Knoxville — Even Tennessee, the NCAA's top draw in women's basketball, knows it takes more than seven national titles to put fans in the stands, especially students.
"One of the things we have always heard from students is that they have so much going on. So I said, 'What can we do to entice you?'" said Jimmy Delaney, the Lady Vols marketing director.
The promotion Delaney and coach Pat Summitt came up with? Free tuition.
Delaney said he is unaware of anyone else offering something comparable. "In the realm of women's basketball, we are always trying to be the leader," he said.
The Lady Vols will give away a year's instate tuition (for 2008-2009) to a student who attends at least 10 of 14 home games. The winner will be picked randomly from those eligible, tallied electronically when they swipe their student cards at the gate.
It's a $6,000 value.
"This is a win-win situation!" said Anna York, student body vice president and a student member of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. "The students can enjoy our amazing Lady Vols while also having the chance to win free tuition and other prizes."
The other prizes include two tickets and hotel accommodations to the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla., assuming the Lady Vols are in it. The winners will fly down with the players.
"Some people are more stoked about traveling with the team than getting free tuition," Delaney said.
Tennessee has ranked No. 1 in home attendance in nine of the past 10 years, according to the NCAA. The Lady Vols averaged 14,678 fans a game during their 2007 championship season. No. 2 Connecticut averaged 10,802.
But filling a 444-seat student section with screaming, cheering, waving Lady Vol faithful, game in and game out, remains the goal in newly remodeled 21,678-seat Thompson-Boling Arena.
"The enthusiasm of our fans, especially the students, brings such an electrifying atmosphere to our games. We hope they fill the seats at every game," Summitt said.
The Lady Vols drew over 2,000 students last season to their game against Duke, but they have a ways to go to reach the intimidating consistency of the Blue Devils' "Cameron Crazies" home crowd.
But so far so good. The Lady Vols' exhibition game against the USA National Team on Nov. 4 drew nearly 500 students and an exhibition against Carson-Newman the following Tuesday — the fifth sporting event on campus in five days — attracted about 200 students.
"We want the base to be 500 kids," Delaney said. "But obviously our goal is 1,000, 2,000, whatever. We want to get as many students in there as we can."
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Candace Parker and Shannon Bobbitt lead No. 1 Tennessee past No. 8 Oklahoma 70-67
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tennessee coach Pat Summitt turned to her experienced players and it paid off.
Candace Parker had 28 points, Shannon Bobbitt scored 22 of her career-high 27 points in the second half and No. 1 Tennessee beat No. 9 Oklahoma 70-67 on Thursday night.
Bobbitt secured the win with two free throws to put Tennessee up 70-67 with 1 second to play, after the Lady Vols forced a jump ball on Oklahoma's previous possession.
"We had to go with our veterans," Summitt said. "Our freshmen played like freshmen, but that's OK. They're going to get better. With the schedule we have, they don't have any choice."
After Oklahoma went ahead 67-66 on Courtney Paris' basket with a half-minute left, Tennessee (2-0) took the lead for good on two free throws by Alexis Hornbuckle with 26.7 seconds to go.
Paris had 19 points and Danielle Robinson added 14 for Oklahoma (0-2), which was coming off a season-opening 76-66 loss to then fourth-ranked Maryland on Sunday.
"I thought our young guys handled the grand stage and the pressure and everything that goes with it beautifully," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "I'm really, really thankful that we had this opportunity to face this team here in November."
Tennessee outscored Oklahoma 8-3 to take a 63-55 advantage with five minutes remaining. Bobbitt completed the stretch with a 3-pointer.
"I just took what the defense gave me," Bobbitt said. "They definitely crowded Candace, and Candace did a great job of finding me. My teammates did a great job and I just had to knock down the shots."
Bobbitt hit 9-of-15 shots, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
"We knew that it was going to be a battle of the front-line tonight," Parker said. "Obviously, with both Paris twins, they're a very established front line, so we just had to battle."
Paris scored four points during a late Oklahoma charge to cut the deficit to 65-63 with two minutes left. Amanda Thompson then tied it at 65 on two free throws less than a minute later.
Robinson keyed a 5-0 run that pulled Oklahoma to 55-54 at the 8-minute mark.
"I'm actually nervous before every game, but it's just another basketball game and I've been playing basketball pretty much my whole life," said Robinson, a freshman.
Thompson had a 3-point play during a 13-8 stretch, helping Oklahoma overcome a three-point halftime deficit and take a 42-40 lead with 16 minutes left.
Tennessee trailed 15-8 midway through the first half, but put together a 16-7 run to go up 24-22 with four minutes left in the half. Parker tied it at 22-all with an in-close basket before Alex Fuller hit two free throws to give the Lady Vols a two-point cushion.
Tennessee scored five of the last seven points in the first half to take a 32-29 lead at halftime. Bobbitt hit a 3 and Parker, who was fouled with 1 second remaining, made two of three free throws.
Parker finished the first half with 18 points. She hit 7-of-10 shots.
Candace Parker had 28 points, Shannon Bobbitt scored 22 of her career-high 27 points in the second half and No. 1 Tennessee beat No. 9 Oklahoma 70-67 on Thursday night.
Bobbitt secured the win with two free throws to put Tennessee up 70-67 with 1 second to play, after the Lady Vols forced a jump ball on Oklahoma's previous possession.
"We had to go with our veterans," Summitt said. "Our freshmen played like freshmen, but that's OK. They're going to get better. With the schedule we have, they don't have any choice."
After Oklahoma went ahead 67-66 on Courtney Paris' basket with a half-minute left, Tennessee (2-0) took the lead for good on two free throws by Alexis Hornbuckle with 26.7 seconds to go.
Paris had 19 points and Danielle Robinson added 14 for Oklahoma (0-2), which was coming off a season-opening 76-66 loss to then fourth-ranked Maryland on Sunday.
"I thought our young guys handled the grand stage and the pressure and everything that goes with it beautifully," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "I'm really, really thankful that we had this opportunity to face this team here in November."
Tennessee outscored Oklahoma 8-3 to take a 63-55 advantage with five minutes remaining. Bobbitt completed the stretch with a 3-pointer.
"I just took what the defense gave me," Bobbitt said. "They definitely crowded Candace, and Candace did a great job of finding me. My teammates did a great job and I just had to knock down the shots."
Bobbitt hit 9-of-15 shots, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
"We knew that it was going to be a battle of the front-line tonight," Parker said. "Obviously, with both Paris twins, they're a very established front line, so we just had to battle."
Paris scored four points during a late Oklahoma charge to cut the deficit to 65-63 with two minutes left. Amanda Thompson then tied it at 65 on two free throws less than a minute later.
Robinson keyed a 5-0 run that pulled Oklahoma to 55-54 at the 8-minute mark.
"I'm actually nervous before every game, but it's just another basketball game and I've been playing basketball pretty much my whole life," said Robinson, a freshman.
Thompson had a 3-point play during a 13-8 stretch, helping Oklahoma overcome a three-point halftime deficit and take a 42-40 lead with 16 minutes left.
Tennessee trailed 15-8 midway through the first half, but put together a 16-7 run to go up 24-22 with four minutes left in the half. Parker tied it at 22-all with an in-close basket before Alex Fuller hit two free throws to give the Lady Vols a two-point cushion.
Tennessee scored five of the last seven points in the first half to take a 32-29 lead at halftime. Bobbitt hit a 3 and Parker, who was fouled with 1 second remaining, made two of three free throws.
Parker finished the first half with 18 points. She hit 7-of-10 shots.
Now it's serious for 'normal kids' Parker, Paris
Marquee matchup in Tampa for Lady Vols, Oklahoma
TAMPA, Fla. - To women's basketball, they are two of the nation's most celebrated players and a marquee matchup for the ESPNU Invitational.
To each other, Tennessee's Candace Parker and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris are pretty much just Candace and Courtney.
"She's really down to earth and humble," Paris said of Parker. "It's just cool to be around people like that."
Parker gets a kick out of Paris' sense of humor.
"She's constantly full of smart remarks,'' Parker said. "She's hilarious, a jokester."
These players, who will face each other when the top-ranked Lady Vols (1-0) and the No. 9 Sooners (0-1) square off at 9:30 tonight (TV: ESPNU) at the St. Pete Times Forum, were USA Basketball teammates and roommates. Parker indicated that they aren't inclined to compare resumes.
"We don't talk about anything serious,'' she said. "Our conversations are always funny."
Paris has her former roomie's back on that thought.
"It's not about oh Courtney Paris and Candace Parker,'' Paris said. "We're just normal kids like we were before all this happened."
What has happened on the court makes them anything but normal. Parker, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior forward, won the Wade Trophy and the Women's Wooden Award last season and helped lead the Lady Vols to a national championship, averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
She completed her third extended stay with the U.S. national team this fall, helping the team clinch a berth for next year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Paris, a 6-4 junior center, was the Associated Press player of the year last season, averaging a stunning 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds per game. She owns 10 NCAA records and is the only player in NCAA history to record 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season. And she's accomplished that three-feat twice.
Paris played a reserve role for the U.S. team that clinched the Olympic berth at the FIBA Americas tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September.
In a Tuesday press conference, Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said Paris and Parker are destined to be "icons." She mentioned tonight's game, which follows Duke versus South Florida at the site of this season's Women's Final Four, in the same context as Magic Johnson meeting Larry Bird in the 1979 NCAA men's championship game.
The connection between Parker and Paris extends as far as their "CP" initials and the No. 3 jersey they both wear.
"I think everyone has been waiting for this match-up for a long time,'' UT coach Pat Summitt said. "I am glad that all of the women's basketball fans who have an interest in the match-up will be able to see it."
For all of their accomplishments, these legends-in-waiting aren't above grappling with obligations to which any Courtney or Candace could aspire.
Paris is trying to be a better practice player this season for a team that lost six seniors, who played a part in three Big 12 championships.
"When the lights are on, I'm all about it,'' she said. "In practice, that's where my mentality has really changed. Coach is always saying your best player has to be your hardest worker. Last year I would think , 'Oh, whatever.' Now I really understand because I've seen (U.S. national player) Diana Taurasi every day in practice going hard, slapping our hands hard.
"Off the court she's smiling and she's funny. On the court, it's all business and that's how I want to carry myself."
Summitt is looking for more defensive intensity from Parker, who matched her career high with five steals last Sunday against Chattanooga despite struggling with her shooting throughout the first half.
"She understands that it could be something that would inspire our team and also allow us to bring more size on the perimeter,'' Summitt said. "It is just a matter of time before we are able to play a big lineup and have Candace or Nicky (Anosike) on the perimeter and have Vicki Baugh or Kelley Cain in the paint."
Lady Vols assistant coach Dean Lockwood is more descriptive, not to mention ambitious, with his defensive hopes.
"I call it the Michael Jordan syndrome," Lockwood said. "Where it's like I don't care who I'm playing against, I want to cut you open and leave you for the buzzards."
He has a specific Candace in mind for that undertaking, not just any down-to-earth, normal kid.
TAMPA, Fla. - To women's basketball, they are two of the nation's most celebrated players and a marquee matchup for the ESPNU Invitational.
To each other, Tennessee's Candace Parker and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris are pretty much just Candace and Courtney.
"She's really down to earth and humble," Paris said of Parker. "It's just cool to be around people like that."
Parker gets a kick out of Paris' sense of humor.
"She's constantly full of smart remarks,'' Parker said. "She's hilarious, a jokester."
These players, who will face each other when the top-ranked Lady Vols (1-0) and the No. 9 Sooners (0-1) square off at 9:30 tonight (TV: ESPNU) at the St. Pete Times Forum, were USA Basketball teammates and roommates. Parker indicated that they aren't inclined to compare resumes.
"We don't talk about anything serious,'' she said. "Our conversations are always funny."
Paris has her former roomie's back on that thought.
"It's not about oh Courtney Paris and Candace Parker,'' Paris said. "We're just normal kids like we were before all this happened."
What has happened on the court makes them anything but normal. Parker, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior forward, won the Wade Trophy and the Women's Wooden Award last season and helped lead the Lady Vols to a national championship, averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
She completed her third extended stay with the U.S. national team this fall, helping the team clinch a berth for next year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Paris, a 6-4 junior center, was the Associated Press player of the year last season, averaging a stunning 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds per game. She owns 10 NCAA records and is the only player in NCAA history to record 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season. And she's accomplished that three-feat twice.
Paris played a reserve role for the U.S. team that clinched the Olympic berth at the FIBA Americas tournament in Valdivia, Chile, in late September.
In a Tuesday press conference, Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said Paris and Parker are destined to be "icons." She mentioned tonight's game, which follows Duke versus South Florida at the site of this season's Women's Final Four, in the same context as Magic Johnson meeting Larry Bird in the 1979 NCAA men's championship game.
The connection between Parker and Paris extends as far as their "CP" initials and the No. 3 jersey they both wear.
"I think everyone has been waiting for this match-up for a long time,'' UT coach Pat Summitt said. "I am glad that all of the women's basketball fans who have an interest in the match-up will be able to see it."
For all of their accomplishments, these legends-in-waiting aren't above grappling with obligations to which any Courtney or Candace could aspire.
Paris is trying to be a better practice player this season for a team that lost six seniors, who played a part in three Big 12 championships.
"When the lights are on, I'm all about it,'' she said. "In practice, that's where my mentality has really changed. Coach is always saying your best player has to be your hardest worker. Last year I would think , 'Oh, whatever.' Now I really understand because I've seen (U.S. national player) Diana Taurasi every day in practice going hard, slapping our hands hard.
"Off the court she's smiling and she's funny. On the court, it's all business and that's how I want to carry myself."
Summitt is looking for more defensive intensity from Parker, who matched her career high with five steals last Sunday against Chattanooga despite struggling with her shooting throughout the first half.
"She understands that it could be something that would inspire our team and also allow us to bring more size on the perimeter,'' Summitt said. "It is just a matter of time before we are able to play a big lineup and have Candace or Nicky (Anosike) on the perimeter and have Vicki Baugh or Kelley Cain in the paint."
Lady Vols assistant coach Dean Lockwood is more descriptive, not to mention ambitious, with his defensive hopes.
"I call it the Michael Jordan syndrome," Lockwood said. "Where it's like I don't care who I'm playing against, I want to cut you open and leave you for the buzzards."
He has a specific Candace in mind for that undertaking, not just any down-to-earth, normal kid.
Manning signs with Lady Vols
Tennessee has received the signing papers from Alicia Manning, a 6-foot-1 forward from Woodstock, Ga.
The lone remaining Lady Vols recruit yet to sign is point guard Briana Bass from Indianapolis, who will sign either this weekend or on Monday.
The lone remaining Lady Vols recruit yet to sign is point guard Briana Bass from Indianapolis, who will sign either this weekend or on Monday.
Lady Vols to commemorate 2007 National Championship on Sunday
The University of Tennessee women’s basketball program will officially raise the 2007 National Championship banner prior to their match-up against the University of Texas on Sunday, Nov. 18.
“We’re so excited about raising our seventh national championship banner,” said Pat Summitt, women’s head basketball coach. “We hope all Lady Vol fans will be there to help us celebrate this special occasion.”
“It’s always a great game when Texas comes to town,” Summitt continued. “Our fans provide such great support – I can’t wait to see all the Tennessee orange in the stands this weekend.”
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative national championship Coca-Cola bottle.
Tickets are still available, to purchase call (800) 332-VOLS or visit utladyvols.com, or the Thompson-Boling Arena Ticket Office.
“We’re so excited about raising our seventh national championship banner,” said Pat Summitt, women’s head basketball coach. “We hope all Lady Vol fans will be there to help us celebrate this special occasion.”
“It’s always a great game when Texas comes to town,” Summitt continued. “Our fans provide such great support – I can’t wait to see all the Tennessee orange in the stands this weekend.”
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative national championship Coca-Cola bottle.
Tickets are still available, to purchase call (800) 332-VOLS or visit utladyvols.com, or the Thompson-Boling Arena Ticket Office.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Lady Vols claim No. 1 2008 class
No need to rub your eyes or worry about flashbacks. Those "Lady Vols Sign Super Six" headlines don't mean you've teleported back to 2003.
Though it is, in a way, back to the future.
Just as she did four years ago, coach Pat Summitt has coaxed a talented half-dozen to Tennessee. For the second year in a row, the Lady Vols will have the No. 1 signing class in America, according to HoopGurlz.com.
Anyone still worried about life after Candace Parker?
Though declaring Tennessee the mythical national recruiting champion for the 2008 class, HoopGurlz.com will not release class rankings until after the early signing period, as several key players traditionally commit later. Foremost among them this year is the No. 6 prospect, Nneka Ogwumike of Cy-Fair, Texas. She'll likely choose between Baylor and Stanford, though Duke and Notre Dame each have an outside shot.
High-school seniors can begin signing National Letters of Intent today through Nov. 21.
Though it may not match the panache of the 2004 class that Blue Star director Mike Flynn called "the greatest in modern history," Tennessee's class is impressive. During the four years since the Lady Vols' original Super Six, women's basketball has grown considerably. There is a lot more parity on the court and recruiting is far more competitive.
So landing five prospects ranked in the top 20, as Summitt did in the 2008 class, could be considered nearly as mind-blowing as her 2004 feat. It remains to be seen whether No. 3 Glory Johnson, the homegrown talent out of Knoxville, Tenn.; No. 4 Amber Gray of Cincinnati, Ohio; No. 8 Shekinna Stricklen of Morrilton, Ark.; No. 15 Alicia Manning of Woodstock, Ga., and No. 20 Alyssia Brewer of Sapulpa, Okla., can manage to stay together in a way that 2004 class could not.
Of course, this class doesn't include Candace Parker. It doesn't even include the best prospect in the class, Elena Delle Donne. That distinction belongs to Connecticut, which recruited the No. 1 prospect in the HoopGurlz Hundred for the third straight year, Tina Charles and Maya Moore being the first two. The Huskies added Caroline Doty of Doylestown, Pa., and Tiffany Hayes of Winter Haven, Fla., both of whom HoopGurlz considered interchangeable at Nos. 10 and 11. Coach Geno Auriemma's haul also included Heather Buck, a mobile post ranked 31st overall.
The story of the 2008 recruiting class really isn't the way the two traditional superpowers, Tennessee and Connecticut, dominated recruiting, it is the way the top four programs monopolized the elite prospects. The Lady Vols, Huskies, Rutgers and LSU are expected to sign, between Nov. 14 and 21, an eye-popping 13 members of HoopGurlz.com's national top 20. And the four will end up signing 20 of the top 69 recruits overall.
There are three "franchise" type players in the class, according to HoopGurlz.com, and Rutgers was the third program to snare one. In No. 2 April Sykes of Crawford, Miss., C. Vivian Stringer has recruited the most imposing offensive weapon in high-school basketball. No. 9 Brooklyn Pope of Dallas is not far behind, either. SoCal stars Jasmine Dixon and Nikki Speed, Nos. 26 and 27 are burners, and No. 35 Chelsea Lee of Miami, Fla., brings an inside presence at both ends of the floor.
Speaking of back to the future, Van Chancellor collected three WNBA championships and Hall of Fame credentials between stints at Mississippi and now LSU, for whom he's recruited the most top 100 prospects -- six -- in his first class. He's covered three key positions - forward (No. 12 LaSondra Barrett of Jackson, Miss.), center (No. 14. Ayana Dunning of Columbus, Ohio) and point guard (No. 17 Destini Hughes) with top-20 prospects. No. 55 Taylor Turnbow of Clarkston, Ga., and No. 69 Courtney Jones of Midfield, Ala., add even more size to the LSU front line, and No. 59 Crystal Riley of Memphis, Tenn., adds speed and ballhandling.
This year's Tennessee class does not match the balance of Summitt's 2004 class, which included two forwards (Parker and Nkolika Anosike of Staten Island, N.Y.), two guards (Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood of Lawndale, Calif., and Alexis Hornbuckle of Charleston, W.Va.) and two posts (Sybil Dosty of Tucson, Ariz., Alex Fuller of Shelbyville, Tenn.). Fuller and Parker sat out their freshman year with knee injuries and Dosty transferred to Arizona State, while Wiley-Gatewood transferred to Maryland.
So nothing, of course, is guaranteed. Four years ago, All-Star Girls Report ranked Parker No. 5 in her class. Jerry Gatewood ranked his stepdaughter, Wiley-Gatewood, No. 1 for All-Game Sports.
Parker today is considered one of the best women's basketball players in the world. Wiley-Gatewood is a senior who has averaged 6.0 points in 44 career games.
Though it is, in a way, back to the future.
Just as she did four years ago, coach Pat Summitt has coaxed a talented half-dozen to Tennessee. For the second year in a row, the Lady Vols will have the No. 1 signing class in America, according to HoopGurlz.com.
Anyone still worried about life after Candace Parker?
Though declaring Tennessee the mythical national recruiting champion for the 2008 class, HoopGurlz.com will not release class rankings until after the early signing period, as several key players traditionally commit later. Foremost among them this year is the No. 6 prospect, Nneka Ogwumike of Cy-Fair, Texas. She'll likely choose between Baylor and Stanford, though Duke and Notre Dame each have an outside shot.
High-school seniors can begin signing National Letters of Intent today through Nov. 21.
Though it may not match the panache of the 2004 class that Blue Star director Mike Flynn called "the greatest in modern history," Tennessee's class is impressive. During the four years since the Lady Vols' original Super Six, women's basketball has grown considerably. There is a lot more parity on the court and recruiting is far more competitive.
So landing five prospects ranked in the top 20, as Summitt did in the 2008 class, could be considered nearly as mind-blowing as her 2004 feat. It remains to be seen whether No. 3 Glory Johnson, the homegrown talent out of Knoxville, Tenn.; No. 4 Amber Gray of Cincinnati, Ohio; No. 8 Shekinna Stricklen of Morrilton, Ark.; No. 15 Alicia Manning of Woodstock, Ga., and No. 20 Alyssia Brewer of Sapulpa, Okla., can manage to stay together in a way that 2004 class could not.
Of course, this class doesn't include Candace Parker. It doesn't even include the best prospect in the class, Elena Delle Donne. That distinction belongs to Connecticut, which recruited the No. 1 prospect in the HoopGurlz Hundred for the third straight year, Tina Charles and Maya Moore being the first two. The Huskies added Caroline Doty of Doylestown, Pa., and Tiffany Hayes of Winter Haven, Fla., both of whom HoopGurlz considered interchangeable at Nos. 10 and 11. Coach Geno Auriemma's haul also included Heather Buck, a mobile post ranked 31st overall.
The story of the 2008 recruiting class really isn't the way the two traditional superpowers, Tennessee and Connecticut, dominated recruiting, it is the way the top four programs monopolized the elite prospects. The Lady Vols, Huskies, Rutgers and LSU are expected to sign, between Nov. 14 and 21, an eye-popping 13 members of HoopGurlz.com's national top 20. And the four will end up signing 20 of the top 69 recruits overall.
There are three "franchise" type players in the class, according to HoopGurlz.com, and Rutgers was the third program to snare one. In No. 2 April Sykes of Crawford, Miss., C. Vivian Stringer has recruited the most imposing offensive weapon in high-school basketball. No. 9 Brooklyn Pope of Dallas is not far behind, either. SoCal stars Jasmine Dixon and Nikki Speed, Nos. 26 and 27 are burners, and No. 35 Chelsea Lee of Miami, Fla., brings an inside presence at both ends of the floor.
Speaking of back to the future, Van Chancellor collected three WNBA championships and Hall of Fame credentials between stints at Mississippi and now LSU, for whom he's recruited the most top 100 prospects -- six -- in his first class. He's covered three key positions - forward (No. 12 LaSondra Barrett of Jackson, Miss.), center (No. 14. Ayana Dunning of Columbus, Ohio) and point guard (No. 17 Destini Hughes) with top-20 prospects. No. 55 Taylor Turnbow of Clarkston, Ga., and No. 69 Courtney Jones of Midfield, Ala., add even more size to the LSU front line, and No. 59 Crystal Riley of Memphis, Tenn., adds speed and ballhandling.
This year's Tennessee class does not match the balance of Summitt's 2004 class, which included two forwards (Parker and Nkolika Anosike of Staten Island, N.Y.), two guards (Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood of Lawndale, Calif., and Alexis Hornbuckle of Charleston, W.Va.) and two posts (Sybil Dosty of Tucson, Ariz., Alex Fuller of Shelbyville, Tenn.). Fuller and Parker sat out their freshman year with knee injuries and Dosty transferred to Arizona State, while Wiley-Gatewood transferred to Maryland.
So nothing, of course, is guaranteed. Four years ago, All-Star Girls Report ranked Parker No. 5 in her class. Jerry Gatewood ranked his stepdaughter, Wiley-Gatewood, No. 1 for All-Game Sports.
Parker today is considered one of the best women's basketball players in the world. Wiley-Gatewood is a senior who has averaged 6.0 points in 44 career games.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt, Talks About The Team's Upcoming Games
On the season-opener against Chattanooga:
“We had good intensity on the defensive end from the beginning. We struggled offensively, we just didn’t shoot the ball well. It is hard to look good when you don’t shoot the ball well. We kept our defensive intensity and maintained our commitment on that end of the floor. We have to get better on the offensive and defensive boards in terms of consistency. Overall, I was pleased with what we got in the second half of play, particularly from our inside game. That is when Candace really stepped up and did a good job for us. I thought Nicky Anosike was solid and Alex Fuller came off the bench and gave us a good spark, as did Vicki Baugh. We struggled to shoot the ball well from the perimeter, but I am still encouraged that we stayed with our defensive game plan.”
On Oklahoma:
“Oklahoma presents a challenge for our post game with its size. I am impressed with how they work the high-low game. It will be a good test for our inside game as well. We are anxious to see how we will match up and how our post people will be able to defend and also to score against the size that Oklahoma brings and presents against our offensive attack in the paint.”
On the hanging of the 2007 NCAA Championship banner on Nov. 18:
“A lot of our fans are really excited about it, and I know our team will be when it occurs. The team has really had a single focus on one game at a time. I’ve been pleased with how they’ve been able to maintain that. Right now all eyes are on Oklahoma, but there is no question that it will be a special day. What we’ve done with (the renovations) to Thompson-Boling Arena and (the building of) the Pratt Pavilion and to add to that the excitement of being able to put another banner up in Thompson-Boling and for this to belong to this team, with only a couple of players missing. It will be special for all of us.”
On the match-up of Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris vs. Tennessee’s Candace Parker:
“First of all, I think everyone has been waiting for this match-up for a long time. I am glad that all of the women’s basketball fans who have an interest in the match-up will be able to see it. Courtney has size, great shooting touch and does a great job posting for position to receive the ball. She is a proven scorer in the paint. I think that will be a challenge for us. They do a great job in their high-low actions and getting the ball from the wing to the inside. Courtney is a go-to for them. We will be challenged and may have to change up our defensive schemes as the game plays out. That has to be a priority for us going against this Oklahoma team: how we defend in the paint, both in the low block and the high-low action.”
On Oklahoma’s Ashley Paris:
“There is a great one-two punch there. I thought Ashley did a great job of taking some pressure off of her team by being aggressive and taking and making shots. That is how they do an effective job of spacing and being able to execute the high-low action.”
On where Candace can improve her game:
“The real challenge for Candace and a part of what I think could be a great addition and upside to her game is her intensity on the defensive end. Her ability not only to defend on the block but out on the court. She has size and a great presence. I think she has demonstrated a different commitment on the defensive end. She understands that it could be something that would inspire our team and also allow us to bring more size on the perimeter. It is just a matter of time before we are able to play big line up and have Candace or Nicky on the perimeter and have Vicki Baugh or Kelley Cain in the paint. The length and the size of that type of match-up is a possibility as we get better and challenge people to defend in that fashion.”
On your being honored by U.S. News & World Report and Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership as one of America’s Best Leaders last night:
“It was great. It was a different format and a good opportunity to be there and to be among a lot of great leaders. (Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University) David Gergen was pretty much in charge and he did a great job. We had a Q&A which was neat, to talk about different leadership styles. There was a variety, from the standpoint of who was present, and what type of background with which they are involved. We are all involved in some type of leadership, so it was neat.”
On there being a player who is the face of women’s basketball in your opinion:
“When people think of women’s basketball, I think there are some programs that have established themselves as some of the best in the country. Tennessee and Connecticut have been in the spotlight in that role and you look at what has happened in the ACC with Maryland, North Carolina and Duke and with Maryland winning a championship. Competition is much greater than ever before. In terms of players, Candace Parker and Courtney Paris have been two players that have brought a lot of attention to the game. The fact that we have that match-up coming in Tampa later this week, there are a lot of people that are really looking forward to watching that particular match-up. I think Candace has had a strong influence on women’s basketball with her style of play, her ability to play above the rim and the play we saw from her last year in our NCAA title run.”
On there being a more regional recognition of women’s players throughout the country than men’s players:
“Regionally, the recognition is more prevalent now than ever before in my 30-plus years at Tennessee. It is great to have players that have the name recognition and reputation of being talented players and All-American types. I think it is good for the game.”
On Doris Burke’s definition of Candace Parker’s legacy being defined by winning another NCAA Title – comparing her to Cheryl Miller:
“The game is quite different now than it was in the 1980s. I say different in terms of the parity in the game. Certainly I hope Candace can help us win another NCAA title, but if we don’t, I don’t think that it will take away from how people view Candace Parker, her impact on the game and her place in the game. I think realistically we have to recognize the growth of women’s basketball. Maybe in the 1980s you had three or four teams that you thought could win an NCAA championship. Now I think there are six or seven teams who could possibly cut down the nets.”
On games against Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors in the past:
“We’ve competed against Duke and Gail and haven’t enjoyed a lot of success of late. With her style of coaching and play, I think she’ll be a great fit for Texas. They are a baseline-to-baseline type of team. I know with Duke, up-tempo was what they favored, particularly in the offensive end. I would not be surprised to see Texas pressing more than perhaps Duke extended its defense. While the Duke team could extend pressure, I think with the makeup of the Texas team, Gail will take advantage of the speed and quickness and their overall athleticism and ability to play baseline-to-baseline. I think Gail is a great coach, and she does a great job of taking the personnel and making it a good fit – putting people in the right place. In the Big 12, with that style of play in the conference, she’ll be well prepared and have her teams well prepared.”
On relationship with former Texas coach Jody Conradt:
“Jody is a friend of mine and yes, we do speak. She has been a tremendous ambassador and role model and one of the most successful coaches in the history of women’s basketball. When you think of the great coaches and people of influence, Jody is on a very short list. She has received a lot of recognition already, but I think that her legacy is such that when you think of women’s basketball, Jody is at the forefront. I am excited that I had a chance to work with her through USA Basketball and to be able to compete head-to-head with Jody and to still remain friends. The main thing is that I am going to miss her. It will be different playing Texas with Jody not being on the sideline.”
On the perception of Texas women’s basketball nationally:
“I see a Texas team that has a tremendous upside. The teams that play hard invariably are some of the most competitive ones that we face. The one thing that always stands out is the tempo and pace at which they play. They have great fans. I know they’ve had some challenging seasons, but they’ve also had an injury or two that has probably hurt them in a significant way. When I think of Texas, I think of a program that has been in the spotlight of women’s basketball for many, many years. I expect them to be back and to be very competitive in the Big 12.”
On your passion for women’s basketball being as strong today as it was 34 years ago:
“I do have the same passion. It is in my blood. I love it. The day I don’t have it, is the day that I no longer want to coach. It would not be fair to the student-athletes that choose to come to Tennessee and play for Coach Summitt. I feel a great deal of responsibility when they make that decision to be here. I told our team last year. It isn’t about me winning more games, it is about trying to help them achieve their goals. I know that they come to Tennessee to win a championship. I have so much respect for their decision to do that, and I just wanted to help them. I will coach as long as I have the fire, desire and energy. When I don’t have it…and I hope that I will know when I don’t have the fire and passion anymore. My assistants say they will be rolling me out in a wheelchair. They are convinced that I will do this forever. I do hope I’ll know, because I never want to cheat the young women who choose to wear the orange.”
“We had good intensity on the defensive end from the beginning. We struggled offensively, we just didn’t shoot the ball well. It is hard to look good when you don’t shoot the ball well. We kept our defensive intensity and maintained our commitment on that end of the floor. We have to get better on the offensive and defensive boards in terms of consistency. Overall, I was pleased with what we got in the second half of play, particularly from our inside game. That is when Candace really stepped up and did a good job for us. I thought Nicky Anosike was solid and Alex Fuller came off the bench and gave us a good spark, as did Vicki Baugh. We struggled to shoot the ball well from the perimeter, but I am still encouraged that we stayed with our defensive game plan.”
On Oklahoma:
“Oklahoma presents a challenge for our post game with its size. I am impressed with how they work the high-low game. It will be a good test for our inside game as well. We are anxious to see how we will match up and how our post people will be able to defend and also to score against the size that Oklahoma brings and presents against our offensive attack in the paint.”
On the hanging of the 2007 NCAA Championship banner on Nov. 18:
“A lot of our fans are really excited about it, and I know our team will be when it occurs. The team has really had a single focus on one game at a time. I’ve been pleased with how they’ve been able to maintain that. Right now all eyes are on Oklahoma, but there is no question that it will be a special day. What we’ve done with (the renovations) to Thompson-Boling Arena and (the building of) the Pratt Pavilion and to add to that the excitement of being able to put another banner up in Thompson-Boling and for this to belong to this team, with only a couple of players missing. It will be special for all of us.”
On the match-up of Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris vs. Tennessee’s Candace Parker:
“First of all, I think everyone has been waiting for this match-up for a long time. I am glad that all of the women’s basketball fans who have an interest in the match-up will be able to see it. Courtney has size, great shooting touch and does a great job posting for position to receive the ball. She is a proven scorer in the paint. I think that will be a challenge for us. They do a great job in their high-low actions and getting the ball from the wing to the inside. Courtney is a go-to for them. We will be challenged and may have to change up our defensive schemes as the game plays out. That has to be a priority for us going against this Oklahoma team: how we defend in the paint, both in the low block and the high-low action.”
On Oklahoma’s Ashley Paris:
“There is a great one-two punch there. I thought Ashley did a great job of taking some pressure off of her team by being aggressive and taking and making shots. That is how they do an effective job of spacing and being able to execute the high-low action.”
On where Candace can improve her game:
“The real challenge for Candace and a part of what I think could be a great addition and upside to her game is her intensity on the defensive end. Her ability not only to defend on the block but out on the court. She has size and a great presence. I think she has demonstrated a different commitment on the defensive end. She understands that it could be something that would inspire our team and also allow us to bring more size on the perimeter. It is just a matter of time before we are able to play big line up and have Candace or Nicky on the perimeter and have Vicki Baugh or Kelley Cain in the paint. The length and the size of that type of match-up is a possibility as we get better and challenge people to defend in that fashion.”
On your being honored by U.S. News & World Report and Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership as one of America’s Best Leaders last night:
“It was great. It was a different format and a good opportunity to be there and to be among a lot of great leaders. (Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University) David Gergen was pretty much in charge and he did a great job. We had a Q&A which was neat, to talk about different leadership styles. There was a variety, from the standpoint of who was present, and what type of background with which they are involved. We are all involved in some type of leadership, so it was neat.”
On there being a player who is the face of women’s basketball in your opinion:
“When people think of women’s basketball, I think there are some programs that have established themselves as some of the best in the country. Tennessee and Connecticut have been in the spotlight in that role and you look at what has happened in the ACC with Maryland, North Carolina and Duke and with Maryland winning a championship. Competition is much greater than ever before. In terms of players, Candace Parker and Courtney Paris have been two players that have brought a lot of attention to the game. The fact that we have that match-up coming in Tampa later this week, there are a lot of people that are really looking forward to watching that particular match-up. I think Candace has had a strong influence on women’s basketball with her style of play, her ability to play above the rim and the play we saw from her last year in our NCAA title run.”
On there being a more regional recognition of women’s players throughout the country than men’s players:
“Regionally, the recognition is more prevalent now than ever before in my 30-plus years at Tennessee. It is great to have players that have the name recognition and reputation of being talented players and All-American types. I think it is good for the game.”
On Doris Burke’s definition of Candace Parker’s legacy being defined by winning another NCAA Title – comparing her to Cheryl Miller:
“The game is quite different now than it was in the 1980s. I say different in terms of the parity in the game. Certainly I hope Candace can help us win another NCAA title, but if we don’t, I don’t think that it will take away from how people view Candace Parker, her impact on the game and her place in the game. I think realistically we have to recognize the growth of women’s basketball. Maybe in the 1980s you had three or four teams that you thought could win an NCAA championship. Now I think there are six or seven teams who could possibly cut down the nets.”
On games against Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors in the past:
“We’ve competed against Duke and Gail and haven’t enjoyed a lot of success of late. With her style of coaching and play, I think she’ll be a great fit for Texas. They are a baseline-to-baseline type of team. I know with Duke, up-tempo was what they favored, particularly in the offensive end. I would not be surprised to see Texas pressing more than perhaps Duke extended its defense. While the Duke team could extend pressure, I think with the makeup of the Texas team, Gail will take advantage of the speed and quickness and their overall athleticism and ability to play baseline-to-baseline. I think Gail is a great coach, and she does a great job of taking the personnel and making it a good fit – putting people in the right place. In the Big 12, with that style of play in the conference, she’ll be well prepared and have her teams well prepared.”
On relationship with former Texas coach Jody Conradt:
“Jody is a friend of mine and yes, we do speak. She has been a tremendous ambassador and role model and one of the most successful coaches in the history of women’s basketball. When you think of the great coaches and people of influence, Jody is on a very short list. She has received a lot of recognition already, but I think that her legacy is such that when you think of women’s basketball, Jody is at the forefront. I am excited that I had a chance to work with her through USA Basketball and to be able to compete head-to-head with Jody and to still remain friends. The main thing is that I am going to miss her. It will be different playing Texas with Jody not being on the sideline.”
On the perception of Texas women’s basketball nationally:
“I see a Texas team that has a tremendous upside. The teams that play hard invariably are some of the most competitive ones that we face. The one thing that always stands out is the tempo and pace at which they play. They have great fans. I know they’ve had some challenging seasons, but they’ve also had an injury or two that has probably hurt them in a significant way. When I think of Texas, I think of a program that has been in the spotlight of women’s basketball for many, many years. I expect them to be back and to be very competitive in the Big 12.”
On your passion for women’s basketball being as strong today as it was 34 years ago:
“I do have the same passion. It is in my blood. I love it. The day I don’t have it, is the day that I no longer want to coach. It would not be fair to the student-athletes that choose to come to Tennessee and play for Coach Summitt. I feel a great deal of responsibility when they make that decision to be here. I told our team last year. It isn’t about me winning more games, it is about trying to help them achieve their goals. I know that they come to Tennessee to win a championship. I have so much respect for their decision to do that, and I just wanted to help them. I will coach as long as I have the fire, desire and energy. When I don’t have it…and I hope that I will know when I don’t have the fire and passion anymore. My assistants say they will be rolling me out in a wheelchair. They are convinced that I will do this forever. I do hope I’ll know, because I never want to cheat the young women who choose to wear the orange.”
Lady Vols' signing class has talent, bit of a mean streak
Amber Gray and Glory Johnson set aside their friendship much like they would a women's basketball warm-up suit when they take the court.
"Once we step on that floor," said Gray, who will sign a national letter of intent with Tennessee today. "We have the mindset that we have no friends."
Gray and Johnson, the Webb School star who also will sign with UT, often end up on the floor as a result. Gray remembers knocking down Johnson during an AAU tournament in Nashville two summers ago. Last year in North Carolina they both hit the deck after colliding while chasing a loose ball.
"It's the type of thing where we don't help each other up," said Gray, who plays for Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio.
And these two are going to be Lady Vol teammates. Imagine how that's going to work out?
Gray thinks it'll be great. Along with Johnson, she is well acquainted with signee Alicia Manning. Gray also has made an effort to familiarize herself with the three other members of Tennessee's signing class: Shekinna Stricklen, Alyssia Brewer and Briana Bass.
Collectively, these players have strong recruiting ratings. Johnson (3), Gray (4), Stricklen (8), Manning (15) and Brewer (20) are ranked among the top 20 national prospects by hoopgurlz.com. Scout.com has everyone but Bass rated among its top 18 prospects.
Gray thinks that they all have the right attitude as well.
"We all want to win; I've seen everyone play," Gray said. "We're willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether its beating each other up in practice or being cheerleaders on the bench."
Johnson has a similar take on her future teammates, who made their official recruiting visits the same weekend in early October.
"We all want to play the same way," Johnson said.
The first order of business will be building relationships, both competitive and otherwise.
Tennessee's recent recruiting history offers a mixed review of a six-player signing class. The celebrated six-pack of four Novembers ago was impeded by knee surgeries on the front end and then broken apart by the transfers of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood and Sybil Dosty during their sophomore years.
It took three seasons for Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike to forge a power trio from the class. They spearheaded Tennessee's drive to a national championship last season.
Gray is well aware of the history but noted, "everyone's story is different. Who ever really knows what the situation is going to be? It's kind of hard to say how it's going to turn out."
At this point, the signing class isn't lugging the same amount of orthopedic baggage as their predecessors. Bass suffered a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament last season but has recovered. The 5-foot-3 point guard for North Central High in Indianapolis, who is flying low on the ratings radar, scored 26 points and scored the game-tying basket with five seconds left in regulation of a 65-61 victory over Mooresville last Friday.
With Tennessee losing at least four players and possibly as many as six after this season, there will be more openings and less hierarchy on the roster.
Bass could figure prominently in Tennessee's point-guard plans next season. The Lady Vols are losing starter Shannon Bobbitt and heir apparent Cait McMahan is recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Likewise, Stricklen, who already has been ringing up 30-point performances this season for Morrilton (Ark.) High along with her share of rebounds, assists and steals, might inherit a key role on UT's perimeter with Alexis Hornbuckle leaving.
The crowd will be gathering at forward, where Gray, Johnson Brewer and Manning will be deployed.
"It's going to be a dogfight for playing time,'' Gray said.
By her thinking, a good scrap probably is a good thing. Apparently, it hasn't hurt her and Johnson.
"Once we step on that floor," said Gray, who will sign a national letter of intent with Tennessee today. "We have the mindset that we have no friends."
Gray and Johnson, the Webb School star who also will sign with UT, often end up on the floor as a result. Gray remembers knocking down Johnson during an AAU tournament in Nashville two summers ago. Last year in North Carolina they both hit the deck after colliding while chasing a loose ball.
"It's the type of thing where we don't help each other up," said Gray, who plays for Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio.
And these two are going to be Lady Vol teammates. Imagine how that's going to work out?
Gray thinks it'll be great. Along with Johnson, she is well acquainted with signee Alicia Manning. Gray also has made an effort to familiarize herself with the three other members of Tennessee's signing class: Shekinna Stricklen, Alyssia Brewer and Briana Bass.
Collectively, these players have strong recruiting ratings. Johnson (3), Gray (4), Stricklen (8), Manning (15) and Brewer (20) are ranked among the top 20 national prospects by hoopgurlz.com. Scout.com has everyone but Bass rated among its top 18 prospects.
Gray thinks that they all have the right attitude as well.
"We all want to win; I've seen everyone play," Gray said. "We're willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether its beating each other up in practice or being cheerleaders on the bench."
Johnson has a similar take on her future teammates, who made their official recruiting visits the same weekend in early October.
"We all want to play the same way," Johnson said.
The first order of business will be building relationships, both competitive and otherwise.
Tennessee's recent recruiting history offers a mixed review of a six-player signing class. The celebrated six-pack of four Novembers ago was impeded by knee surgeries on the front end and then broken apart by the transfers of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood and Sybil Dosty during their sophomore years.
It took three seasons for Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike to forge a power trio from the class. They spearheaded Tennessee's drive to a national championship last season.
Gray is well aware of the history but noted, "everyone's story is different. Who ever really knows what the situation is going to be? It's kind of hard to say how it's going to turn out."
At this point, the signing class isn't lugging the same amount of orthopedic baggage as their predecessors. Bass suffered a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament last season but has recovered. The 5-foot-3 point guard for North Central High in Indianapolis, who is flying low on the ratings radar, scored 26 points and scored the game-tying basket with five seconds left in regulation of a 65-61 victory over Mooresville last Friday.
With Tennessee losing at least four players and possibly as many as six after this season, there will be more openings and less hierarchy on the roster.
Bass could figure prominently in Tennessee's point-guard plans next season. The Lady Vols are losing starter Shannon Bobbitt and heir apparent Cait McMahan is recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Likewise, Stricklen, who already has been ringing up 30-point performances this season for Morrilton (Ark.) High along with her share of rebounds, assists and steals, might inherit a key role on UT's perimeter with Alexis Hornbuckle leaving.
The crowd will be gathering at forward, where Gray, Johnson Brewer and Manning will be deployed.
"It's going to be a dogfight for playing time,'' Gray said.
By her thinking, a good scrap probably is a good thing. Apparently, it hasn't hurt her and Johnson.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Summitt calls leadership award one of a kind
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."
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."
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.
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