Adams: Freshmen give Lady Vol fans good reason to look ahead

Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle whipped the basketball across the court to Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who promptly pitched it inside to Sybil Dosty for a layup. If you're scoring at home, that's freshman to freshman to freshman.

Moments later, with the Lady Vols threatening to win by 30 points, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle pestered TCU star center Sandora Irvin into a turnover, which Hornbuckle quickly cashed in for a layup.

Sunday wasn't the first time that UT's celebrated freshman class had impacted a game. Dosty had 11 points and 11 rebounds a week ago against DePaul; Hornbuckle scored a team-high 17 points in a victory over Louisiana Tech last Wednesday.

But in the 82-55 victory over TCU, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle didn't just help UT win a game. They helped it dominate at both ends of the floor in much the same manner that freshmen Semeka Randall and Tamika Catchings did six years ago during UT's 39-0 season.

You already had seen Hornbuckle's potential. But you saw even more of it when Wiley-Gatewood joined her on the court for the first time.

Their quickness and athleticism repeatedly disrupted TCU's offense. And that was only the half of it. They contributed 24 points and 10 assists to an inconsistent UT offense that suddenly began scoring with ease.

Wiley-Gatewood showed no ill effects from a knee injury that caused her to miss the first eight games. And if she hadn't admitted to being terribly nervous about her college debut, you would have thought she had been playing for weeks.

"When I first got out there, I was so nervous," said the consensus high school All-American from Pomona, Calif. "Then, the first two minutes that I was in, I got into a rhythm with my teammates. And by passing to them, I got in rhythm with my shooting."

Wiley-Gatewood made three of five 3-point attempts but turned more heads with her passing, which created easy baskets as well as a sense of anticipation among the fans. They weren't the only ones wondering, "What's next?"

"I don't know that I'm open, but she thinks that I'm open," said UT forward Shyra Ely, who scored 23 points and made nine of 12 field-goal attempts. "So I have to be ready for the ball at all times.

"It's the same with Alexis. They did a great job of pushing the ball, and I just got a lot of easy buckets underneath."

Wiley-Gatewood never made it easy for the TCU offense. With UT leading by 19 points midway through the second half, she made an unexpected dive for the basketball, knocking it loose from Moneka Wright in front of the UT bench, which responded as though a championship game had just turned its way. As Shanna Zolman waved a towel, the enthusiasm reverberated through the stands.

Wiley-Gatewood's smile widened when she was asked about the fans' reaction.

"That's how I play," she said. "I love to keep the fans involved."

Her debut was well timed. Point guard Loree Moore is expected to be out three more weeks while recovering from a tonsillectomy.

"We have been very limited," coach Pat Summitt said. "Against Louisiana Tech, I was looking at the bench. I really only had one guard sub, and I was playing (forward) Dominique Redding at a guard slot."

More help is on the way.

Freshman Candace Parker, another consensus high school All-American, hasn't played this season after undergoing knee surgery in early September. She could return as early as next month.

Parker is listed as 6-foot-3 and looks taller. But don't let that fool you. She has the ball-handling and shooting range to play anywhere on the court. Her skills will especially complement Wiley-Gatewood's.

"It's easier for me to throw her the ball, because all I've got to do is throw it to the rim," Wiley-Gatewood said. "She'll jump and get it. I can't wait to play with her.

"We've just got to get her running and playing with the team. (After that) I think it will take her about a week to catch up."

By then, the burden of catching could be on the opponents.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.