DULUTH, Ga. — Taber Spani referred to a checklist last week after her Tennessee team had clinched its 17th SEC regular-season championship in women’s basketball.
You probably can guess what’s left on the list as the Lady Vols begin play in the conference tournament this afternoon at Gwinnett Arena.
Win the conference tournament.
Make the Final Four.
Win the national championship.
The circumstances might have changed drastically since UT’s last national championship; since the last season, in fact. And objective observers might view the program quite differently than when it contended for national titles on a regular basis.
But for the team itself, not enough time has passed to lower the towering expectations set by former coach Pat Summitt.
The program’s standards are eight national championships and 22 Final Fours in the making. They override something as trivial as preseason predictions.
No wonder the current players scoffed at such predictions, which placed them as low as fifth in the SEC.
So what if the Lady Vols haven’t been to a Final Four since 2008 — or that they lost all five starters from last season, or that Summitt was forced to retire because of illness. This team was miscast in an underdog role.
It includes five McDonald’s All-Americans and three Gatorade state players of the year. It includes players who contributed to nine high school state championships.
They didn’t come to UT to rebuild. Playing for the Lady Vols is supposed to be maintenance work. You maintain what your predecessors built.
At least, that’s the traditional view, which once was shared by program insiders and outsiders alike.
But this team already has over-achieved without dipping a toe in post-season waters. Why else do you think first-year coach Holly Warlick was honored Tuesday as the SEC coach of the year?
You don’t win that award with maintenance work. You win it because your team exceeded expectations.
In the worst postseason scenario, Tennessee won’t finish the season with more than eight losses. Last season’s veteran team lost nine; the 2008-09 team lost 11.
Moreover, this team’s 23-6 record has been accomplished in spite of a series of injuries that have made the announcement of each starting lineup eventful.
The status of center Isabelle Harrison for the SEC tournament is in doubt. She didn’t play in the regular-season finale because of a knee injury.
Such uncertainty reminds you that, for all this team has achieved, it’s still fragile.
You saw that in an 80-63 loss in February to a pedestrian Missouri team that it beat by 45 points a month earlier in Knoxville.
You saw that again last Sunday when the Lady Vols came undone against
Kentucky, which had the players and system to expose UT’s lack of experienced depth.
Games like that discourage the usual assumptions about Lady Vols basketball.
You can’t assume they will win a game, much less a championship, in the SEC tournament. Nor can you assume they will win first- and second-round games on their home floor in the NCAA tournament.
But that’s an outsider’s perspective.
On the inside, I doubt anyone is ready to revise the preseason checklist.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/johnadamskns
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
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Comments » 10
voloffaith writes:
Very astute observation Mr. Adams. That's why THEY play the games one at a time. Focusing on the small picture within the big picture. Go Lady Vols beat the chomperettes!!!
tovolny writes:
WHAT DID HE SAY...???...WHY DID HE SAY IT...?
VolMoment writes:
John Adams?????? The people who defend Adams don't look very deep at this person. Recently when Jay Graham left, Adams wrote part of his article about that only left one black on Jones staff, which was not Jones fault. He tried to hire Tee Martin and that would have been three before Jay's departure. But would have actually been five with Terry Fair and A. Davis. Coaches hire the best they can get and those who have been sucessful with them in prior jobs. In this time of history the coachs don't look at hires the way a sorry sports writer does. White fans don't look up and see all black assistance coachs on Cunzo Martin's staff and say where are the white coachs. Coach Martin has who he feel wil help him and I want him to win so that is fine. At the Florida game a few days after Adams's article I observed when the the teams lined up for the National Anthem, that Flordia had eight coaches and support staff lined up at center court. Guess what? ONE was black and SEVEN were white. And he can recruit blacks contary to what Adams said in article about recruiting blacks. Did Adams write an article about the ratio on Billy Donovant's staff.
No because that wouldn't be negative toward UT.
Does anyone know how many black sportwriters Adams hired in his years of Sports Editor at KNS or prior employment??
The answer is NONE. Again NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
GrandCanyonVol writes:
Very, very good intelligent post. John is a person who sees UT in a negative way. I saw him on the internet the other day, and he looks like he is in a different zone than your normal person would be in. He just has that look!!! If he bothers you, just don't read his stuff. In eternity, none of this will even matter: Just small stuff. Read a statement the other day which really put things in perspective..."Tennessee football is the most important thing among all the things which are unimportant." Quite a statement and I think it to be true. What do you think?
voloffaith writes:
Agree,In light of eternity,the only thing that matters are you found in Christ or not..........That which was not done for Him will be,"wood,straw,etc.." Pull for the VOLS and enjoy sports, but at judgement day all that was done for Christ in Christ will matter.
Again,on topic, Sir Adams was kinda gentle here as opposed to his normal schtick and grime.
emailnodata (Inactive) writes:
Pretty much garbage.
Guarantee you Holly is playing an "us against the world" angle with these ladies,with a topping of "disrespect" to help.
The reason you don't see selfish play from this team is that they know they have to play smart and tough to win.
They do not step on the floor thinking "we don't have to play hard to win".
They'll lose, sure, because no team can bring full energy every game.
I will say it over and over again: give these ladies credit for some really, really great character.
Theo writes:
Good grief. Think you guys drove into the ditch didn't you? Some wierd diatribe regarding a sportswriter reporting the men's football team does not have a very diverse staff to questioning JAs zone, whatever that is, to we interupt this sports thread to bring you a sanctimonious advertisement.
How about we discuss Lady Vol basketball on the Lady Vol basketball thread?
madrigal writes:
Who wrote this headline? Adams, if it was you. you need to go back to high school English. If it wasn't, whoever did needs to do the same. It's clumsy as heck. How about "Expectations are the norm for Lady Vols" or something similar?
GrandCanyonVol writes:
Theo, Us two guys did not drive into a ditch. We didn't have a wierd diatribe and tried not to bring a sanctimonious advertisement. We love Tennessee sports, but we love our Lord Jesus Christ more, and it justs comes out. That's what is in our hearts, and we still have the freedom to express it. What came out of the article for me was that people take so seriouly what John says, and really not care at all what God says. I was just speaking my mind a bit. I think I was right in what I was saying. Quit being so mad at people who believe the Bible. And pray for John while you are into this article.
voloffaith writes:
GCV, sir mister Huxtable has hit me up b4 on the "religion thing", though never with driving into a ditch label. Jesus' own people rejected Him and said the world would persecute His followers as they did him. We here in America haven't tasted that like our European and Central asian brothers and sisters have. God bless and let us "run the race set before us."
PS On topic John we don't hate...sometimes we just agree to disagree..
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