Vicki Baugh’s freshman basketball season at Tennessee ended with a national championship and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
The injury severely impacts the 6-foot-4 forward’s offseason work. Still, it doesn’t wipe out next season, said Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols assistant athletics director for sports medicine.
“There’s never a good time for this,’’ Moshak said. “But we have a time frame in which to work.”
Baugh already has begun pre-surgery rehabilitation, which addresses pain, swelling and range of motion. She will undergo surgery next month, after final exams are finished. That leaves approximately six months until the first game of the 2008-09 schedule.
Dr. Greg Mathien, UT’s team orthopedist, confirmed the extent of the damage Friday after Baugh underwent an MRI exam.
Baugh suffered the injury after driving to the basket for a layup with 7:16 left in Tennessee’s 64-48 victory over Stanford in Tampa, Fla. She crumpled to the floor after landing and had to be helped to the bench.
“It was painful,’’ Baugh said afterward. “I landed on it funny.”
Baugh scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds against the Cardinal. Her final basket pushed the Lady Vols’ lead to 55-44 and their advantage stayed in double figures for the game’s duration, enabling them to win their second consecutive national championship and the eighth in team history.
“We all have so much love for Vicki; I love the girl to death,’’ teammate Nicky Anosike said Wednesday. “When she went down, the whole team went down. We knew we had to win for her.”
Baugh played in all 38 games, averaging 5.3 points and four rebounds per game. She shot a team-best 55.2 percent from the floor. She scored in double figures six times with a season-high 12 points against Purdue in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
“Some of her key contributions came in the six games during our national championship run and in the SEC title game,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “Things were really starting to come together for her and it’s just so unfortunate that she suffered a torn ACL.
“I’m excited about Vicki’s future. The knee will be a setback, but I know she’ll come back stronger and more determined than ever.”
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
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Comments » 32
huntined#565710 writes:
OUCH!!! Was at the game and saw her come down on that leg. Knew it was pretty bad but not this bad..Rehab hard Vickie, we need you next year.
You will be the LEADER we will need .
juicetke#226846 writes:
I hate it when injuries are speculated about right after they happen. I wish they would wait and run the appropriate tests before saying what they think the problem is.
I thought it was pretty obvious that this was not just a sprain but i would have been guilty of the same if I or they would have speculated otherwise. They need to just say we are going to wait until we get back to Knoxville and run the appropriate tests.
There is a pa guy at the SCHS football games that speculates over the loud speaker when a player gets hurt. I think he just likes to hear himself speak though.
volfan#207874 writes:
Final exams...surgery...rehab..a tough road to hoe, but you can do it Vicki. We need your leadership qualities as well as your playing time. Follow the prescribed course for rehabilitation and we WILL see you next season. Best of luck in the coming months. You go Lady Vol...show the young ladies how it is supposed to be done to win another National Championship.
juicetke#226846 writes:
Good luck on the Rehap Vickie. You were playing your heart out and contributing a lot. Can't wait to see you play next year.
juicetke#226846 writes:
Whoops...meant to type rehab.
orangebloodgmc writes:
My daughter was a college soccer player and between last 2 yrs of high school and first two yrs of college, she rehabbed thru 3 acl tears and surguries to keep on playing. Vicki can do it with work and patience.
murrayvol writes:
Tough break. The only bad news coming out of the game. Is it my imagination or do women tear ACLs more frequently than men? Good luck Vicki and don't shortcut the rehab.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
damn it, damn it, damn it!@!!!!!
She showed a real upside. Next season is going to be a tough one for vol fans.
I still stick by this: we lose at lest 10 games. We will, however, be playing decent ball by season's end.
We might win the SEC, but maybe Vandy gets us.
I still would look for a sweet sixteen team, but not much more than that.
A lot will depend on Kelley, and how we do for a point guard. Athletically, we will still challenge people with our D, I think. Question is, will we have a go-to player??
pdhuff#552644 writes:
mparker 3:20 agree.
But at least we have a "go-to" coach. One can calmly depend on Pat to get all she can from them.
LadyVolFanForever writes:
Sorry Vicki but you listen to the doctors and mainly to Jenny and you will recover totally like Candace did ! Don't rush it as we need you 100% when you return.
You improved each time in a game this year and showed you have the will to learn and win. Heart & hustle with Coach Summitts' defense & rebounding...........you got it and we look forward to having you back !
While rehabing this summer, keep an eye on the new kids and help them start off on the right track. GO LADY VOLS !!!
CoverOrange writes:
Tough break but great story line to tell the grandkids on how it happened. "There I was...top of the key...clock running down...national championship on the line..."
orangebloodgmc writes:
Murrayvol, you are right, my understanding is that women do tend to tear more acl's then men do, due to different pelvis width and angle of forces at the knee. I saw when Baugh came down with straight leg planted and put twist on the knee, that looked like trouble. They can strengthen upper leg muscles, stretch and learn to land with bent leg.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Oh, YUCK! Vicky was really coming on strong at the end of the season. Thanks to the miracles of modern sports medicine, there is every reason to hope that she will get back at 100% eventually, but that IS still a major injury and not everybody heals in the same way. Even though we need her experience for next year, I hope they don't rush her back into action before she IS 100%. She still has three years of eligibility; bringing her back too soon could jeopardize her entire career. We will likely take a step back next year anyway. Let's be sure we are fully loaded for 2009-10 with what should be a dynamite team.
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
VICKY ,get yourself well ,your great .
reg_mza#219136 writes:
phooey! Get yourself better soon Vicki.
This means she'll be out at least until January. These knee injuries are not the type to bounce back quickly from if one does. After 6 months, she'll be able to run but will still have some swelling. Hardwood floors are a [bleep] on the joints after a knee surgery. If anything, she'll be ready by January or by the SEC Tournament but her playing shape won't be all that great and her offensive skills will not have improved due to lack of mobility and chances to practice for improvement. :-(
Let's hope she rehabs without any subsequent pain or tendonitis.
knoxtenor writes:
Hey, if Jenny Moshak can rehab Candace's dislocated shoulder well enough to win a championship in two days, she can get Vickie back on her feet in six months.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but did everybody that's had an ACL tear watching the game pretty much know that that was what it was? I tore my ACL about 10 years ago (nothing glamorous as a championship game, or even playing a sport: taking out the #*^% trash! lol) and, since then, seems like I just KNOW when I see an ACL blow-out on TV. The way the knee moves--odd directions--makes my knee hurt just thinking about it.
miamiVOL writes:
i love watching Vicki play, she has such good length and jump in her step, i hope she doesnt lose any of her explosiveness permanently...we really need her next year
Einstein writes:
Good Luck Vickie. We will see you back next stronger and better than ever. It was important and impressive to watch you improve during this year.
janchattn#610676 writes:
So sorry to hear that Vicki will need surgery but trust it will heal soon, she's got heart and determination. I think we'll do ok next season, I saw Kelley Cain play in the Carson-Newman exhibition game and she is one fantastic player! If Vicki can get back, and with Kate back and Kelley, plus Alex, and Syd, we'll be in pretty good shape right off. Anybody who becomes a Lady Vol already has what it takes, but boy will I miss our five seniors from this year! What a team! I'd better stop before I cry. Thanks for a great year! We'll be here waiting for you this fall!!!
dopedawg writes:
Get better soon Vick!!! Take care of that leg!! Will pray for you, we love ya!!!
janchattn#610676 writes:
Oops, I forgot to put Angie in there with the others, we've got her too, I predict a great year for her too next year!
volntx writes:
red shirt next year, you will not be ready and hurt it again in 6 months.
VolInIndy writes:
Best Wishes and prayers Ms. Baugh. We are looking forward to your return. You are a very gifted lady!!
The Lady Vols are getting divine intervention in this incoming recruiting class. How can we miss with two ladies named Shekinna and Glory? Anybody else out there feeling it?
mad_poly_uct writes:
mparker....10 losses!!? Just like '97? Awww man, now you're really gettin' me paranoid! I hope Baugh's surgery and rehab go well & she's back asap.
MillisaAnn writes:
Vikki you have my prayers and Listen to Jenny and the Dr's. Get Well Soon!!!
utchris writes:
As long as her body responds well to the surgery, she will be back within the first month of the season. The biggest risk will not be the knee (it is stronger once repaired than it was before you hurt it), but rather her conditioning. It used to be a surgery that kept you out 9-12 months on average, but with most elite level athletes (especially with a trainer like Jenny) the average is usually more in the 5-7 month range with 6 being the norm.
As for the higher rate of incidence in women, there is really no definitive answer. There are a slew of factors, therefore it is hard to single out any one factor. I can tell you that the LV training staff has been at the forefront of injury prevention (ACL more specifically) over the past decade. If you want some advice for young daughters, encourage them to do a lot of core strengthening work and look into ACL Prevention strategies like the Santa Monica Project (easy to find by googling). The Santa Monica Project does not use core strength as a factor, but I found that adding it to a similar program that I designed for my athletes, not only helped with ACL prevention, but total body injury prevention.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
utchris2003, I'm not doubting your expertise or info in the slightest, but if as you say the Lady Vols have been in the forefront of injury prevention, then it would seem that women athletes in fact are more prone to ACL injuries in particular. It may just be anecdotal, but it seems to me that the Lady Vols have had way more ACL injuries than men's baketball or football players, even allowing for the greater numbers of male athletes. That seems to be true for female athletes across the country. Maybe I'm getting a skewed impression because of the all-seeing media, but it seems that lots of programs lose a player or two every season specifically to torn ACLs much more so than men's programs. I could be wrong, but it seems way more common than could be accounted for by chance alone.
utang1602#204610 writes:
johnlg00,
Women are more apt to tear an ACL because of structural differences between the genders. There has been lots of research done, but they hypothesize it is either hormonally related and/or related to the difference in stance. I'm hopeful that someday soon research discovers what can be done to make the tear less common.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
mad_poly:
I actually think Pat may 'aim' for that. To get all the pieces in place, she'll have to take her lumps.
Sometimes early losses aren't bad when you are developing a team. If Pat is playing multiple point guards, wokring different lineups, and basically 'toughening up' the team, losses actually help (twisted logic, I know). Players hate to lose, and often learn much more from a loss than a win.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
mad_poly, I should add something:
the best thing for a team, I think, is to win close. Winning big means you are NEVER under pressure. I think that is waht killed Memphis, and maybe your huskettes (just teasing). I keep going back to LSU and Florida in football, an UF in men's basketball. Those teams had all been in tough, tight games, had taken a lump of 2, and knew how to perform to win.
I think the LV's where that way this year. Being a defensive team, they really didn't run away with tons of games. The SEC was bad, but the OOC schedule pushed them, as did the NCAAW's.
ladyvolsrock writes:
Get well soon Vicki. You are a great player. Some come back nearly at full strength at 4 months; some at 6-7 months. Some never make it back the same. More psychological than physical. That injury is so painful that sometimes you just get scared of it happening again. It doesn't happen often to Lady Vols players because, I think, of how well the whole person is taken care of. As far as conditioning goes Jenny always takes care of that. There are other things you can do to condition an athlete other than running. She has the best there is. Since they are waiting nearly a month for surgery she may well recover quicker than normal.
volnut1 writes:
Vicki, I have listened to and watched the Lady Vols for more years than you have been alive so listen to some experience. Please listen to the doctors and trainers and coaches and get over this before you try coming back. Just remember all the Lady Vol fans want you back as soon as possible because your are a great player and you can be one of their great leaders. I do not think the doctors or Pat Summit will allow you to come back if you are not ready so please listen to them. I have said before and I say againg Summit has proven too many times that she is the best basketball coach in the nation and I think Tennessee is very lucky to have her.
volnut@fallbranchtn.com
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