University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOLS FACE MARIST COLLEGE IN NCAA SWEET SIXTEEN
March 22, 2007 | Women's Basketball
March 22, 2007
 | TENNESSEE LADY VOLS (30-3) VS. MARIST RED FOXES (29-5) |  | |
| March. 25, 2007 - 12:00 p.m. ET - ESPN Dayton Arena (13,000) - Dayton, Ohio | |||
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TV - ESPN - Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli and Heather Cox 
Radio - Mickey Dearstone
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GAME 34 - NCAA SWEET 16 The number one-seeded and #3/4-nationally ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (30-3 overall, 14-0 SEC) have advanced to its 26th consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 and will face the 13th seeded Marist Red Foxes (29-5, 17-1 MAAC) at noon on Sun., Mar. 25, 2007 in Dayton, Ohio, at the University of Dayton Arena. The winner advances to the NCAA Elite 8 and will take on the winner of the Mississippi vs. Oklahoma contest on Tues., Mar. 27 in the Championship game of the Dayton Regional. LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 943-180 overall record... Is just 57 wins away from a remarkable 1,000 career victories...Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2005-06 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite 8...Finished with a 31-5 overall record and were the SEC Tournament Champions... LOVE US, HATE US ... GOTTA R-E-S-P-E-C-T US The #3/4-ranked and #1-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols continue play in their 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament - the only team to have garnered an invitation to every "Big Dance." All-time, UT has received 12 automatic bids and been selected as an at-large team 14 times. The Lady Vols' 2007 number one seed marks the 18th time Tennessee has earned a top billing. UT has never been seeded lower than fourth (1986) and has been seeded in the #2 slot four times (1982, 1987, 2002, 2006) and #3, three times (1984, 1985, 1997). Tennessee has a phenomenal 94-19 record in 113 NCAA Tournament games - all under head coach Pat Summitt. WILL TENNESSEE WALTZ? THE RED FOXES TROT? DOES HOTTY TODDY OR BOOMER SOONER PREVAIL AT UD? The Tennessee Lady Vols travel to its 26th consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 - a feat unchallenged in the women's game. In the Dayton Regional with the Lady Vols, Marist will be making its inaugural trip to the Sweet 16. The Red Foxes were a 14th seed in 2004 (losing to Oklahoma, 58-45), a 14th seed in 2006 (losing to Georgia, 75-60) and has won two games in the 2007 Tournament as a #13-seed knocking off Ohio State, 67-63, and Middle Tennessee State, 73-59. Oklahoma is in its sixth Sweet 16 (1986, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007) and advanced from the West Regional in 2002 to the NCAA Championships in San Antonio with Tennessee, UConn and Duke. Tennessee has never faced Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament but did play on the Sooners home floor in the 2004 NCAA Midwest Regionals in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma was upset by Stanford, 68-43, in the NCAA Second Round game. Ole Miss is attending its 10th Sweet 16 (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 2007) and has played in four Elite 8 contests. Ole Miss and Tennessee have faced each other in two Sweet 16 games over the years...in 1983, UT defeated Ole Miss, 90-83 (3OT - longest game in Lady Vol history) while the Lady Rebels returned the favor in 1985 knocking UT out of the tourney, 63-60. Tennessee has been to 26 Sweet 16's and captured 16 Regional titles to date. The Lady Vols won the East in 1988, 1989, 1996; the Mideast in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, and the Midwest in 1997, 2002 and 2004. In 2005, UT won the Philadelphia Regional. After advancing from 16 regional championships, Tennessee captured NCAA titles in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998. NEVER BEEN TO DAYTON The Tennessee Lady Vols have played far and wide over the years but has incredibly visited the state of Ohio only six times. UT has traveled to Cincinnati (1987 Communiplex Classic and 1997 NCAA Final Four), Cleveland (2000 Women's College Basketball Classic and the 2006 NCAA Cleveland Regional), Columbus (at Ohio State, W, 72-56, Jan. 31, 1980) and Youngstown (at Youngstown State, W, 78-54, Feb. 9, 1993). Tennessee has taken on eight state of Ohio schools including Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Miami of Ohio, Ohio State, Toledo, Xavier and Youngstown. Dayton traveled to Knoxville and faced the Lady Vols on Dec. 4, 1986 and took home a 66-40 loss. UT's "Cinderella Season" of 1997 found the Lady Vols winning NCAA title number five in Cincinnati at the Riverfront Coliseum. Last March in Cleveland, UT was denied a trip to the 2006 Final Four losing to North Carolina, 75-63, in the Cleveland Regional Championship game. 2007 NCAA TOURNEY TIME FOR TENNESSEE The Lady Vols are playing in the postseason for the 32nd time in Coach Pat Summitt's 33-year career at Tennessee. Tennessee started the tournament on the road in Pittsburgh, Pa., for the NCAA First/Second Rounds and collected wins over Drake (76-37) and host Pittsburgh (68-54). This marked just the third time in 26 years that UT was on the road for the opening rounds. The Lady Vols also traveled in 2004 (Tallahassee, Fla.) and 2006 (Norfolk, Va.). The University of Tennessee served as host for NCAA First /Second Rounds from 1982-2003 and 2005. AGAINST THE 2007 TOURNAMENT FIELD This season, Tennessee has faced in 17 teams in 20 games from the 63-team (plus UT) NCAA bracket. Overall, the Lady Vols have turned in a 17-3 record. UT has defeated: Chattanooga (102-72), Arizona State (83-74), Stanford (77-60), Middle Tennessee (88-64), George Washington (85-62), West Virginia (66-51), Old Dominion (75-59), Notre Dame (78-54), Connecticut (70-64), Georgia (52-41, 73-57), Vanderbilt (67-57 and 73-53) Mississippi (81-69), LSU (56-51) Drake (76-37) and Pittsburgh (68-54). The Lady Vols' three losses came against Duke 70-74, North Carolina 57-70 and LSU 54-63. TENNESSEE EARNS RECORD #1 SEED The University of Tennessee has earned 18 number-one seeds all-time in the NCAA Tournament since 1982. UT has been seeded number two on four occasions, number three, three times and number four just once. From 1988-96, the Lady Vols had nine consecutive number one seeds. Only 28 schools have ever received number one seeds over the years. Teams with the most number one seeds through the years: 1. Tennessee 18, 2. (tie) Louisiana Tech and Connecticut 10, 4. Stanford and Duke, 6, 6. (tie) Texas, Old Dominion 5, 8. (tie) Georgia, USC 4, 10. (tie) Penn St., Vandy, Auburn, Virginia, Long Beach 3 UT'S NCAA SWEET 16 NOTES Tennessee has advanced to all 26 NCAA Sweet 16's since 1982 and has posted a 21-4 overall record prior to the 2007 contest versus #13-seeded Marist. Broken down, that means that 84 percent of the time, the Lady Vols will advance to the Elite 8. Tennessee's four missteps in the Sweet 16 came against Mississippi (63-60) in 1985 at Bowling Green, Ky.; Western Kentucky (75-70) in 1992 at West Lafayette, Ind.; Louisiana Tech (77-68) in 1994 at Fayetteville, Ark., and Xavier (80-65) in 2001 at Birmingham, Ala. With the exception of the Xavier contest (15 points), the Lady Vols missed the Elite 8 by some close shaves of three points, five points and nine points, respectively. UT played the longest game in its history, a triple overtime, in the 1983 Sweet 16 held in South Bend, Ind. Tennessee out-dueled Mississippi to a 90-83 win. Tennessee averages 75.5 ppg in NCAA Sweet 16 contests and holds its opponents to 63.7 ppg or an average winning margin of +11.8 ppg. UT has lost four Sweet 16 games by an average of -8.0 (65.7 to 73.7). The Lady Vol high water mark for points in the Sweet 16 game is 92 - scored against Kansas in 1996 and Rutgers in 1998. The Lady Vols scored just 60 points in a loss to Mississippi in 1985. In 1989, Tennessee recorded its largest margin of victory in a Sweet 16 game with a +33 point win over Virginia. The narrowest win in this round was the infamous two-point victory, 71-69, over Baylor in 2004. Tennessee's Sweet 16 opponents through the years have included: Memphis State, Mississippi (twice), Alabama, Georgia, Virginia (three times), James Madison, Clemson, Western Kentucky (three times), Louisiana Tech, North Carolina, Kansas, Colorado, Rutgers (twice), Virginia Tech, Xavier, BYU, Penn State, Baylor and Texas Tech. The 2007 meeting with Marist in the Sweet 16 will mark the first time the Lady Vols have faced the Red Foxes. UT'S NCAA ELITE 8 NOTES Tennessee has advanced to 21 of 25 Elite 8 Rounds dating back to 1982. UT did not make the Elite 8 in 1985, 1992, 1994 and 2001. The Lady Vols have an unmatched record of 16-5 in Elite 8 games. Tennessee's five losses in the Elite 8 were all heartbreakers. In 1983, after surviving a triple overtime victory against Ole Miss in the Sweet 16, the Lady Vols had nothing left in the tank for Georgia in an Elite 8 match-up in South Bend, Ind., and lost 67-63. Perhaps the most heartbreaking loss in Tennessee women's basketball program history was the 1990 Elite 8 overtime defeat to Virginia, 79-75, in Norfolk, Va., denying the Lady Vols the chance to play for an NCAA title on their homecourt in Knoxville. Instead, the Lady Vols helped to serve as hostesses at the event billed as "Tennessee and the Final Three." In 1993, Tennessee lost an Elite 8 game to a team on a mission. Playing on the Iowa Hawkeyes home floor, Tennessee lost 72-56 to Coach C. Vivian Stringer's team, Earlier that season, Stringer had lost her husband and the Hawks were on a mission. Another Elite 8 heartbreaker was in 1999 against Duke in Greensboro, N.C. Tennessee had won consecutive NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and were going for four in a row before Duke knocked off UT, 69-63, ending the outstanding careers of four time All-American Chamique Holdsclaw and Kellie Jolly. Last season, in a stacked Cleveland Regional, #1-ranked North Carolina took the Lady Vols out of a trip to the Final Four with a 75-63 beating. With the exception of the Iowa and north Carolina contests (16 and 12 points, respectively), the Lady Vols missed the Final Four by some close shaves of four points, four points in overtime and six points. UT played the first overtime game in the NCAA Tournament in 1982 in the Elite 8. Tennessee defeated the McGee twins and Southern Cal, 91-90. Tennessee averages 71.5 ppg in NCAA Elite 8 contests and holds its opponents to 65.3 ppg or an average winning margin of +6.2 ppg. UT has lost four Elite 8 games by an average of -7.4 (64.3 to 71.7). The Lady Vol high water mark for points in the Elite 8 game is 94 - scored against Long Beach State in 1989. The Lady Vols scored just 52 points in a miracle come-from-behind win over Virginia, 52-46, in Charlottesville, Va., in 1996. In 2003, Tennessee recorded its largest margin of victory in a Elite 8 game with a +24 point win over Villanova, 73-49. The narrowest win in this round was the one-point overtime victory, 91-90, over Southern Cal in 1982 to advance to the first-ever Women's NCAA Final Four in Norfolk, Va. Tennessee's Elite 8 opponents through the years have included: Southern Cal, Georgia (twice), LSU, Auburn (twice), Iowa, Texas Tech (twice), Virginia (three times), Long Beach State, Connecticut, North Carolina (twice), Duke, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Stanford and Rutgers. THE NCAA SWEET 16 The Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to 26 consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 Rounds dating back to 1982. THE ELITE 8 The Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to 21 of 25 NCAA Elite 8 Rounds dating back to 1982. UT did not make the Elite 8 in 1985, 1992, 1994 and 2001. THE FINAL FOUR The Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to 16 NCAA Final Fours dating back to 1982. Remarkably, the Lady Vols have played in 11 title games and won six NCAA Championships - 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, and 1998. THIRTYSOMETHING AGAIN With a win over Pittsburgh in the NCAA Second Round, Tennessee has garnered another 30-win season. Summitt has won at least 30 games in 17 years of her 33 at the helm of the Lady Vols. 94 FOR SUMMITT Against Pittsburgh, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt collected her 94th all-time win in the NCAA Tournament (overall 94-19 .832). NCAA Tournament wins account for 1/10 of Summitt's all-time 943 wins. DOWN TO 16 This season, Tennessee has faced eight of the remaining 15 teams in the NCAA Tournament and posted an 7-3 record against the following schools: Arizona St., Connecticut, Duke, Georgia (two meetings), George Washington, LSU (two meetings), Mississippi and North Carolina. 68TH NCAA TOURNEY OPPONENT With the games against Drake, Pittsburgh and now coming up with Marist, the Lady Vols have now faced 68 different opponents all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, UT has never faced Drake or Marist but sports a 4-0 all-time record versus Pittsburgh. THESE SEEDS SENT TENNESSEE HOME Tennessee has played in an incredible 113 games in the NCAA Tournament since 1982. Six times the Lady Vols have brought home NCAA titles to Knoxville. On the 19 occasions when UT lost in the tournament, the number one seeded team provided the honors nine times. The Lady Vols have never lost to a team seeded lower than #4 all-time in the tournament. The following seeds bounced the Lady Vols. #1 seed-1982, 1984, 1986, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 #2 seed-1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 2004 #3 seed-1999 #4 seed-1992, 1994, 2001 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK
2007 FIRST/SECOND ROUNDS AT PITTSBURGH PARKER PERSEVERED AT PITT Tennessee took a 68-54 win over an inspired Pittsburgh Panther team on their home court on Mar. 20, 2007, in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. It marked the first time that the Lady Vols played on an "away" court prior to an NCAA Regional title game. Sophomore All-American Candace Parker led the charge to Tennessee's victory. The win was the 30th of the season and gives Tennessee a 30-win season for the fifth straight season and the 17th time overall under head coach Pat Summitt. Tennessee improved to 70-19 record all-time against teams from the Big East. The win over Pitt marked the fifth season in a row where Tennessee held all first and second round NCAA opponents to under 60 points. Individually, Candace Parker...Moved into a tie for fifth place in the UT record books for single-season free throws made (147)...Moved into fifth place in the UT record books for single-season free throws attempted (208)...Moved past Lisa Harrison and into a tie with Sheila Frost for ninth place in the UT record books for single-season rebounds (309)...For her career, crossed the 600-rebound plateau against Pitt (607 total)...Reached 20+ points for the first time since Feb. 25 against Vanderbilt (21), the 16th time this season and the 7th time of her career...Scored 30-plus points for the fourth time this season and the fifth time of her career...Earned her 19th double-double of the season, the 29th of her career and her first in an NCAA Tournament game. Was named the Powerade Player of the Game by ESPN; Nicky Anosike...Started for the 91st time in her career, giving her the 16th-most starts by a Lady Vol in program history...Scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and the 20th time in her career; Alexis Hornbuckle...Moved into a tie with Bridgette Gordon for sixth place in the UT record books for single-season steals (106); Shannon Bobbitt...Moved into sixth place in the UT record books for single-season three-pointers made (59) ...Reached double figures for the 13th time this season. SLOPPY START...STRONG ENDING Tennessee opened play in a fits-and-spurts fashion in the 2007 NCAA Tournament - First Round game versus Drake on March 18, 2007. The UT team hadn't played a game in 15 days since the early exit from the SEC Tournament and tempo and timing looked out of sync in the opening 20 minutes. Interestingly, the spotty play didn't result in the typical miscues and the Lady Vols registered a season-low four turnovers in the first half and just eight for the game. When Tennessee got on pace in the second stanza, the Lady Vols connected on 60.6 percent from the field. For the game, UT went over 50 percent from the field (50.8%) for the first time since a 53.2 percent showing against Kentucky on Feb. 11, 2007. It marked just the ninth game on the season connecting better than 50 percent from the field. In other notes of interest from the game...Drake's 14 first-half points tied for the ninth fewest by an opponent in UT history. SEC foe Alabama managed only 14 opening-period points on Jan. 3, 2007. The low digits have happened nine other times in program history. Tennessee went on a 25-0 run to open the second half. Ten of those points came from junior point guard Shannon Bobbitt in the first five minutes. Drake's last first-half points came on a Lauren Dybing three-pointer with 2:21 left in the period. The Bulldogs did not score again until a free throw by Monique' Jones' with 10:30 left in the game, a scoreless span of 11 minutes and 51 seconds. Individually for Tennessee, Candace Parker...Reached double figures for the 29th time this season and the 62nd time of her career. Her 13 points moved her past Abby Conklin and into 23rd place on the all-time UT scoring list (1,227); Alexis Hornbuckle...Reached double figures for the 17th time this season and the 49th time in her career. She now needs only 66 points to reach 1,000 for her career; Alex Fuller swatted a career high four blocked shots; Shannon Bobbitt...Hit back-to-back threes in the starting minutes of the second half to mover her into 14th place in the UT record books for career treys (54); Sidney Spencer...Blocked an NCAA career-high two shots and Dominique Redding...Scored an NCAA career-high 10 points. FIRST TIME JITTERS Four Lady Vols joined the roll call against Drake earning their first playing time in the NCAA Tournament. Rookie Cait McMahan played 18 minutes and scored a basket, grabbed four rebounds and dished three assists in her first NCAA Tournament game. Junior college transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste fared well in their first action. Bobbitt tallied 11 points in 18 minutes while Auguste tossed in seven points and grabbed six boards. Senior manager-turned-player Elizabeth Curry played five minutes against Drake, the team she grew up watching. Curry hails from New Virginia, Iowa (Interstate 35 H.S.) JUST THREE TIMES ON AN AWAY FLOOR In 113 NCAA Tournament games, the Tennessee Lady Vols have only played on an "AWAY" floor in three games. Until the game at Pittsburgh, UT had avoided an away floor through the First/Second Rounds and the Sweet 16. On the two occasions, previous to the game at Pittsburgh on Mar. 20, 2007, the Lady Vols played in enemy territory it was for a trip to the Final Four. In 1993, #-2 ranked Tennessee met #4-ranked Iowa in the finals of the NCAA Mideast Regionals in Iowa City. Iowa coach C. Vivian Stringer led an inspired group of Hawkeyes over the Lady Vols, 72-56, on Mar. 27. Stringer's players had dedicated winning the game to the memory of their coach's husband, Bill, who had died suddenly that season. In 1996, #4-ranked Tennessee met #11-ranked Virginia in Charlottesville in the NCAA East Regional Championship game with a trip to the Final Four at stake. Tennessee won the game, 52-46, after rallying from a school record low 14 points in the opening stanza. The Lady Vols would eventually trail by as many as 17 points before the furious rally for the victory. A week later, UT won the 1996 NCAA title in Charlotte, N.C., defeating Connecticut, 88-83 OT in the semis and then knocking off Georgia, 83-65 in the title game. NCAA FIRST ROUND NOTES Tennessee has won 20 First/Opening Round games in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1982 and sports an 20-0 record. There were six years where the Lady Vols had a First Round bye (1988-93). Tennessee averages 89.1 ppg in NCAA First Round contests and holds its opponents to just 52.3 ppg or an average win margin of +36.9 ppg. Tennessee scored a then-NCAA record 111 points against North Carolina A&T in the 1994 First Round. AT tallied 37 points to give UT a 74-point winning margin. In 1999, Tennessee tallied 113 points against Appalachian St. for the then-fifth most scored points in an NCAA First or Second round. The Lady Vols closest game in the First Round was a five-point win over Iowa in 1986, 73-68. Virginia held UT to just 65 points in 1985. The Lady Vols won the game 65-55. Tennessee's First/Opening Round opponents through the years have included: Jackson St., South Carolina St., Middle Tennessee State, Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee Tech, North Carolina A&T, Florida A&M, Radford, Grambling, Liberty, Appalachian St., Furman, Austin Peay, Georgia State, Alabama State, Colgate, Western Carolina, Army and Drake. NCAA SECOND ROUND NOTES Tennessee has won 20 Second Round games in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1982 and sports an 20-0 record. From 1982-87, in the smaller sized bracket, teams played a First/Opening Round game and winners advanced to the Sweet 16. A First/Opening Round bye process was in effect from 1988-93. In 1994, true First and Second Round games were played. Tennessee averages 83.1 ppg in NCAA Second Round contests and holds its opponents to just 59.5 ppg or an average win margin of +23.6 ppg. Tennessee scored 97 points against Rutgers in the 1992 Second Round. The Scarlet Knights tallied 56 points to give UT a 41-point winning margin. The Lady Vols lowest point total and the closest game in the Second Round was an eight-point win over S.W. Missouri (now Missouri State). SWMS held UT to just 55 points in 1991. The Lady Vols won the game 55-47 and would eventually capture the 1991 NCAA title. Tennessee's Second Round opponents through the years have included: Wake Forest, LaSalle, Old Dominion, S.W. Missouri, Rutgers, Northwestern, Clemson, Florida International, Ohio St., Oregon, Western Kentucky, Boston College, St. Mary's (CA), Notre Dame, Virginia, DePaul, Purdue, George Washington and Pittsburgh. SUMMITT NAISMITH FINALIST University of Tennessee Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt has been named as one of four finalists for the Naismith Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Mar. 14. Summitt, Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Gary Blair (Texas A&M), and Gail Goestenkors (Duke) will make up the final ballot. The Naismith Award is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball coaches of the year, and the winner will be named at the Naismith Awards banquet April 5 in Atlanta. Pat Summitt: For the seventh time in her career, Summitt was named SEC Coach of the Year. In her 33rd season as Lady Vols head coach, Summitt has amassed 942 wins - more than any other Division I coach in the history of men's or women's college basketball. She also has six NCAA titles, seven NCAA Coach of the Year Awards, 16 NCAA Final Four appearances on her resume and has coached 19 Kodak All-Americans during her tenure in Knoxville. Summitt won the inaugural Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award in 1987 then went on to claim four more honors (1989, 1994, 1998 and 2004) - the most among all women's college coaches. SUMMITT NAMED WBCA REGIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has named the 2007 Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coach of the Year winners. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt was named the Regional Coach of the Year for Region 3. The winners of the WBCA National Coach of the Year for each division will be honored on Monday, April 2, 2007, at 12:00 p.m. (ET) during the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca in the Crowne Plaza's Grand Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the 2007 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four. PARKER FINALIST FOR WADE TROPHY Lady Vol sophomore All-American Candace Parker has been named as one of 12 finalists for the WADE Trophy as presented by the WBCA. Other finalists include: Alison Bales (Duke), Jessica Davenport (Ohio State), Sylvia Fowles (LSU), Katie Gearlds (Purdue), Lindsey Harding (Duke), Crystal Langhorn (Maryland), Ivory Latta (UNC), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Bernice Mosby (Baylor), Noell Quinn (UCLA), Candice Wiggins (Stanford). Members of the committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Team and will be announced at the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Press Conference and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention on Saturday, March 31, 2007, at 9:45 a.m. (ET). PARKER FINALIST FOR KODAK ALL-AMERICA University of Tennessee women's hoopster Candace Parker has been named a finalist for Kodak All-America, announced the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in cooperation with Eastman Kodak Company. The finalists for the 2007 Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, are voted upon by WBCA-member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions. All 52 are now in the running for selection to the 10-member Kodak/WBCA All-America Team. Parker's list of accomplishments for her sophomore season include being named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, an All-SEC first team selection, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, a Wooden Award finalist, a Naismith Award finalist and a 2007-08 Team USA member. The Naperville, Ill., native became the fastest Lady Vol to 1,000 career points in just her 56th game and has led her team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots all season. The SEC placed six women on the Region 3 finalists list. Dee Daivs (Vanderbilt), Sylvia Fowles (LSU), Tasha Humphrey (Georgia), Armintie Price (Mississippi) and Carla Thomas (Vanderbilt) joined Parker among the final 52. The Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team for NCAA Division I will be announced at the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Press Conference at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center on March 31, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. (ET) in Cleveland, Ohio. PARKER NAMED FINALIST FOR JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD University of Tennessee basketball star Candace Parker has been named one of four finalists for the John R. Wooden Award. The Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American will lead #3/4-ranked Tennessee into the upcoming NCAA Tournament, where the Lady Vols seek a seventh national title. A sophomore from Naperville, Ill., Parker leads the team in scoring, rebounding and shot blocking this season. She ranks in the SEC's top-10 in seven different statistical categories and earlier this season became the fastest Lady Vol to achieve 1,000 career points. She and Middle Tennessee's Chrissy Givens are the only two women on the list to boast Academic All-America and conference Player of the Year accolades. Parker has also been named to the 2007-08 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team. UT HAS THREE PLAYERS SELECTED TO 2007-08 USA BASKETBALL NATIONAL TEAM Lady Vol All-American Candace Parker and former Tennessee players Tamika Catchings and Michelle Snow named to 21 Player Squad With an eye towards continued adaptability to the changing women's basketball environment and building upon the success of the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team program, USA Basketball announced the 21-member 2007-08 USA Women's Senior National Team. One-seventh of the representation is comprised of current Lady Vol All-American sophomore Candace Parker and former Lady Vols, current WNBA stars, Tamika Catchings and Michelle Snow. This group of seasoned veterans and rising stars, headlined by three-time Olympic gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), will train together over the next two years as the U.S. attempts at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games and then defend its three consecutive Olympic gold medal winning streak. It is expected that players selected to compete on USA Senior National teams in the 2007 and 2008 international competitions will come from the USA Basketball Senior National Team pool. THEY CALL IT DAYTON BUT WE'RE GOING TO THE MIDEAST The Lady Vols have been placed in the Dayton (Mideast) bracket of the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time. Previously, the Lady Vols were placed in the Mideast Regional and advanced to the Final Four nine times -- in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2003. In 2006, the Lady Vols were in the Cleveland (Mideast) bracket. UT has been in the Midwest bracket of the NCAA Tournament three times. Tennessee has advanced to the Final Four from the Midwest every time: in 1997 (claiming the NCAA title in Cincinnati, Ohio), in 2002, where the team lost to UConn in the Final Four semis in San Antonio and in 2004, where the team lost to UConn in the NCAA title game in New Orleans. In 2005, UT was placed in the Philadelphia Region (East) for the sixth time in 24 trips to the Big Dance. Tennessee advanced to the Final Four from the East in 1988 (finishing in 3rd in Tacoma, Washington), again in 1989 (winning UT's second NCAA title while playing in Tacoma, Wash.), in 1996 (winning UT's fourth NCAA title at the Final Four in Charlotte, N.C.) and 2005 (finishing third in Indianapolis at the Final Four. While advancing from the East produced two NCAA titles and two third place finishes, the East Regional is more remembered for what failed to occur for the Lady Vols. In 1990, the Lady Vols were sent to the East Regional at Old Dominion where two wins separated the Lady Vols from playing for a national championship on their home floor in Knoxville, site of the 1990 NCAA Final Four. UT got by Clemson, 80-62 in the Sweet 16 and then lost in overtime to Virginia, 79-75, failing to play in the NCAA Final Four in Knoxville. Instead of "Tennessee and the Final Three," the Lady Vols served as hostesses for the event. Almost a decade later, the East Regional would serve up another dark day in Lady Vol hoops history. In 1999, UT was going for its fourth consecutive NCAA title after winning in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Current Western Carolina head coach Kellie Jolly Harper was the Lady Vol point guard and her sidekick was four-time All-America Chamique Holdsclaw. The duo helped UT get by Virginia Tech, 68-52, in the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C. However, Duke dashed Tennessee's dream of a fourth consecutive title with a 69-63 win. It marked UT's last trip to the East until 2005. BREAKING DOWN THE DAYTON BRACKET-HOW WE'VE FARED ALL-TIME Of the other 15 teams in the Dayton bracket, Tennessee has faced 11 schools all-time. Against all teams in this bracket, UT has a 78-11 (.873) record all-time. In the most recent games against these teams, Tennessee has posted an overall 12-0 record.
DAYTON BRACKET Tennessee has faced four of the 15 teams in the 2007 NCAA Dayton bracket this season and posted a 4-0 record. The Lady Vols defeated Pittsburgh (68-54), Drake (76-37), MTSU (88-64) and Ole Miss (81-69). SUMMITT'S NCAA RECORDS Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has coached in 1,123 basketball games to date producing an incredible 943-180 (.839) overall record. What's even more amazing (at least to me) is that she has coached in over 100 NCAA Tournament games --- her record in the NCAAs, 94-19 (.829) in 113 NCAA contests. On the women's side, Georgia's Andy Landers trails Summitt in NCAA Tournament appearances with 24 - Summitt has 26. Summitt has coached in 113 NCAA Tournament games -next best is former Louisiana Tech legend Leon Barmore who coached in 75 games. Summitt has collected 94 NCAA wins...UConn's Geno Auriemma has won 60 games to rank second. Comparing Summitt to the men's side, Dean Smith (UNC) coached in 92 tournament games while Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has coached in 88 games. Krzyzewski passed Smith recording 68 NCAA wins. Summitt has appeared in all 26 (consecutive) NCAA Tournaments, and is ahead of Lute Olson (Arizona) and Smith with 23 consecutive appearances.
TOTALLY OUTTA KNOXVILLE FOR JUST THE THIRD TIME EVER IN MARCH The 2007 NCAA Second Round game with Pittsburgh marked the first time UT has played on an "AWAY" floor in the NCAA First/Second Round in tournament history. In the 2004 NCAA Tournament, for the first time in postseason play, the Tennessee Lady Vols did not play a post-season play-off game in Knoxville. The time has come again with UT traveling to Pittsburgh for the 2007 NCAA First/Second Rounds. (Last year, the Lady Vols traveled to Norfolk for the 2006 NCAA First/Second Rounds). Previously, Tennessee had won 46 consecutive NCAA play-off games at home since 1982 (34-0 in NCAA First/Second Rounds and 12-0 in six NCAA Mideast Regionals hosted in Knoxville). When you add in the AIAW years, Tennessee has won 52 consecutive (since Mar. 15, 1980) post-season AIAW/NCAA games at home. Overall, UT has won 54 out of 55 games in Knoxville since Mar. 10, 1979. UT's only loss in post-season play at home was a 74-72 AIAW Region II defeat to Old Dominion on Mar. 10, 1979. That year, the winner of the Region II Tournament was given the higher seed in the AIAW Regional Championship Tournament (Sweet 16) while the loser was sent to a tougher regional bracket. As the Region II winner, Old Dominion traveled to Tennessee Tech for the AIAW South Regional while Tennessee earned a trip to the Bronx, N.Y. (Fordham Univ.) for the East Regional. Both ODU and Tennessee advanced to the AIAW "Final Four" in Greensboro, N.C. OPENING ROUNDS BIG POINTS The Lady Vols turned in their highest point total ever in the NCAA Tournament scoring 113 versus Appalachian State in First Round action on Mar. 13, 1999. Other century marks include 111 points against North Carolina A&T on Mar.16, 1994, 102 points against Liberty on Mar. 14, 1998 and 102 points versus Army on Mar. 19, 2006 -- all in NCAA opening round play. UT's 113 points against ASU was the fifth most ever scored in NCAA First/Second Round action. UT'S NCAA OT GAMES UT has played in five overtime games in the NCAA Tournament producing a 4-1 record including two overtime wins in the Final Four. UT defeated Southern Cal, 91-90, in the first overtime game in NCAA tourney history. UT advanced to the NCAA's first Final Four in 1982 in Norfolk, Va., from that overtime affair. The Lady Vols played in the first triple OT in NCAA history when UT defeated Ole Miss, 90-83, in 1983. In UT's most heartbreaking loss in the program's history, Virginia defeated UT, 79-75 in OT, for the 1990 NCAA East Regional title in Norfolk, Va., denying the Lady Vols from playing in the 1990 Final Four on its home court. In 1991, UT returned the overtime favor to Virginia and defeated the Cavaliers in the first overtime NCAA title game, 70-67 in New Orleans. Tennessee's last extra stanza game in the NCAA Tournament came at the 1996 Final Four with a dramatic, 88-83, victory over Connecticut in the Final Four semifinal game. RANKED TEAMS - DAYTON REGION In the AP and USA TODAY/ESPN polls, six teams from the 2007 NCAA Dayton Regional are ranked led by #3/4 Tennessee. The next highest ranked team is Maryland (#6/6), and is followed by Ohio State (#8/7), Oklahoma (#9/10), Middle Tennessee (#17/16) and Marquette (#22/21). THIRTYSOMETHING --- AGAIN! On Mar. 20, 2007, with the win over Pittsburgh, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt collected her 17th 30-win season in her 33-years at the helm of the Lady Vols. The previous 30-win years:
UT's NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
CHECK OUT TENNESSEE'S NCAA RECORD In the 1980s, Tennessee fashioned a 26-6 (.815) record in eight years of NCAA play highlighted by NCAA titles in 1987 and 1989. The Lady Vols put together a 38-6 (.863) winning record in the NCAA Tournament in the 1990s while winning four NCAA titles in 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Thus far in the 2000's, the Lady Vols have a 30-7 (.800) record in seven years of NCAA competition for an overall slate of 94-19 over 26 years of play. 16 FOR SUMMITT Over the last several years, Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has passed legendary John Wooden of UCLA in a number of NCAA Tournament categories. Most significantly, Summitt has passed Wooden for most trips to the Final Four with 16 to Wooden's dozen. UT IN NCAA TITLE GAMES Tennessee has appeared in 11 NCAA title games (6-5 overall) since 1982 and won six championships. The Lady Vols have an overall 17-10 record in Final Four play. In the old AIAW days, UT made two title game appearances (1980 and 1981). MOST PARTICIPANTS EVER All-time, a total of 85 Lady Vol team members have participated/played in 16 Final Fours. That ranks first among all schools. Louisiana Tech is second with 65 participants all-time in 10 Final Fours. NO PRESSURE, BUT EVERY LADY VOL HAS PLAYED IN ONE Every Lady Vol hoopster (since 1976) has played in at least one Final Four during her career at Tennessee. Current Lady Vol seniors Dominique Redding and Sidney Spencer have gone to two Final Fours during their careers at UT -- the 2004 Final Four in New Orleans, La., (losing to UConn in the Championship game) and the 2005 Final Four in Indianapolis (losing to Michigan State in the semifinals). 3 LADY VOL CLASSES HAVE GONE FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS There have now been three classes of players in Lady Vol history to go to the Final Four all four years of their Lady Vol careers. First to do it was the class of Sheila Frost, Bridgette Gordon and Melissa McCray (1986, 1987, 1988 and 1999) - that trio won NCAA Championships in 1987 and 1989. The next player to do it was Laurie Milligan (1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998). Milligan was onboard for three consecutive titles, 1996-97-98. The latest group to do it was the class of Shyra Ely, Brittany Jackson and Loree Moore - they went in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. SHE LOVES MARCH AND APRIL, TOO Let's unite March and April Madness and coin it "Marpril Madness." Tennessee Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt loves to kick things up a notch in the months of March and April. Summitt, who has now coached in 1,123 collegiate contests and sports a 943-180 overall record in 33 seasons, has gone into battle 221 times in the months of March and April. She has come out a winner in 176 games losing just 45 basketball games (.795). Her teams are 60-2 at home, 10-1 away and 106-42 at neutral sites in the third and fourth months. 2007 LADY VOL SENIORS Over the past four years, Tennessee's seniors Elizabeth Curry, Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding have accumulated an overall record of 122 wins and just 17 losses - an 88 percent winning percentage. Against SEC opponents, they have a phenomenal 52-5 record! The seniors have made two trips to the NCAA Final Four, captured two SEC regular season crowns and the 2005 and 2006 SEC Tournament Titles. FACING THE RANKED Tennessee faced their 14th ranked opponent of the 2006-07 season in the loss to #11/10-ranked LSU on Mar. 3. UT is 11-3 in games versus ranked teams out of 32 total contests. FACING THE UNRANKED When taking on an unranked opponent such as Marist, the odds have typically tipped in Tennessee's favor. In her 33 years at the helm of the Lady Vols, UT head coach Pat Summitt has fashioned a 563-32 (.947) record when going up against unranked teams. The victory over Old Dominion this season was Summitt's 550th over an unranked foe. UT'S NCAA FINAL FOUR HISTORY
SUMMITT GETS 200TH WIN ON A NEUTRAL FLOOR UT coach Pat Summitt picked up her 200th win all-time on a neutral floor (against just 59 losses) when the Lady Vols defeated South Carolina in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Summitt has won 77.5 percent of her all-time games (1123 total) on neutral courts. SEC DANCING 5 TEAMS ADVANCE THRU FIRST ROUND...VANDY DROPS Five Southeastern Conference teams were invited to the "Big Dance" and four are dancing into the Sweet 16. SEC regular season champion Tennessee earned the No. 1 seed in the Dayton Regional, while SEC Tournament champ Vanderbilt was the second seed in the Greensboro Regional. Georgia is seeded third in the Dallas Regional while LSU is also a third seed - placed in the Fresno Regional. Mississippi joins the Lady Vols in the Dayton Regional as the seventh seeded team. The Tennessee Lady Vols were selected as a No. 1 seed in the Dayton regional. The Lady Vols and defeated No. 16 seeded Drake, 76-37, and #8-seeded Pitt, 68-54, to advance to the Sweet 16. The Lady Vols are the only team to appear in every NCAA tournament. UT owns a 94-19 NCAA Tournament record including a record 16 Final Four appearances. The contest against Pittsburgh marked the first time the Lady Vols have faced a team on their home floor in the first two rounds. Over the years, UT benefited from 23 years of hosting NCAA First/Second Round games in Knoxville. Vanderbilt received its ninth consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 2 seed in the Greensboro region. The Commodores defeated Delaware State on Mar. 18, 62-47, and lost to No. 7 Bowling Green, 59-56, in East Lansing, Mich. . The Georgia Lady Bulldogs received the No. 3 seed in the Dallas Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Georgia earned its 24th invitation in 26 editions of the NCAA Tournament, the second-best tally of any school in the nation behind only Tennessee. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Belmont the region's No. 14 seed, 53-36, on Mar. 17 and No. 6-seeded Iowa State, 76-56, on Mar. 19 in Minneapolis. The Lady Bulldogs will now face #2-seeded Purdue in the Sweet 16. LSU is the No. 3 seed in the Fresno Region and advanced the 2007 NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 14 seed UNC-Asheville, 77-39, and #11-seeded West Virginia, 49-43, in Austin, Texas. The Lady Tigers made the field of 64 for the 17th time in the program's history and for the eighth straight season. The Lady Tigers advance to the Sweet 16 in Fresno where they will meet #10-seed Florida State. Ole Miss, who earned a No. 7 seed in the Dayton Region, traveled to Hartford, and took wins over the No. 10 seed Texas Christian, 88-74, and defending NCAA Champion Maryland, 89-78. This marks the 17th trip for Ole Miss to the NCAA Tournament and the third time under head coach Carol Ross. Ole Miss now faces #3 seeded Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 at the Dayton Regional. 2006 NCAA TOURNEY REVIEW AT A GLANCE Last season, despite having the Best Strength of Schedule (SOS) and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and winning the 2006 SEC Tournament, the Lady Vols were a controversial #2 seed in the Cleveland Regional. Tennessee started the NCAA Tournament by traveling to Norfolk, Va., for the First/Second Round games, Mar. 19 & 21. On March 19, #2-seeded Tennessee defeated #15-seeded Army, 102-54, in what would turn out being Army coach Maggie Dixon's last collegiate game (Dixon passed away suddenly on April 6, 2006 of heart arrhythmia at the age of 28). In NCAA Second Round action, Tennessee took a 66-53 win over #7-seeded George Washington on Mar. 21 to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for an incredible 25th consecutive year. At the Cleveland Regional, the #6-ranked Lady Vols defeated #9-ranked and #3-seeded Rutgers, 76-69. Tennessee's Elite 8 game resembled what could have been an NCAA title game, as the Lady Vols fell to top-seeded and #1-ranked North Carolina, 75-63. http://s159447050.onlinehome.us/utvols/PARKER'S DUNKS SET NCAA HER-STORY On Mar. 19, 2006, UT rookie sensation Candace Parker wrote a chapter of NCAA history when she finally slam-dunked after a season of anticipation. The stage was the First Round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament at the Ted Constant Center on the Old Dominion campus. The opponent was Army, as Lady Vol junior Sidney Spencer blocked a shot, collected the rebound and fired an outlet pass to Parker. CP3 raced the length of the court with Army's Margaree King in close pursuit but Parker finished the break with a rim-shaking, one-handed slam with 13:48 left in the half. Not only was it the first dunk of Parker's college career, it was the first dunk by a woman in the NCAA Tournament. T'was fitting that another women's hoops milestone be provided by the Lady Vols. Parker's next dunk came with 14:18 to go in the second half of the same game. Parker was in the right corner and worked a give-and-go with Nicky Anosike, taking the return pass with a clear lane to dunk again as she drove the baseline and finished strong in moderate Army traffic. The dunks were a big deal but Parker was pretty proud of her career high seven assists against the Black Knights of Army. AIAW "FINAL FOUR" HISTORY
FINAL FOUR MVP
FINAL FOUR ALL-TOURNAMENT
LADY VOLS BY DOUBLE DIGITS
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