The hopeful view of the Tennessee women's basketball roster sees 10 players for this season.
That's an upgrade for a team that barely went eight Lady Vols deep in winning a national championship last season. Two more players in the rotation isn't too much to fathom for assistant coach Dean Lockwood. Still, it takes some adjustment.
"That's our hope,'' he said after Saturday's team practice. "I'm still foreign to that now. That's something I have to think about."
For now, hope is being obscured by reality and some rethinking might be in order.
With top-ranked Tennessee (4-0) preparing to face Louisiana Tech (2-1) at 7 tonight (TV: SportSouth) at Thompson-Boling Arena, UT's ranks are being threatened by a recession. Circumstances are conspiring against the Lady Vols' bountiful bench.
Freshman center Kelley Cain has been out for nearly three weeks after suffering an injury to her right knee. Despite improvements, her return doesn't seem to be imminent.
"Her lateral movement is good,'' said Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols assistant athletic director for sports medicine. "Her up-and-down movement is not so good. We haven't even tried jumping yet."
Cain's condition is related to how her patellar tendon tracks. Moshak said the 6-foot-6 center no longer is suffering from swelling in the joint and has good range of motion. Furthermore, she's back in the weight room.
"We are making progress,'' Moshak said.
But not enough yet to remove the consideration of a redshirt from the conversation. Moshak said UT completes 30 percent of its regular season against Gonzaga on Dec. 16.
In the meantime, Cain will continue her rehabilitation. The range of possible remedies includes a surgical procedure that involves, "changing the mechanics of the way the kneecap tracks,'' Moshak said.
The case of senior guard Alberta Auguste is indirectly related to her medical chart but is more the result of a raging case of frustration.
Auguste missed a portion of the preseason with a calf contusion. She injured a finger on her non-shooting left hand in Wednesday's game at West Virginia.
When Auguste jammed her right hand in Friday's team practice, it set off an emotional reaction that continued into Saturday's workout and drew the ire of UT coach Pat Summitt.
"She's been injured, she's had some setbacks,'' Summitt said. "A little adversity and she didn't handle it well. Hopefully, she'll learn from it."
Summitt wouldn't say Sunday what Auguste's playing status would be for tonight's game.
Like the rest of Tennessee's reserves, Auguste needs playing time. The starters, particularly All-American forward Candace Parker, could use their help with the work load.
"Candace Parker will be the first one to tell you she loves it when other people get it going,'' Lockwood said, "because that means less pressure and less attention on her."
One player who has no restrictions tonight - physical, punitive or otherwise - is freshman forward Vicki Baugh. She was limited to five minutes against West Virginia after suffering a strained left knee during the game but the downtime was precautionary. She has been fine in practice this weekend. Lockwood thinks Baugh's development needs a big dose of game action.
"It's like a fighter, you can hit the speed bag and the heavy bag,'' he said, "but until someone's hitting you back and you're ducking and moving ... you gotta have that."
McMahan Update: Sophomore guard Cait McMahan, who is redshirting this season after undergoing offseason surgery on her right knee, participated in two practices this weekend, playing on the scout team.
The former Heritage High School star sat out Sunday and rehabbed her knee.
"She put together two very good days,'' Moshak said. "(Sunday) the knee is talking to her a little bit. I'll take that."
Moshak said practice participation is acceptable, provided it doesn't impact McMahan's rehabilitation.
"If playing starts affecting that, we're not playing,'' Moshak said.
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Comments » 6
knoxdaniel#213742 writes:
If they were in high school they would be playing. We are paying them to play at the school(scholarship). Let them play otherwise we'll be short changed like we will be with CP3.
bmgvirgo#210233 writes:
Are you kidding me Knoxdaniel with that comment??? There is no guarantee they would be playing if they were in high school. They are more likely to play in high school because the "team" needs them. That is how some people ruin their careers and their future health too. It may not seem to be the case now, but NOTHING is worth wearing out your knees (or anything) by the age of 25 and needing replacements. It is early in the season, give them time to heal - there is no rush. CP3 did the right thing her first year, sitting out that is. If she had done that her senior year, she would have been playing her frosh year at UT. She still has some problems with that knee (occasional swelling) as it is. This is not the time of year to be rushing back from any injury. They are players, not disposable body parts.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
right on bmg...silly silly silly statement by knox....as a matter of fact pls leave this site never to return knoxdaniel.....pls...pls....pls....go away
andefromtn#212139 writes:
I applaud the caution UT is taking with the health of these young ladies. I am glad to see "play through the pain" being tempered with the best interest of the athlete in mind. Yes, UT is paying for their education but UT is earning millions each season they play there. College sports is big time money and the athletes see very little of it, @hen CP3 leaves UT, she is unlikely, as a female basketball player, to earn a million bucks a year unless she becomes a successful coach in the future. UT has pocketed that and much more off her in the last 4 years. So please don't talk about these young ladies owing UT a penny, UT owes them the best medical care possible and more.
I am a former Division II baseball catcher, who is now 46 and needs to use a powerchair if I walk more than 50 feet. I have had 6 orthopedic surgeries on my knees and ankles in the past and both knees need replacing now but KOC is unwilling to perform the surgeries due to my age. If I had been allowed to heal properly when injured in college, I would still have problems but maybe I could walk in a grocery store to shop. Just thoughts from experience.
rockytopron writes:
I can't wait to see Kelley Cain take the court, she will be a beast on the boards. However, I would rather her redshirt this season and be healthy next season when Candace will be gone.
Vickie Baugh is going to be awesome. With the number 1 recruiting class two years in a row the Lady Vols are stacked to win titles for the next decade.
sgtvols writes:
get her well & on the floor. candace can't continue to do it too much by herself. we need cain especially when we get to the ncaa. love to see the 3's raining in but they are too inconsistant we cannot live or die with the 3's. this may be candace's last year, we gotta git # 8 this year.
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