Tennessee's fall in the Associated Press' weekly top 25 women's basketball poll didn't turn out to be a full-scale tumble.
The Lady Vols (23-2) dropped from the top spot to No. 3 after suffering a 78-62 loss to LSU last Thursday. UT coach Pat Summitt didn't offer much comment regarding last Monday's controversial 59-58 victory over Rutgers and its impact on the voting by a national media panel. The Scarlets Knights received eight first-place votes but also were ranked as low as eighth by voters.
"I don't know,'' she said, regarding the game's effect on UT. "I don't know that it really matters."
LSU received a first-place vote and moved up to No. 6. Summitt thought the one-sided outcome Thursday might cost Tennessee three places in the poll.
"I think the way we played in the LSU game, we looked below average for a Tennessee team,'' Summitt said. "We exposed ourselves to everybody."
The Lady Vols' fall corresponded with the Tennessee men's team rising to No. 2 in its poll. It marked the first time the Vols were ranked ahead of the Lady Vols since late December of 1982. Summitt was quick to credit the Vols. She told her players as much in their meeting last Friday afternoon, the day after the LSU debacle.
"I talked to them in the meeting about how hard they play,'' Summitt said of the Vols. "I talked to them about the effort our guys are playing with, the intensity, the togetherness."
Summitt saw more of what she expects from her team in Sunday's 81-68 SEC victory at Vanderbilt. She's hoping the Lady Vols build on their performance when they play at Alabama on Thursday.
"It's more about us right now and how we play,'' Summitt said. "Are we playing the scoreboard? Are we getting bored? What are we doing? We have to have accountability.
"I liked what I saw in Nashville for the most part and we had a good workout today (Monday), but we've yet to demonstrate we're going to be a 40-minute team every game."
On The Other Hand: UT senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle framed the importance of Sunday's victory with the stark contrast of the alternative.
"I know if we would've lost, it would've been very discouraging,'' she said. "We might have been second-guessing our abilities as a team and where we're headed and our goals, whether they're achievable."
It's About Defense: Sydney Smallbone has played one minute in the last three games. Summitt said the freshman guard's playing time is being curtailed by a "lack of awareness on the defensive end."
"Sid is going to get all of this down eventually,'' Summitt said. "It's unfortunate she didn't come in with a depth of knowledge on the defensive aspects."
Notebook: UT's championship rings from last season finally have arrived, to which Summitt jokingly replied: "I don't want them (the players) to think we got one. We need two." ... Senior center Nicky Anosike, who has a shiner after being hit in the nose during the LSU game, is one point shy of her 1,000th career point. ... Summitt said the team will travel to Alabama on game day, allowing several players to attend classes Thursday morning.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Memorable moments in Pat Summitt's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 12
CoverOrange writes:
I'm sure there are alot of LSU fans complaining about how they could be ranked below the team they beat handily in their backyard.
UConn should not be #1. Neither should we, but Uconn shouldn't.
1volk-nowi-tall writes:
Hornbuckle needs to evaluate her own play. She is trying to do things against very good players and teams that she has gotten away with against lesser players and teams. Fundamentals and routine mechanics will win over showboating every time.. Anosike is a marked player by the officials. She has fantom calls made against her every game. Parker is so good that officials are trying to level the playing field by allowing the opponents to foul her over and over again before finally calling a foul. She was pushed in the face at least twice on Sunday and pushed down from behind, in plain view, at least once. The program has just gotten too successful and I guess Pat and her assistants are to blame for that.
bmaples writes:
Nicky, can you make it, say, 1,200 points by the end of this season?
pendav#661488 writes:
HEY WD40
Who should be #1??
blackoakfarm#635750 writes:
Dan, if you are trying to be cute with you headline, you failed. I think your choice of words are inappropriate when discussing the ladies basketball team.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good post, ge446. Hornbuckle is a little like JaJuan Smith in that there seems to be a certain irreducible minimum of "hotdog" in both of them. It is, IMHO, just a byproduct of the energy both of them bring to their play, and for the most part that has been a plus. They make you want to tear your hair out watching them sometimes, but neither team would be as successful without them. They will both be sorely missed next year, so I hope they make the most of this one! Agree that Anosike for some reason is a player officials love to hate, if that's the word. Brian Williams of the men's team is in much the same boat, but at least he has the additional burden of being a freshman. Anosike gets no respect for being a senior and a three-year starter on a championship team--I don't get it!
Embarrassed writes:
TO: WD40plusVol
I am a vols fan, but why would you make a stupid comment that Uconn should not be #1. At this point they should be. Lets remember Uconn lost a nailbiter to Rutgers, We had a 40minutes and 1.3 second kind of victory over Rutgers. Uconn beat Stamford by 12 and were up as many as 25. We lost to Stamford. LOOK, Uconn has lost two starters to knee injuries. They are not the same team. We will crush them in MARCH....
fortandrews writes:
Pat hit the nail on the head when she said Smallbone has trouble with her defence - she is a Freshman and may be able to get the job done - but with a lot of hard work. But Parker is NO FRESHMAN and her defence would only be fair if she didn't have the ability to block shots - outside of that she just stands around wondering where her "man" is that she should be guarding. She needs to play like a REAL ALL AMERICAN on both ends of the court.
CoverOrange writes:
Embarrassed, your last three sentences answer your question. BTW, did you mean Stanford?
I'm just pointing out the inequity of the polls. Rutgers did beat both teams (seriously, 0.2 seconds not withstanding) and is still sitting out there at 5th. LSU slapped the LVs and is 6th.
Polls are a farce in any major sport.
ODA751 writes:
Fortandrews. Parker plays like an All-American every game. Her defense is exceptional. Remember that she cannot always attack the dribble drive because she cannot afford to get into foul trouble. She is an exceptional shot blocker and plays most of the game. In the big games, she may play all 40 minutes. When you see Parker play, you're probably looking at the greatest female basketball player to ever wear orange. Not trying to bash you, but cut her some slack.
splinterdand#602266 writes:
I hate to write a negative comment about Coach Summitt, but how the heck is Smallbone going to get it together on defense if she's languishing on the bench? As a coach, I believe I'd be more inclined to be disappointed in senior guards who aren't contributing squat. Also, I can't see Smallbone taunting like Bobbitt did against Rutgers. This while being a total nonfactor in the game.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
splinterdand, Pat sees Smallbone every day in practice, so I would guess she sees that deficient defense on a regular basis. Pat seems to have this quaint notion that players should practice like they expect to play. If she thought Smallbone was ready to make a real contribution, Smallbone would play. I agree that Bobbitt has not played as well much of the time as she did last year, but give Pat credit for having a pretty good notion of which players give them the best chance of winning most of the time. I think she has earned that much trust from the likes of us!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.