Home › Women's Basketball
Aggies intimidate, 'don't bully'
Texas A&M defense can be a whirlwind problem for UT
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
More Women's Basketball
- Delle Donne says 'basketball is not part of my life'
- Lawson rewards Donovan's conviction
- Anosike missing team fellowship as Lady Vol
Share and Enjoy [?]
Get Reprints
OKLAHOMA CITY - Pat Summitt and her Tennessee Lady Vol basketball staff wasn't sitting around thinking about tornado warnings late Sunday night and early Monday morning.
Storms swirled all over central Oklahoma. Sirens blared. Funnel clouds were sighted.
But Summitt and crew were focused on a whirlwind found on film - the Texas A&M defense.
UT's head coach watched the Aggies rattle, harass and frustrate Duke all night during Texas A&M's 77-63 region semifinal victory Sunday.
Now it's Tennessee's turn to find a chink in that pressure at 7 tonight, a Final Four berth on the line.
"It all starts with their defense," Summitt said of the Aggies. "They're high-energy players, obviously athletic, they're committed to playing hard. They're committed to supporting each other.
"To me, they just bring a type of defense that makes a lot of teams uncomfortable and obviously they score off of their turnovers."
Uncomfortable is a good word for it.
The No. 2-seed Aggies forced Duke into 19 turnovers and limited the Blue Devils to 37 percent shooting from the floor.
Texas A&M has limited opponents to an average of 54.9 points and forced 21.4 turnovers per game this season.
Just don't call them bullies.
A&M coach Gary Blair apparently read that term somewhere in a paper and didn't take kindly to the insinuation.
"This team is a lot more physical than my Arkansas teams, a lot more physical," he said speaking of his days as a Razorbacks' coach. "But what we're not is what I've seen in the paper a couple times - 'bully.' We're not a bully out there.
"That's called defense. It's called great defense. When (UT's Candace) Parker slaps one of our shots down, that's not her intimidating, that's just good defense. That's how we have to play, because we do have some limitations out there."
Tennessee players have their sights on exploiting those "limitations."
The Lady Vols repeatedly said they have to be cautious with the ball and hit A&M hard with their inside game.
"We have to be smart about our passes, maybe throwing a little more backdoor," senior guard Alexis Hornbuckle said. "I was watching them against Duke and they were getting out in the passing lanes great, very athletic."
The swarm is led by A&M point guard A'Quonesia Franklin, season steals leader Danielle Gant and Takia Starks (four steals against Duke).
"I think Franklin is obviously a key," Summitt said. "Not only is she super quick, but she's the player that I think just leads by example in what they want to do. She's the one that makes them go."
The Aggies obviously like to intimidate with their pressure, but Summitt said her team isn't exactly clueless on how to handle tough defenses.
"Obviously playing LSU twice was good preparation because they have size and they also get after you, not only in the half-court game but the full-court game," she said. "Now, have we faced someone that is as relentless on defense as A&M? Probably not."
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
- Not Favre, but Ainge leads Jets
- NCAA tweaks clock in football
- ESPN College GameDay set for basketball
- Odd couple enjoy their shots ... at each other
- SEC clears Williams to play
- Clemson coordinator apologizes for recruiting joke about Alabama
- Strange: UT's sure of defense this trip
- Foster has the mind of a coach
- Ward knew 1998 Vols were special
- So long Rupp? Kentucky looking into building new arena
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Posted by LadyVolFanForever on April 1, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's showtime, ie POSTSEASON. Time to listen to everything your coaches tell you and then execute, time to pull together and pick each other up, time to realize this may be your last time on the big court and in the big spotlight, time to give it your all and then some.
TIME FOR LADY VOL BASKETBALL !!
Best of luck Lady Vols.
Posted by Chrisoda751 on April 1, 2008 at 8:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good luck tonight ladies. Crush 'em!
Posted by pdhuff on April 1, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pull the plug on the sod-busters. Guide 'em on, Pat.
Posted by cboots54 on April 1, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, Ladies it is time for Lady Vol Basketball!
Go Lady Vols; Good Luck and lets get back to the Final Four. Lets show the SEC coaches who the real SEC Player of the year reaally is! CP3!
Go Lady Vols!
Posted by bigorangesob on April 1, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Go gettum ladies it's your time
Posted by HotlantaVol on April 1, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not a team to get behind against. There won't be any miraculous 15 point comebacks against this D. We have to play Lady Vol ball from the opening tip.
Pound that fritter in the paint!!
Posted by johnlg00 on April 1, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A&M's defense against Duke really impressed me. Duke looked like they were playing against eight players, and I DON'T mean the refs favored A&M. It was just that everywhere Duke looked, there was an Aggie. The Lady Vols have to be a lot more careful with the ball than they have been for much of the season if they want to go on to Tampa. They surely don't want to become the THIRD #1 seed to lose to a #2 this year! GO LADY VOLS!!! BRING HOME THE EIGHTH!!!
Posted by mparker on April 1, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
okay, here gots nothing;
-The LV's can and have won games shooting in the 30's. The LV's don't shoot particularly well.
-The LV's play defense very well when they wish to do so.
Don't be surprised if the LV's come out with a very strong effort out of the gate. I expect Candace to get hacked quite a bit, a&m will figure to shut her down.
Just a guess, but this game may depend on Candace's passing, D, and rebounding more than her 1-v-1 offense. That means Anosike, Hornbuckle, and Bobbitt really have to get it done (which they have all shown they can do in tournament play).
Posted by adimatteo on April 1, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
you all worked forit,you deserve it,go getthem ladies, one more win, and enjoy the week in Tampa, Good Luck
Posted by mparker on April 1, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'd love for tomorrow's headline to be
"Vols Bully AND Intimidate"
Posted by 98reax on April 1, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm a gutless, spineless fan. I fess up to being glad I'm on duty tonight. I have a good excuse for NOT watching the game. I don't believe I could. I will be able to walk off my nervous energy. I just may share that focus problem with my team tonight. Maybe they've passed it all off to me; then they will be right on it tonight for 40 minutes of Lady Vol 'in-your-face-get outta-my-way-I'm-going-for-the-basket-and-you-are-not' style hoops.
Posted by VolMama on April 1, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bring tonight Lady's. We know you can do it. You are really going to have to give your all to make it all the way. We know that Big Syl and her Lady Tigers will be wating for you. But you all took care of them the last time and we know you can do it again. GO LADY VOLS!!!! But just one game at a time. Beat them Aggies.
(Requires free registration.)
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.