Adams: For Fowles, good time for dunk

But she never dunked in a game.

So put her mug shot in the press guide. And clear a page for former UT center Michelle Snow.

Snow never made All-American or played on a national championship team. But she's the only Lady Vol with a whole page to herself in the press guide.

A dunk goes a long way in women's basketball.

Sylvia Fowles, LSU's 6-foot-6 freshman center, knows that. She found out as a freshman at Edison High School in Miami.

Fowles dunked twice in the same game. Each time, her high school fans rushed onto the court as though a championship had been decided.

Championships are won every year in women's basketball. Dunks are as common as comets, and the media treats them accordingly.

The UT press guide details all three of Snow's collegiate dunks. It also lends an historical perspective.

Georgeann Wells of West Virginia and North Carolina's Charlotte Smith are the only other women crediting with dunking in an NCAA game. Wells did in 1984, and Smith did it 10 years later. Snow last did it three years ago.

Hey, "Big Syl," isn't it about time?

"I'm telling you it's coming," Fowles says with a smile.

It better come soon if she wants to keep her promise to LSU senior guard Temeka Johnson.

Fowles said she promised Johnson she would dunk in a game before the end of Johnson's career. In a best-case scenario, Johnson and the Lady Tigers have six games left, beginning with their first-round NCAA tournament game against Stetson this afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.

If it happens here, it won't remind you of Snow's dunks. Snow's fingers barely cleared the rim when she dropped the ball through the basket.

"I'm going to bang it," Fowles said.

She dunks routinely in practice. She does it one-handed and with man-like force.

"The ball is not just slipping off her hand with her touching the rim," Johnson said. "She's really flushing it. It will be very obvious."

And it should surprise no one. Although Fowles is listed as 6-5, she insists she is 6-6.

"She will go crazy if she hears somebody say she is 6-5," Johnson said. "She's comfortable with who she is. I think that's why everybody loves her. She's a big kid at heart. That grabs your attention right off the bat."

So does her physique. Fowles, who ranked second in the SEC in blocked shots and third in rebounding, is tall, muscular and athletic.

With all that in her favor , you're probably wondering, "What's the dunking holdup?"

"She's really in the learning stage right now," Johnson said. "She's not trying to do anything that will bring her more attention. When she feels comfortable, she'll do it."

To which, Fowles adds: "I'm just waiting for a good time."

She's more concerned about her progress as a player than a dunker. Although she already has established herself as a shot blocker and rebounder, her offensive game isn't nearly as advanced.

"She will develop offensively," Johnson said. "When she gets there, it's going to be scary."

And if she dunks along the way, it's going to be historical.

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