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Lady Vols make adjustments for 1-game loss of Hornbuckle
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Playing without Alexis Hornbuckle will be like missing several women's basketball players for Tennessee.
The senior guard won't be available for Thursday's SEC game against Arkansas because of a diagnostic test for an undisclosed health issue. UT coach Pat Summitt itemized Monday what the Lady Vols will be doing without and the list was lengthy.
"She (Hornbuckle) sets the tempo for us on the defensive end, and she's one of the best rebounding guards to ever play in this program,'' Summitt said. "She's passionate about playing defense but now she's added to her offensive package and been more efficient there."
A good measure of Hornbuckle's varied abilities is the fact that she and former Mississippi State star Tan White are the only SEC players to have at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists, 300 steals and 50 blocks during their careers.
Summitt described Hornbuckle's impending one-game absence as a matter of timing.
"This was the best time to do this and take care of the situation,'' Summitt said. "And I didn't want to prolong it. I just thought let's get it over with and move on."
Hornbuckle downplayed how her absence will impact the Lady Vols.
"They'll be OK,'' she said. "They're a strong team. They're coming together well."
Senior Alberta Auguste will start in place of Hornbuckle. This will be the second time in three games that UT will have just eight players available. Forward Alex Fuller sat out last Thursday's game at Kentucky to rest her knees.
Player Of The Week: Forward Candace Parker, who missed Monday's practice because of illness, was named SEC player of the week for the third time this season.
She averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in victories over Kentucky and Vanderbilt. She shot 19-for-26 from the floor (73 percent) in the two games.
Counting her five freshman-of-the-week awards, Parker has received 13 weekly honors from the SEC, the most in league history.
After Parker scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Vanderbilt on Sunday, Commodores coach Melanie Balcomb said Parker's teammates make her harder to guard.
"Their starting lineup, it's very difficult to leave any one of those players,'' Balcomb said. "You can't double and triple (team) her like you could in the past."
High-Low Blues: The Lady Vols were burned again Sunday by high-low plays with passes coming from the high post to set up scoring plays under the basket.
"It's one of the hardest things to defend,'' Summitt said. "We've gotten better. We're going to get a lot better. We're going to make it a priority every day in practice."
The Lady would like to benefit from the play as well. But it will require more high-post shots from players like center Nicky Anosike and freshman forward/center Vicki Baugh.
"The problem we have is so much of the time Candace is attracting a player and a half,'' Summitt said. "A lot of times we have that high-post look."
Regarding Baugh, who had nine points and four assists Sunday, Summitt said, "She has the green light. She has to think shot first, pass second."
Awesome Baby: The V Foundation for cancer research has announced that Summitt and Texas Tech men's coach Bob Knight will be the honored guests at the Dick Vitale Gala for cancer research May 16 in Sarasota, Fla.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by knoxdaniel on January 21, 2008 at 11:16 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by anthony on January 21, 2008 at 11:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmmmm..i wonder if you are a monkey??? Is there a law against Love??
Posted by tenn32rebel on January 22, 2008 at 12:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, during the season there is a law against anything that would adversely impact your ability to help your team. Hopefully, it is more routine and not something like that.
Knoxdaniel, you are a true cynic!!!!
Posted by pdhuff on January 22, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just beat Arkansas.
Posted by vol4jesus on January 22, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Master Goodwin that was an inappropriate post sir! Does all press have to be negative twisted? I thinketh not sir! Get better Alexis. Go Lady Vols beat the hogs with Sir Bruce doing commentary with Mr. Kesling.
Posted by Peanutbuttercup on January 22, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Knoxdaniel, you are so barking up the wrong tree. If you saw the Vandy game, didn't you notice that she hurt her back? With HIPAA regulations in effect, "undisclosed medical issue" is not nearly as eyebrow-raising as it used to be.
Posted by dash727 on January 22, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Idiot, knoxdaniel are you the peeping tom in my neighborhood? Hmmm....are you a heterasexual...hmmm...
Posted by jdcdjc on January 22, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would be really, really surprised if it is anything other than her back. They have talked about a back problem and I noticed, along with lots of others I'm sure, that she re-hurt it on a pass she made on a fast break. I just hope it's not something that will derail her season, the Vols need her if there is any kind of a chance for another Championship, SEC or National.
Posted by adunn on January 22, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
that girl is not pregnant. this must be the same person that has pat and bruce all but hitched.
Posted by camoman270 on January 22, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It really sounds like a "back" issue. She sat out last week from practice with same. She needs to get well, we will miss her sorely!!
Posted by AlpharettaVol on January 22, 2008 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
knoxdaniel ... what a stupid, sexist comment. If one the the men is out for something that is undisclosed, would you immediately think that he was having a vasectomy?
Posted by BigOrangeVol on January 22, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I couldn't count the number of times yesterday that I saw Lex bent over backwards making a play. It hurt MY back just watching it! Lex makes this team work and we can't afford not to have her on the floor.
I just love what Coach Chunky-B said about Candace and the rest of our team. She is such an authority having NEVER won a game against us! Ok, she did get a win against us when she was at Xavier in 2001 which is the only reason she got the VU job after Jim Foster bailed. Her 0-10 record is no better than Foster's 3-24. Hey Balcomb, go inhale another gallon of Rocky Top Road ice cream and keep your moronic loser opinions to yourself until you have something to crow about.
Posted by ATLVOLFAN on January 22, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hopefully she is okay, but we just need her healthy come the Duke game and tournament time. Get better soon Alex, from your Atlanta Vol fan.
Posted by pendav on January 22, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey ATLVOLFAN
You don't need Hornbuckle for the Duke game. I saw Duke against Uconn and Duke looked bad. Speaking of Uconn they beat the #3 team in the country last night without 3 of their starters. I guess we know why pat won't play Uconn.
Posted by vol4jesus on January 22, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Give it a rest denpav....Pat don't need Geno man. Remember he said Pat was an old restaurant and he was the new spiffy place to visit.
Posted by pendav on January 22, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey VOL4JESUS
Put up or shut up. When & where did Geno make that quote?
Posted by mparker on January 22, 2008 at 6:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pendav:
I for one know enough to respect my opponents. Geno has a damn good team, and it will get better next season. People moan about him, but he gets his girls to play with confidence.
I'll be honest: the LV's have some weaknesses, and those got exposed by stanford. We can win it all, but it sure isn't a clearcut case like last year....we won last year despite horrible shooting.
Posted by utang1602 on January 22, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FYI, Vanderbilt coach Balcomb does hold a victory over UT. Her Xavier team defeated Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in 2001.
Not that it matters...but it's Vanderbilt that can't beat UT.
Posted by ATLVOLFAN on January 22, 2008 at 8:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey! I do agree UCONN do look sharp, but they do look beatable. I mean give UCONN credit they did not give up, but if UNC gaurds would have done something besides turn over the ball they probably would have won. UNC played 40 minutes against UT, but only played 20 against UCONN. Coach Hatchell have to get those point gaurds ready because they played horrible. GO LADY VOLS!!!!
Posted by bmaples on January 23, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Couple of quick points -- I saw the LV live in Lexington, and Hornbuckle appeared to be in pain the entire game, including on the sideline. So, something with her back certainly seems plausible, based on what I saw.
Second, as for UConn -- UConn seems to be the best team in the country right now, by far. I saw them play Louisville, and the Ville has a pretty good team, but UConn just toyed with them, or so it seemed to me. I think the LV can beat them by tourney time, but not right now. And perhaps there is method to Pat's madness -- not playing UConn means they don't prepare for you till tourney time.
Today, UConn is national champ, IMHO. By March? Let's see how the LV come along. If Bjorklund and Baugh grow up, and if Hornbuckle is healthy -- then we've got a great shot at it.
Posted by BigOrangeVol on January 23, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
utang, I did mention that Chunky-B beat UT while at Xavier in 2001 but she's 0-10 at VU. So her 1-10 equates to a .091 winning percentage which isn't as good as Foster's .111 or 3-24.
She'll have to win two more in the next 16 meetings (7 or 8 years) to do that. They only have double doors at Memorial Gym so she will have eaten herself out of a job by then.
Posted by BigOrangeVol on January 24, 2008 at 12:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We aren't playing UConn because Auri-enema is a pompous, self-absorbed, narcissistic, egoistical megalomaniac jerk and Pat is an altruistic, giving, humble, modest and classy lady. Pat MADE UConn by giving them a chance when they were nothing. Now their idiot coach returns her generosity by biting the hand that feeds him as well as all of women's basketball. He can't stand that no matter what he accomplishes in his life professionally that he will forever be compared to and live in the shadow of the greatest basketball coach to ever walk this Earth. He’ll always be and smell like #2.
Because of the cumulative effect of Auriemma's words and actions over the years Pat decided to shut his water off and I'm glad she stood up to him and put him in his place. His constant disrespect of Pat over the years is unforgivable, inexcusable and reprehensible.
Then you can add in the situations regarding the recruitment of Maya Moore, Elena Del Donne and Caroline Doty to the equation on top of all of his shenanigans. We will never know exactly what went down there but it was enough to be the final straw. Pat wouldn’t make a move like that without good reason and she stated that she called him and told him exactly why she cancelled the contract yet he takes it to the national media and pleads ignorance challenging her to make it public. As usual, Pat shows class and takes the high road while little geno hurls unfounded and unrealistic accusations trying to deflect the onus from himself. He has no one to lame but himself and he won't accept responsibility for it like the emotionally-retarded immature child that he is.
We're talking about a guy the moved here in 1961 and never bothered to become a U.S. citizen until 1994 when he was 40 freakin' years old! The only reason he did become a U.S. citizen was because he scared that because of an upcoming UConn summer tour in Italy that they would hold him for required military service and not let him come back to the U.S. So he also escapes military service in the country where he grew up, lives, was educated, protected and employed enjoying all the benefits without any of the responsibilities. What a coward and punk this guy is.
Sorry about the rant but that moron makes my blood boil.
Posted by pendav on January 24, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Bigorangevol
What is wrong with you??
Thia article is about Hornbucklle, not GENO. At 12:05 AM you show so much Hate for someone you never met or know. Hate hurts only you. I will pray for you. Good luck and I wish nothing but the best for Hornbuckle.
Posted by BigOrangeVol on January 24, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, my bad; rough day. There were six posts prior to mine that did mentioned UConn and just the thought of them gets my dander up anyway. He is a sore spot. Rest assured that I don't hate anyone but I sure don't care for their coach one iota (obviously). His actions and words speak volumes about his lack of character so I really don't see the need to meet or know him. I'm sure that his parents love him but Jim Calhoun, his counterpart at UConn, sure doesn't. Guess I should have sugar-coated it. Feel free to pray for me anyway; it couldn't hurt and I'd appreciate it. I'll reciprocate in kind for you.
I did post about my feelings on Lex on this article the day before.
Posted by mad_poly_uct on January 24, 2008 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BigOrangeVol....if Geno really were all you claim in your rant,Uconn wouldn't have won 1 Big East championship let alone 5 National Championships.As far as "Pat MADE Uconn"...lol, yeah right, just by playing Uconn in reg. season led to all of Uconn's success.That's a good one.They were already a rising program by '95 & made 1st Final Four appearance in '91.What situations regarding Moore, Delle Donne, and Doty?Sorry, rough day here too...good luck against Ark tonight(like you guys need any luck against the Hogs!).....
Posted by mad_poly_uct on January 24, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, I forgot to add that that as I've stated in previous posts on this site, the onus IS on Geno for why Pat ended series. What you wrote is exactly how I understand it. That said, this is one Uconn fan who is soooo tired of the issue. I'm long past it. Both teams having great seasons,and there is always the possibility of meeting in March...again, have fun tonight.
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