The numbers were big and bold, like Kelley Cain herself: 20 points and 20 rebounds.
Tennessee's Angie Bjorklund checked the stat line on her 6-foot-6 Lady Vols teammate and shook her head. She could've done a double take in perusing a double-double of those proportions.
"I knew she had a ton of rebounds,'' Bjorklund said. "When she's playing that way, you can't stop it."
Cain rose to the occasion for UT's 79-46 women's basketball exhibition victory over Delta State Monday night before an announced crowd of 10,619 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The same couldn't be said for the majority of Tennessee's effort against a Division II opponent. Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said so in blunt terms.
"Not really impressed with a big part of what I saw in the first half,'' she said. "Even playing in spurts in the second half."
The review generally was not encouraging, considering a date with No. 7 Baylor in the State Farm Tipoff Classic at the arena is looming Sunday.
Other than Cain, three other Lady Vols scored in double figures. Freshman Taber Spani had 14, Bjorklund scored 12 and Shekinna Stricken had 10.
Despite their production, Summitt singled out Bjorklund and Stricklen for criticism. They shot a combined 8-for-26 from the floor and were responsible for six of Tennessee's 18 turnovers.
In last Thursday's 124-34 rout of Carson-Newman, those two collectively shot 14-for-23 from the floor and combined for just three turnovers, compared to 10 assists.
"Really disappointed that Shekinna Stricklen wasn't prepared to be a leader,'' Summitt said. "She and Angie - those two we look to as go-to players offensively. Those two have to be more consistent. From the first game to this game, night and day."
Delta State had a hand in UT's performance. The Lady Statesmen, ranked No. 3 in the preseason NCAA Division II poll, had enough speed and scrappiness to impact UT's transition game. All-American guard Sarita Cooper scored a team-high 15 points.
"That was a great experience,'' Cooper said. "That was a dream come true, playing Tennessee."
Delta State had no answer for Cain, however. Lady Statesmen center Veronica Walker was five inches shorter and coach Sandra Rushing chose not to deploy extra defenders down low.
On offense, Walker tried to use her quickness as an advantage but Cain hardly left her feet in recording seven blocks.
"It's all because of my teammates,'' said Cain, who shot 8-for-10 from the floor and played just 19 minutes. "Everything I do is for them and because of them. I just like playing with them. It's very comforting.''
It wasn't comforting that no other low-post player scored in double figures. Glory Johnson's follow-up to 22 points against Carson-Newman was a mere seven.
"Glory Johnson's got to do a better job of finishing around the basket,'' Summitt said. "We're a little smaller there but Glory is so athletic, if she'll just really focus on her presence in the paint, as opposed to facing up and trying to do a lot of things off the dribble."
Fellow sophomore post player Alyssia Brewer (two points, three rebounds) got more playing minutes than last Thursday, but she also took more heat from Summitt.
"Lyssi Brewer has got to play a different role,'' Summitt said. "She goes in and doesn't even follow up a rebound. She's backpedaling. I told her: We handpicked you to come to the University of Tennessee because we thought you could help us win a championship. Right now I'm not impressed."
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Comments » 21
TNBASKETBALLFAN09 writes:
Kelley will need to play like this on Sunday against Brittney Griner !
xvolx writes:
They don't seem to be much better than last year. Two of the frosh. appear to be very athletic. Smallbone still hopping around with no results. Brewer just does not have a competitive attitude. Johnson is a loner with no skills still. Bass can't play defense. Cain, Bjorkland and Spani only players I see. Baylor game will show if this is last years team.
CTOWNICON writes:
Congrats on the win! In time I hope the girls who are not playing up to potential will hurry and come around, if they don't, let them ride the pine until they do. I am really impressed with Spani, so far she is turning out to be a good player for UT. I am such a big fan of post play and it excites me to see Kelly hopefully back at full strength. She has what it takes to be a dominant post player. I can't wait until Cain and Griner battle, it is going to be something to see. CLASH OF THE TITANS! I am confident that Pat will have them ready for Baylor!
Caspian writes:
Gotta like the way Pat tells it straight.
richvol writes:
Brewer showed ability last year but apparently doesn't have the drive to compete at this level. It's about heart.
I didn't see the game but can Glory make a layup this year? I never saw anyone miss so many as she did last year.
GR82BAVOL writes:
I'm just worried this style of coaching (which I know is proven) by Coach Summitt will wear down her players and hamper recruiting.
It's obvious what she is trying to accomplish...the method is just worrysome.
heyitsme writes:
You're kidding, right?
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
Cain is a beast! If she stays healthy, Glory continues to progress and Baugh gets healthy, we will be able to dominate on the inside! Not to mention Spani! Our guard play will be strong too with Strick, Manning and Angie, not to mention Spani! With Bass, Smallbone and Kamiko coming off the bench we will always have the inside/outside threat on the floor. Kamiko wasn't too impressive in the first game...I like to think it was first-game nerves as she performed much better against Delta. Brewer will come along, she has the talent, Pat just needs to find her heart. Dupree is still a mystery to me, haven't seen enough of her yet.
utfan00 writes:
I wasn't pleased with they played last night. They weren't as gassed this time. I hope the girls don't play the roller coaster style again this year. Don't know what to expect from one game to another. If this shall continue, we don't stand a chance beating Baylor or any of our components.
johnlg00 writes:
Way to go, Kelley! If only her legs hold up all year, she will be a great one for us. Then if Vicky Baugh gets back 100%, our perimeter shooters will be wide open all night. IF everybody ever gets on the same page in terms of effort and execution, they could have a special year.
Volfantm writes:
Looking forward to watching the LV's this year! Baylor a great way to kick off the season. It IS televised, right? Hope the ladies have more focus and teamwork this year. Go Lady Vols!
ps11824 writes:
Do you know a WINNING coach who does NOT chew on the players when they are not playing to their potential? That's coaching. Pat has not changed. It's the media that's changed. They feel the need to report every mood change, every rebuke, every time Pat glares cross-eyed or "tells it like it is" in the media room, the writers make it a story line.
Truth of the matter is, they don't dig deep enough to have substantial material for the Lady Vols articles. There's ample material there to make a very interesting, informative piece without dwelling on Pat's displeasure with athletes who slack off.
I truly believe Fleser enjoys this "Pat gone bad" angle, and he just has to make it the focal point of the article. Of course posters are going to pick the team apart like vultures when the writer helps himself to first juicy bit.
Dan could just as easily have stayed on Cain's awesome effort and the other double-digit scorers without making an issue out of Pat's critique of some of the 'leaders' who had a less stellar stat line.
[ "Not really impressed with a big part of what I saw in the first half,'' she said. "Even playing in spurts in the second half." ]
Coaches are supposed to push at this stage of the preseason. If she calls out some players in the media room, so what? That's the way she's always coached. Ask any Charles, Marciniak, Jolly, Holdsclaw, Parker-type who's ever won championships at Tennessee after having their in-your-face chewing sessions with Pat. Sometimes we are the ones who are the crybabies.
These kids are not going to get better by being let off the hook easy. You all have read quotes from all the greatest Lady Vols; "If Pat's not hollering in my face, I may as well hang up my sneakers and go bowling."
reachkim00 writes:
98, I love your posts. Your insight and unwavering support is just awesome. Even when you are discussing the ladies weaknesses, you are classy, straight forward and still 100% supportive. It really makes me proud to know that the Lady Vol Nation has such a fan as you.
GO LADY VOLS!!! Looking forward to the baylor game!
ps11824 writes:
At least Pat is civil about her discipline. She's also consistently transparent. I've yet to see her get up in the face of a player in a game situation spewing filth from her lips. Yes, she yells and it looks kinda ugly from the stands, but look at yourself sometime when you are yelling; you can't make it look pretty. Pat does not curse at her players and she's never had to be restrained from touching a player inappropriately.
You all have witnessed the despicable behavior of a women's male coach up north who apparently knows few words other than profanity. He should have been disciplined for some of his blatant acts of aggression caught on camera. Call me a little old fashion, whatever you want to call it, but my daughter would not play for that man.
BigVolMan is right. Pat HAS NOT become insensitive all of a sudden. Pat has always used the same disciplinary tactics to get her athletes to 'want to be the best they can be,' game in, game out, regardless of the talent level of the opposition.
We, the fans have been spoiled. We win back to back championships and we get cocky and think we can coach and recruit better than a renown coach who has won more games and more national championships and distinguished accolades than any other. A coach who is known as one of the greatest motivators, an individual who was voted professional woman of the year is Pat Summitt. She did not just wake up stupid. Neither did we just wake up thinking Pat has lost her ability to field a winning team. We've just bought into this negativism we read on these threads about this time of year when we consider the possibility of not winning a national championship, or landing the #1 recruit.
kazoo writes:
With the Lady Vols, we all know they have the size and talent, year in and year out, to win 90 or 95 percent of their games, win the SEC, etc. The question is only, how far can they go in the tournament? Even average UT teams tend to make the regional final. Last year's team was something of an aberration. This year's team will be better. How much depends on whether Baugh can play, whether Cain can stay healthy,and whether this team can find some consistent outside scoring. It's a big team with not a lot of quickness, overall, which is a problem, and the PG is playing out of position, another problem, but it's way too early to do anything but watch at this point. I do find all this harping from PS and her legion of fans about effort tiresome. I'm quite sure the girls are trying--they tried last year. Playing poorly is sometimes /often a matter of talent and coaching, not effort. Effort doesn't put the ball in the basket; effort doesn't really make you quicker. Effort is important, but there are other factors in the way individuals and teams play.
reachkim00 writes:
Another awesome post from an awesome fan.
GO LADY VOLS!!!
ladyvolsfan789 writes:
I'm surprised the article didn't mention how the Lady Vols dominated the boards. Didn't they have like 68 or so? It looks like overall quickness is one of the areas where Coach Summit is trying to improve the team. They've been pressing a lot in the exhibition games so I think Coach Summit believes that they're improving in that regard. I'm looking forward to the Baylor game. If Cain plays as well as she did we should win easy.
kazoo writes:
Summitt is a legend and I have a ton of respect for her--but she is not a good offensive coach AT ALL, and she never develops the offensive talents of her players. In fact, more than a few players have actually REGRESSED offensively while playing for her--which may not be entirely surprising given her fanaticism about defense and rebounding.
Defense and rebounding are important--but when you've got a team full of top-rated high school AA's every year, you ought to be able to put an exciting offensive team on the floor--and PS rarely does this. I keep waiting for her to put a team like the '98 squad on the court and it never happens. The Parker-led title-winning teams were fairly good offensively--but only because Parker was a superstar. And even then, when she left the court the team struggled to score--and really those teams were more about dominating defense than offense: Parker, Anoisike and Hornbuckle were all great defensive players.
PS's recruiting is spotty: while she gets top-rated players, a lot of them have holes in their games that are immediately apparent, often a lack of quickness which is a killer at the highest levels of basketball. Her last three shooting guards have lacked quickness--not good. UT had a succession of centers leading up to and including Anosike that had very limited offensive skills. Beyond that, PS does not coach team offense very well--that's just a fact; far more often than not, her teams play mediocre (at best) half-court basketball.
And as I mentioned, a lot of talented players do not develop offensively under her. Anosike: tremendously athletic big but did not have any confidence offensively until the last three/four games of her career. Ely, Moore, Randall, Hornbuckle: all excellent athletes, and all were no better offensively as seniors than they were as freshmen; indeed, I think Ely, Randall and Hornbuckle were worse--all three lost their confidence with the ball. Randall was awful offensively her last two years, Ely was a mess (could never do much more than score on putbacks), and Hornbuckle got very shaky. Who was the pretty guard from PA who scored about 35 point a game in high school--I forget her name. But by her junior/senior year at UT she could barely hit the rim.
Think of it this way: How many really good offensive players has UT had over the last 10 years--kids with impressive all-around games? I don't think there have been three! Telling. PS wins despite the deficiences, and that's the important thing, I suppose, because even with inconsistent play she's got more talent than 90 percent of the programs in America. But am I wrong to think she should be putting more exciting basketball teams on the court--given her stature and that of the program? She should be putting a Ferrari on the court fairly regularly--like Williams does with the UNC men. Instead, what we get is an old Volvo--sturdy, dependable, but not a head-turner when it's going down the highway.
johnlg00 writes:
Lots of LV fans have said the same thing for years, kazoo. It is an axiom of coaching that offense comes and goes but rebounding and good defense are forever. That way is clearly the high-percentage way and Pat has the record to prove it. However, LV teams are generally just NOT much fun to watch on offense. I will never forget a few years ago, ESPN commentator and former Oklahoma All-American Stacey Dales said of one of UT's CHAMPION teams that they were "painful" to watch on offense, and she has generally been very positive toward Pat and the LVs.
Again, it is hard to argue with Pat's approach in the aggregate, but I have often longed for the day when we would have just a player or two who REALLY had a fluid offensive game. In the past 10 years, there have only been a handful of such players: Holdsclaw, Catchings, Parker...and that is about IT. Oh, sure, there have been a few who could shoot--Spencer, Zolman, Britney Jackson--but few who had the full range of offensive moves and shots. Most of the LVs look like they are questioning themselves every time they try to do something besides catch and shoot, and often even then.
I have almost infinite respect for Pat and the program she has created, but, darn it!, they just aren't very much FUN to watch except at the end when they have won the game. This has gone on so long that I have no real hope that this will change. I just hope the old-school approach will give the LVs another championship or two before Pat hangs it up.
BTW, the player you were trying to think of is Kristin "Ace" Clement and you are right about her game. She had scored more points in PA HS basketball history than any other player, male or female, but by the time she left UT she couldn't hit the floor with her shoes!
BigRMan writes:
To pick up on the point of how Coach Summit can "chew out" a player minus profanity as 98 alluded to. Hornbuckle was asked about the differences in coaching of her college coach (Summit) vs her pro coach (Laimbeer at the time)- Lex said they are both intense, Coach Laimbeer uses different language to express himself. As 98 refers to the Coach up north (we know who)-I wonder if Tarausi learned her vulgarity and drunken behavior from him also, or was it poor upbringing?
CTOWNICON writes:
For Taurasi it probably was a combination of all the above! Playing for trash like Geno couldn't help either it just made her worse as far as her mouth and arrogance goes!
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