Divided opinions on divisional play

Two seasons before the SEC divides its women’s basketball teams into East and West Divisions, the format change has divided the league coaches.

Two viewpoints were aired this week at SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. One believes that the change for the 2009-2010 season will enhance attendance and create more interest with division championships at stake. The dissenting opinion counts on more losses across the board, which will impact NCAA selections and seedings.

The issue previously had split sentiments pretty much along East and West lines. But there were some changes of heart, most notably from Tennessee.

“I haven’t been for it,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “But among the ADs and senior administrators there’s the feeling that this is going to be best for our game. I want to be a team player.”

Among the league’s five new coaches, there was a sense of inevitability about the format change, which will add two conference games to every team’s schedule. Two veteran coaches thought otherwise, however.

“We’re beating each other up,’’ South Carolina coach Susan Walvius said. “I don’t think it helps when it comes to NCAA selection. It hurts seeding in the NCAA tournament.”

Georgia coach Andy Landers said more losses for conference teams and the ripple effect was “the big piece of the picture that people weren’t willing to look at.”

Familiar Faces: The conference’s five new coaches aren’t that new to the SEC.

Kentucky’s Matthew Mitchell, Arkansas’ Tom Collen and Ole Miss’ Renee Ladner have served as assistants at their respective schools. Mitchell also was an assistant at Florida and a graduate assistant at Tennessee. Ladner has been with the Rebels the past four seasons.

LSU’s Van Chancellor was head coach at Ole Miss for 19 season before moving to the WNBA’s Houston Comets. Florida’s Amanda Butler played for the Gators.

The fact that three of the coaches are males might be more noteworthy. The trend has been toward hiring female coaches. Before this season, the league was down to one male head coach — Georgia’s Landers.

“I think where you find women’s basketball right now is winning is very, very important,’’ said Collen, noting the resources that are being pouring into these programs. “So where it might have been a priority at one time to seek out the best qualified woman for a job, I think we’re in a place right now where you have to go out and get the best candidate and not really put the emphasis on gender.”

Puleo Preview: Former William Blount High School star guard Angela Puleo, a freshman at Georgia, has made an early impression on All-American teammate Tasha Humphrey.

“She has that killer mentality,’’ Humphrey said. “Sometimes that’s good. Sometimes that’s bad. Sometimes in practice she’ll beat herself up. She has high expectations for herself.”

Puleo, a shooting guard, could serve as a backup point guard, too.

“I don’t have limitations on her,’’ Landers said. “I think she’s going to be a great player.”

Home Game? The Big East Conference had its media day on Thursday and West Virginia coach Mike Carey was bemoaning the fact the Tennessee’s return trip to West Virginia this season won’t be to the Mountaineeers’ homecourt in Morgantown but rather to Charleston. The game will be a homecoming for UT guard Alexis Hornbuckle, a Charleston native.

“You know what?’’ Carey said. “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 have a home game. But our administration set it up, we have to play it and we’re looking forward to playing it.”

Take a wild guess as to which conference coach supported Carey.

“That’s bad. I means that’s a road game for (West Virginia),’’ Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. “I’m sure Mike’s not happy. I wouldn’t be happy either.”

Notebook: Auburn 6-foot-7 center KeKe Carrier is academically ineligible and likely won’t be back with the Tigers. ... Former Arkansas coach Susie Gardner is an assistant at Florida, where she has switched roles with Butler, who was Gardner’s assistant at Austin Peay ... Kentucky’s Mitchell says sophomore guard Amani Franklin, who had offseason knee surgery, “has the tools to be an All-SEC caliber player.” ... LSU All-American center Sylvia Fowles on Chancellor’s folksy diction: “He has his own dictionary, period. Sometimes you don’t understand what he’s saying.” ... UT assistant Holly Warlick said former Lady Vols Kara Lawson and Loree Moore have text messaged her that they will be here with the U.S. national team for next Sunday’s exhibition game against UT.