2009 TENNESSEE LADY VOLS BASKETBALL
The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team is back!! Currently ranked 4th nationally and only loss was on the road at #2 Stanford. Pat Summitt's Volunteers are a young and talented team led by Sophomore Guard/Forward Shekinna Stricklen; Sophomore Forward Glory Johnson; and Junior Guard/Forward Angie Bjorklund. Look for the Vols to be a serious player in 2010 March Madness.
Prior Discussion (2009): Bummer, the Tennessee Lady Vols lost in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 71 - 55 to 12th seeded Ball State. That's the first time a defending Champ has ever lost in the first round of the Women's Tournament and also the first time the Lady Vols have not advanced to the "Sweet 16."
But, it is a good sign of the improvement in the overall quality of Women's College Basketball. It's tougher than ever for any team to dominate year after year. The 2008 - 2009 Lady Vols were a young team. They graduated only one senior. So, as Pat Summitt said after the Ball State loss -- it all depends on how hard the team works in the offseason. I'd say -- look out for the UT Lady Vols next year!!
(2008): What can you say? Simply the best! Ever. The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team proved themselves the best team in all of Women's college basketball, again, winning the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship each of the past two years and 8th all-time.
Candace Parker showed true grit playing with the pain of a separated shoulder and still being named MVP of the "Final Four" for the second straight year. Only 3 other players have done that before (Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi and Chamique Holdsclaw. Anosike, Hornbuckle, and Bobbitt were also key to the Vols post-season run.
Of course, Candace then went on to be selected first in the WNBA draft; won both the WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP awards; was on the gold-medal winning US team at the Olympics. And, finally, she was selected by the Associated Press as the top female athlete of 2008. Wow!! Nice year Candace.
Thanks to beemoe75 for the photo.
In the 2007-2008 season, Tennessee finished the year with a 36-2 overall record. They went 13-1 in the SEC in the regular season; then 3-0 as they won the 2008 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship (for their ninth all-time), so 16-1 overall against SEC Teams. The only SEC loss was to LSU in the regular season.
For the 2008 - 2009 season, Pat Summitt begins her 35th season with the Lady Vols. It will be a difficult year because so many seniors graduated from last years great team. In fact, the 2009 Lady Vols have seven freshmen on the roster. So, the Lady Vols may not even win the SEC this year -- especially since Auburn, Florida and Vandy are all strong.
Feb 5, 2009 Update: Congrats to Pat Summitt who just won her 1,000 game becoming the first Div. I b-ball coach ever to do that. After the game, UT gave Summitt a number of gifts including a $200,000 bonus and a new contract that will pay her up to 1.4 million this year and extends all the way through her 40th year at UT in 2013-2014. What an institution she has become. See Best Coach Ever.
We think this season will be "tough" by Lady Vols standards. They have to replace all their stars -- Parker, Anosike, Honbuckle, Bobbitt are all gone. So, it will be an uphill struggle, with good young talent coming on at the end of the year. Still Vanderbilt or Auburn could edge Tennessee out this season in the SEC. We'll see. Never count Pat Summitt or her Lady Vols out.
You can read more about the significance of the UT Lady Volunteers' latest championship at Best Coach Ever.
Here's a nice story about the five Lady Vols just drafted by the WNBA and also Pat Summitt's new recruting class for 2008-2009. According to MoonDog, the Lady Vols have the top recruiting class in the country, getting 5 of the top 20 high school players in the nation.
What can you say? Simply the best! Ever. The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team proved themselves the best team in all of Women's college basketball, again, winning the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship each of the past two years and 8th all-time.
In the 2007-2008 season, Tennessee finished the year with a 36-2 overall record. They went 13-1 in the SEC in the regular season; then 3-0 as they won the 2008 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship (for their ninth all-time), so 16-1 overall against SEC Teams. The only SEC loss was to LSU in the regular season.
Prior Comments (from last year):
Tennessee got a #1 seed in the Midwest region of the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. I've got the Lady Vols winning it all in my office pool. I predict LSU and Tenn meet again in the Semi-finals. Unfortunately, they can't both go to the NCAA Championship game since they will meet in one of the semi-final games in the Final Four.
First up for the Lady Vols is Oral Roberts on Sunday, March 23, 9:30 pm. The game will be on ESPN2. If you are looking for tickets, check out 2008 March Madness Tickets.
Thanks to Leiandra for the photo.
Prior Discussion:
Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball is simply the best women's college basketball program in the nation. If you wonder why we say that, check out Pat Summitt Biography; Best All-Time Women's College Basketball Player (Chamique Holdsclaw); and Top NCAA Women's Basketball Program.
Under the direction of head coach Pat Summitt, who will coach her 35rd season this year, the Lady Vols have won 14 SEC championships and 13 SEC tournament championships.
They have had great success in the NCAA tournaments, making it to the final four an astounding 17 times, with the most recent being in the 2006-2007 season. They have won seven national championships and after nearly a decade without a championship win became the 2007 national champions in the NCAA tournament last year.
Thanks to majorvols at flickr.com for the picture.
The Lady Vols couldn't have had a better season last year. They had a 34-3 record and were undefeated in the SEC. Not to mention that they were the national champions in the NCAA tournament, beating Rutgers. They ranked first in their SEC division and in the SEC overall winning all 14 SEC games. The team was also the national champions in the NCAA tournament. The team also had the honor of being ranked fourth in the USA Today/ESPN coaches Top 25 women's college basketball poll.
The reigning national champs are coming into the 2007-2008 season with plenty of returning starters and a clear plan of attack. They have a brand new practice facility right next to the renovated Thompson-Boling Arena where they play their home games.
Thanks to majorvols at flickr.com for the picture.
Get ready to cheer on the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team with the terrific Tennessee Vols Tailgate Party Shop, UT Fathead, Tickets and massive amounts of Merchandise and Apparel!
Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball 2007-2008 Schedule
Nov 4 USA Senior National Team (Exh.) 3:00 PM Home
Nov 6 Carson-Newman (Exhibition) 7:00 PM Home
Nov 11 Chattanooga 3:00 PM Home
Nov 15 Oklahoma. 9:00 PM Away
Nov 18 Texas 3:00 PM Home
Nov 21 West Virginia 6:00 PM Away
Nov 26 Louisiana Tech 7:00 PM Home
Dec 5 Old Dominion 7:00 PM Home
Dec 13 Middle Tennessee 7:00 PM Home
Dec 16 Gonzaga 3:00 PM Home
Dec 19 UCLA 10:00 PM Away
Dec 22 Stanford TBA Away
Jan 2 De Paul 9:00 PM Away
Jan 5 Notre Dame TBA Away
Jan 10 Auburn 7:00 PM Home
Jan 13 South Carolina 3:00 PM Away
Jan 17 Kentucky 7:00 PM Away
Jan 20 Vanderbilt 3:00 PM Home
Jan 24 Arkansas 7:00 PM Home
Jan 28 Duke (Big Monday) 7:00 PM Away
Jan 31 Ole Miss 8:00 PM Away
Feb 3 Kentucky 3:00 PM Home
Feb 7 Mississippi State 8:00 PM Away
Feb 11 Rutgers (Big Monday) 7:02 PM Home
Feb 14 LSU 7:00 PM Home
Feb 17 Vanderbilt 3:00 PM Away
Feb 21 Alabama 8:00 PM Away
Feb 24 Mississippi State 3:00 PM Home
Feb 28 Florida 7:00 PM Home
Mar 2 Georgia 7:00 PM Away
Thanks to Majorvols at flickr.com for the picture.
Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball 2007-2008 Roster
00 Shannon Bobbitt G 5'2" Senior New York, New York
2 Cait McMahan G 5'4" Sophomore Maryville, Tennessee
3 Candace Parker G/F/C 6'4" junior Naperville, Illinois
5 Angie Bjorklund F/G 6'0" Freshman Spokane Valley, Washington
14 Alexis Hornbuckle G 5'11" Senior Charleston, West Virginia
20 Sydney Smallbone G 5'10" Freshman Granger, Indiana
21 Vicki Baugh F/C 6'4" Freshman Sacramento, California
33 Alberta Auguste F 5'11" Senior Marrero, Louisiana
44 Alex Fuller F/C 6'3" Junior Shelbyvile, Tennessee
52 Kelley Cain C 6'6" Freshman Atlanta, Georgia
55 Nicky Anosike F/C 6'4" Senior Staten Island, New York
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