Lady Vols Non Conference Schedule
Nov. 5 Carson-Newman (exh.), 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 Delta State (exh.), 7 p.m.
Nov. 15 Baylor, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Nov. 17 Texas Tech (at San Antonio), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Nov. 22 at Virginia, 2 p.m.
Nov 25 at Middle Tennessee State, 8 p.m.
Nov 28 UCLA, TBA
Dec. 1 George Washington, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 Texas, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dec. 13 Rutgers (at New York), 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
Dec. 16 Louisville, 7 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Stanford, 5 p.m.
Dec 22 at San Francisco, 10 p.m.
Dec. 30 Old Dominion, 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 Oklahoma, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
p>While some of the opponents change, the nature of Tennessee's women's basketball schedule remains constant.
UT's non-conference lineup - the key variable regarding degree of difficulty - includes eight teams that made the NCAA tournament last season. Three - Oklahoma, Louisville and Stanford - advanced to the Final Four.
The SEC portion of Tennessee's schedule is yet to be finalized.
Although such All-Americans as Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and Louisville's Angel McCoughtry have departed, other talented players like Virginia's Monica Wright and Middle Tennessee State's Alysha Clark, who combined for 63 points against UT last season, remain to face the Lady Vols. Clark and Wright were named Thursday to the 25-player preseason watch list for the State Farm Wade Trophy.
Fresh talent is due to arrive as well. Highly regarded 6-foot-8 Baylor freshman Brittney Griner will make her collegiate debut at Tennessee on Nov. 15.
"To me, it's helped us throughout the years to play tough non-conference opponents early on,'' Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. "Outside the conference is where we can challenge our team early and identify our strengths and weaknesses. That's been the game plan for many years."
The Baylor opener will be the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. The annual fund-raiser for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame returns to Thompson-Boling Arena in search of a bigger crowd.
The UCLA game here on Nov. 28 will mark the return of former Lady Vols player/assistant coach Nikki Caldwell, who will be in her second season as the Bruins' head coach. Tennessee will play a return game in Los Angeles next season.
Louisville, last season's national runner-up, visits Dec. 16 in the first meeting between the schools. Tennessee will return the game next season as the opener for Louisville's new arena.
UT's road stretches from coast to coast and includes some interesting stops. The Lady Vols will visit Murfreesboro for the first time since 1979 to play Middle Tennessee State University. Coach Rick Insell was anticipating the game moments after the teams' December meeting in Knoxville last season had ended.
"If we lose, people are probably going to say why'd you go there in the first place,'' Summitt said. "Rick and I go way back. We're good friends. We talked about it. I'm good by it."
Summitt jokingly related that she's not speaking for Holly Warlick, the Lady Vols' associate head coach.
"Holly's been saying, 'What were you thinking?' '' Summitt said.
UT will play Rutgers at New York's Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13 in the Maggie Dixon Classic. It will be the teams' third meeting in the Garden.
The SEC schedule won't be released for at least two weeks. It expands to 16 games this season. Under the new format, Tennessee will be playing home and away against Florida, South Carolina, LSU and Ole Miss, in addition to Vanderbilt.
Dan Fleser covers Tennessee Lady Vols basketball. He may be reached at 865-342-6288.
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Comments » 13
dvhill100 writes:
Pat always schedules tough competition. I think it is great and certainly helps get them ready for the playoffs.
ajbake writes:
why no home-away with kentucky?
98reax writes:
Lady Vols are going to need some sudden swagger as they develop a winning attitude. No time to think about the previous season. Get it right, then get tough.
ladivolfan writes:
aj - kentucky is a conference game; this is the non-conference schedule.
ontheopenroad writes:
I am confused about the Kentucky home/away as well. I was under the impression that the expansion to 16 SEC games was to go to the east/west format like the guys have. But according to this story, it's LSU and Ole Miss from the west instead of Kentucky and Georgia from the east. Maybe they were trying a balancing act, since the east is a "little" stronger than the west--and I do mean "little".
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
Still no UConn?
Waldorf writes:
Now I'm sure The Queen has good reasons not to play them. Just wish we knew what they were......at least she gave her reasons when her highness threatened to drop Duke.
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
It just seems like saying a schedule without UConn has "final four flavor" is like saying a candy bar has "snickers flavor" if it only has caramel, chocolate, and nougat but no peanuts.
volchiq writes:
I think the time has come to get over the whole UConn thing. I look forward to hopefully meeting them in the tournament.
queens2183#661836 writes:
The Duke thing was just to take the Crazies focus off of her players and put it on herself and obviously it worked and the team won that game. Purely a motivational tactic that few other than the team got. It's time for everyone to build a bridge and get over the UConn-TN not playing thing; if they meet, it'll be a much bigger deal and will get tons of pub. TN and UConn will not play and the reasons are known by who needs to know, the programs. Neither is losing sleep over it and both have won NCs without playing the other. They're over it so everyone else should let it go too. The schedule is still the toughest in the country and to have 3 of the 4 Final 4 participants on it is impressive, not to mention having the pre-ordained next best player in Brittany Griner debuting in K-town. Sounds like a darn good schedule to me.
mississippi writes:
Who is that? Are you referring to the conn-artist hus****
babypuglover3 writes:
Pat always says she make their schedule tough and challenging every year. I'm glad to see them against UCLA. Remember Holly said, at the 1,000 stories about Nikki. Been like a little Pat out there. Can't wait to see it. Nikki and Pat are very awesome and the best coaches.. It has looks like some of games are on ESPU; what about Fox Sports Net South? Best of luck to Pat and the coaching staff and the girls; for this upcoming season. Let's bring home our 9th national championship; and many more. Amber is in our thougts & prayers.. Like Pat says, Stanford can play UNCONN; and we will play Stanford. Let's do it, UT Lady Vols and everybody.. I'm ready for the season..
ridor9th writes:
Virginia is going to beat Lady Vols this season at John Paul Jones Arena. I'm SOOOOO there!
Count on it!
R-
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