Law to be LV Hoops Assistant

Tennessee head women's basketball coach Holly Warlick announced today the hiring of assistant coach Jolette Law to the Lady Vol staff.

Law, previously the head coach at the University of Illinois from 2007-12, will join recently hired assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Kyra Elzy and UT veteran assistant Dean Lockwood in filling Warlick's first coaching staff at Tennessee.

"I have known Jolette since she was a high school prepster we recruited out of Florence, South Carolina," said Warlick. "Our Lady Vol teams competed against her while she was a standout player at the University of Iowa, and I've gone head-to-head in recruiting and coaching against her while she was top assistant to Rutgers' Hall of Fame Coach C. Vivian Stringer.

"Besides the X's and O's of the game and her reputation as an excellent recruiter, Jolette is just a great individual and a terrific role model. She will be a great fit for us at Tennessee," Warlick said.

Law, long regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in the country, was named the seventh head women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois on May 11, 2007. During her tenure in Champaign, she led the Illini to a pair of postseason appearances while turning heads on the recruiting trail.

"I am extremely excited to be joining the Lady Vol family at the University of Tennessee," said Law. "It will be an honor to work alongside Holly and such a great staff at UT. I am truly blessed to have an opportunity to help continue the legacy that Pat Summitt built. Her program is one I admired and respected for so many years as an opposing coach. It's incredible to be part of the tradition now."

Law went to Illinois following 12 years on Stringer's staff, including her last four as associate head coach. Known as a dynamic recruiter during her time with the Scarlet Knights, Law wasted no time establishing herself as a top recruiter at Illinois.

In November of 2008, she inked the No. 3 recruiting class in the country, the top-rated signing class in Illinois school history. Law followed up the historic 2009 signing class by inking two more top-100 recruits in the 2010 and one more in 2011.

On the court, Law led Illinois to 69 wins in five seasons, including two trips to the postseason WNIT. During her first season with the Illini in 2007-08, she guided the Illini to 20 victories, marking Illinois' first 20-win season since 1999-2000. The Orange and Blue made an historic run in the 2008 Big Ten Tournament, advancing to the championship game but falling just short of an NCAA Tournament bid in losing to Purdue on a buzzer-beater. The Illini earned a 2008 WNIT bid and advanced to the third round.

In 2008-09, Law had a young Illini squad playing its best basketball at the end of the season, as the team finished 6-5 in the final 11 games. That momentum carried over into 2009-10, when the Illini started 7-1 out of the gates and finished the season with 19 wins and a trip to the WNIT quarterfinals. The team finished strong down the stretch in both 2010-11 and 2011-12. During Law's fourth season at the helm of the program, the Illini reached the Big Ten semifinals once again and downed No. 7-seed Wisconsin and No. 3-seed Michigan. Illinois followed up with five wins in the final half of the 2011-12 conference season, including a victory over No. 10 Ohio State, 66-65, at Assembly Hall.

In addition to the team progress, Law helped develop Jenna Smith into one of the premier post players in the country. A 2010 Illinois graduate, Smith became the highest WNBA draft pick in school history when she was taken with the 14th overall pick by the Washington Mystics in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Smith left Illinois as Illinois' all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker, thanks in large part to Law's tutelage.

Before arriving at Illinois, Law made a name for herself as a driving force behind Rutgers' rise to the top of women's college basketball. During her tenure, the Scarlet Knights saw remarkable success, including two Final Fours, three Elite Eights and three Sweet Sixteen appearances, among them the 2007 national championship game in Cleveland versus the Lady Vols.

Rutgers compiled a record of 257-125 (.673) during Law's tenure in New Brunswick, N.J., winning BIG EAST regular season titles in both 2005 and 2006 and the BIG EAST Tournament title in 2007. The Scarlet Knights featured 22 All- BIG EAST honorees, three BIG EAST Defensive Players of the Year and three BIG EAST Rookies of the Year. They also produced seven All-America selections and had eight players drafted in the WNBA during that span.

In addition to her tremendous technical expertise on the sidelines, Law also used her energetic and enthusiastic personality to help Rutgers bring in eight recruiting classes ranked among the nation's top 10 during her tenure, including three classes that were ranked No. 1 in the nation (1999, 2001 and 2006). Players such as Shawnetta Stewart, Usha Gilmore, Tasha Pointer, Tammy Sutton-Brown, Davalyn Cunningham, Rebecca Richman, Chelsea Newton, Cappie Pondexter, Essence Carson and Matee Ajavon, all of whom were drafted by the WNBA, benefited from Law's instruction and motivation on the court.

Law was a high school All-American at Wilson High School before graduating from the University of Iowa in 1990 with a degree in sports studies/corporate fitness. As the Hawkeyes' floor general, she helped Stringer lead the Hawkeyes to four consecutive Big Ten titles and a record of 105-18 from 1987-90. A Kodak District V All-American in 1990, she was a four-year letterwinner at Iowa and a two-time first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection (1989 and 1990). A member of the Iowa Hall of Fame, she still ranked sixth on the Hawkeye career steals list (205) as well as eighth in assists (353) and 20th in scoring (1,137). She also was a member of the 1988 Jones Cup Team.

Following her collegiate career, Law joined the Harlem Globetrotters from 1990-94 as the only current female team member, completing three worldwide tours with the team. As an ambassador of goodwill with the Globetrotters, she coordinated several basketball seminars and clinics in addition to her on-court performances. During her stint with basketball's greatest team, her picture appeared on Wheaties cereal boxes with her Globetrotter teammates.

After her playing career came to a close, Law spent one season coaching at Ball State (1994-95) before joining Stringer at Rutgers.

Law has utilized her skills and talents to create opportunities to participate in various national projects, including the "Great American Workout" with former president George H.W. Bush, the 1992 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Project D.A.R.E. in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Law has made a big impact on her hometown of Florence, S.C. Jolette Law Day was celebrated on Dec. 22, 1990, when she was presented the key to the city. Then in September of 2008, Law was honored the Florence School District One Distinguished Graduate.

THE LAW FILE

Full Name: Jolette D. Law

Birthday: December 7, 1967

Hometown: Florence, S.C.

High School: Wilson High School

College: University of Iowa, 1990

Degrees: Bachelor of Science in sports studies/corporate fitness

Coaching Career

2007-12: Head Coach, University of Illinois

2004-07: Associate Head Coach, Rutgers

1996-03: Assistant Coach, Rutgers

1994-95: Assistant Coach, Ball State

Playing Experience:

Harlem Globetrotters, 1991-94; One of eight females to play on the world-famous team since 1985

University of Iowa, 1987-90; Kodak District V All-American (1990), Two-time All-Big Ten Team (1989, 1990), Jones Cup Team (1988), Four-year letterwinner (1987-90), Member of Iowa Hall of Fame, Led Hawkeyes to four Big Ten Championships

Wilson High School, 1983-86; Three-time All-American, Four-time Athlete of the Year, Only retired jersey (boys or girls), Member of Wilson H.S. Hall of Fame, Member of Florence, S.C., Hall of Fame

Personal:

• Active in several educational and community service projects

• Originated and implemented marketing strategies for the "Jolette Law Future American Camps/Clinics"

• Participated in the Great American Workout with former president George Bush

• Volunteer for United Way' McLeod Children's Miracle Network Telethon; Boys & Girls Club of America and Project D.A.R.E

• Guest speaker at several collegiate basketball camps, luncheons and grade schools

• Member of University of Iowa Basketball Hall of Fame

Pat and Tyler Summitt fight Alzheimer's together

Click here to read a nice article about Pat and Tyler in the USA Today.

Pat - A commemorative section on Pat Summitt

Be sure to check this out:

http://www.govolsxtra.com/special/pat-summitt/

Holly Warlick Names Kyra Elzy to Coaching Staff

Tennessee head women's basketball coach Holly Warlick announced today the hiring of her first new staff member as Lady Vol standout Kyra Elzy will be returning to Rocky Top as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator.

Elzy, an associate head coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of Kentucky for the last four years, will fill the role held by former Lady Vol assistant coach Mickie DeMoss who announced on April 2 she was leaving UT to join the WNBA's Indiana Fever.

"I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have Kyra on our staff," Warlick said. "From the time she was a player on our NCAA title teams in 1997 and 1998, she possessed a coach's mentality on the floor. As I have watched her collegiate coaching career progress, I have become more impressed with her each stop along the way.

"Kyra is a phenomenal recruiter possessing a great coaching mind and will complement Dean (Lockwood) and I perfectly. As a Lady Vol, she knows firsthand what our expectations are at Tennessee," Warlick said.

Elzy just completed her fourth season at Kentucky where she served as the recruiting coordinator and was responsible for coaching the guards of the 2012 SEC Champion Wildcats. This season marked her second as associate head coach after being promoted in August 2010.

"I am humbled, honored and excited for the opportunity to come back to the University of Tennessee as a coach for the Lady Vols," said Elzy.

"First, it was incredible as a student-athlete to be part of the history, tradition and legacy of the Lady Vols during my playing days. Now I am thankful for the privilege and the gift to return to the Tennessee program."

As a student-athlete at Tennessee from 1996-2001, Elzy's game excelled under the nation's all-time winningest coach in Hall of Famer Pat Summitt. A four-year letter winner, who actually spent five seasons in a Lady Vol uniform after missing the 1998-99 season with an injury, she was a member of two national championship teams (1997 and 1998) and a national runner-up squad (2000). During her time in Knoxville, she played in 126 games and earned the Holly Warlick Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997, the Unsung Hero Award in 1998 and the USA Today All-Injury Team that recognized athletes that compete while overcoming medical issues in 2000.

Elzy became just the fifth freshman in Tennessee history to start her first game as a Lady Vol when she started at guard in the 1996-97 season opener against Austin Peay. She also earned another distinction during her playing career, becoming the first UT player to earn her master's degree while still playing.

Also excelling in the classroom, Elzy was named to the 2000 and 2001 SEC All-Academic teams. She was a three-time member of the Lady Vol Academic Honor Roll (over a 3.0 GPA) and earned Tennessee's Dean's List honors each semester while in graduate school. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in cultural studies in education with an emphasis in sports psychology from UT.

While as a coach at Kentucky, Elzy was considered one of the top recruiters in the nation and helped UK sign a top-10 recruiting class three-straight seasons including the signing of four McDonald's High School All-Americans.

She was instrumental in helping UK advance to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, chart back-to-back-back 20-win seasons, including two NCAA Elite 8 appearances in 2010 (losing to Oklahoma) and 2012 (losing to UConn).

Elzy's guards received SEC recognition this past season as A'dia Mathies was named the SEC Player of the Year and rookie Bria Goss was named the SEC Rookie of the Year.

Under Elzy's tutelage, Mathies received UK's first SEC Freshman of the Year honor in 2010 and was named UK's first freshman All-American since Valerie Still in 1980.

Prior to Kentucky, Elzy spent four years as an assistant coach at Kansas. As the recruiting coordinator, she helped the Jayhawks land its first top 20 signing class in 2007 under head coach Bonnie Henrickson. She also helped KU earn two post-season bids in her four seasons. In 2006-07, KU finished 17-16 overall and advanced to the third round of the WNIT, while guard Danielle McCray was named Big 12 honorable mention.

Elzy also coached at Western Kentucky for two seasons under head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. She coordinated the recruiting efforts for the Lady Toppers and also worked with the guards and handled individual workouts. The Lady Toppers posted 20+ wins in both of her seasons at WKU, and in 2002-03 WKU won the Sun Belt Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Elzy helped coach Sun Belt Player of the Year Shala Reese and Newcomer of the Year Tiffany Porter-Talbert. In 2003-04, WKU was the Sun Belt runner-up and advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT.

Before coaching, Elzy spent one year as an administrative assistant under Henrickson at Virginia Tech. She was responsible for team travel, scheduling community service events, and working with the women's basketball summer camps.

Her outstanding prep career earned her induction into the Kentucky Lions Club Hall of Fame in 2009 after a standout prep career at Oldham County High School where she guided the Lady Colonels to four district championships, two regional titles and a state semifinal appearance during her prep career.

Personal

Full Name: Kyra ShaNae Elzy

Birthday: August 17, 1978

Hometown: LaGrange, Ky.

High School: Oldham County High School

College: Tennessee, `01

Degrees: Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Master's degree in cultural studies and education with an emphasis in sports psychology

Coaching Career

2010-12: Associate Head Coach, Kentucky

2008-10: Assistant Coach, Kentucky

2005-08: Assistant Coach, Kansas

2003-04: Assistant Coach, Western Kentucky

2002-03: Administrative Assistant, Virginia Tech

Five Lady Vols named to 2012 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Briana Bass – Sport Management
Vicki Baugh – Kinesiology/Sport Psychology (Grad School)
Glory Johnson – Communications/Information (Grad School)
Alicia Manning – Sport Management (Grad School)
Taber Spani – Communication Studies

Summitt to receive Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup

Pat Summitt to be recognized at the 8th Wooden Cup Awards Tonight
Athletes for a Better World will present its 2012 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup on Wednesday, April 25 in a ceremony held in the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Ga.

Pat Summitt, the esteemed University of Tennessee Lady Vols' basketball head coach emeritus will be honored as the professional recipient. During her 38-year career, Coach Summitt won more games than any other basketball coach in history (1,098), including a record eight NCAA Championships. More importantly, she is regarded as one of the finest role models in sports and has positively influenced countless athletes and young people.

The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to two distinguished people in the field of athletics, one collegiate and one professional, for their character and leadership both on and off the field of competition and their contributions to sport and society.

Five collegiate finalists will be honored and recognized during the ceremony but only one will receive the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup and will be honored alongside Coach Summitt. The collegiate finalists include:

Tommy Chase - University of Notre Dame - Baseball

Aleca Hughes - Yale University - Ice Hockey

Roddy Jones - Georgia Tech - Football

Josh Nadzam - University of Kentucky - Track and Field

Cody Reichard - Miami University of Ohio - Ice Hockey

Founded by Athletes for a Better World, a non-profit organization committed to changing the culture of American sports, the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is open to athletes in all collegiate and professional sports.

John Wooden, who won 10 national championships as basketball coach at UCLA, is regarded as the greatest college coach of all time. Universally regarded as one of the finest human beings in the world of sports, his character, conduct and selfless gifts stand at the highest level by any standard. When Coach Wooden learned about Athletes for a Better World, he gave permission for his name to be associated with the annual award and spoke at the inaugural event in Los Angeles in 2005.

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and include more than 100 distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.

The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is one of the most prestigious awards in sports. Previous professional recipients include Dikembe Mutombo, Mia Hamm, Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Andrea Jaeger and Cal Ripken Jr.

About Athletes for a Better World: Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to change the culture of sport by developing individual character, teamwork and civic responsibility through commitment to the Code for Living. ABW's vision is to have the code become a part of every sport at every level. ABW provides free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. ABW's Code for Living can be found on playing fields, locker rooms and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign countries.

Pat Summitt a pioneer for women

Pat Summitt won 1,098 games, more than any other college basketball coach. She won eight national titles and an Olympic gold medal. Every single player who spent four years at Tennessee on Summitt's teams graduated with a degree.

The numbers Summitt accumulated during her 38-year career are mind-boggling. The impact she had in transforming women's basketball from a six-on-six intramural game to one with worldwide pro leagues and college arena sellouts is immeasurable.

But Summitt's most lasting influence originates with "The Look." To say her gaze is piercing doesn't do it justice. Her blue eyes could burn holes through steel — or through the uniform of a player who got lazy on one errant pass.

Summitt, 59, began her coaching career in 1974, before there were any female U.S. Supreme Court justices, before "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, pre-Hillary Clinton, pre-Oprah Winfrey.

There weren't many tough female role models, or they were demonized as "women's libbers." But here was a leader whose glare was searing, demanding, critical. She wasn't afraid to yell instructions or stomp along the sideline in her high heels.

Her players didn't cower. They could take it. They wanted to win as much as she did. Summitt expected more, always more.

When she began coaching, women were considered too fragile to run the marathon at the Olympics. This summer, women's boxing will make its Olympic debut.

When she started out, young women were expected to sweat in the kitchen, not on the court, and nobody really wanted the $8,900 job of coaching a women's team. When she stepped down Thursday, weakened by early onset Alzheimer's disease, her salary was $1.5 million, and the Tennessee women's program was more successful than the men's.

Just as Billie Jean King made it cool to beat a man, Summitt made it cool to "act like a man," a description that seems ridiculous now. Who would expect girls or women to be any less competitive than boys or men? What father doesn't want his daughter to be aggressive on the field of play?

Summitt knocked down gender barriers that restricted females to acceptable "ladylike" behavior and aspirations.

"How awesome to see a female pumping her fist," said University of Miami coach Katie Meier. "Pat proved that kind of intensity is OK, which was a huge step forward for a lot of girls of my generation."

And for boys, who saw a strong, confident woman in charge.

"We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned," Gloria Steinem said of her vision of equal rights.

Summitt mastered multi-tasking before the term was invented. She was going into labor when she visited recruit Michelle Marciniak. She decided she could give her sales pitch to the point guard and give birth to son Tyler on the same day, and that she did, gutting out the contractions in Marciniak's living room before rushing to the hospital.

Marciniak repaid that commitment by leading Tennessee to a national title in her senior season.

A 'working mom'

Summitt has been a "working mom" for 22 years — 38 if you count all the mothering she did of her players, including their laundry in the early years.

Summitt was a farm girl who grew up near Clarksville, Tenn., milking cows, harvesting tobacco and playing basketball with her brothers in the hay loft. She learned discipline from her father and compassion from her mother, both of whom worked from sunup to sundown.

What sets Summitt apart is how she tempered that fearsome dragon lady look with devotion and generosity. She cooked for her players, counseled them, clowned with them and insisted they call her Pat. She made them puke at workouts and hugged them in the locker room. She allowed rival coaches to observe her practices. Among many things she did for her peers, she recommended Meier for her first head coaching job. Months later, Summitt approached Meier to ask how it was going.

"I think I can do this," Meier said.

"Well, you better," Summitt said, curling an arm around Meier's shoulder. "Because I have my name on you."

Important legacy

Meier took a few minutes during the team banquet Thursday to announce Summitt's decision to retire and take the title of "head coach emeritus" and talk about her legacy as the 40th anniversary of Title IX approaches.

"I told my players that they wouldn't be here and wouldn't have athletic scholarships without her," Meier said. "What I learned from Pat was that you can either feel challenged or threatened. Which kind of person do you want to be?"

Summitt is a fighter. The disease that has affected her memory, concentration and stamina is another challenge. Her wondrous career as coach might have been cut short, but just as her fire lifted women's sports, her dignity can lift awareness and treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's.

Summitt said she doesn't want a "pity party" as her assistants, former players and rival coaches broke into tears.

She gave them The Look, and they knew she wasn't about to lose this one.

Pat Summitt working on memoir with Sally Jenkins

Hall of Fame basketball coach Pat Summitt, who last week announced she was stepping down after 38 years at the University of Tennessee, has a book deal.

The record-setting leader of the Lady Volunteers' basketball team has an agreement with Crown Archetype, an imprint of Random House Inc., for a memoir that is currently untitled. According to Crown, which announced the deal Tuesday, the book will cover her "full life journey," including her diagnosis last year of early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. Publication is expected in spring 2013.

Summitt's final record stands at 1,098-208, 16 regular-season Southeastern Conference championships and 16 SEC tournament titles - the last won a month ago.

During her time, Tennessee never failed to reach the NCAA tournament, never received a seed lower than No. 5 and reached 18 Final Fours. Those Final Fours tie the UCLA and North Carolina men for the most all-time by a college basketball program, and she never had a season with a losing record.

"Basketball has always been far more than a game to me: it's a way of being, an ethic, and a value, and so my intention is that this will be more than a sports book," Summit said in a statement.

"Competition got me off the farm and trained me to seek out challenges and to endure setbacks; and in combination with my faith, it sustains me now in my fight with Alzheimer's disease," she wrote. "I look forward to sharing with readers the experiences that shaped me as a mother and a teacher and a leader, and how I've tried to shape the young women who wear the Tennessee Orange. This book provides me with yet another opportunity to do what I love to do most, which is to get up and go to work on an exciting challenge every day."

Summitt, 59, will collaborate on the book with Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins. The two worked together on the motivational "Reach for the Summit" and on "Raise the Roof," about the Lady Vols' 1997-98 championship. Summitt won more games than anyone else in NCAA college basketball during her years at Tennessee.

Financial terms for the book were not disclosed. Summitt was represented by Robert Barnett, a Washington attorney whose clients include President Barack Obama and Barbra Streisand.

Longtime assistant Holly Warlick will take over for Summitt, who is becoming head coach emeritus. Summitt's new role will include helping with recruiting, watching practice, joining staff meetings, helping coaches analyze practice and games, and advising the Southeastern Conference on women's basketball issues and mentoring players.

Summitt also will work as a spokeswoman in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's Association to Honor Legendary University of Tennessee Lady Vols Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt and Son Tyler at National Alzheimer's Dinner

The Alzheimer's Association will present University of Tennessee Women's Basketball Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt and her son, Tyler Summitt, with its Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award at the Alzheimer's Association National Dinner on Tuesday, April 24. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Representative Mike Burgess, M.D., (R-TX), Colonel Karl E. Friedl, Ph.D. and advocate Garrett Davis will also be honored for their critical work in the fight against Alzheimer's. The evening will be hosted by Meredith Vieira, Special Correspondent for NBC News, whose brother is currently living with Alzheimer's disease.

Leader in the Alzheimer's movement and former first lady of California, Maria Shriver, whose father Sargent Shriver passed away from Alzheimer's, will present the Alzheimer's Association Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award. This honor recognizes an individual, organization or company whose actions have promoted greater understanding of Alzheimer's disease and its effects on diagnosed individuals, families and caregivers. Coach Summitt, the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, publically shared her diagnosis of early onset, Alzheimer's type, last August at the age of 59. She and her son Tyler Summitt then created The Pat Summitt Foundation Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, to provide grants to nonprofits like the Alzheimer's Association that raise awareness of the disease, support families and advance research, all while leading the Lady Vols to an impressive 27-9 season.

"Pat Summitt and Tyler Summitt are grateful to be honored at the Alzheimer's Association National Dinner," said Danielle Donehew, Representative of The Pat Summitt Foundation Fund. "We are on the same team as the Alzheimer's Association; we are committed to supporting the millions of Americans impacted by Alzheimer's while we race toward better treatment and an eventual cure."

According to Alzheimer's Association 2012 Alzheimer's Disease Facts & Figures, 5.4 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's. Approximately 200,000 of those people are under the age of 65 and living with younger-onset, also known as early onset, Alzheimer's. One of the benefits of early detection of Alzheimer's is the ability to remain active, plan for the future and become an advocate for the cause.

"The Alzheimer's Association applauds Coach Summitt for courageously sharing her diagnosis and helping to raise awareness of the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.," said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "The courage and dignity with which she lives on and off the court will help eliminate the stigma often associated with the disease."

NCAA Trophy that Pat Summitt made her own now deserves her name

Click here to read David Climer's column in The Tennessean.

Pat Summitt stepping aside as Tennessee coach could lead to her raising awareness of Alzheimer's

Click here to read a nice article by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports.

Summitt: It has been a 'great ride' at Tennessee

SA relaxed and smiling Pat Summitt said it's been a ''great ride'' and it is the right time for her to step down after coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols for nearly four decades.

''It has been a privilege,'' the Hall of Fame coach said Thursday during a press conference. Summitt will become head coach emeritus and longtime assistant Holly Warlick has been promoted to replace her.

''I just felt like it was time for me to step down knowing that Holly was going to be in great hands,'' said Summitt, who revealed on Aug. 23 that she had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. ''She's a great coach and you know I'm going to continue to support her. You know It's never a good time but you have to find the time that you think is the right time and that is now.''

Summitt, who won more games than anyone else in NCAA college basketball during her 38 years at Tennessee, discussed the decision to step aside on the court named for her after her 1,000th win.

''It was really a great ride for me,'' Summitt said.

The ride on the coaching carousel may be over for Summitt, but there are other challenges and honors ahead.

The White House says later this year Summitt will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

President Barack Obama said Summitt is an ''inspiration'' as the coach who has won more games than anyone else in NCAA college basketball history and for her willingness to ''speak so openly and courageously about her battle with Alzheimer's.''

''Obviously, I didn't see it coming, but that's a tremendous honor,'' Summitt said of the Medal of Freedom honor.

In her new role at Tennessee, Summitt will report to athletic director Dave Hart.

''I made a choice early in my career to challenge myself to step up my game each and every day,'' Summitt said. ''You can be sure I will take this same attitude into my new role as head coach emeritus and continue to teach our players the same commitment. I can promise you ladies I'm here for you. Trust me that that will happen.''

The 59-year-old coach revealed Aug. 23 that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. Warlick, Summitt's longtime assistant, has been promoted to replace her.

During the press conference, Summitt called Warlick over and handed her a whistle.

''It is now time to turn over my whistle to you,'' said Summitt, who hugged Warlick and the crowed gave them a standing ovation.

''I know this works because I've heard it a lot of times,'' Warlick said, referring to the whistle.

Warlick isn't the only coach on the move. Tyler Summitt, Pat's son, will be an assistant women's coach at Marquette.

''This was her decision and I think that she took time after the season, thought about everything and the thing my mom's always taught me is to put the team before yourself,'' Tyler Summitt said. ''She really felt like this was the best thing for the Lady Vol program. She's still going to be in a mentoring role.''

Also on hand for the news conference were Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley and men's basketball coach Cuonzo Martin.

Summitt tried to show people that it was possible to function even in the face of dementia and Alzheimer's. She had the blessing of Tennessee Chancellor Jimmy Cheek to keep coaching.

She delegated duties to Warlick, the associate head coach who directed the Lady Vols during games and addressed reporters postgame with other assistants taking on much more of the workload in an emotionally draining season that felt like a farewell tour it wound up being.

Yet Summitt's every move was studied to see how she felt, down to how many officials she yelled at or her icy glares at a player while overseeing a Division I program with a busy national travel schedule. After losing to eventual national champ Baylor in a regional final, Warlick's tears during the postgame news conference gave a glimpse of how exhausting the season had been and the possibility it was Summitt's last game.

''It has been a privilege to make an impact on the lives of 161 women who have worn orange,'' Summitt said. ''I am so proud of them the Lady Vols student athletes and the honor to see them graduate and become successful young women.''

Now Summitt can focus on her health and taking on duties that will keep her with the program she guided to eight national titles since taking over in 1974.

Summitt's new role will include helping with recruiting, watching practice, joining staff meetings, helping coaches analyze practice and games, and advising the Southeastern Conference on women's basketball issues and mentoring players. Summitt also will be working as a spokeswoman in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Summitt's final record stands at 1,098-208, 16 regular-season Southeastern Conference championships and 16 SEC tournament titles - the last won a month ago. During her time, Tennessee never failed to reach the NCAA tournament, never received a seed lower than No. 5 and reached 18 Final Fours. Those Final Fours tie the UCLA and North Carolina men for the most all-time by a college basketball program, and she never had a season with a losing record.

''Pat started coaching at a young age and no one will ever pass her on anything that she has done,'' Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. ''There may be coaches that have more national championships but there will never be anyone who has meant so much to women's basketball. Pat now moves to the next chapter of her life.''

Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee graduated under Summitt, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball.

Pat Summitt is still much more able than disabled

Sally Jenkins on Pat Summitt

Pat Summitt is still much more able than disabled

Reaction to Summitt stepping down after 38 seasons

Reaction to Tennessee coach Pat Summitt stepping aside Wednesday after 38 seasons.
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"Love and s/o to the AMAZING Pat Summitt! What she did for the game will live forever. Changed lives daily. She'll be missed. (hash)gamechanger." — Miami Heat star LeBron James wrote on Twitter.
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"GREATEST coach ever!!! Stepped down today but never too far. Luv ya Pat! Congrats 2 Holly Warlick. ... — Reigning WNBA MVP and former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings wrote on Twitter.
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"It was definitely a shock because of the timing. Her legacy will always stand, so far as elevating the women's game and bringing people to our game. I do think it's also a relief for her and everybody involved at UT. She's not leaving and she'll still be a part of Tennessee and a part of the program." — Catchings
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"The end of an era. It's a huge time to celebrate and show appreciation for what Pat has done for women's basketball and for all of us who are involved in the sport and love it so much ... At the same time, it's a sad situation with her leaving under the circumstances as they are with her health." — Former Texas coach and Hall of Famer Jody Conradt
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"Words cannot adequately describe the extraordinary career that Pat Summitt has had in the world of basketball. She is a model of class and courage, and I don't think that enough can be said for just how much Pat has accomplished in building and elevating women's basketball to its current heights. Pat is Tennessee Basketball. — Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer
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"I think it's a sad day for me personally and a sad day for women's basketball. Pat Summitt is the John Wooden of women's basketball whether she's coaching or in the stands watching. She is a legend in the game. A great coach, a great ambassador in the game, and a great mother ... I would like to thank Tyler for sharing his mom with us for all these many years." — Baylor coach Kim Mulkey
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"She's my mentor, my friend and a part of my family and that will last forever. She has been a pioneer in opening doors for women in so many areas. Those who have played or coached for Coach Summitt always take a part of her with us wherever we go in our respective jobs. I've taken her with me in teaching young ladies to be the very best they can be. Her influence on this game, the University of Tennessee and the Southeastern Conference will always be impactful. That will continue in any role she plays." — LSU coach Nikki Caldwell
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"Without Pat, I really don't know where women's basketball would be today. The impact she has had on the game itself is immeasurable and her influence on so many people connected with the game has been even greater. Professionally, she has been my example of how not only to win, but to win with class and dignity. I feel blessed to have gotten to know her on a personal level and experience firsthand the loyalty and compassion she shows for the people in her life. "It is a sad day for the game, but I am confident that we will still feel her impact in the game for a long time to come." — Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb
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"Words can never express adequately how much gratitude I personally have for Coach Summitt. I am living a dream, coaching at Kentucky, because she gave me an opportunity to learn from her many years ago. Jenna and I will continue to support the Pat Summitt Foundation and Coach Summitt's effort to bring awareness to this disease that she is so courageously fighting." — Kentucky women's coach Matthew Mitchell
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"Pat's impact on our game is more widespread and transcendent than maybe any coach ever. Beyond the years and wins and championships, she personally invested in growing the game of women's basketball. I know that what she did impacted my ability to do what I love, coaching, and there are so many of us that will be forever grateful." — California coach Lindsay Gottlieb
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"I'll never forget my sophomore year, (at)patsummitt gave our pre-game speech before playing rival Florida... She had me too hype!! (hash)LEGEND" — New England Patriots receiver Donte' Stallworth wrote on Twitter
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"Pat's vision for the game of women's basketball and her relentless drive pushed the game to a new level and made it possible for the rest of us to accomplish what we did. In her new role, I'm sure she will continue to make significant impacts on the University of Tennessee and on the game of women's basketball as a whole.
"I am thrilled for Holly as this opportunity is well deserved and Pat will be a huge asset to her moving forward. — Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma
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"Pat Summitt has been everything to the sport of women's basketball — inspiring, focused, prepared, motivating, demanding and consistent. The same things she was to her players. Anyone who has been part of this sport the last 35 years should be grateful to Coach Summitt." — Saint Mary's College coach Paul Thomas
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"This is a day when all Tennesseans should recognize the wonderful gift that Pat has given the state. She has produced champions on and off the court, and she has brought great recognition to Tennessee. While we are sad to see Pat retire, we will always be grateful for everything she has done for the state and the University of Tennessee. I also want to congratulate Holly for her new role in leading Lady Vols basketball. As she steps into this historic role, she brings her own commitment and tradition of winning, and we look forward to watching her lead the Lady Vols next year." — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
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"Women's college basketball will never be the same without Pat Summitt and women's college basketball would never be what it is today if it weren't for Pat Summitt. It's hard for people outside of Tennessee to understand how much Pat Summitt has become a part of the lives of so many citizens in our state." — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., on floor of U.S. Senate
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"She has made an immeasurable impact both on and off the basketball court during her Hall of Fame career. The strength and perseverance that have defined her as a coach, mentor and role model were never more visible than through the incredible courage she displayed this past season. Without question, Pat is one of the strongest people I know. It is no surprise that she has not backed down from a challenge." — Denver quarterback Peyton Manning
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"Everyone who has coached women's basketball at any time during the past four decades owes an enormous debt of gratitude for what Pat has done for our game. There will be evidence of her efforts for many years to come. On a personal note my thoughts and prayers go out to Pat, to Holly, and to the entire Lady Vol Family. We are a nation of coaches who love and support all of you." — Former Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp
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"I am happy for Pat. Her health and well-being are most important to me. She now can focus on doing things for Pat. She has given 38 years to UT and to women's basketball. Now, she can do what's best for herself, every day. I'm happy for my friend, and happy that she can begin a new chapter in her life. She's had such a unique and powerful impact on the women's game — not only on the college level, but on EVERY level. Her legacy will always be revered." — Indiana Fever assistant Mickie DeMoss, Summitt's assistant for 21 years.

Coach Bechler: Why Pat Summitt is the Best

A great blog post about Pat Summitt from Jamy Bechler, the head coach of a high scoring and exciting women's basketball program at NAIA school Martin Methodist College located in Pulaski, TN.

http://coachbechler.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-pat-summitt-is-best.html

UT's Pat Summitt Named Head Coach Emeritus

College basketball all-time wins leader won 1,098 games at UT; Warlick named head coach

The University of Tennessee announced today that head women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, the all-time wins leader among NCAA basketball coaches, has been named head coach emeritus following 38 seasons (1974-2012) and 1,098 victories at Tennessee. Summitt will report to Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart and will serve in a variety of endeavors. In that capacity, she will continue to serve the women’s basketball program and its coaching staff and as a liaison to the Director of Athletics, remain involved in on-campus recruiting, and serve as a personal mentor to players, including life skills coaching.

Associate head coach Holly Warlick, an assistant on the Tennessee staff for 27 seasons and a three-time All-American as a player for the Lady Vols, has been named Summitt’s successor and will assume head coaching duties for the Tennessee women’s basketball program.

“I’ve loved being the head coach at Tennessee for 38 years, but I recognize that the time has come to move into the future and to step into a new role,” said Summitt. “I support Holly Warlick being named the next head coach, and I want to help ensure the stability of the program going forward. I would like to emphasize that I fully intend to continue working as head coach emeritus, mentoring and teaching life skills to our players, and I will continue my active role as a spokesperson in the fight against Alzheimer’s through the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund.

“If anyone asks, you can find me observing practice or in my office. Coaching is the great passion of my life, and the job to me has always been an opportunity to work with our student-athletes and help them discover what they want. I will continue to make them my passion. I love our players and my fellow coaches, and that’s not going to change.”

The all-time wins leader among college basketball coaches, Summitt finishes her 38-season career at Tennessee with a 1,098-208 record and an .841 winning pct. The Lady Vols won an unparalleled eight national championships under her leadership (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, and 2008) and played in 13 national championship games. Tennessee also won the SEC Championship and SEC Tournament title 16 times each, and Summitt was named SEC Coach of the Year eight times and NCAA Coach of the Year in seven seasons. Her sixth national championship team, the 1997-98 team, finished a perfect 39-0.

Additionally, the Tennessee women’s basketball team has reached the NCAA Final Four 18 times, tied with the UCLA and North Carolina men for the most all-time by a college basketball program. Summitt’s 18 trips to the Final Four is the most all-time among coaches, and her eight national titles trails only the 10 won by former UCLA coach John Wooden in Division I college basketball. Including the years as a member of the AIAW and four Final Four trips between 1977-81, Tennessee played in a combined 22 Final Fours overall during Summitt’s tenure. The program has appeared in 25 NCAA Regional finals, posting an 18-7 record, and the Lady Vols are 48-1 all-time in NCAA First and Second Round games.

“It is extremely difficult to adequately express what Pat Summitt has meant to the University of Tennessee, the sport of basketball, and the growth of women’s athletics nationally,” said Hart. “She is an icon who does not view herself in that light, and her legacy is well-defined and everlasting. Just like there will never be another John Wooden, there will never be another Pat Summitt. I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role. She is an inspiration to everyone.

“Holly Warlick has earned the opportunity to be the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee and to lead the Lady Vol program she has embraced as a player and a coach. I watched Holly grow tremendously as a coach throughout this past season. Under unique circumstances, the job she did away from the glare of the lights and crowds was as impressive as the job she did during game action. At this time in our historic program, which Pat Summitt built from scratch, Holly Warlick, the former player and longtime assistant coach, is deserving of the head coaching position. Her mentor will be available for insight and advice, but this is Holly’s team now.”

Warlick, who recently completed her 27th season as an assistant coach for Tennessee and her 31st overall with the program as a player or coach, is the first head coach of the Lady Vols other than Summitt since 1974, when Margaret Hutson completed a four-year tenure as the leader of the program (1971-74). Named associate head coach before the 2003-04 season, Warlick has been on the Tennessee coaching staff for all eight NCAA titles, and as a player or assistant, she has a role in 949 of Summitt’s 1,098 victories at Tennessee.

“I’m very thankful for all Pat Summitt has done to prepare me for this opportunity,” said Warlick. “She is my coach, mentor, and great friend, and I am honored with the opportunity to continue and add to the great tradition of this program. I’d like to thank Dave Hart, Chancellor Cheek, and the University for having confidence in me to lead the Lady Vol program, and we will work as hard as we possibly can with the goal of hanging more banners in Thompson-Boling Arena.”

Warlick originally joined the Tennessee athletics program as a scholarship 400-meter track athlete and a walk-on to the basketball team. A three-time All-American as a point guard at Tennessee, Warlick led Tennessee to three AIAW Final Fours as a player (1977, 1979, 1980) and held numerous school records upon the completion of her playing career in 1980, including most assists in a season and a game, most steals in a game, and most games in career. Warlick was the first Tennessee athlete, male or female, to have her jersey retired at the end of her career in 1980.

Warlick was inducted the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, and in October 2002, she was a member of the second induction class of the University of Tennessee Lady Vol Hall of Fame. She also served two seasons each as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech (1981-83) and Nebraska (1983-85).

Under Summitt’s leadership, Tennessee is the only school to appear in all 32 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments since its inception in 1982, Tennessee has posted more NCAA Tournament victories (112) and has played in more tournament games (135) than any other college basketball program. The Lady Vols have earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament 21 times, including nine consecutive from 1988-96.

Additionally, the Tennessee program has produced 12 Olympians, 21 State Farm All-Americans named to 36 different teams, including 2012 All-American Glory Johnson. Lady Vol players have also received All-SEC accolades on 120 occasions.

Summitt was the head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Basketball team that captured the gold medal in Los Angeles. On Oct. 13, 2000, she was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility and was inducted along with former NBA greats Isiah Thomas and Bob McAdoo, high school coach Morgan Wootten and contributors C.M. Newton and Danny Biasone.

Summitt added to a remarkable career of accomplishments and accolades during the 2011-12 season, when she was named Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year, an honor she shared with SI Sportsman of the Year Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke men’s basketball head coach who has won more games all-time than any other coach in men’s college basketball. The NCAA also named Summitt this year’s recipient of the 2012 NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award, which is named after the 38th President of the United States and annually honors an individual who has provided significant leadership as an advocate for intercollegiate athletics over the course of their career.

A 1974 graduate of UT Martin with a degree in physical education, Summitt earned her master’s degree in physical education from UT Knoxville in 1975. Her son, Tyler, was a member of the men’s basketball team who graduates with a degree in communications studies from UT Knoxville this May.

The Pat Summitt File
Career Record: 1,098 wins and 208 losses
Born: June 14, 1951 in Clarksville, Tenn.
Children: Ross Tyler Summitt, born Sept. 21, 1990

Education:
B.S., Physical Education, UT Martin, 1974
M.S., Physical Education, UT Knoxville, 1975

Playing Career:
1970-74 UT Martin
1973 U.S. World University Games Team
1975 Pan American Games Team
1975 World Championship Team
1976 U.S. Olympic Team (co-captain)

Coaching Career:
1974-2012, University of Tennessee Head Coach
1977 U.S. Junior National Team
1979 Pan American Games Team
1979, 1983 World Championships Team
1980 U.S. Olympic Basketball Assistant
1984 U.S. Olympic Basketball Head Coach


HEAD COACH EMERITUS AGREEMENT
Title: Head Coach Emeritus
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Liaison to the Director of Athletics.
2. Advisor to women’s basketball; participate in permissible activities related to women’s basketball (see permissible list).
3. Serve as advisor to the Southeastern Conference on women’s basketball issues.
4. Assist development office and athletics department with men’s and women’s basketball locker room enhancement project and other projects as identified.
5. Serve as mentor to all Tennessee athletic department coaching staffs.

Permissible Basketball Related Activities

Practice and Competition
Observe practice.
Participate in general staff meetings.
Analyze team or opponent video.
Analyze game or practice activities with members of the coaching staff.
Enter the women’s basketball locker room during half-time and after games as long as the team and individual players are not instructed.

Recruiting
Engage in all components of on-campus recruiting in women’s basketball and other sports. Be present at on-campus meals; communicate with recruits and their families.
Send letters, emails or handwritten notes to recruits in women’s basketball and other sports.
Attend official visit meals and functions within 30 miles of campus, including hosting a prospect for a meal at a staff member’s home.
Accompany a coach to airport to bring a prospect to campus for an official visit.

Player Development
Personal mentoring.
Life skills coaching.

Pat Summitt to step down: legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach won 1,098 games, 8 NCAA titles

Eight months after disclosing her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Pat Summitt was poised Wednesday to announce that she will step aside as the Tennessee women’s basketball coach, making way for longtime assistant Holly Warlick take over the Lady Vols.

The university will make the news official via a press release Wednesday afternoon after Summitt meets with her players in Knoxville, Tenn., to inform them in private. A news conference is expected to follow Thursday.

Summitt, who has won more college basketball game than any man or woman in the sport (1,098), is not retiring but will remain part of Tennessee’s staff, assuming the title “head coach emeritus,” which will give her latitude and flexibility to do as much mentoring with players as her health allows.

But her role will be circumscribed by NCAA rules, which will permit her to watch practice, collaborate on game plans and continue as a motivator, disciplinarian and mentor but will preclude her from actively coaching. Rather than sit on the bench during games, she’ll sit directly behind the Volunteers’ staff, able to consult with Warlick and, no doubt, telegraph her impressions of what’s unfolding on court through her famously piercing glare.

The development brings a measure of stability to an inherently fluid and unknowable situation, with neither Summitt nor her doctors able to predict the course of the disease.

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post on Wednesday morning, Summitt said the decision to step aside after 38 seasons as Tennessee’s coach was not difficult, particularly given her long and productive association with Warlick, an assistant these last 27 years who shouldered game-day coaching duties last season, when Tennessee went 27-9 and lost to eventual national champion Baylor in a NCAA tournament region final.

“It is what it is,” Summitt said. “And Holly has been doing a lot, and we not only have a great friendship, we understand each other. And we can work through this.”

Warlick, 55, a three-time all-American and former Tennessee point guard, was a member of the coaching staff for all eight NCAA championships won under Summitt.

“She is my coach, mentor and great friend, and I am honored with the opportunity to continue and add to the great tradition of this program,” Warlick said.

Speaking to The Post, Summitt said that she felt good in terms of her health and intended to keep working not just for herself but also for the Lady Vols’ young players (Tennessee is losing five seniors) and for others facing medical challenges.

“I think I can help others just by my example,” she said.

And she intended to make that point when she met with her team on Wednesday.

“I want to talk to them and let them know I’m still going to be there,” Summitt said. “The thing is: I have to keep living and doing what I want to do, and those players mean the world to me. With s having five seniors leaving, I feel obligated in a positive way to be there for the team.”

Summitt’s new role, in which she’ll report to vice chancellor and director of athletics Dave Hart, was negotiated by Robert Barnett of Washington’s Williams and Connolly law firm, her longtime friend and attorney.

“This is just a progression,” Barnett said in an interview. “Pat has been — and will always be — a coach, a mentor and a friend to many. Her title may be different, but her role will be very much the same. She will guide — through instruction and example — players, coaches, the university, her community and, as an advocate, our country.”

Wednesday’s announcement coincided with another major development in the Summitt household. Her son Tyler Summitt, 21, due to graduate from Tennessee this spring after completing his degree in just three years, confirmed that he has accepted an assistant coaching job with Marquette’s women’s basketball team.

Summitt concludes her head coaching career with a 1,098-208 record and an .841 winning percentage. Her teams won the NCAA championship in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007 and 2008.

WNBA Draft

Have you heard the great news from today's WNBA draft? Shekinna Stricklen was picked 2nd overall to Seattle Storm, Glory Johnson was picked 4th overall to Tulsa Shock, Kelley Cain was picked 7th overall to NY Liberty, and Vicki Baugh was picked 25th overall to join Glory with the Tulsa Shock. Congratulations to all our Lady Vols... Now go out and support them!

Summitt selected as the Tennessean of the Year

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame president Dr. Bill Emendorfer announced today that University of Tennessee head women's basketball coach Pat Summitt has been chosen to receive the Tennessean of the Year Award.

Summitt will be honored at the 2012 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on May 19 in Nashville, Tenn.

In making the announcement, Emendorfer said, "Pat Summitt is a shining example of why we are proud to be Tennesseans.

"It took great courage for her to step forward and share her medical diagnosis of early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type, with the world last August. It took even greater courage for Pat to continue to coach and put a very real face on this invisible disease.

"No one has made a greater contribution to the state of Tennessee than Pat through her leadership and personal sacrifice for the betterment of society as a whole. She has dedicated herself to a cause that has greater value than her personal accomplishments," said Emendorfer.

This marks the second time that Summitt, a 2003 TSHF Inductee, has been selected as the Tennessean of the Year and the first time it has been awarded to the same person twice. Summitt first received the honor in 1988 which best exemplifies the volunteer sprit of the state of Tennessee.

Summitt has just completed her 38th year at the helm of the Lady Vols and sports a remarkable 1,098-208 overall record. In the 2011-12 season, she helped to lead her team to a 27-9 overall record, an SEC Tournament Championship and a trip to her record 31st NCAA Tournament where the Lady Vols advanced to the Elite 8.

Summitt's life, playing and coaching career and commitment to excellence will also be celebrated at the Tennessean of the Year luncheon. The tribute is part of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Induction weekend which starts on Friday, May 18 with a private tailgate at the Vanderbilt-Ole Miss baseball game and concludes with the banquet at the Renaissance Hotel Saturday night, May 19.

Tickets to the luncheon are $40.00 and may be purchased by contacting the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame at 615.202.3996 (Tue-Sat, 10-5 p.m. CDT).

Some of the more notables to have received the award include the first winner Barbara Mandrell (1982), Lamar Alexander (1986), Cybil Shepherd (1993), Vince Gill (1995), Don Sunquist (1996), Philip Bredesen (1997), Peyton Manning (1998), Doug Dickey ( 2000), 101st Airborne Division/Air Assault (2002), Jim Haslam (2006), Hank Williams Jr. (2007), Kenny Chesney (2011 ), and the Tennessee Olympians (1985, 2001, 2005 ).

Lady Vols finish season ranked 7th

The Lady Vols finished the season ranked 7th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll.

1. Baylor (40-0)
2. Notre Dame (35-4)
3. Stanford (35-2)
4. Connecticut (33-5)
5. Maryland (31-5)
6. Duke (27-6)
7. Tennessee (27-9)
8. Kentucky (28-7)
9. Penn State (26-7)
10. Georgia Tech (26-9)
11. Miami (Fla.) (26-6)
12. Texas A&M (24-11)
13. Wisconsin-Green Bay (31-2)
14. Delaware (31-2)
15. St. John's (24-10)
16. Louisville (23-10)
17. Georgetown (23-9)
18. Purdue (25-9)
19. Gonzaga (28-6)
20. Georgia (22-9)
21. South Carolina (25-10)
22. Ohio State (25-7)
23. St. Bonaventure (31-4)
24. DePaul (23-11)
25. Kansas (21-13)

Mickie DeMoss leaving Lady Vols for WNBA

University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer head basketball coach Pat Summitt announced today that assistant Mickie DeMoss was leaving her staff to join the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

“From my perspective, I am so excited for Mickie,” Summitt said. “Coaching at the next level has always been one of her professional aspirations, and the Fever is one of the best teams in the league.

“Obviously, Mickie is not only a great coach but she is a lifelong friend. We will certainly miss her at Tennessee and the contributions she has made during the 20 years she has been a part of our championship program.”

A 35-year veteran at the very height of NCAA women’s basketball and the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year, DeMoss served 20 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Tennessee. She spent three seasons as an assistant to Gail Goestenkors at Texas and served four years with record-breaking results as the head coach at Kentucky.

“A few months ago, Indiana Fever head coach Lin Dunn contacted me about an opening on her staff,” DeMoss said. “I was very interested, but I told her my immediate concern was helping Pat and the Lady Vol basketball team.

“When Pat and I talked about the opportunity to coach at the next level, she told me she would support me in whatever decision I chose to make. I’ve been in the game for 35 years and this (the WNBA) is always something I’ve wanted to do.

“The Indiana Fever was a perfect fit, and the opportunity to coach with Lin will present a brand new learning experience for me,” said DeMoss. A participant in six national championships and 12 NCAA Final Four appearances, DeMoss joins returning assistant coach Stephanie White on the Fever bench.

“Mickie is one of the most highly respected basketball people in our business,” said Fever Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. “She has been at the highest level in the collegiate game and has taught and prepared many of her players to move on and become great WNBA players. She is a winner and a tireless worker. I am very happy that she has chosen to join our franchise.”

DeMoss spent the past two seasons with the Lady Volunteers where she had previously spent 18 years as part of a coaching trio featuring Summitt and Holly Warlick. During a span from 1985-86 to 2002-03, the trio led the Lady Vols to six national titles and 12 trips to the Final Four. DeMoss took the coaching reins at Kentucky for the 2003-04 season and later spent time at Texas before returning to Rocky Top in 2010-11.

"I have known Coach DeMoss for 30 years,” added Dunn who has long-standing ties with the UT program. "She brings to our staff an elite knowledge both offensively and defensively. She has had tremendous experiences with championship teams at Tennessee. I have always been highly impressed with her work ethic, her ability to develop players, her attention to detail and her excellent communication skills. We are thrilled to have her with the Fever!"

During her first 18 seasons at UT, the Lady Vols amassed a 554-77 (.878) overall record. DeMoss was promoted to associate head coach in 2000, but stepped aside three years later to lead her own program.

In four seasons at Kentucky, she guided the Wildcats to a 71-56 record including consecutive 20-win seasons and three postseason appearances (one NCAA and two WNIT).

The 2006 SEC Coach of the Year honor was a first for a UK coach, as she guided the 22-9 Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven seasons and punctuated the trip with an NCAA win. In 2006-07, Kentucky was 20-14 and advanced to the WNIT. That season, DeMoss' Cats attracted a school record attendance of 5,863 fans per game.

She elected to step aside as head coach at Kentucky in April 2007, but her coaching hiatus ended when she accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Texas in the summer of 2007. She was the Longhorns' top recruiter while also coaching the post game.

Over the past three decades, DeMoss has cemented a reputation as one of the country’s most elite coaches. A survey of the nation's NCAA Division I women's head basketball coaches tabbed her as the top assistant in the country in 2000. She also garnered that distinction from a 1998 The Women's Basketball Journal poll. While at UT, DeMoss was considered a great technical mind, floor coach and entertainer. Off the court, she was regarded as one of the best recruiters in the college game, year after year recruiting future All-SEC and All-America award-winners, while stockpiling rosters with the kind of players essential to winning national championships.

Some of DeMoss' most notable recruits at Tennessee include: Tonya Edwards, the 1987 Final Four MVP, Dena Head, the 1992 SEC Player of the Year, Chamique Holdsclaw, the 1996 and 1997 Final Four MVP, and Tamika Catchings, a four-time All-American and current star of the Fever. Another DeMoss recruit and All-SEC standout was 2005 SEC Tournament MVP Shyra Ely, an Indianapolis native and current Fever star who joins Catchings in welcoming their former college coach to Indiana.

Noted for her success coaching post players, DeMoss protégés have represented Team USA in every Olympic Games since 1992.

Prior to joining the Tennessee staff in 1985, DeMoss had been an assistant coach at Auburn University (1983-85), a head coach at the University of Florida (1979-83) and an assistant at Memphis State (1977-79). DeMoss received her undergraduate degree in physical education from Louisiana Tech University in 1977, where she starred at point guard. She then received her master's degree in education at Memphis State University in 1979. She is a native of Tallulah, La.

Woody Paige: NCAA should name women's Final Four trophy for Pat Summitt

http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_20300443/ncaa-should-name-womens-final-four-trophy-summitt

An embrace heard around the world

The winningest moment of the women's Final Four has already happened: Summitt and Auriemma meet for a hug.

http://www.theday.com/article/20120401/SPORT01/304019902

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/ncwexperts

Glory Johnson named to Coaches All-America team

Lady Vol basketball player Shekinna Glory Johnson was named to the 10-player Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2012 State Farm All-America team on Saturday.

Johnson, a Knoxville native, became the 21st Lady Vol to earn a spot on the Coaches All-America Team. Teammate Shekinna Stricklen received those honors last year.

Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt and members of her staff were on hand in Denver for the All-America team announcement. "I am so excited for Glory," Summitt said. "I can't tell you the amount of hard work she has invested in her game throughout her career and particularly this season.

"Glory was an unbelievable player and a tireless worker for us this year. Whatever Glory had to do to improve or help this team, she did each and every day," Summitt said. "It was special for us to be in Denver with her and share in this moment today."

"I am humbled by this selection," Johnson said. "It was just an honor from the beginning to be selected to be a Lady Vol, and now to be named an All-America, it's just even better. Being able to represent Tennessee and the program means so much to me.

"I played with some amazing teammates under a great coaching staff and I am so thankful for what the University of Tennessee afforded me."

Also joining Johnson on the team are: Elana DellaDonne (Delaware), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Brittney Griner (Baylor), Bria Hartley (UConn), Shenise Johnson (Miami), Chiney and Nnemka Ogwumike (Stanford) Odyssey Sims (Baylor) and Alyssa Thomas (Maryland).

Stricklen Third-Team AP All-America

The third-team members: Connecticut senior Tiffany Hayes, Kentucky junior A’dia Mathies, Duke freshman Elizabeth Williams, Tennessee senior Shekinna Stricklen and Miami senior Riquna Williams.

It marked only the second time since the All-America team was first honored in 1995 that no Tennessee or Connecticut player made either the first or second team. It also happened in 2005.

Amid uncertainty, honor the success

Click here to read a great article by Mechelle Voepel.

Baylor 77 - Lady Vols 58

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Baylor has just two wins to go for 40-0. Tennessee’s future is far less certain.

Brittney Griner had 23 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks before being ejected with less than a minute left and top-seeded Baylor rolled over Tennessee 77-58 Monday night to advance to the Final Four.

Shekinna Strickland had 22 points for Tennessee (27-9), whose seniors became its first four-year class not to reach a Final Four.

The second-seeded Lady Vols now face an uncertain future, as Pat Summitt has yet to say if she’ll return for a 39th season as Tennessee coach. She announced in August she’d been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.

The Lady Bears (38-0), who are back in the national semifinals for the second time in three years, will face either Stanford or Duke on Sunday night in Denver.

Baylor’s Odyssey Sims, who led the Bears with 27 points, tumbled to the floor with 46.8 seconds left, and she and Strickland had to be separated. No punches were thrown, but Griner and teammates Terran Condrey and Jordan Madden were ejected for leaving the bench.

The NCAA says none of the players will be suspended for the Final Four.

Should Baylor win it all next week, it’ll become the first men’s or women’s team in NCAA history to finish a year with 40 wins.

As for Summitt, she was given a standing ovation from Tennessee and Baylor fans alike when she came out roughly 15 minutes before tipoff. But as defeat became apparent, she sat silently on the bench with her legs crossed.

Summitt has 1,098 wins, more than any basketball coach in NCAA history.

But Baylor was too much for her Lady Vols.

Like most of Baylor’s games this season, the Bears regional semifinal was more about dominance than drama—until a scrum in the final minute.

Baylor led 35-20 at halftime despite a poor start shooting from Griner. Tennessee made a spirited charge to start the second half, highlighted when Glory Johnson scored a second-chance bucket on Griner and simply smiled when Griner tossed her to the floor.

But the Bears are unbeaten because they’re much more than Griner.

Sims followed a layup through traffic with a 3, to help Bears go back ahead 49-38 with 11:12 to go. Tennessee made one final run, cutting a 19-point deficit to 64-53 with 4:48 left, but Griner finished off the Lady Vols with six points in the next minute.

Johnson had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Tennessee, which had a habit of starting poorly.

But the Lady Vols were ready for this one—at least for the first few minutes.

Tennessee double-teamed Griner with center Vicki Baugh and help defenders, and Griner hit just three of 10 shots in the first half. But the Lady Vols missed nine shots in a row after an early lead, and Baylor slowly built its edge to 26-16 on three straight buckets by Sims and a 3 from Hayden.

Baylor’s lead grew to 35-20 in Johnson’s absence, as Tennessee shot an abysmal 22.9 percent in the first half.

The Lady Vols hung close with Baylor in late November before losing 76-67. The rematch wasn’t nearly as close, sending the Bears onto Denver and Tennessee grappling with the possibility that Summitt’s career is over after 38 seasons and eight national titles.

Tennessee into regional final, tops Kansas 84-73

DES MOINES, Iowa — Tennessee was down 14 points against 11th-seeded Kansas, an unheralded bunch that few though could test the mighty Lady Vols.

Feisty sophomore Meighan Simmons gave Tennessee the boost it needed to survive and advance to yet another regional final.

Simmons scored 16 of her 22 points off the bench in the second half and Tennessee rallied past the Jayhawks 84-73 Saturday and advanced to its second straight regional final and 25th in 31 years.

Glory Johnson added 18 points for the second-seeded Lady Vols (27-8), who'll meet undefeated and top-seeded Baylor on Monday night for a spot in the Final Four.

It was the 1,098th win for Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who announced in August she'd been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type, and has yet to commit to coaching next season.

"The first half we tend to get ourselves in a hole, but we fought back," said Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick. "I thought our bench was outstanding."

The Lady Vols trailed 26-12 in the first half, but cut the deficit to 35-30 by halftime. They took the lead for good with a 19-9 run to open the second half.

Angel Goodrich had a game-high 23 points and Aishah Sutherland had 19 for Kansas (21-13), which fell to 0-3 in regional semifinals.

Simmons helped pick up the sluggish Lady Vols.

"She has a scoring mentality. We've said she's never seen a shot she didn't like. But I tell you what, a lot of those shots she takes she makes," Warlick said. "If we can learn from her and understand that great things can happen when you have a lot of heart, we won't get down like that in the first half."

Tennessee couldn't do anything right for the first 11 minutes, falling behind to a Kansas team that finished below .500 in the Big 12.

But there's a reason the Lady Vols always seem to be in the regional finals. The Jayhawks found out in the opening minutes of the second half, when Tennessee's superior depth and athleticism simply overwhelmed the underdogs.

"The second-chance points on the glass, the offensive rebounds, which is what they've always been about," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "They got into us in the offensive glass, they got into us in transition. That's the way they got the separation in the second half."

The Lady Vols finally took the lead, 44-42, thanks largely to back-to-back 3s from Ariel Massengale, and a pair of free throws made it 53-46 Tennessee with 11:07 to go.

Freshman post player Chelsea Gardner did her best to keep the Jayhawks close with 14 points and 10 rebounds. But Simmons hit a layup off a give-and-go from Baugh to give the Lady Vols their first double-digit lead, 63-53, with 7:07 left.

Shekinna Stricklen had 16 points and nine rebounds for Tennessee, which shot 51. 5 percent in the second half.

This looked like the ultimate mismatch at the outset. Kansas was playing in just its third regional semifinal, while Tennessee was playing in its 30th — and shooting for a record 19th Final Four.

But early on, the Jayhawks seemed ready for the late morning start.

Gardner bullied her way for four inside buckets in the opening five minutes, and back-to-back layups through the paint by Goodrich gave Kansas a surprising 18-10 lead. The Lady Vols called timeout in an effort to quell the run, but Goodrich and Tania Jackson buried 3s to help push the lead to 14 points.

"The first couple of minutes we came out with a lot of energy on defense and offense. We were hitting a lot of shots," Gardner said. "We just had great defense."

That's the kind of deficit that will get anyone's attention. They Lady Vols came out of a timeout with considerably more energy, responding with an energetic 19-5 run to get back within 31-29.

Kansas lost star Carolyn Davis to a knee injury last month, but rallied to earn its first regional semifinals berth since 1998 with upsets of Nebraska and third-seeded Delaware.

Tennessee's seniors now have the opportunity to avoid becoming the first four-year class in school history to miss the Final Four. They got it in large part because of the work of Simmons. She helped contribute 41 bench points, compared to 11 for Kansas.

"Since it's a one and done kind of thing, it just brings that energy inside me. Seems like I have that alter ego," Simmons said. "I want to go out there and prove a point that I'm better than what people thought of me. I want our seniors to go to the Final Four."

Summitt expects better effort from team vs Kansas

The Tennessee Lady Vols have been doing a little daydreaming during practice and Pat Summitt says they better snap out of it.

With how quiet and distracted her Tennessee team have been while practicing for Saturday's regional semifinals meeting with Kansas, coach Pat Summitt is concerned they may not get that opportunity.

"I think we've got to get them refocused," Summitt said. "It's obviously very important to all of us, and we recognize it and our players recognize it, but obviously our coaches have to hold people accountable, and that's what we're going to do.

"At this time of the year, you worry about everything as coaches," she said.

Forward Glory Johnson and her fellow seniors are trying to do their part to hold the rest of their teammates accountable as well. Fifth-year senior Vicki Baugh is the only remaining member of Tennessee's 2008 national championship team, and the other four seniors are looking to avoid becoming the first four-year class to leave the program without a trip to the Final Four.

Johnson said it's easy to dream of vacation when she and her Tennessee teammates are spending their spring break inside the practice gym. Then she thinks about a trip to the Final Four.

"It's spring break and we're still here," Johnson said. "But we're here, we're on a mission. We're playing hard and trying to get a championship. You've just got to put that in your mind; whenever you're like, 'Aw, I wish I was on the beach,' (think about) how many people get to play for a championship?"

The Lady Vols vowed at the beginning of the season to play for the championship this year, both in an effort to change their legacy from one that marks them as underachievers and to honor Summitt, who announced in August she'd been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type.

So far, they're on the right track.

Tennessee (26-8) cruised through the Southeastern Conference tournament and then pulled away in the second half of a 72-49 win over Tennessee-Martin -- Summitt's alma mater -- in Chicago in the opening round of the tournament. Senior forward Shekinna Stricklen, Baugh and Johnson all had big contributions in the Lady Vols' 63-48 win over DePaul on Monday night.

They also know they could be primed for an upset in drawing No. 11 seed Kansas as their Sweet Sixteen opponent. Tennessee had expected to face third-seeded Delaware and the nation's leading scorer, Elena Della Donne, for the chance to reach the Des Moines Regional finals and a likely rematch with top seed Baylor.

"We kind of thought Delaware would win, just from watching both teams," assistant coach Mickie DeMoss said. "But this is March Madness. Anything can happen, even on the women's side now. Used to be, I think, the women were more predictable. But now there's more parity on the women's side."

The Jayhawks (21-12) have been without leading scorer Carolyn Davis since she suffered a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 12, but point guard Angel Goodrich has led the team in the NCAA tournament with an average 11.8 points in the win against Delaware and first-round victory over No. 6 seed Nebraska.

"We're not taking KU for granted," Stricklen said. "They're a great team. If you don't win, you can't get to Baylor, so this game is more important."

Against Kansas, Summitt and her assistants are expecting a better all-around effort defending, rebounding and taking control of the ball than they've seen so far. The effort has been there, but not for a full 40 minutes in any game.

"When you get this deep in the NCAA tournament, it's all about physicality and who's tough not only physically, but who's the most mentally tough team as well," DeMoss said. "We're playing well in spurts. To say we're playing well for 40 minutes would probably be a little optimistic right now. But we're doing good things in spurts.

"As the tournament progresses and the teams get tougher, those spurts are going to have to be a little bit longer."

Tennessee 63 - DePaul 48

Shekinna Stricklen scored 17 points, and Glory Johnson grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds to lead Pat Summitt and Tennessee past DePaul 63-48 Monday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Vicki Baugh scored 16, and the Lady Volunteers (26-8) took another big step toward the Final Four, grabbing a double-digit lead early in the second half and hanging on in a physical game in which players seemed to hit the floor about as often as they hit shots. Now, they're headed to the round of 16, where they'll meet third-seeded Delaware or 11th-seeded Kansas on Saturday.

They stretched a five-point lead at intermission to 12 early in the second half and were up 42-29 after a hook shot by Baugh with 11:41 remaining. They remained in control from there and moved closer toward their ultimate goal.

That would be a ninth NCAA title and 19th Final Four.

Tracking the ascension of Summitt

Read a great article about Pat by Mechelle Voepel. Click here.

Lady Vols Cruise Past UT-Martin

Meighan Simmons scored a game-high 20 points as the second-seeded Tennessee Lady Volunteers made easy work of the 15th-seeded Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 72-49 in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament at Allstate Arena.

Glory Johnson tallied a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Tennessee (25-8). Ten different players scored points for the Lady Vols.

For UT-Martin (23-9), Heather Butler led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Jaclissa Haislip added 12 points and Jasmine Newsome chipped in with 10 points.

Despite shooting just 39.5 percent from the field in the first half, Tennessee took a 35-26 lead at the half.

The Lady Vols connected on 6-of-11 from three-point range after the break as they kept a comfortable lead throughout.

UT-Martin shot poorly on the afternoon, making just 19-of-66 (28.8 percent) of its field.

Tennessee will play the winner of seventh-seeded DePaul and 10th-seeded BYU in the second round.

Pat Summitt: No decision on future at UT

Pat Summitt says she has not decided whether to continue coaching women's basketball at the University of Tennessee following a diagnosis of dementia.

Summitt, 59, now at the end of her 38th season, said her only goal at the moment is to have the Lady Volunteers emerge winners from the NCAA tournament, the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel reported.

"I love the game,'' she said Wednesday. "And whether I'm here at UT, I may or may not coach. So it is what it is. I'm just going to try to get another championship for this group."

Summitt announced the diagnosis last August, saying it was early onset dementia Alzheimer's type. She has a contract that runs through the 2013-2014 season and includes a $1 million bonus if she stays until then.

Holly Warlick, the associate head coach, has been taking more responsibility, including almost all media interviews.

The Lady Vols, the No. 2 regional seed, play their first NCAA tournament game Saturday against No. 15 Tennessee Martin at Allstate Arena outside Chicago. The winner will take on either Brigham Young or DePaul on Monday.

Pat Summitt to receive Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup

Pat Summitt will be honored next month at the eighth annual Wooden Cup Awards.

Summitt, completing her 38th year as women's basketball coach at Tennessee, is the professional recipient of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.

Five athletes are finalists for the collegiate recipient of the award presented April 25 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

The honor is for character and leadership on and off the field and contributions to sport and society.

Lady Vols' Johnson, Stricklen named first-team all-SEC

Kentucky has pulled off another sweep of the awards, this time for The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference women's basketball team.

A'dia Mathies was named player of the year Tuesday, Matthew Mitchell claimed the coaching award, and Bria Goss picked up newcomer of the year. On Monday, the Wildcats took all three awards for the men's team.

Mathies, a junior guard, is a unanimous choice for the first team. So was Tennessee senior forward Glory Johnson. The rest of the first team includes Vanderbilt guard Christina Foggie, Tennessee wing player Shekinna Stricklen and LSU forward LaSondra Barrett.

The second team includes Georgia swing player Anne Marie Armstrong and her teammate, forward Jasmine Hassell. The other choices are Florida forward Jennifer George, Arkansas guard C'eira Ricketts and Ole Miss guard Valencia McFarland.

Summitt to face alma mater

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee pledged to return to the Final Four this season. First the Lady Volunteers must get past coach Pat Summitt’s alma mater and a possible rematch with Baylor.

The Lady Vols drew a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament on Monday night and will face 15th-seeded Tennessee-Martin, where Summitt played from 1970-74. The teams will meet in Chicago on Saturday and are part of the Des Moines regional along with undefeated No. 1 seed Baylor.

“How about UT Martin?” Summitt said after she and the team watched the selection show at her home. “I never would have thought about that, but it’s real neat.

“I like my alma mater, but I like winning and moving on better.”

Tennessee has played in every NCAA tournament and has only failed to reach the round of 16 once. The current crop of Lady Vols pledged to return to the Final Four this season after a three-year absence and to win a ninth national championship for Summitt, who announced in August that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.

Summitt hasn’t indicated if this will be her final season coaching, instead pledging to keep coaching as long as she is able. To help with that, the Hall of Fame coach has turned over more of the day-to-day responsibilities with the team to her longtime assistants.

The five Tennessee seniors were part of the team who suffered the program’s only first-round loss in 2009 and have never been to the Final Four. No Lady Vols class has ever graduated without reaching the NCAA national semifinals at least once.

“Every game is going to be challenging,” senior forward Glory Johnson said. “Every game is going to be tough for us. We’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game every game, and we know that. As seniors we’ve been there. We’ve been knocked out early. We’ve made it farther. We’ve just got to try to get to that Final Four. If we don’t get to that Final Four it will be disappointing for us seniors.”

The path won’t be an easy one.

The winner of the first-round game will go on to face either No. 10 seed BYU or No. 7 DePaul, which the Lady Vols beat 84-61 in the Maggie Dixon Classic in New York. Third-seeded Delaware and sixth-seeded Nebraska are other teams that could prove to be stumbling blocks before a possible meeting with Baylor in the round of eight.

Tennessee (24-8) hosted Baylor on Nov. 27 and led the Lady Bears at halftime and through much of the second half only to run out of steam late and lose 76-67.

“We just hope at some point we get the opportunity to play Baylor,” associate head coach Holly Warlick said. “I’m not sure we’d be happy with any region. Everything is a challenge for us.”

The Lady Vols have had an up-and-down season ever since.

They beat fellow two seed Kentucky soundly in Knoxville and blew through the Southeastern Conference tournament, beating LSU in the championship game. They also suffered blowout losses at Stanford and Notre Dame and lost a program-high three games at home this season.

Tennessee-Martin (23-8) is making its second consecutive and second overall appearance in the NCAA tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament. The Skyhawks were the No. 15 seed last season, losing to No. 2 Duke.

Tennessee holds a 13-2 all-time record against the Skyhawks, with the only two losses coming in 1971 and 1972, during Summitt’s playing career.

“We know it’s do-or-die. We’ve got to take it one game at a time. Right now our focus is UT Martin. We’re very hungry,” Tennessee senior forward Shekinna Stricklen. “We haven’t been to a Final Four, and that’s our main goal. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got and that’s starting with our first game against UT-Martin.”

Summitt honored with leadership award

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has picked up another award, this from the Alliance of Women Philanthropists.

Summitt received the award Saturday at the group's annual Women and Philanthropy Symposium in Knoxville, and she becomes only the second person to be given the Brenda G. Lawson Legacy of Leadership Award. Lawson is a board member of the Alliance Executive Board and received the award first.

The coach says it's an honor to receive an award named for a successful and compassionate business leader.

The award was created to recognize women who go above and beyond the call of duty helping others at the University of Tennessee.

Lady Vols beat LSU 70-58 to win SEC title

Glory Johnson had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Shekinna Stricklen added 16 points as No. 13 Tennessee beat LSU 70-58 on Sunday to win a third-straight Southeastern Conference tournament title.

The Lady Volunteers (24-8) had a frustrating SEC season by their lofty standards, but Johnson and Stricklen and their fellow seniors pulled together to lead the team to its 16th overall conference tournament title.

Tennessee fans cheered “We back Pat” after the win in honor of coach Pat Summitt, who announced before the season she’d been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. Summitt helped her team cut down the basketball net after the game and twirled it above her head to further cheering.

LSU (22-10), which upset regular-season champion Kentucky to reach its ninth championship game, missed a shot to win its third tournament title in coach Nikki Caldwell’s first season. Caldwell won six titles as a Tennessee player and assistant coach, but no former Lady Vols player has ever beaten Summitt.

The Lady Tigers outshot Tennessee 43.8 percent to 42.3 percent, but the Lady Vols held a 39-23 rebounding advantage and went 21 for 24 at the free-throw line.

The score was tied at 41 with 15:32 to play, when Tennessee used a 13-2 run to take the lead, with Stricklen scoring nine points during the stretch.

Adrienne Webb, who led LSU with 16 points, responded with a 3-pointer that launched a 7-2 run to cut the Lady Vols’ lead to 56-51 with 5:13 to play. A 5-0 run by the Lady Tigers got the margin down to four points with 2:04 to play, but it was as close as they would get.

Stricklen sank a jumper and then found herself open at the perimeter on the next possession. She squared up, and hit nothing but net on the 3-pointer that iced the Lady Tigers with 58 seconds left.

Lady Vols Back In Title Game, Win 74-58

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Lady Volunteers have wanted to win in the postseason to honor their coach. Getting revenge on a few teams is just a bonus.

Tennessee (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) beat South Carolina (No. 25 AP) 74-58 on Saturday to advance to its 21st Southeastern Conference championship game.

"We were definitely motivated," Lady Vols senior center Vicki Baugh said. "We were fortunate to play the teams that we wanted to play. We wanted revenge. I think that was our motivation stepping into this tournament. We just wanted to prove that we were the better team."

The second-seeded Lady Volunteers (23-8) will face fourth-seeded LSU, which upset Kentucky (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) in the other SEC semifinal. The title game will pit Tennessee coach Pat Summitt against her former player, Lady Tigers coach Nikki Caldwell.

South Carolina (23-9) had gotten a rare win in Knoxville earlier in the regular season, but Tennessee's determined seniors didn't let it happen again. The seniors also were key in the quarterfinals win against Vanderbilt, another team that logged a win against Tennessee this season.

"We weren't ready to guard or defend (the Gamecocks') athleticism in Knoxville," Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick said. "We've gone back and we really put in the time with our defensive effort. I think you're seeing it pay off."

Glory Johnson led Tennessee with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Shekinna Stricklen scored all 16 of her points in the second half and Baugh grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Lady Vols didn't defend particularly well in the regular-season loss to the Gamecocks and fell apart late in the game after holding a seven-point lead with 5 minutes to go. This time, Tennessee put on extra heat during the second half to pull away.

South Carolina had trimmed Tennessee's lead to 32-29 on a pair of free throws by Markeshia Grant 2 minutes into the second half. Stricklen answered with a 3-pointer that sparked an 8-1 run to make it 40-30 with 15:44 to play.

The Lady Vols shot 50.9 percent (27 of 53) for the game and limited the Gamecocks to 34.9 percent shooting (22 of 63). They held a 38-30 rebounding advantage and hit 15 of 20 from the free-throw line.

"I think finally we figured out that defense and rebounding is the philosophy here," Baugh said. "That's Tennessee basketball. It opens up a lot in the transition game, especially where we're most comfortable."

Grant, who had scored 27 points in the regular-season game, had 13 this time for South Carolina, and Ieasia Walker added another 13 points.

"I think a month ago, I mean, we just had a type of mojo about us going into Knoxville," Grant said. "I think we were just hitting shots, winning the hustle plays, outplaying them. Today I think we did the same, but I think we came up short. We did work hard. I think we did play hard. It was just not our night."

Sixth-seeded South Carolina was playing in its first SEC semifinal after beating Alabama in the opening round and upsetting Georgia (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) in the quarterfinals. The Gamecocks are expected to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

"(The Lady Vols) are so used to being in this situation year in and year out. I think we got out-experienced today along with I think we got out-talented," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said.

Tennessee will be playing for its third straight SEC championship and 16th overall. The Lady Vols have said they wanted to win championships this season to honor Summitt, who announced in August that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type.

Summitt has said she would continue coaching as long as she could, though she has turned over more responsibilities to her assistants this season.

"I hope they get coach Summitt another SEC championship," Staley said.

Seniors Key UT's 68-57 Win Over Vandy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - No. 2-seeded Tennessee outlasted a feisty No. 7 seed Vanderbilt team to advance to the SEC Tournament Semifinals with a 68-57 victory at Bridgestone Arena on a stormy Friday evening. In a game that saw an extended halftime due to tornadoes in the Nashville area, the Lady Vols rode the senior combination of Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen to the hard-fought victory. Stricklen (18 points -- all in the second half and seven rebounds) and Johnson (15 points and nine rebounds) combined for 33 points and 16 rebounds. 29 of those points and 10 of the boards came in the decisive second half.

The Lady Vols will take on #6 South Carolina in the SEC Semifinals. The Gamecocks were an upset winner over #3 seed Georgia on Friday night, 59-55. Tennessee's SEC Semifinal game will start at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT.

The pair combined to score the final 23 points for the Lady Vols, who moved to 22-8. No other Lady Vol scored for the final 11:04 of the contest.

Tennessee has won 19 consecutive second-round games in the SEC Tournament.

Vanderbilt (21-9) was led by Christina Foggie, who had 16 points and Stephane Holzer, who had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.

Stricklen bombed an NBA-distance 3-pointer with 3:06 left in regulation, with the shot clock expiring, to give the Lady Vols a 64-55 lead.

The senior duo of Stricklen and Johnson keyed a decisive 14-7 spurt as the seniors scored all 14 points in the run to give Tennessee a 59-51 lead with 6:30 left in the second half.

Up one, Stricklen knocked down a 3-pointer with 9:30 left in the second half to give the Vols a 48-44 advantage. Vandy kept battling back but Stricklen answered again with a 3-point play with 8:49 left for a 51-46 lead.

Vanderbilt continued its rally in the second half, coming back to within one point at 41-40, 43-42 and 45-44.

The game featured an extended halftime of about 45 minutes due to a weather delayed caused by tornado warnings in the Nashville area.

Tennessee led 35-27 at halftime thanks to tremendous shooting from the floor coupled with strong defense. The Lady Vols made 53.8 percent from the floor while limiting Vanderbilt to 26.9 percent (7-of-26). Simmons led all scorers with 11 points.

After being down by as many as 19, Vanderbilt cut its deficit to nine with a 10-0 run over 1:30 in the final three minutes of the first half. That spurt was keyed by perfect free-throw shooting as Vanderbilt was 7-of-7 from the line during the 90-second stretch.

Tennessee used a 13-2 run late in the first to build a 32-13 lead with 3:30 left in the half. Meighan Simmons scored eight points in a row in the run as he energized the Lady Vols.

Vanderbilt went without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes, missing 11 field goals in a row after making their first two shots of the game. The drought ended on a Holzer jumper with 9:24 left in the half, cutting the Commodores deficit to seven at 17-10.

Tennessee opened the game sharp from the floor and received some outside shooting from Vicki Baugh, Briana Bass and Cierra Burdick as the Lady Vols held a 17-8 lead with 10:44 left in the first half. Burdick nailed back-to-back jumpers for UT.