Duke might as well have taken Pat Summitt’s coaching manual and beaten the Lady Vols over the head with it. Its method of victory couldn’t have been any more obvious Monday night.
Summitt has been preaching defense and rebounding for all of her 35 seasons as UT’s coach. Those virtues were rarely more evident at Thompson-Boling Arena.
They were evident in Duke.
The seventh-ranked Blue Devils held UT to 32.1 percent shooting and outrebounded it 49-36 in a 62-54 victory. They shut out UT for an 8:15 stretch of the second half to take a 44-28 lead with 8:51 left, but their devotion to rebounding was most glaring in the final minutes.
Three times in the last minute, Duke missed free throws, then chased down the rebounds. You can imagine how that struck Summitt.
“They just wanted it more than we wanted it,” Summitt said. “They were a lot more physical.
“They got to every loose ball. They won every hustle play.”
Duke’s superiority in that area was evident from the get-go. In taking a 12-3 lead, it strangled the life out of UT’s offense, forced a series of turnovers and set the tempo as well as the tone for the game.
“We set the tempo early in the game,” Duke center Chante Black said. “It was very up-tempo. You could see it began to wear them down.
“It’s hard to keep up 40 minutes when a team is pushing up-tempo.”
Duke pushed, and UT faltered. That was the last thing Summitt wanted to see as her team heads down the stretch of the regular season.
Just two weeks ago when Summitt was honored for her 1,000th victory, she told the crowd afterward that the Lady Vols’ goal, as always, was to make the Final Four. But Duke looked more like a Final Four team than the two-time defending national champions did.
In fact, during one of its worst stretches of the season, UT was so blatantly inept that even the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament no longer looks like a sure thing.
In that 16-0 second-half run, Duke made five layups while UT went 0-for-9 from the field and 0-for-4 at the free-throw line. The Lady Vols rarely have looked so vulnerable.
“I think our team is pretty fragile,” Summitt said. “If things don’t go well, they don’t shoot the ball well; they don’t defend. They worry.”
Contrast their record with the history of the program. No wonder, they’re worried.
They could be remembered, more for losing than for Summitt’s 1,000th victory. With an 18-7 record, they already have lost more games than any UT team since 1996-97.
The 1996-97 team rallied to win a national championship. But it had Chamique Holdsclaw. This team has one senior, and the rest of its healthy players are either sophomores or freshmen.
“This team needs to grow up,” Summitt said. “Everybody wants to beat Tennessee, and they believe that this is the year they can do it. We’ve had 25 games, and we should be able to figure it out by now.”
Good teams don’t just think they can beat Tennessee. They beat Tennessee.
The Lady Vols have lost seven of nine games against top-25 teams. The losses have been by an average of 10.2 points.
But UT didn’t just lose to Duke. It lost in the way so many of Summitt’s teams have won.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 28
theoldbear writes:
Despite what the television commentators said, this team is still young, and inexperienced. They lack leadership on the floor. Key players have been injured, and are playing hurt. But these are not excuses. These are facts.
That the Lady Vols were able to come back and cut the lead to four in the final minutes was proof that this team has heart.
They will not win a National Championship this year. But this may be one of Pat Summitt's finest coaching jobs. A lesser coach, with this material and the injuries and schedule, would have a losing record.
Tough loss. But for Pat, they are all tough.
If the Lady Vols got beat tonight with Pat's coaching manual, that is because she wrote the book on how to win.
kbart4033#247331 writes:
This may be one of Pat's best coaching jobs. However, it may also be one of her worst recruiting efforts. Not a big-time
player in the group. No speed and, even worse, no quickness.
UConn would pound this team by 35-45. No Lady Vol could make
first 8 at UConn. How many scholarships does she have left?
Unless Pat can over-recruit this class in the next 2 seasons,
this bunch will never taste an SEC crown, much less a
National Championship.
teampenny#658108 writes:
For sure not typical Tennessee women's basketball. A down year but Pat will be back on top as sure the sun will come up and LK will but his foot in his mouth. go lady vols
benee#234696 writes:
Who is LK?
mmynatt writes:
LK = Lane Kiffin --- LOL
Plasticman writes:
I agree, I do not see the "star" player in this class that can put the ball in the basket consistently. Alot of average players but with what UConn has assembeled, average won't win Championships. I hope she has a big time scorer coming in next year. If so, this will be a great team for the next few seasons.
benee#234696 writes:
Who is Lane Kiffin? Is she on the team?
jsmithnga#207674 writes:
After using a roll of tums in the 1st 10 min., I could hardly bear to watch any more. However I did a reality check: REALITY 1) we don't have a big girl to go to that can hit the 10-12' shot ala Parker & Anosike REALITY 2) we don't have guards that can protect the ball consistently, make crisp passes, & hit crucial shots ala Bobbitt & Hornbuckle REALITY 3) Stricklin is the only player living up to preseason expectations; Bass is no Bobbitt,Johnson is a good defensive player, but no offensive threat, and Bjorkland is either hot or cold REAlITY Summary) no final 4-hope for sweet 16-anything extra will be gravy. I really think this team needs coaching & confidence building-not the screaming though it is hard to 2nd guess coach with her record.
queens2183#661836 writes:
Sorry Plasticman and kbart but I have to disagree on this being the worst recruiting effort for Coach. The last 2 classes have been the #1 classes in the country and have a total of 8 McDonald's AAs between them. As far as the "star player", players like Candace Parker don't come around often and are a rarity still in the women's game. The problem with these players isn't that they aren't quality or that they aren't good recruits, it's purely youth and needing time to grow. Anyone who thought that a team of freshmen and sophs was going to play like a team of veterans even at this point was being naive. Last year's freshmen played the exact same way as this year's freshmen are playing but the difference was that they had the luxury of a veteran team that could help them along and didn't have injuries to key players. When Angie or Vick were off of their games last year, it wasn't as glaring b/c Candace, Nicky, Lex, Shannon, and Bird were there to push the team through and to cover for those players as well as help them. Nicky, Lex, and Candace didn't truly "get it" until they were juniors and had the same problems and challenges as freshmen that these kids are having now. Shannon and Bird didn't put it together right away either; players in a new system rarely do put it together quickly. When the freshmen have off games this year, there's no one there to cover for them and in turn makes the mistakes and miscommunications more glaring than in previous years. This team is playing like a young team and if some fans would take off the tinted glasses, stop looking at this team in comparison to the last 2 NC teams, and see this team in the context of what they truly are, you would truly be able to understand what the issues are and what this team can be when they grow into themselves as a team and as players.
queens2183#661836 writes:
I love how so many are jumping off the ship so quickly. You find out who the true fans are when the team struggles. If you thought this team would put it all together in one year with so many new pieces and with injuries and would be doing what a vet team took 2 years to do, you were being overly confident and naive. What the team needs is TIME. In the college game, you grow into roles and grow into a great team. There's tons of potential in this group that purely and simply needs more time to develop and more seasoning. The losses have all come against teams that are veteran and better than TN. Young teams have to learn how to win against those types of teams when they struggle like the LVs did last night and that takes TIME. I'm not giving up on this team and still think they could surprise some people this year. All the fans need to do is stay with them and don't jump off the bandwagon b/c a bunch of freshmen and sophs aren't playing like 3-4 year experienced players.
KCHS63 writes:
Does anybody remember how the great Parker-Anosike-Hornbuckle teams fared against LSU? Great defense stops ANY team...just ask Stanford last year. As for Ms. Bass...wonder what Shannon Bobbit looked like as a freshman, and that was in Junior College? Ah, the Sun came up today folks.......
rogatl2002#222395 writes:
Have to disagree with most of you. This is not Pat and the staff's best coaching jobs..might be one of the worst. This team has gone backwards not forward. There is plenty of talent on this team. Pat keeps complaining about Angie not showing up? Can the staff design an offense that actually creates some open looks for her? Even in the Parker years the LV offense was not fun to watch. The spacing and tempo most nights is terrible. Defense and rebounding indeed do win a lot of games..but at some point you have to be able to score too. LV need to pay no less attention to the fundamentals of defense and rebounding but also need a really bright offensive mind on the staff as well.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I am probably one of the ones who needs to take a deep breath and realize that the team is indeed what more rational observers said they would be before the season started. Still, it is disheartening to see how the competitive spirit just seems to come and go with this bunch. In my playing days, I was not a great player or physically gifted except possibly in stamina. I threw up during practice nearly every day because I wanted to win EVERY sprint even though I was not nearly the fastest guy. I figured I could still go full-speed when more-talented but less-conditioned guys got tired. I couldn't manufacture shots at will, but I practiced free-throws EVERY day because they were FREE points. I tried to go after EVERY loose ball because I knew I would never be a real "Windex man" at rebounding. Even so, I always kept my hands up when the ball went up and I always jumped if only to keep the bigger guys from beating my brains out with their elbows coming down. It is THAT sort of thing that seems lacking to me with these players and THAT is why I am disappointed even though I should know better. Sorry for the pathetic nostalgic ramble(;-D)!
jeff1vol writes:
I'm sorry people, but I've been trying to convince myself that this team has talent to win a championship. I couldn't be further from the truth. This team is slow, unathletic and not very well conditioned (Duke ran the ____ out of 'em). We have a 6-6 center that can't hit a wide open, uncontested layup. We have a McD's AA that hustles but throws up shots like she was in grade school. We have another "supposed" sharp shooter that slings up air-balls at home. This team is the spitting image of the teams before CP and AH got to UT. Slow, unathletic and not a true scorer in the bunch. Hopefully, CPS will rethink her recruiting plan.
RockyTop1 writes:
They are young but not learning, maybe in time though. Pat must be frustrated between this group and the bad breaks she has been dealt this year. It is really showing up now. Not much time left in the season.
I vote for removing all distractions whether that is IPODs or cell phones until they "buy in" as she has said over and over during the year.
This may cause some not to want to return next year, but so be it! They must listen, improve, or exit. But, remember this, the more you quit, like our team has during the year, it is that much easier next time. Without halting this pattern it becomes a habit that follows you through all your life! Get a SPINE in 2009!! GO Lady VOLS!!
queens2183#661836 writes:
Sorry jeff and rockytop but I have to disagree with both of you. The team is very talented, is athletic, and has a ton of potential; it's just raw talent that is still learning how to become a better team against quality competition. It's not recruiting; the team has 8 MAAs and the #1 classes the past 2 years. It's a matter of great players learning how to assimilate their games into a collegiate system and team and how to play TOGETHER. You can have the greatest players ever but if they don't know how to play together, they won't go far (i.e. Shaq and Kobe). One game does not a season define or make. The top 3 scorers were cold last night and if you get any semblance of a normal game from any of them, TN wins. Shots weren't falling and it affected the team. This team still has the opportunity to go 22-7 for the year and could make noise in the post season. Have either one of you compared this team to teams that are in similar situations? Rutgers is 14-10 with a team that returned starters from its NC game team and infused 5 AAs with that talent. LSU is 14-9 with a freshmen laden team. TN is 18-7 with youth and injuries to key players and with the 7 losses to teams that were SUPPOSE to beat them and are veteran teams that know their systems as well as roles and have played together for 3-4 years. These kids haven't quit most of the year and we've seen them fight through and win games that most teams with their inexperience wouldn't have (i.e Rutgers). Duke isn't ranked in the top 10 for nothing and is a good team that got the better of TN. To say the kids suck and have no spine is a little extreme. Yes improvements need to be made and the LVs must have more mental toughness but there is greatness in them; they just have to believe it and go after it.
queens2183#661836 writes:
Good post uconnsux. What I would say as a reason for regression could be the exact same thing that happened to Angie and that's fatigue. They may have worn down a little from the tough schedule they've been playing and are still trying to fight through that. No one truly knows what these kids are going through unless you've been through it yourself.
Picture it: you're a freshman AA coming into the best program in WCBB and are now on the big stage. You've been the creme of the crop and have always been applauded for your efforts. Now, you have to adapt to not only a whole new environment with a whole new set of rules but a whole new system, coach, and teammates who are also AAs and the best of the best like you. You're thrust into a position where you have to fast track your learning curve b/c you have to perform right away. You lose your starting, experienced PG for her career and your best post player for the season to knee injuries. Automatically, you are counted on to step up and into the ever present limelight. You get into your season and it's a whole new ball game. Every team plays you like you're the team that won those last 2 NCs and have all those players back. You're fighting to make it through setbacks, injuries, and just figuring all of this out. You lose games and people go nuts and kill you and criticize you like crazy. Top that off with the fact that you're already bustin' it in practice for your coach who DEMANDS the best from you and is just as frustrated as you are with the losses and the whole TEAM is trying to stay positive and fix the issues. Through all of this, you're still suppose to carry the torch of the program high, carry yourself with dignity and class on and off court, and still go through the rigors of college in the 1st 3 rows of class (and you better be there). This is the life of a Lady Vol basketball player and what these kids are dealing with.
Angie, Syd, and Kelly are sophs but Angie now has been thrust into the spotlight that she could hide out from when Candace, Nicky, Lex, and Shannon were on the court. Now the hunter is the huntee. Teams cue on her and she's learning how to deal with that.
I'm not quitting on these kids, Coach isn't quitting on these kids, and the team isn't quitting on each other. They'll go back, learn from it, and get back up and fight some more. They aren't saying next year or wait until next year. They're trying to carry the fight so why don't the fans pick it up and help them carry it. .
YankeeVol writes:
Well, I only read the first line of this post and liked it... I also hope the kids on this team are not reading what's being said about them online. The players on this team (or any team) are adolescents - they are children. If you have your own kids, look at them and imagine them coping with life at this level. If you haven't reproduced, think about yourself at that age. Most of us did not have to manage our bad days being televised nationally or blogged about incessantly, especially by people so eager to rip you to shreds.
reachkim00 writes:
Absolutly love this post and agree 110%. I'm just every other TRUE Lady vol fan right, frustrated. But I will not be negative toward them and will support them thru the good, the bad, and the ugly. I believe in these girls and I have all the trust and confidence in Pat and her staff to help them get on the right track. I am more than willing to wait it out and watch these young ladies mature into what we should all believe they will become wearing the Tennessee uniform. GO LADY VOLS!! We love you.
fhjm1234#209203 writes:
Our current players are too young, too slow, and too soft. All can be corrected with conditioning and maturity. Pat will get it done.
murrayvol writes:
No apology necessary. I'll bet you were the same way at checkers. :)
johnlg00#206211 writes:
You would have loved me at horseshoes, too(;-P)! BTW, one of my uncles was, no lie, SEVERAL times world champion at checkers. He traveled all over the world to play in tournaments. At family holiday gatherings, he would play as many as eight games at a time, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE BOARDS, and win them all!
kbart4033#247331 writes:
Losing Cait and Vicki has put THIS team at a disadvantage
that it will not likely overcome. THIS class has, in my
opinion, good role-players but Pat will need to recruit
play-makers behind them to get to the level that we are
accustomed. Pat will make them tougher and smarter, but
you can't coach quickness. You recruit it! Please name an
SEC team that is less-quick than the Lady Vols.
dwa7#337691 writes:
more losses a-coming----we better get ready for this sinking ship.......never will win the SEC toenny or NCAA touramnet......Really a sad day......OH WELL...the truth does hurt. I still love em all!
bmaples writes:
Quick note before walking the dog --
I think we're all -- all of us -- missing it.
It's not that they're young (though they are). It's not that they're lazy, or untalented, or unfocused (they're not). It's that they are ... scared.
Scared of Pat? Yes, but more than that. Scared of failing. Scared of letting people down. Scared of not cutting it, of not measuring up, of not continuing the tradition. I think, down deep, they're scared s--tless.
I watched their faces last night, and I saw a lot of desperation. Desperation makes you do stupid things, makes your muscles tense and your shots not fall, makes you jack up shots and try ANYTHING to make it stop.
I could be way off; I'm not in practice or in that huddle. But from out here in the cheap seats, that's how it looks to me.
Bruce in Louisville
Plasticman writes:
I think you may be on to something Bruce. Maybe they are trying to hard, or as Pat tried to explain to Bjorklund last night, they are "pressing". I couldn't believe the look on Bjorklund's face when Pat told her she was pressing, and Bjorklund said "what do you mean?" Surely she has heard that before???
xvolx writes:
have to disagree on the unathletic. these girls are athletic, but lack basketball skills. shooting with touch, passing, blocking out, bending backs and shuffling feet on defense, hustle, desire. someone is dropping the ball in teaching and I don't think it is Pat. are they fast, no. are they quick, no. are they out of position, yes. glory johnson might have been a diamond in the rough, but she is still in the rough.
bpvol#216873 writes:
I too believe your right about the fear factor.....
Unbelievable pressure to live up to the standards of the last 35 years...
I also saw frustration....both from players and Pat.
That exchange between Pat and Angie was uncomfortable.....
However, do believe this group has the tools, within them to be great.....just need some time.
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