ANALYSIS:

Keys for Tennessee:

The Lady Vols don’t have to do anything special. They have the best player in the country surrounded by the best team in the country and led by the best coach in the history of the game. Tennessee needs to show up, not underestimate Texas A&M and play to their ability. If those things are done the Lady Vols should roll to win over the Aggies.

Candace Parker is possibly the most impressive female basketball player of all time. She has all the skills of a guard, all the skills of a post, and is 6-4. She will be the biggest mismatch for the Aggies. Imagine Danielle Gant five inches taller and you would get close to Parker. Parker is the star but Bobbitt and Hornbuckle drive the Cadillac that is the Tennessee attack. The Vols like to pressure the ball and score in transition. Look for a great matchup between those two and the Aggie combo of Starks and Franklin.

Parker will get her points and look like a superstar no matter what the Aggies do. Therefore the Hornbuckle and Bobbitt have to play their game and control pace and tempo through their defense for Tennessee to stroll into Tampa looking for the national championship.

Keys for A&M:

A&M and Tennessee play similar styles. They both pressure the ball with tremendous defense and rely on superior athleticism in order to score in the half court. We somehow have to neutralize the one thing they have that we don’t. A bevy of 6-4 posts. Tennessee will try to dominate the offensive and defensive boards to pull away from the Aggies. Patrice Reado, LaToya Micheaux, and Dmitria Buchanon will have to play great in order to neutralize Tennessee tremendous advantage. In addition to rebounding, our guards have to outplay and dominate their guards. We have no answer for Candace Parker, but if Starks, Franklin, Atunrase, and Gant can outperform their Tennessee counterparts A&M can stay in the game and possibly win late.

Prediction:

Most of you are probably saying “Notre Dame was up at half time, we have a chance!!!” Let me dispel that rumor. We are not the Fighting Irish. They play an entirely different style than we do and it is a style that gave Tennessee fits until they made adjustments. The same thing would have happened to us if we had played Notre Dame.

If the Aggies want to make the trip to Tampa for the Final Four and play for the national championship they will have to outplay Tennessee at Tennessee’s style. Because of the strength of Franklin, Stark, and Gant this could happen. However, the fact remains no one at A&M can match up effectively with Parker. Micheaux will have to stay out of foul trouble, Franklin will have to pressure the ball like she has the past few games, and Gant/Starks will have to make almost every shot they take.

Keeping Micheaux out of foul trouble will be no easy task since she will be facing more athletic and more aggressive post players than she normally does. For Franklin to control the pace and force turnovers like she needs to, she will have to outplay guards that are better than what we have faced thus far in the NCAA tournament. If Gant/Starks are going to dominate the game offensively they will have to do it against one of the best defensive teams in the country.

If the Aggies can effectively perform each of the tasks listed above they should win. However, Tennessee still has Candace Parker and she is the best player on the court and in the nation. As much as I hate to say it, I am taking Tennessee in a game that should remain close till the final five minutes when the Lady Vols will kick it into overdrive on their way to Tampa. I hope I am wrong. Good Luck Ags!

-COACH DALE