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During a surprise appearance, University of Tennessee Lady Vol head basketball Coach Pat Summitt gives Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts a hug during the Women Today Expo Saturday morning
Speculation and conjecture are not foreign to Tennessee in advance of the NCAA women's basketball tournament.
Outright mystery, on the other hand, has been some other team's plight.
Not this season, not these Lady Vols. Their 22-10 record erases the usual expectations regarding seeding and marching orders. UT's resume doesn't befit a two-time defending national champion. It's more like the work of some other team.
Therefore, the ESPN selection show at 7 p.m. Monday will be more intriguing than usual for the Lady Vols, who will gather at the home of coach Pat Summitt.
"I have absolutely no clue,'' Summitt said. "I have no idea. Clearly in the past when we've known we were going to be a top seed we could speculate but we still didn't know. I think with the season that we've had, it's just up for grabs.''
Unlike Tennessee's situation, certainty seems to be a prevailing storyline for this season's tournament, which opens on March 21 with 16 sites hosting first- and second-round games.
Connecticut is the overwhelming favorite after sweeping the Big East regular-season and tournament championships and amassing a 33-0 record. The Huskies' average margin of victory is a staggering 31.5 points.
The most compelling dissent comes from Oklahoma star center Courtney Paris, who guaranteed that the Sooners will win the national championship or she will repay her scholarship. Her proclamation has added some buzz to the tournament buildup.
"Well, it's been talked about quite a bit,'' Summitt said. "I wouldn't want to give Connecticut any more incentive. Think about it."
The only definitive statement coming from UT's camp is freshman forward Alyssia Brewer guaranteeing that the Lady Vols will maintain their streak of Sweet 16 appearances, which stands at 27.
She didn't take a stab at UT's place in the 64-team field.
"Whoever is in our bracket is in our bracket,'' she said. "We're going to have to deal with that and play them."
Regarding seeding, UT's tournament history doesn't help with any predictions. The Lady Vols have been a No. 1 seed 19 times and No. 2 seed four times. The Lady Vols have been a No. 3 seed three times, including the 10-loss team of 1996-97. The Lady Vols have been a No. 4 seed once (1986).
Two projected brackets have Tennessee setting a new low for seeding.
ESPN's bracket has the Lady Vols as a No. 5 seed in the Oklahoma City regional. They are projected to play Wisconsin-Green Bay in a first-round game in Los Angeles.
Collegerpi.com also has UT as the No. 5 seed in the Oklahoma City regional and playing Marist in Seattle. Those teams met two years ago in a Sweet 16 game of the Dayton, Ohio., regional.
Tennessee's RPI stands at seven on the NCAA's Web site or eight if you go by collegerpi.com. Either ranking might keep UT in the discussion for a No. 4 seed. But Summitt wonders whether its convincing enough, particularly after Tennessee went 4-8 against ranked teams and was 6-6 in its last 12 games.
Included in that stretch run were two regular-season losses to unranked teams - Kentucky and LSU. The Lady Vols won two games at the SEC tournament before being eliminated by Auburn, 78-58.
"With our strength of schedule, I'd probably say five,'' she said. "I don't know that we can get a four seed. I'd love it if we did but I don't know that that's going to happen. Obviously, it'd be great to be a four seed but I don't know if we helped our situation in the SEC tournament."
Dan Fleser may be reached at 865-342-6288.
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Comments » 25
dvhill100 writes:
Go Lady Vols. Best of luck in the tourney.
xvolx writes:
they should be a five. four or five doesn't matter that much. If you are a four you play a five to get to sweet sixteen. If you are a five, you play a four. Six of one and half dozen of the other.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
I agrre about the seeding, it doesn't matter that much 4 or 5. In fact, I'd like to see the 5 just to tick 'em off some more, like the man have played.
What really, really matters are the matchups. We can beat a LOT of teams out there...as long as we don't meet some oddball team with great shooters and just enough size to slow us down.
WE are much better setup for the NCAAW's than the SEC. Kelley will get rest, as well as stricklen. Coach has time to set up strategy.
We did well for 2.5 games in the SEC tourney. Tehre is NO REASON we can't surprise some folks in the NCAAW. Heck, with the right draw, we could make elite 8 of final 4.
It all comes down to the draw.
jsc1973#233920 writes:
We'll be a No. 4. They're not going to ignore the RPI and seed a team in the 17-20 range (a 5 seed) or lower when the team is seventh or eighth in the RPI with the No. 1 strength of schedule. The last time we lost this many games, we were a No. 3 seed with an RPI of 6.
Look for us as a 4 seed in the same regional with Connecticut, just because if we make the Sweet 16, they know that's a draw even if they're a lot better than us. Not that it mattered in 1997...
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
my only concern, that I've posted before: I feel like some in the heirarchy are tired of Pat and UT, and may put is in a situation to get us out early....
I tend to agree about the UConn match. It's too juicy for them to pass up. Thing is, we don't have a chamique.
BigOrangeVol writes:
We'll know Monday night and not a moment before.
Nice article on Tyler:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticke...
CTOWNICON writes:
Right now seedings don't even matter. A lot of top seeds are getting upset left and right. I hope they draw a good seed but if not I am sure they will go out and give it their best. The break in between games will help out a lot during this tournament run the lady vols are about to make. I believe they will go far in this tournament. They fought hard in the sec tournament they just ran out of gas playing back to back games but this NCAA tournament run is going to be different. I think they are ready to play and when they come to play they are hard to beat. If they put them in Uconn bracket then so be it, to be the best you got to beat the best, besides I think they will be ready for that challenge. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, not the lady vols! Good luck ladies!
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
The UConn girl will be up for us, and she looks strong and smooth. Rene Montgomery takes no prisoners and asks for no quarter. The inside game in consistent. Who can beat them? Anybody with a strong inside game and fast defenders, shut down Montgomery, and quit worrying about Moore and you've got a chance. Teams will try to do too much against them, and UConn will beat them to death. Stop Montgomery and let Moore beat you, while clogging up the middle. If our freshmen play like seniors there are going to be teams, that do not know how to play us or who to watch out for. We will have to block, pass, dribble, score, and defend, with no turnovers, unforced. We will have to play cool, and to win. Creat turnovers and let the other team(s) stress and foul us.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Pulling hard for them, but old cold reality says this run may not go deep.
We'll know soon.
Coach 'em up, Pat!
98reax writes:
Sick, sick, sick of all this UknowhoConn stuff.
reachkim00 writes:
This is the Lady Vol post site, not the men's phooey. Take it to the appropriate site please.. I for one could care less about the Tyler or any of the men's info.
GO LADY VOLS!!
reachkim00 writes:
Phooey is NOT what I said.. KNS did that.
GO LADY VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!
reachkim00 writes:
Couldn't agree more 98reax.
GO LADY VOLS!
SMSVOL writes:
The article on Tyler is Tyler Summitt...son of Pat. It was a great article. The videos were also fun to watch. Thanks BOV for posting it. Go Lady Vols!
MillisaAnn writes:
Thanks BOV for posting that and Go Lady Vols!!!
LadyVolFanForever writes:
At this point in the season, the Lady Vols have no control over where the committee puts them. They DO have control over how they perform in the tourney.
Go Lady Vols !
bmaples writes:
A 4 seed would be great, but as noted above, 4 or 5 really doesn't matter -- matchups do. With the right matchups, the LV could make some noise.
Location might also be important. I, for one, hope they don't go out west; I think the travel would be a negative factor.
As for UConn -- I was at the Big East Women's Tourney, and saw the semis and the final from about eight rows up. Let me tell you ... the UConn women are one of the best coached, best prepared, most athletic, and most focused women's teams I have ever seen. They absolutely undressed a very good Lady Cards team. We're nowhere near ready for them this year. Next year, perhaps.
My wish for the Lady Vols is to win two and keep the Sweet 16 streak alive. Anything beyond that is gravy. If they make the Final Four, I'll have to sell one of my children and buy tickets from a scalper. <g>
Go Lady Vols!
Bruce in Louisville
www.brucemaples.com
mississippi writes:
Mike, ucant will lose once again to Stanford. Just watch & see. The Lady Vols will make it to the Final Four this year. I have a hunch and it usually 99.9 % correct.
CTOWNICON writes:
I see the Dumb Bunny has beaten the Easter Bunny here. Uconn in the same position they were in last year, predicted to win it all. But as we all know they choked and they will choke again this year.
huntined#565710 writes:
MIKE, That 33-0 record is good. you have the best team in the country this year and should win it all. But remember last year where you were and what took place. Maybe this year will not be the same,but so far this year your team is far above the rest..We will be back up there in a year or maybe two.
reachkim00 writes:
VERY sorry BOV about the Tyler comment.. I didn't take the time to watch it and thought it was on Tyler Smith. So sorry dude... I am just such a die hard Lady Vol fan and take great offense when some of the men's posts slam them. Again.. sorry 'bout that, and great video on Tyler Summitt!
GO LADY VOLS!!!!! I have all the faith in the world that these ladies will do well in the NCAA tournament. And again, my prediction on Uwho? is losing by 3 in the Final Four (if they make it that far), by I don't care who!
GO LADY VOLS!!!
98reax writes:
I'm anticipating a decent thread soon. So far, same sad song, 476th verse: 'undress' my pet pig, who cares?
TN will most likely get an undesirable seeding because we have not yet earned the respect of the committee. So be it. It is simply a matter of win and advance. That is the game Pat is coaching right now. Mark it down. No matter what team we draw on opening day, we MUST WIN or take an abbreviated spring break. Hold your head high, go back to class, do the best job you possibly can and start preparing for 2010.
This team has had a tremendous obstacle course to maneuver this season. We've discussed at great length what 'could have been' if the team Pat recruited had been in Orange this season. She has done the best she could with what she had. Pat is the greatest coach in the nation, not a clairvoyant. I want to puke every time I read the comments about how she should have planned for such things. I wonder if these posters have a typhoon clause in their property insurance.
The naysayers will be quick to jump in and object to this statement; the freshmen simply had no opportunity to learn from upperclassmen. The 08/09 learning curve has been silly ridiculous. Baptism under fire will pay great dividends in the coming season. Mark it down.
reachkim00 writes:
Awesome post 98reax.. I love reading yours, Ctownicon, and LadyVolFanForever. Positive fans always for our Lady Vols no matter what. Love it!!
GO LADY VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OrangePossum writes:
I don't claim to be a prophet but I foresee the Lady Vols somehow getting stuck in the same region as THE UCONN-ARTISTS in hopes of getting a Geno-Pat matchup and some TV ratings!!! Better get them while you can 'cause the next few years you are going to see a different team!!!!!
CTOWNICON writes:
Don't forget yourself reachkim00, you offer some positive comments as well. Keep it up, because with all the interlopers here and the turncoats that praise Uconn we need all positive lady vol fans.
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