End of an era between Tennessee, Louisiana Tech

Based on where they've played, Tennessee and Louisiana Tech have gone far beyond the norm.

Their women's basketball series has played out like the lyrics to a Johnny Cash song. They've been everywhere from Norfolk, Va., to Honolulu, Hawaii, with stops in Tacoma, Wash., Fayetteville, Ark., Jackson, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., Eugene, Ore., Kansas City, Mo., Austin, Texas and Columbus, Miss., along their home ports of Knoxville and Ruston, La.

Accumulated mileage notwithstanding, the series' most impressive achievements involve the stakes these teams have played for and how they've competed. They've tangled over national championships and No. 1 rankings because of their shared talent and tenacity.

These meetings end with today's 3 o'clock tipoff at Thompson-Boling Arena. A three-year contract is expiring. With the SEC schedule expanding by two games next season, Tennessee has no immediate openings.

"It's sad,'' said former Tech coach Leon Barmore. "For me, it's sad. For a long time, especially in the '80s, it was the game of the year in the whole country."

UT coach Pat Summitt offered a respectful perspective on what the game has meant to her program's evolution.

"I'd never think about the history of our program without thinking about Louisiana Tech,'' she said. "What a difference they made."

UT associate head coach Holly Warlick, who has played and coached against the Lady Techsters, described them as "the measuring stick."

The series, in part, has fallen victim to its own high standards. For the fifth consecutive season, Louisiana Tech (1-1) enters the game not ranked. In 35 other meetings stretching back to 1978, either team has been unranked just twice (once apiece).

Even Tennessee (2-1), the two-time defending national champion, is challenged in upholding its end of the history. After Monday's loss to Virginia, the Lady Vols plunged to No. 13 in the coaches' poll, their lowest ranking since 1997. A shaky 66-63 victory at Chattanooga Friday night didn't bolster their status.

After the game, Chattanooga coach Wes Moore was second-guessing his late-game strategy and blaming himself for the loss. Meanwhile, Summitt was conceding: "For the most part (Chattanooga) outplayed us. They were very efficient offensively and they played smart defensively."

On Saturday, Summitt still was simmering about UT's defensive effort.

"They would run hard on offense but they wouldn't run hard on defense, they (being) the freshmen in general,'' she said of her team.

"It was like there was a pot of gold in the paint because everybody was running back there. Nobody was fanning out, picking up . . . "

Summitt owes a decent amount of her appreciation for defense to Louisiana Tech. When the series started, an inbounds play against the Lady Techsters was a major undertaking. A pass to the wing wasn't much easier. No wonder Tech won 11 of its first 12 games against Tennessee.

"They were one of the teams that showed us how aggressive defense could disrupt an offense,'' Summitt said. "They made us play ugly a lot. They may do it (today)."

The Lady Vols reversed the series trend by upgrading their talent and elevating their devotion to defense and rebounding. The traits became part of their trademark because they were essential to beating a team like Louisiana Tech.

Comparable styles helped foster a similar amount of respect. Barmore was the Lady Techsters' head coach for 20 years and led them to a national championship in 1988. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame member used an Ali-Frazier analogy to characterize the role of Summitt and Tennessee in defining his coaching career.

"It was a game and a matchup with a coach that made me reach the heights that I did,'' Barmore said.

"I'll never ever forget this. The lady was gracious in defeat. Pat was always complimentary."

Barmore is back in coaching. He was coaxed out of retirement to join the staff at Baylor by Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey, the former Tech star who was an assistant on Barmore's staff.

They're running a Tech-like franchise in Waco, Texas. Baylor is ranked 10th nationally and has an 81-65 victory over then-No. 2 Stanford to its credit this season.

Tech has returned to its roots with the return of 1988 Wade Trophy winner Teresa Weatherspoon as associate head coach. In six games against UT, the former Tech guard averaged 10.2 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

"When you think of her, you think of the Louisiana Tech program,'' Warlick said. "She didn't start the program but she helped maintain it.

"It's a strong tradition. It needs to be talked about. It doesn't need to be pushed under a rug."

It's played a part in a grand series.