THE PACE SETTER

"She opened up our running game,'' UT coach Pat Summitt said. "She forced other people to run.''

McCray, a two-time All-American and two-time SEC player of the year, will be honored this weekend as one of six inductees to the Lady Volunteer Hall of Fame.

McCray never won a national championship during her UT career (1991-95). To this day, she laments the void. "Especially when (former Connecticut star) Diana Taurasi asks me every day, 'How many championships did you win? I won three,' '' McCray said with a chuckle.

McCray and Taurasi are teammates on the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.

McCray can take some credit, though, for the three UT championships that followed her career. Her influence helped the Lady Vols to recruit players and mold teams that reflected her style of play.

McCray inspires a different sort of question from Summitt: "Who doesn't love a running game?''

McCray and the five other inductees will be honored at a private ceremony tonight at Calhoun's on the River and will be recognized later in the evening at the UT-Florida women's volleyball match.

On Saturday, the inductees will be honored in conjunction with the Tennessee-Alabama football game.

The other inductees are four athletes and an administrator:

* Ilrey Oliver: She ran track from 1983-87 and was a 15-time All-American. Oliver, a member of the 1984 Jamaican Olympic team, ran on mile relays that won NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. She was the '86 NCAA indoor champion at 500 meters.

* Jasmin Jones: A standout on the local road-racing scene, Jones was a 12-time All-American during her track/cross country career (1987-91). She ran a leg of the '91 NCAA indoor champion 4x800 relay and was an SEC indoor champ in the mile and 1,000 meters. In cross country, she was All-SEC three times.

* Robin Maine: During her volleyball career (1980-84) she played on back-to-back SEC championship teams in 1981-82. She is the conference career leader in solo blocks and the school record-holder in career aces and blocks.

* Jenny McGrath: The former swimmer (1988-92) was a fifteen-time All-American. McGrath, who works for Memphis Surgical Associates, won the SEC championship in the 200 individual medley ('90) and is a school record holder in three individual events and a relay.

* Dr. Joe Johnson: Under the direction of the former university president (1990-99), the Lady Vols added golf, rowing, soccer and softball.

Along with his wife, Pat, Johnson was a founding member of the Lady Vols' "Adoptive Family Program.''

Early look: A few first impressions from the start of fall practice:

* Freshman center Nicky Anosike passes like a guard and runs like one, too. But she rebounds like a true post player. While her shooting skills are rough, her energy and athleticism will be valuable assets.

* The Lady Vols better be careful with freshman guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who spent the preseason recovering from patella tendonitis. She pulled herself out of Monday's practice.

"I don't want her to fear coming out of practice,'' Summitt said. "We know this could be a gradual thing.''

* The competitiveness of this team is more apparent than its relative inexperience. Even sophomore Dominique Redding, who struggled last season, has dialed up her effort.

The overall effort is most apparent on defense.

"Sometimes you get this level of talent, they don't play both ends,'' Summitt said. "This group plays hard at both ends.''

For fans attending Saturday's UT football game, the Lady Vols will practice from noon-2 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Recruiting: Lindsey Moss, a 6-0 guard from Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta, Ga., will make her official visit this weekend. Moss will be the lone signee next month of the Lady Vols' recruiting class.

Heritage junior guard Cait McMahan, who verbally committed to Tennessee this summer, will make an unofficial visit.

Two other top recruits also are believed to be making unofficial visits this weekend: Nicci Moats, a 6-2 junior from Lord Botetourt in Daleville, Va., and Maya Moore, a 6-0 sophomore from Collins Hill in Suwanee, Ga.

Dan Fleser covers Tennessee women's basketball. He may be reached at fleser@knews.com or 865-342-6288.