monarchs. Summitt thinks that Lawson has continued to polish her game with the hopes of someday earning a starting spot.
"I know how competitive she is,'' Summitt said. "I know she wants to keep working."
There's some history regarding Lawson and taking her best shot.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Freshman Bjorklund chosen to fill out Lady Vols' lineup
Freshman Angie Bjorklund will fill the lone opening in Tennessee's women's basketball starting lineup, and UT coach Pat Summitt says the choice is based on merit not misfortune.
"She earned this, Summitt of the 6-foot wing player. "She absolutely earned this."
Senior Alberta Auguste also was a starting candidate, but she's sidelined with a right calf contusion. Auguste will miss Tennessee's exhibition game against the U.S. senior national team at 3 p.m. Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Bjorklund staked her claim to the spot with her scoring ability, her feel for the game and her work on defense.
"She's solid defensively,'' Summitt said. "That's the biggest surprise."
Cain Returns: Freshman center Kelley Cain, who's been recovering from a concussion, returned to practice Wednesday and lifted weights for the first time since being sidelined approximately 11 days ago.
Barring any setbacks, the 6-6 Cain is cleared to play Sunday.
"I'd like to see Kelley mix it up with some of the best players in the game,'' said Summitt, referring to the U.S. exhibition.
The game will offer Cain a chance to go against 6-5 Lisa Leslie, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Coaches' Poll: The players received a copy of the USA Today/ESPN top 25 coaches poll, which has UT ranked No. 1.
The Lady Vols, who return All-American Candace Parker and three other starters, received 26 of the 31 first-place votes and had 767 points.
Connecticut received four first-place votes and was second with 714 points.
LSU, which returns All-American Sylvia Fowles and the rest of its starters, received the other first-place vote and was ranked fifth.
"I think its important they realize who all we're playing,'' Summitt said.
Seven of the poll's other nine top 10 teams are on UT's schedule.
Wooden Watch List: Parker, who became the first Lady Vol last spring to win the Women's Wooden Award, is one of three Tennessee players on the preseason watch list.
Along with Parker, guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike are among the 30 preseason candidates.
"She earned this, Summitt of the 6-foot wing player. "She absolutely earned this."
Senior Alberta Auguste also was a starting candidate, but she's sidelined with a right calf contusion. Auguste will miss Tennessee's exhibition game against the U.S. senior national team at 3 p.m. Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Bjorklund staked her claim to the spot with her scoring ability, her feel for the game and her work on defense.
"She's solid defensively,'' Summitt said. "That's the biggest surprise."
Cain Returns: Freshman center Kelley Cain, who's been recovering from a concussion, returned to practice Wednesday and lifted weights for the first time since being sidelined approximately 11 days ago.
Barring any setbacks, the 6-6 Cain is cleared to play Sunday.
"I'd like to see Kelley mix it up with some of the best players in the game,'' said Summitt, referring to the U.S. exhibition.
The game will offer Cain a chance to go against 6-5 Lisa Leslie, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Coaches' Poll: The players received a copy of the USA Today/ESPN top 25 coaches poll, which has UT ranked No. 1.
The Lady Vols, who return All-American Candace Parker and three other starters, received 26 of the 31 first-place votes and had 767 points.
Connecticut received four first-place votes and was second with 714 points.
LSU, which returns All-American Sylvia Fowles and the rest of its starters, received the other first-place vote and was ranked fifth.
"I think its important they realize who all we're playing,'' Summitt said.
Seven of the poll's other nine top 10 teams are on UT's schedule.
Wooden Watch List: Parker, who became the first Lady Vol last spring to win the Women's Wooden Award, is one of three Tennessee players on the preseason watch list.
Along with Parker, guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Nicky Anosike are among the 30 preseason candidates.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Lady Vols start season at top of coaches' poll
The Tennessee women's basketball team, seeking to defend its NCAA title and add an eighth championship in the sport, starts the season with the No. 1 ranking in the USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
The Lady Volunteers return All-American Candace Parker, the leading contender for player of the year, and three other starters from a team that went 34-3. The only significant loss for the Vols is Sidney Spencer, the team's best three-point shooter who had an impressive rookie season with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
Tennessee isn't the only team loaded with veterans. No. 2 Connecticut has everyone back from a team that was one victory from the Final Four.
No. 3 Rutgers has all starters and key reserves from the team that lost the title game 59-46 to Tennessee.
No. 4 Maryland has four starters from its 2006 NCAA title team.
No. 5 LSU returns all starters from a team that went to its fourth consecutive Final Four.
Parker, a 6-4 redshirt junior, could be better than ever after an offseason that included helping the U.S. national team qualify for next summer's Beijing Olympics and practicing with her brother, Anthony, and fiancé, Shelden Williams, both NBA players.
"She's a lot stronger," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt says. "She's a lot more aggressive to the basket. The next best thing that happened to her game was working on her perimeter skills. Her outside game's the best it's ever been."
Parker's cast includes point guard Shannon Bobbitt, shooting guard Alexis Hornbuckle, center Niki Anosike and two freshmen post players, Vicki Baugh and Kelly Cain, who should boost the team's rebounding ability.
Could Tennessee, whose schedule includes Rutgers, LSU and No. 6 Oklahoma, be better than last year?
"I think we could be better in terms of our depth and our size in the post," Summitt said. "We added two shooters (Angie Bjorklund, Sydney Smallbone), but we know they're freshmen. But with our schedule they won't be freshmen for long."
The Lady Volunteers return All-American Candace Parker, the leading contender for player of the year, and three other starters from a team that went 34-3. The only significant loss for the Vols is Sidney Spencer, the team's best three-point shooter who had an impressive rookie season with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
Tennessee isn't the only team loaded with veterans. No. 2 Connecticut has everyone back from a team that was one victory from the Final Four.
No. 3 Rutgers has all starters and key reserves from the team that lost the title game 59-46 to Tennessee.
No. 4 Maryland has four starters from its 2006 NCAA title team.
No. 5 LSU returns all starters from a team that went to its fourth consecutive Final Four.
Parker, a 6-4 redshirt junior, could be better than ever after an offseason that included helping the U.S. national team qualify for next summer's Beijing Olympics and practicing with her brother, Anthony, and fiancé, Shelden Williams, both NBA players.
"She's a lot stronger," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt says. "She's a lot more aggressive to the basket. The next best thing that happened to her game was working on her perimeter skills. Her outside game's the best it's ever been."
Parker's cast includes point guard Shannon Bobbitt, shooting guard Alexis Hornbuckle, center Niki Anosike and two freshmen post players, Vicki Baugh and Kelly Cain, who should boost the team's rebounding ability.
Could Tennessee, whose schedule includes Rutgers, LSU and No. 6 Oklahoma, be better than last year?
"I think we could be better in terms of our depth and our size in the post," Summitt said. "We added two shooters (Angie Bjorklund, Sydney Smallbone), but we know they're freshmen. But with our schedule they won't be freshmen for long."
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Lady Vols prepare for U.S. team
Summitt implores fans to show respect; Lawson, Moore return
The U.S. national team roster gives Tennessee fuel for thought this week in preparing for their women's basketball exhibition game.
UT coach Pat Summitt also wants to give the fans something to think about in advance of the 3 p.m. tipoff Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The 10-player U.S. roster for its eight-game college tour is headlined by center Lisa Leslie, a three-time Olympic gold medalist. The lineup also includes former Tennessee guards Kara Lawson and Loree Moore.
As if there's not enough size, experience and talent to worry about, Summitt also is concerning herself with history. A trio of former Connecticut players will be here, including Diana Taurasi, who was a target of the locals' ire during her collegiate career.
Her comments this summer regarding UT's decision to end its regular-season series with UConn and the possible circumstances involved were as endearing to Lady Vols fans as one of her long jumpers.
With this legacy in mind, Summitt wants to remind everyone that Taurasi won't be wearing Husky blue on this trip but rather red, white and blue.
"While we're competing against players that have obviously played against us in the past, now they're representing our country,'' Summitt said. "I'll be very disappointed if we don't respect what these young women are doing and how they're representing our country."
Summitt was reminded of the warm reception Lawson and Lady Vol Candace Parker received while playing for the U.S. in an exhibition against Australia in August in Uncasville, Conn., as a warmup for the FIBA Americas tournament."
"We need to show the same sportsmanship,'' Summitt said.
On the other hand, she doesn't want Taurasi and Co. to go easy on her team. Summitt is hoping for just the opposite.
"The timing is great,'' she said. "We'll know a lot more about what we're about."
From Summitt's standpoint, the Lady Vols are not about consistency in their practice preparations for the upcoming season, which opens for real against Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
"There doesn't seem to be the sense of urgency that needs to be there,'' said Summitt after Monday's practice, which she described as average at best. "We tend to turn it on when we need to turn it on."
The Lady Vols continue to practice without freshman center Kelley Cain (concussion) and senior wing Alberta Auguste (calf contusion). There's no word on when they will be back, but their status for Sunday doesn't look promising, which diminishes UT's size, athleticism and depth.
In the meantime, Summitt seems more concerned with UT's leadership, which she described as inconsistent with the exception of senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle.
"It's important for the people who have leadership skills to be consistent day-in and day-out,'' Summitt said.
If it's an early wake-up call the Lady Vols need, they will get one on Sunday.
"(It's) a team this team respects,'' Summitt said of the U.S. squad, "a team full of proven player. It has a great mix that will challenge us."
The U.S. national team roster gives Tennessee fuel for thought this week in preparing for their women's basketball exhibition game.
UT coach Pat Summitt also wants to give the fans something to think about in advance of the 3 p.m. tipoff Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The 10-player U.S. roster for its eight-game college tour is headlined by center Lisa Leslie, a three-time Olympic gold medalist. The lineup also includes former Tennessee guards Kara Lawson and Loree Moore.
As if there's not enough size, experience and talent to worry about, Summitt also is concerning herself with history. A trio of former Connecticut players will be here, including Diana Taurasi, who was a target of the locals' ire during her collegiate career.
Her comments this summer regarding UT's decision to end its regular-season series with UConn and the possible circumstances involved were as endearing to Lady Vols fans as one of her long jumpers.
With this legacy in mind, Summitt wants to remind everyone that Taurasi won't be wearing Husky blue on this trip but rather red, white and blue.
"While we're competing against players that have obviously played against us in the past, now they're representing our country,'' Summitt said. "I'll be very disappointed if we don't respect what these young women are doing and how they're representing our country."
Summitt was reminded of the warm reception Lawson and Lady Vol Candace Parker received while playing for the U.S. in an exhibition against Australia in August in Uncasville, Conn., as a warmup for the FIBA Americas tournament."
"We need to show the same sportsmanship,'' Summitt said.
On the other hand, she doesn't want Taurasi and Co. to go easy on her team. Summitt is hoping for just the opposite.
"The timing is great,'' she said. "We'll know a lot more about what we're about."
From Summitt's standpoint, the Lady Vols are not about consistency in their practice preparations for the upcoming season, which opens for real against Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
"There doesn't seem to be the sense of urgency that needs to be there,'' said Summitt after Monday's practice, which she described as average at best. "We tend to turn it on when we need to turn it on."
The Lady Vols continue to practice without freshman center Kelley Cain (concussion) and senior wing Alberta Auguste (calf contusion). There's no word on when they will be back, but their status for Sunday doesn't look promising, which diminishes UT's size, athleticism and depth.
In the meantime, Summitt seems more concerned with UT's leadership, which she described as inconsistent with the exception of senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle.
"It's important for the people who have leadership skills to be consistent day-in and day-out,'' Summitt said.
If it's an early wake-up call the Lady Vols need, they will get one on Sunday.
"(It's) a team this team respects,'' Summitt said of the U.S. squad, "a team full of proven player. It has a great mix that will challenge us."
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Feeling better? Parker dunks in practice
Just two days removed from an x-ray on an injured right shoulder, Tennessee star Candace Parker felt good enough to dunk during the Lady Vols practice on Friday.
UT coach Pat Summitt was talking to Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols associate athletics director for sports medicine, when Parker threw down during a shooting drill. Summitt recounted Moshak turned to her and matter-of-factly saying, “Her shoulder must be OK”
Must be. The only discomfort Parker was feeling was embarrassment.
“She came over and said, ‘I forgot,’ ” Summitt said. “We all started laughing.”
While Parker is feeling better, two other Lady Vols are not. Freshman Kelley Cain, who is recovering from a concussion suffered a week, did some conditioning work with Moshak and strength & conditioning coach Heather Mason, but then didn’t feel good enough to practice.
The downtime is amounted to valuable practice time lost for the 6-foot-6 center. Tennessee’s exhibition opener is Nov. 4 against the U.S. national team.
“The good thing is she’s smart,” Summitt said. “She has a good feel for the game. She seems to be a quick learner. It’s getting her behind physically.”
Senior wing player Alberta Auguste also remained sidelined with a right calf contusion. She’s listed as day to day.
Freshman Angie Bjorklund continues to perform well at both ends of the floor and is making a strong push for the lone opening in the starting lineup. Bjorklund arrived here with a strong offensive resume but Summitt said Bjorklund’s defensive play, “is pretty advanced for a freshman.”
“She’s a solid defender,’’ Summitt said, “because she’s light on her feet.”
For the time being, Summitt said that she’s inclined to use Alexis Hornbuckle more as a backup point guard and allow freshman Sydney Smallbone to get comfortable at off guard.
“I could tell Sydney had so much to think about,’’ Summitt said of working Smallbone at the point. “She just needs to go and play.”
UT coach Pat Summitt was talking to Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols associate athletics director for sports medicine, when Parker threw down during a shooting drill. Summitt recounted Moshak turned to her and matter-of-factly saying, “Her shoulder must be OK”
Must be. The only discomfort Parker was feeling was embarrassment.
“She came over and said, ‘I forgot,’ ” Summitt said. “We all started laughing.”
While Parker is feeling better, two other Lady Vols are not. Freshman Kelley Cain, who is recovering from a concussion suffered a week, did some conditioning work with Moshak and strength & conditioning coach Heather Mason, but then didn’t feel good enough to practice.
The downtime is amounted to valuable practice time lost for the 6-foot-6 center. Tennessee’s exhibition opener is Nov. 4 against the U.S. national team.
“The good thing is she’s smart,” Summitt said. “She has a good feel for the game. She seems to be a quick learner. It’s getting her behind physically.”
Senior wing player Alberta Auguste also remained sidelined with a right calf contusion. She’s listed as day to day.
Freshman Angie Bjorklund continues to perform well at both ends of the floor and is making a strong push for the lone opening in the starting lineup. Bjorklund arrived here with a strong offensive resume but Summitt said Bjorklund’s defensive play, “is pretty advanced for a freshman.”
“She’s a solid defender,’’ Summitt said, “because she’s light on her feet.”
For the time being, Summitt said that she’s inclined to use Alexis Hornbuckle more as a backup point guard and allow freshman Sydney Smallbone to get comfortable at off guard.
“I could tell Sydney had so much to think about,’’ Summitt said of working Smallbone at the point. “She just needs to go and play.”
Friday, October 26, 2007
Parker does some shooting
Candace Parker went through non-contact work and did some shooting at Tennessee’s practice on Wednesday night, the same day the redshirt junior forward had an X-ray on her right shoulder that was negative.
“She wasn’t as sore as I expected her to be,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said of Parker, who injured the shoulder on Tuesday. “She’s still got some tenderness, but she shot the ball pretty well.”
Center Kelley Cain (concussion) took part in the first 45 minutes of practice. Alberta Auguste (calf contusion) remained sidelined.
The Lady Vols were off Thursday and return to practice today.
“She wasn’t as sore as I expected her to be,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said of Parker, who injured the shoulder on Tuesday. “She’s still got some tenderness, but she shot the ball pretty well.”
Center Kelley Cain (concussion) took part in the first 45 minutes of practice. Alberta Auguste (calf contusion) remained sidelined.
The Lady Vols were off Thursday and return to practice today.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Parker to have X-ray on shoulder
Tennessee received an injury scare regarding star player Candace Parker Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Vols hope that’s all they’re dealing with after the 6-foot-5 redshirt junior walked off the court holding her right shoulder toward the end of the team practice at Pratt Pavilion.
Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols’ assistant athletics director for sports medicine, said after practice that she was uncertain about Parker’s condition. Moshak said Parker would see team physician Dr. Rebecca Morgan today and have an X-ray.
“(Jenny) didn’t seem overly concerned, but we’ll err on the side of caution and go have it checked out,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said.
Three Lady Vols already are on the sidelines. Wing player Alberta Auguste is out with a calf contusion, and center Kelley Cain is out with a concussion. Moshak listed both players as day to day. Guard Cait McMahan is out for the season after undergoing offseason knee surgery.
Parker’s mishap happened at the end of a practice that was much better than Monday’s workout.
“They came ready to practice,’’ Summitt said. “The overall intensity was much better.”
Poll Day: The SEC women’s preseason poll was delayed a day because of some late-arriving votes and will be released today in conjunction with the start of SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Ala.
The Lady Vols will take part in the annual event this afternoon. As is their custom, the Lady Vols will send two seniors, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike, as their player representatives.
Upon returning to Knoxville, the team will conduct an evening practice.
U.S. Team Falls: A day after scoring a game-high 20 points, former UT guard Kara Lawson went scoreless, missing all four of her shots in the USA Select team’s 79-76 loss to TEO Vilnius of Lithuania at the FIBA World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Vilnius was led by two familiar faces. Former University of Connecticut star Nykesha Sales, who plays for the WNBA’s Connectiuct Sun, scored a game-high 21 points. Kristin Haynie, who played for Michigan State against UT in the 2005 Final Four semifinals and is Lawson’s teammate with the Sacramento Monarchs, scored 15.
Diana Taurasi led the U.S. with 16 points. The U.S. trailed by 13 points in the first half.
“We didn’t start the game with very much intensity at all and we had to play catch-up to come back,’’ U.S. coach Anne Donovan said. “We thought we did that at one point, then we gave up four straight threes. Our intensity ebbed and flowed throughout the whole game and that certainly caught up with us.”
The U.S. (1-1) plays CSKA Moscow today.
The Lady Vols hope that’s all they’re dealing with after the 6-foot-5 redshirt junior walked off the court holding her right shoulder toward the end of the team practice at Pratt Pavilion.
Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols’ assistant athletics director for sports medicine, said after practice that she was uncertain about Parker’s condition. Moshak said Parker would see team physician Dr. Rebecca Morgan today and have an X-ray.
“(Jenny) didn’t seem overly concerned, but we’ll err on the side of caution and go have it checked out,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said.
Three Lady Vols already are on the sidelines. Wing player Alberta Auguste is out with a calf contusion, and center Kelley Cain is out with a concussion. Moshak listed both players as day to day. Guard Cait McMahan is out for the season after undergoing offseason knee surgery.
Parker’s mishap happened at the end of a practice that was much better than Monday’s workout.
“They came ready to practice,’’ Summitt said. “The overall intensity was much better.”
Poll Day: The SEC women’s preseason poll was delayed a day because of some late-arriving votes and will be released today in conjunction with the start of SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Ala.
The Lady Vols will take part in the annual event this afternoon. As is their custom, the Lady Vols will send two seniors, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike, as their player representatives.
Upon returning to Knoxville, the team will conduct an evening practice.
U.S. Team Falls: A day after scoring a game-high 20 points, former UT guard Kara Lawson went scoreless, missing all four of her shots in the USA Select team’s 79-76 loss to TEO Vilnius of Lithuania at the FIBA World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Vilnius was led by two familiar faces. Former University of Connecticut star Nykesha Sales, who plays for the WNBA’s Connectiuct Sun, scored a game-high 21 points. Kristin Haynie, who played for Michigan State against UT in the 2005 Final Four semifinals and is Lawson’s teammate with the Sacramento Monarchs, scored 15.
Diana Taurasi led the U.S. with 16 points. The U.S. trailed by 13 points in the first half.
“We didn’t start the game with very much intensity at all and we had to play catch-up to come back,’’ U.S. coach Anne Donovan said. “We thought we did that at one point, then we gave up four straight threes. Our intensity ebbed and flowed throughout the whole game and that certainly caught up with us.”
The U.S. (1-1) plays CSKA Moscow today.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Summitt not happy after scrimmage
The Tennessee Lady Vols were having what basketball coach Pat Summitt described as a "solid" workout Monday until they finished with a lackluster effort at scrimmaging.
"When your veteran players and your best players aren't your hardest workers, you've got problems. Today that was a problem,'' Summitt said. "When we started going up and down the floor, we had people jogging the floor.
"We want to press. We want to run. We can't do that by turning it on in the game. We have to prepare every day."
Alberta Auguste was sidelined with a sore leg. Kelley Cain sat out another day with some lingering effects from taking a blow to the head last Friday.
"When your veteran players and your best players aren't your hardest workers, you've got problems. Today that was a problem,'' Summitt said. "When we started going up and down the floor, we had people jogging the floor.
"We want to press. We want to run. We can't do that by turning it on in the game. We have to prepare every day."
Alberta Auguste was sidelined with a sore leg. Kelley Cain sat out another day with some lingering effects from taking a blow to the head last Friday.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Lady Vols Picked #1 In Most Polls
The defending 2007 NCAA Champion Tennessee Lady Vols have been predicted as the nation's number one women's basketball team in a majority of the preseason polls.
Lindy's, The Sporting News, Gballmag.com, CBS Sports.com and CSTV.com, all gave Tennessee the top nod, while Athlon's predicted a third place national finish as the only dissenting poll.
In all, the Lady Vols will face 14 teams ranked in the preseason polls headlined by the 2007 Final Four participants Rutgers, North Carolina and LSU, who all face UT on "The Summitt" in the newly renovated Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Other top 25 teams Tennessee will battle in the coming season include: Georgia, Stanford, Duke, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, DePaul, Auburn, Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. Tennessee opens the 2007-08 season with a pair of exhibition games facing the USA National Team in Knoxville on Nov. 4 and Carson-Newman on Nov. 6. Regular season play cranks up on Nov. 11 against Chattanooga as the 20th anniversary of the Thompson-Boling Arena will be celebrated. The Lady Vols go on the road to Tampa, site of the 2008 Final Four, and will play Oklahoma on Nov. 15. Following that contest, the Lady Vols return home to hang the seventh NCAA Championship banner prior to the Texas game on Nov. 18.
Lindy's, The Sporting News, Gballmag.com, CBS Sports.com and CSTV.com, all gave Tennessee the top nod, while Athlon's predicted a third place national finish as the only dissenting poll.
In all, the Lady Vols will face 14 teams ranked in the preseason polls headlined by the 2007 Final Four participants Rutgers, North Carolina and LSU, who all face UT on "The Summitt" in the newly renovated Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Other top 25 teams Tennessee will battle in the coming season include: Georgia, Stanford, Duke, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, DePaul, Auburn, Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. Tennessee opens the 2007-08 season with a pair of exhibition games facing the USA National Team in Knoxville on Nov. 4 and Carson-Newman on Nov. 6. Regular season play cranks up on Nov. 11 against Chattanooga as the 20th anniversary of the Thompson-Boling Arena will be celebrated. The Lady Vols go on the road to Tampa, site of the 2008 Final Four, and will play Oklahoma on Nov. 15. Following that contest, the Lady Vols return home to hang the seventh NCAA Championship banner prior to the Texas game on Nov. 18.
Lady Vols loaded for repeat title run
KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Lady Vols have the talent, depth and experience to defend their national championship successfully in the upcoming basketball season, but a lot depends on chemistry and commitment.
“Two years ago, we didn’t particularly like each other, we didn’t play well together and we didn’t get to a Final Four,” Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt said. “Last year, we had great chemistry.
“What I see right now appears to be something that will be special chemistry, but they are not aware of what it’s like to carry the big old national championship on your back, every possession, every game. Can they live up to it? In my estimation, we have the talent to do so.”
That talent includes four returning starters in junior All-American Candace Parker, senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle, senior point guard Shannon Bobbitt and senior center Nicky Anosike, as well as four freshmen that Summitt believes can contribute immediately.
Parker, everyone’s all-everything Player of the Year, is coming off a summer on the USA Women’s Basketball National Team, in which she improved her already-impressive game and got plenty of advice from long-time WNBA forward Tina Thompson. Among other members of the team were Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Kara Lawson and Diana Taurasi.
“Tina Thompson was instrumental in my development,” Parker said. “Just reiterating for me to remember that I am 6-foot-4, and that although I have the skills to play on the outside and face up and shoot fade-away jump shots, to take what the defense gives you, and if that’s going to the basket every time, make them stop you.
“She showed me a couple different moves and a counter move and helped me out a lot.”
Hornbuckle and Anosike spent the summer playing on the Pan American team that won a gold medal.
As much a catalyst for last season’s national title run as Parker, Hornbuckle has been “by far the strongest leader on the team” in the offseason, Summitt said. “It’s always a challenge to try and blend new players with veterans. Alexis Hornbuckle has done a tremendous job of taking those players aside and going over plays.
“The fact that she’s willing to give to other people and help make this process one that’s not a difficult transition — but something that they can grasp — I’m really pleased with that.”
Anosike’s postseason play and her 16 rebounds in the national championship game against Rutgers realized her potential, and Bobbitt’s improvement is something “I don’t want to mess with,” Summitt said.
In the newcomers, Summitt sees the potential to improve Tennessee’s inside presence as well as compensate for the loss of 3-point shooters Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding.
Center Kelley Cain, who is from Atlanta, is 6-6 and has what Summitt calls “great size, great hands, great presence on the floor.” Vicki Baugh, a 6-4 forward from Sacramento, Calif., is “impressive just because of her athleticism and her competitive drive.
“I’ve already seen significant improvement in our inside game, which is giving us more depth to shift Candace Parker to the perimeter some and perhaps Alex Fuller as well,” Summitt said.
Guards Angie Bjorklund, from Spokane Valley, Wash., and Sydney Smallbone, of Granger, Ind., should bring fire power to the perimeter.
“Angie Bjorklund has a lot of basketball savvy,” Summitt said. “I like it that she can shoot the 3-ball and put it on the floor, and her composure on the court has really caught our eye and settled our team down in the half court.
“Sidney Smallbone, the same thing. I was playing her at the point and I don’t think she made a shot in three practices, so I put her at the two, and I think she’s very comfortable there.”
Hornbuckle has been working on her perimeter shooting and is much improved, and Alberta Auguste is shooting the ball better, too, Summitt said.
“You always worry about what happens after you win a championship,” Summitt said. “For this team — because it’s the first for any one of the players on the team — this team has demonstrated through practice and in offseason that they like being on the big stage and they are very motivated.”
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 1 in nearly every national preseason poll, will play their first exhibition game in the newly-renovated Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 4, against the USA Senior National Team. Following a second exhibition game against Carson-Newman, Tennessee will open the regular season by hosting UT Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
“Two years ago, we didn’t particularly like each other, we didn’t play well together and we didn’t get to a Final Four,” Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt said. “Last year, we had great chemistry.
“What I see right now appears to be something that will be special chemistry, but they are not aware of what it’s like to carry the big old national championship on your back, every possession, every game. Can they live up to it? In my estimation, we have the talent to do so.”
That talent includes four returning starters in junior All-American Candace Parker, senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle, senior point guard Shannon Bobbitt and senior center Nicky Anosike, as well as four freshmen that Summitt believes can contribute immediately.
Parker, everyone’s all-everything Player of the Year, is coming off a summer on the USA Women’s Basketball National Team, in which she improved her already-impressive game and got plenty of advice from long-time WNBA forward Tina Thompson. Among other members of the team were Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Kara Lawson and Diana Taurasi.
“Tina Thompson was instrumental in my development,” Parker said. “Just reiterating for me to remember that I am 6-foot-4, and that although I have the skills to play on the outside and face up and shoot fade-away jump shots, to take what the defense gives you, and if that’s going to the basket every time, make them stop you.
“She showed me a couple different moves and a counter move and helped me out a lot.”
Hornbuckle and Anosike spent the summer playing on the Pan American team that won a gold medal.
As much a catalyst for last season’s national title run as Parker, Hornbuckle has been “by far the strongest leader on the team” in the offseason, Summitt said. “It’s always a challenge to try and blend new players with veterans. Alexis Hornbuckle has done a tremendous job of taking those players aside and going over plays.
“The fact that she’s willing to give to other people and help make this process one that’s not a difficult transition — but something that they can grasp — I’m really pleased with that.”
Anosike’s postseason play and her 16 rebounds in the national championship game against Rutgers realized her potential, and Bobbitt’s improvement is something “I don’t want to mess with,” Summitt said.
In the newcomers, Summitt sees the potential to improve Tennessee’s inside presence as well as compensate for the loss of 3-point shooters Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding.
Center Kelley Cain, who is from Atlanta, is 6-6 and has what Summitt calls “great size, great hands, great presence on the floor.” Vicki Baugh, a 6-4 forward from Sacramento, Calif., is “impressive just because of her athleticism and her competitive drive.
“I’ve already seen significant improvement in our inside game, which is giving us more depth to shift Candace Parker to the perimeter some and perhaps Alex Fuller as well,” Summitt said.
Guards Angie Bjorklund, from Spokane Valley, Wash., and Sydney Smallbone, of Granger, Ind., should bring fire power to the perimeter.
“Angie Bjorklund has a lot of basketball savvy,” Summitt said. “I like it that she can shoot the 3-ball and put it on the floor, and her composure on the court has really caught our eye and settled our team down in the half court.
“Sidney Smallbone, the same thing. I was playing her at the point and I don’t think she made a shot in three practices, so I put her at the two, and I think she’s very comfortable there.”
Hornbuckle has been working on her perimeter shooting and is much improved, and Alberta Auguste is shooting the ball better, too, Summitt said.
“You always worry about what happens after you win a championship,” Summitt said. “For this team — because it’s the first for any one of the players on the team — this team has demonstrated through practice and in offseason that they like being on the big stage and they are very motivated.”
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 1 in nearly every national preseason poll, will play their first exhibition game in the newly-renovated Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 4, against the USA Senior National Team. Following a second exhibition game against Carson-Newman, Tennessee will open the regular season by hosting UT Chattanooga on Nov. 11.
Kamiko Williams
The Tennessee Lady Vols also picked up a commitment on Thursday, but it wasn't Webb's Glory Johnson or any player from the Class of 2008. Instead, head coach Pat Summitt got a head start on the Class of 2009.
Clarksville's Kamiko Williams announced she would sign with the Lady Vols in November of 2008. The word came after Williams took an unofficial visit to Knoxville.
A junior at Northeast High School, Williams brings an international flavor to the game after living extensively in Europe while her father served in the United States military.
She earned all-state honors as a sophomore last season, her first in the States. Williams and Dawn Evans, a James Madison freshman the Eagles to their first-ever Class AAA state tournament last season.
Despite the commitment, Williams also said she would still take all of her allowed official visits. Those trips could include Vanderbilt, Florida, North Carolina State, North Carolina and/or Clemson.
Clarksville's Kamiko Williams announced she would sign with the Lady Vols in November of 2008. The word came after Williams took an unofficial visit to Knoxville.
A junior at Northeast High School, Williams brings an international flavor to the game after living extensively in Europe while her father served in the United States military.
She earned all-state honors as a sophomore last season, her first in the States. Williams and Dawn Evans, a James Madison freshman the Eagles to their first-ever Class AAA state tournament last season.
Despite the commitment, Williams also said she would still take all of her allowed official visits. Those trips could include Vanderbilt, Florida, North Carolina State, North Carolina and/or Clemson.
Parker's focus on present
Busy off-season left behind as Lady Vol takes aim at another title
Candace Parker plucked three basketballs off the ball rack and put on a juggling act Thursday afternoon at Stokely Athletics Center.
The Tennessee All-American's performance was a nifty sideshow at the Lady Vols media day. It was not a warm-up for something more daring.
Parker made it clear she wouldn't try anything comparable with her thoughts about USA Basketball, her engagement to Atlanta Hawks player Shelden Williams and her attention to UT hoops.
"No no, no. None of that; none of that,'' Parker said. "It's all about college basketball right now."
No wedding planning. Parker said the wedding date hasn't been set yet. No indication whether this season will turn out to be the redshirt junior's final season at Tennessee either.
"I'm looking at it one day at a time,'' Parker said. "I'd rather leave it at that. If you get caught up in the future, your mind gets to wandering."
It's hard to ignore her future after another successful stint with USA Basketball last month and with the Olympics looming next year. And then there's the impending nuptials as well.
Earlier this week, UT coach Pat Summitt considered Parker's crowded agenda and said, "All indications with where she (Parker) is, the timing of everything, there's obviously a good chance we'll see one more year from Candace."
Regardless, Parker is putting together a strong case for playing in the present. She sidestepped a directive last week advising more rest after playing the five-game Olympic qualifying tournament in Chile and returned to practice on Saturday.
"I think if I'm going to watch practice, I might as well get out there and play,'' she said. "A few more days really weren't going to help me. My knees are fine."
At Thursday's practice, she showed off an improved perimeter jumper, a skill she polished during the summer by shooting with, among other people, her brother Anthony, who plays for the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
"I've been working a lot on my shot this summer,'' she said, "making it more consistent, more reliable."
In effect, Parker was working on the only semblance of a juggling act on her docket for this season. Along with playing at power forward, she will be utilized at small forward.
Parker's dual role will be part of a larger strategy, namely deploying a bigger lineup.
"I think we have a unique opportunity to go big this season,'' Parker said. "I think this team has a unique opportunity to take advantage of some mismatches."
Parker is embracing her expanded duties with a degree of caution. During practice, she'll remind the coaches to get her some reps at the four - hoops vernacular for power forward. On Thursday, she addressed playing both positions by saying, "It's a challenge. I like playing the four."
It's an interesting perspective from someone who, two seasons ago, seemingly couldn't wait to get to the perimeter. She fudged on her 6-foot-5 height so as not to be thought of exclusively as a post player.
It's a more mature perspective, Dean Lockwood said. UT's assistant coach said that he sees a lot less "fluff" in Parker's game. Fewer fade-away jumpers and more ruthless efficiency.
"To me, she's a little more cold-blooded,'' Lockwood said. "She's going to think about how she's going to cut you up. She knows what she's good at. She's going to go right to that."
Parker was awfully good at power forward last season, averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and receiving two national player-of-the-year awards - the Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award.
"She knows when things get tight, with her at the four, unless people are coming with double- or triple (teams), there aren't a whole lot of folks who can stop her,'' Lockwood said.
Summitt said Parker's small-forward duty will depend on how games play out. Wherever she's playing, Parker wants to make the most of the opportunity.
"I think one thing I did learn this summer is it doesn't matter how you score, it doesn't matter the way you score, it's doing what the team needs you to do,'' she said. "I know my natural position is the four, but I'm willing to play whatever position my team needs."
Candace Parker plucked three basketballs off the ball rack and put on a juggling act Thursday afternoon at Stokely Athletics Center.
The Tennessee All-American's performance was a nifty sideshow at the Lady Vols media day. It was not a warm-up for something more daring.
Parker made it clear she wouldn't try anything comparable with her thoughts about USA Basketball, her engagement to Atlanta Hawks player Shelden Williams and her attention to UT hoops.
"No no, no. None of that; none of that,'' Parker said. "It's all about college basketball right now."
No wedding planning. Parker said the wedding date hasn't been set yet. No indication whether this season will turn out to be the redshirt junior's final season at Tennessee either.
"I'm looking at it one day at a time,'' Parker said. "I'd rather leave it at that. If you get caught up in the future, your mind gets to wandering."
It's hard to ignore her future after another successful stint with USA Basketball last month and with the Olympics looming next year. And then there's the impending nuptials as well.
Earlier this week, UT coach Pat Summitt considered Parker's crowded agenda and said, "All indications with where she (Parker) is, the timing of everything, there's obviously a good chance we'll see one more year from Candace."
Regardless, Parker is putting together a strong case for playing in the present. She sidestepped a directive last week advising more rest after playing the five-game Olympic qualifying tournament in Chile and returned to practice on Saturday.
"I think if I'm going to watch practice, I might as well get out there and play,'' she said. "A few more days really weren't going to help me. My knees are fine."
At Thursday's practice, she showed off an improved perimeter jumper, a skill she polished during the summer by shooting with, among other people, her brother Anthony, who plays for the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
"I've been working a lot on my shot this summer,'' she said, "making it more consistent, more reliable."
In effect, Parker was working on the only semblance of a juggling act on her docket for this season. Along with playing at power forward, she will be utilized at small forward.
Parker's dual role will be part of a larger strategy, namely deploying a bigger lineup.
"I think we have a unique opportunity to go big this season,'' Parker said. "I think this team has a unique opportunity to take advantage of some mismatches."
Parker is embracing her expanded duties with a degree of caution. During practice, she'll remind the coaches to get her some reps at the four - hoops vernacular for power forward. On Thursday, she addressed playing both positions by saying, "It's a challenge. I like playing the four."
It's an interesting perspective from someone who, two seasons ago, seemingly couldn't wait to get to the perimeter. She fudged on her 6-foot-5 height so as not to be thought of exclusively as a post player.
It's a more mature perspective, Dean Lockwood said. UT's assistant coach said that he sees a lot less "fluff" in Parker's game. Fewer fade-away jumpers and more ruthless efficiency.
"To me, she's a little more cold-blooded,'' Lockwood said. "She's going to think about how she's going to cut you up. She knows what she's good at. She's going to go right to that."
Parker was awfully good at power forward last season, averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and receiving two national player-of-the-year awards - the Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award.
"She knows when things get tight, with her at the four, unless people are coming with double- or triple (teams), there aren't a whole lot of folks who can stop her,'' Lockwood said.
Summitt said Parker's small-forward duty will depend on how games play out. Wherever she's playing, Parker wants to make the most of the opportunity.
"I think one thing I did learn this summer is it doesn't matter how you score, it doesn't matter the way you score, it's doing what the team needs you to do,'' she said. "I know my natural position is the four, but I'm willing to play whatever position my team needs."
Rehab going well for McMahan
KNOXVILLE — Cait McMahan will be watching from the bench this season as the Tennessee Lady Vols defend their national championship, but that won’t lessen her enthusiasm as a member of the team.
The former Heritage standout and Lady Vol sophomore had knee surgery in June that will keep her on a measured and lengthy rehabilitation during the upcoming basketball season, but she will be at every practice and every game.
“It is frustrating, but there are some people out there that are in much worse situations than I am,” McMahan said on Thursday at Lady Vol Media Day. “I’m watching the girls practice and hitting the weight room and working hard at that, so it’s OK.
“(I plan to be a ) leader, a vocal leader. When coaches get down on players, I want to be there for them and let them know what’s going on.”
McMahan, who averaged 14 minutes a game at backup point guard in her freshman season, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in 2005, and has had recurring problems since then.
“There was a hole in my bone and it had to be refilled,” McMahan said. “The surgery I had before the season was arthroscopic. They were going in to see what was going on. They told me I could either have the surgery then or after the season.”
McMahan chose to play her freshman year.
“It killed me the whole season. I had to miss some practices because of the swelling,” she said.
“Right now I’m doing therapy in the weight room, single-leg stuff. Depending on what my knee looks like, (assistant athletic director for sports medicine) Jenny (Moshak) lets me do other things. Some days she lets me do defensive slides and I do a lot of bouncing.”
McMahan is known for doing a lot of bouncing on the bench, too, and that will continue this season as she works slowly toward being able to run and make cuts again.
“I asked Jenny (about running). It’s either late December or January,” McMahan said. “We’re not pushing it at all because it’s a healing process. But I’m hoping it’ll be January.”
The former Heritage standout and Lady Vol sophomore had knee surgery in June that will keep her on a measured and lengthy rehabilitation during the upcoming basketball season, but she will be at every practice and every game.
“It is frustrating, but there are some people out there that are in much worse situations than I am,” McMahan said on Thursday at Lady Vol Media Day. “I’m watching the girls practice and hitting the weight room and working hard at that, so it’s OK.
“(I plan to be a ) leader, a vocal leader. When coaches get down on players, I want to be there for them and let them know what’s going on.”
McMahan, who averaged 14 minutes a game at backup point guard in her freshman season, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in 2005, and has had recurring problems since then.
“There was a hole in my bone and it had to be refilled,” McMahan said. “The surgery I had before the season was arthroscopic. They were going in to see what was going on. They told me I could either have the surgery then or after the season.”
McMahan chose to play her freshman year.
“It killed me the whole season. I had to miss some practices because of the swelling,” she said.
“Right now I’m doing therapy in the weight room, single-leg stuff. Depending on what my knee looks like, (assistant athletic director for sports medicine) Jenny (Moshak) lets me do other things. Some days she lets me do defensive slides and I do a lot of bouncing.”
McMahan is known for doing a lot of bouncing on the bench, too, and that will continue this season as she works slowly toward being able to run and make cuts again.
“I asked Jenny (about running). It’s either late December or January,” McMahan said. “We’re not pushing it at all because it’s a healing process. But I’m hoping it’ll be January.”
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt knows teams need perfect chemistry for NCAA title runs
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee coach Pat Summitt knows talent will only get you so far in college basketball.
She's had Lady Vols teams loaded with stars that haven't reached the NCAA Final Four. She's had teams with six and 10 losses win national championships.
"Two years ago, we didn't particularly like each other, we didn't play well together, we didn't get to a Final Four,'' Summitt said Thursday during Tennessee's media day. "Last year, we had great chemistry.''
The Lady Vols are coming off their seventh NCAA title. With Candace Parker and three other starters returning plus a top-notch freshman class, Summitt's team is about as talented as they get.
That won't necessarily translate into another title.
"You always worry about what happens after you've won a championship,'' Summitt said. "I've sat and watched this many times: carrying the big national championship on your back. Every possession, every game, every venue that we go to, it's going to be a challenge for them.
"This is one of the hardest things to do in sports ... to repeat the performance of the national championship.''
In the 1998-99 season, Tennessee followed up three consecutive national titles with a disappointing finish, losing in the Elite Eight. That team boasted the superstar trio of Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randall, but players failed to step up in that regional finals game when Holdsclaw went 2-of-18 from the floor in a loss to Duke.
Basketball's winningest coach thinks this year's team is different.
For one thing, the current squad's one national championship humbles in comparison to the three-peat. And rookies Kelley Cain, Angie Bjorklund, Sydney Smallbone and Vicki Baugh will be looking for their own title.
"What I see right now appears to be something that's going to be a special chemistry,'' Summitt said. "Can they live up to it? In my estimation we have the talent to do so.''
The first step in fighting any potential post-championship slump is to train hard in the offseason and practice hard in the preseason, Summit said. She also wants to see a commitment from players to improve daily.
Coach and players all said they've been pleased with the progress so far.
"There's been no signs of slacking off or not working hard,'' Parker said. "This summer we had tremendous work ethic.''
Nicky Anosike said it takes being on the court in a game to really know whether a team's got the right chemistry.
"It's too early to tell,'' she said. "I don't know who rises when there's pressure, who falls. I don't know anyone's tendencies in games, who cracks under pressure. We'll see.''
Cain said she's already comfortable with the veteran players, who she said took the freshmen under their wings, showed them the ropes and advised them what to do on and off the court.
She already seems to be oozing the team spirit that Summitt finds handy in a player.
"I don't think one player outshines the other. It takes the whole team, all 11 of us to win a game and a national championship,'' she said. "I think we're a close-knit team already, and we can only get closer.''
She's had Lady Vols teams loaded with stars that haven't reached the NCAA Final Four. She's had teams with six and 10 losses win national championships.
"Two years ago, we didn't particularly like each other, we didn't play well together, we didn't get to a Final Four,'' Summitt said Thursday during Tennessee's media day. "Last year, we had great chemistry.''
The Lady Vols are coming off their seventh NCAA title. With Candace Parker and three other starters returning plus a top-notch freshman class, Summitt's team is about as talented as they get.
That won't necessarily translate into another title.
"You always worry about what happens after you've won a championship,'' Summitt said. "I've sat and watched this many times: carrying the big national championship on your back. Every possession, every game, every venue that we go to, it's going to be a challenge for them.
"This is one of the hardest things to do in sports ... to repeat the performance of the national championship.''
In the 1998-99 season, Tennessee followed up three consecutive national titles with a disappointing finish, losing in the Elite Eight. That team boasted the superstar trio of Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randall, but players failed to step up in that regional finals game when Holdsclaw went 2-of-18 from the floor in a loss to Duke.
Basketball's winningest coach thinks this year's team is different.
For one thing, the current squad's one national championship humbles in comparison to the three-peat. And rookies Kelley Cain, Angie Bjorklund, Sydney Smallbone and Vicki Baugh will be looking for their own title.
"What I see right now appears to be something that's going to be a special chemistry,'' Summitt said. "Can they live up to it? In my estimation we have the talent to do so.''
The first step in fighting any potential post-championship slump is to train hard in the offseason and practice hard in the preseason, Summit said. She also wants to see a commitment from players to improve daily.
Coach and players all said they've been pleased with the progress so far.
"There's been no signs of slacking off or not working hard,'' Parker said. "This summer we had tremendous work ethic.''
Nicky Anosike said it takes being on the court in a game to really know whether a team's got the right chemistry.
"It's too early to tell,'' she said. "I don't know who rises when there's pressure, who falls. I don't know anyone's tendencies in games, who cracks under pressure. We'll see.''
Cain said she's already comfortable with the veteran players, who she said took the freshmen under their wings, showed them the ropes and advised them what to do on and off the court.
She already seems to be oozing the team spirit that Summitt finds handy in a player.
"I don't think one player outshines the other. It takes the whole team, all 11 of us to win a game and a national championship,'' she said. "I think we're a close-knit team already, and we can only get closer.''
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