Clark pours in points for MTSU; Lady Vols ready

A women's basketball visit from Tennessee has transformed Rick Insell's cell phone into a request line.

"I didn't know I had this many friends,'' the Middle Tennessee State coach said. "I didn't know I had this many kinfolks."

Tickets are at a premium because tonight's game against the sixth-ranked Lady Vols (3-0) at the Murphy Center (TV: MyVLT2, 8 p.m.) doesn't happen very often. The Lady Vols' last appearance in Murfreesboro was 30 years ago - Nov. 26, 1979, to be exact.

Back then, Pat Summitt was in her sixth season as Tennessee's head coach and associate head coach Holly Warlick was the starting point guard. Insell was coaching at Shelbyville High School.

The series was renewed in 2006 and the Blue Raiders (2-1) journeyed to Knoxville each of the past three seasons in advance of the much-anticipated return trip by UT.

"This is what we've been looking forward to the last two to three years, since we signed that (series) contract,'' Insell said. "I've recruited to this game."

Toward that end, Insell has assembled what he thinks is his best team in five seasons at MTSU. Center Alysha Clark has never been better, as evidenced by her averaging 28.7 points and 15.3 rebounds per game.

The 5-foot-10 Clark was a giant against Austin Peay on Saturday, scoring 38 points in 37 minutes.

The transfer from Belmont shot 18-for-22 from the floor, surpassing the 1,000-point mark in her 37th game with MTSU.

Lady Vols assistant coach Dean Lockwood, who prepared the MTSU scouting report, described Clark as "the best offensive producer that we've played all year, hands down."

"She's a tough kid; she's never out of the fight,'' Lockwood said. "With that mentality, she has great footwork. She uses her body as well as any player I've ever seen as an opponent."

Clark's production notwithstanding, Insell said it's been a challenge to keep his team, not to mention everyone else, from looking ahead to tonight's game.

"I'm glad it's here,'' he said.

After all these years, Summitt seems content with being here as well.

"Everybody has asked me why,'' Summitt said of agreeing to this game. Her thinking was "Why not?"

She has known Insell and his wife, Debby, for years and has recruited and signed several of Insell's high school players.

Former Lady Vol Alex Fuller, last season's lone senior, played at Shelbyville.

Furthermore, Summitt respects the program Insell has built at MTSU.

Summitt will help attract two crowds here today. Along with the game, she will join Insell in speaking at a breakfast that's expected to draw 900 fans.

"Everybody said we have nothing to gain and everything to lose,'' Summitt said. "No, if we lose to them then we're going to figure out that we're not as good as we thought we were going into that game.

"I'm not expecting to have an undefeated season, but we better be ready to play at Middle."

Dupree Update: Tennessee doesn't have to state its intention regarding an extra year for freshman Faith Dupree until the season's end, but she does qualify for a redshirt, having played just two games.

Dupree is sitting out the season to deal with an aching back.

"I think a redshirt year is the best thing for her,'' Summitt said during her teleconference Tuesday.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!