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• Lady Vols move up to seventh

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If a school with a women's basketball head coaching vacancy calls, Nikki Caldwell is ready to listen.

But that doesn't necessarily mean she's ready to go.

"I want to be a head coach, there's no question,'' the Tennessee Lady Vols assistant coach said Thursday after practice. "But I'm not going to take anything to have the head coach title."

Memphis associate athletic director Lynn Parkes already has inquired about Caldwell with regard to the school's opening. There are vacancies at such other schools as Alabama and UCLA, too. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt anticipates Caldwell being a popular consideration.

If necessary, Caldwell can afford to be selective. She's in her sixth season as a UT assistant and as she said, "You get spoiled here."

Caldwell, who was an assistant for three seasons at Virginia prior to UT, is busy helping the Lady Vols prepare for the NCAA tournament. The tournament field will be announced Monday night.

"My primary focus in on this team getting back to Tampa and winning,'' she said, referring to the site of the Women's Final Four.

Regarding a potential suitor, Caldwell said that she'd be interested in a school where she could put down some coaching roots.

"At this point in my career,'' she said, "I'd really like to go into a job situation where I'm going to be there awhile."

Let Them Decide: After replacing Angie Bjorklund with Alberta Auguste in the starting lineup for the SEC tournament championship game, Summitt said that the two players will compete to see who starts for the NCAA tournament.

"They're going to have to fight for it,'' Summitt said. "We need them both. It doesn't matter who starts or who comes off the bench."

Other Winners: Along with Webb School's Glory Johnson, fellow UT signees Shekinna Stricklen (Arkansas), Alicia Manning (Georgia) and Alyssia Brewer (Oklahoma) were the Gatorade women's basketball players of the year for their respective states.

Stricklen, who averaged 24.1 points, 14.2 rebounds, 5.1 blocks and four steals per game, led Morrilton to a third consecutive Class 5A state title.

Brewer averaged 21.6 points, 15.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for Sepulpa, which reached the Class 6A state championship game.

Manning averaged 18.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game for Etowah.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.