Summitt hopes for carryover effect

The mandated portion of Tennessee's women's basketball offseason is closing at a fastbreak pace.

The rest of the offseason primarily will be up to the players. UT coach Pat Summitt hopes that the transition will be seamless but conceded: "Right now it's a wait and see."

She was speaking Tuesday afternoon, following Tennessee's final full-team workout at Pratt Pavilion. Conditioning and individual work continues into next week but before April is finished the players will be policing themselves.

"Quite honestly, if they're not in the gym and investing, they chose the wrong program,'' Summitt said. "Hopefully they now get it. I think a lot of them understand how hard you have to work to be successful as a player and as a team."

Summitt quantified just what she's hoping for before individual workouts resume in August.

"They need to get in thousands of shots this summer,'' she said. "They can't shoot it enough for our coaching staff."

Summitt figures that she can count on such players as Angie Bjorklund and Sydney Smallbone to polish their skills and hopes that they will recruit their teammates to join them. Summitt also has been encouraged by the postseason start for freshmen Shekinna Stricklen and Alicia Manning.

Summitt said that Stricklen has been toughened by the conditioning sessions.

"In a lot of our conditioning, she was just trying to finish, not competing the way she has to compete,'' Summitt said. "In her last few workouts, she's been competing harder."

As for Manning, the most noticeable difference has been on the court.

"She appears to be more invested in her game and in our team,'' Summitt said.

Along with their coach's advice, the players also have the example of former UT guard Alexis Hornbuckle to consider as they plot their offseason course.

"Oh my gosh, I went from A to Z in four years; attitude and effort went from A to Z,'' Hornbuckle said. "It's possible but it's all on them. It's what they want. How much they want to succeed."

Future Freshmen: In discussing next season's incoming class, Summitt said that Taber Spani will be deployed at shooting guard or either forward position. Kamiko Williams will play both guard spots while Faith Dupree, the Webb School star, will be used at power forward and center.

Summitt said that Dupree "right now probably shoots it at (power forward) better than most everyone on our team."

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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