Hornbuckle tries to low-key visit home

Family, friends and media comprise an extended welcoming committee for Alexis Hornbuckle.

This isn't simply another road trip for the Tennessee senior women's basketball guard, not with the destination her hometown of Charleston, W. Va. Still, she's trying to keep it that way.

"It's basketball," she said. "It's basketball with a home-cooked meal on this trip. Just kind of keeping it in perspective. It's not about me. It not necessarily about me going home. It's about Tennessee trying to win another game, and West Virginia is our opponent."

The top-ranked Lady Vols (3-0) and the No. 16 Mountaineers (3-0) square off at the Charleston Civic Center at 7 tonight. Hornbuckle's ticket request list alone challenges her perspective.

"I told all my friends to buy their tickets," Hornbuckle said. "From that, I still have a list of 46 tickets."

The media credentials list is even bigger at approximately 57. Apparently they haven't forgotten the three-time state high school player of the year, who won four state championships at the site of tonight's game. Her final game at the Civic Center drew a crowd of 7,250.

"She's quite popular between her personality and her style of play," UT coach Pat Summitt said. "The people up there loved her."

The size of the media contingent also reflects West Virginia's presence. Last month, West Virginia coach Mike Carey offered his viewpoint on this night, disagreeing with his school administration's willingness to play in Hornbuckle's hometown, rather than on the Mountaineers' home court in Morgantown.

"I've said all along when this was scheduled that we should not reward players for leaving the state and have them come back and play a home game," Carey said. "But our administration set it up, we have to play it and we're looking forward to playing it."

The Mountaineers have warmed up for the occasion with three victories by an average of 40 points. They've held the opposition (Canisius, St. Francis, Pa., and Cornell) to 30.7 percent field goal shooting while helping to force 75 turnovers. Center Olayinka Sanni is averaging 17.3 points her game. Guard Meg Bulger, who missed last season with a knee injury, is averaging 15.7 off the bench and has 10 3-pointers.

"They have a toughness about them," Summitt said. "They are very disciplined and well coached."

And this is an opponent that Hornbuckle actually prefers playing.

"I think it makes it better," she said. "I'd much rather go home and play a competitive squad such as West Virginia. ... I want it to be as exciting as possible for the fans at home."

If so, then Hornbuckle had better be at her best. Her stat line from Sunday's 92-67 victory over No. 21 Texas - 13 points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks - measures the scope of her impact.

Hornbuckle is eight assists away from passing Chamique Holdsclaw (385) into 10th place on the career list. She's closing in on 1,000 career points with 991. With 279 steals, Hornbuckle is stalking the career record of 333, held by Bridgette Gordon.

The numbers speak to Hornbuckle's production. Summitt speaks on behalf of her intangibles.

"I wasn't sure if she would ever be able to handle or be ready for the type of leadership she's already demonstrated this year," Summitt said. "Her leadership and her personality and her maturity has been tremendous."

For Hornbuckle, tonight's game is more about UT's freshmen and assisting their adjustment to playing on the road. During Thursday's game against Oklahoma in Tampa, Fla., she told first-year player Sydney Smallbone: "It's practice with some refs and some fans. So just relax and play your game."

Hornbuckle is trying to follow her advice by keeping everything as low-key as possible. Her parents were preparing a Thanksgiving-type dinner for the team Tuesday night and Hornbuckle suggested that it be served at the team's hotel.

"It will make it a lot easier," she said. "I'm thinking, more or less, of the team."

Hornbuckle also endorsed the team practice of collecting personal cell phones at curfew time the night before a road game. For this trip, she's happy to oblige.

"This is the one trip where I'm actually happy we get our phones taken away at curfew," she said, "so I don't have to deal with all the calls, last-minute ticket requests and all that."

Keep it just like any other road trip. At least try anyway.

"That's her one opportunity to go home and play," Summitt said. "I trust her. I believe she'll be ready to play."