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By ANTONYA ENGLISH
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 24, 2001
Sylvia Hatchell and Kay Yow have spent a combined 40 years in the ACC. So when the legendary coaches talk about trends and happenings in the conference, it's tough to question their assessment.
As the ACC schools prepare for the final weekend of the regular season, league coaches say it's tough to remember a year in which teams have been so competitive and the conference tournament appears to be wide open.
Duke sits atop the ACC with a 12-3 record, but the battle among other teams for the top seeds is heated as perhaps never before.
"I remember a year when we played the last game of the season and if we won, we'd be in third (seed), if we lost we'd be in sixth or seventh," Yow of N.C. State said. "But that was just us. It wasn't like everybody was in that boat. ... Now it's like a lot of us are in that position. I don't ever remember it being this way. It shows a lot of parity in our conference and it makes for a lot of great spectator games. It's tough on the coaches. It should set up for a tremendous ACC tournament, no question about that."
"It's incredible the year we're having in the conference," North Carolina's Hatchell said. "(Now) we gear everything up for ACC tournament."
Clemson (10-6), Florida State (9-6) and N.C. State (9-6) are embroiled in the tightest competition. Three other teams -- Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland -- head into the weekend with 7-7 conference records.
"It makes it more exciting than ever because we all know anybody can win this tournament," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said.
The tournament, Friday-March 5 in Greensboro, N.C., is the talk of the ACC.
"It is not inconceivable for any one of nine teams to (win)," Clemson coach Jim Davis said. "I think there are going to be great games and I think there will be several upsets. It wouldn't surprise me if two teams from the middle of the pack are playing for the championship."
CLOSING THE GAP?: Ever since then-No. 3 Tennessee beat then-No. 6 Florida by 30 points Feb. 11, the question has been: Just how good is the SEC, outside of Tennessee? The conference is often touted as the best in the nation and boasts the top RPI.
Yet none of the conference's other teams seem able to take on the Vols, who have lost two SEC games in the past four years.
With one week remaining in the regular season for many teams, an even bigger question has emerged. Does the fact that Connecticut and Tennessee have continued to steamroll opponents with star players injured mean that there is still a huge gap in the women's game?
Vols coach Pat Summitt doesn't think so. Instead, she said winning in today's game sometimes isn't as much about your star players as it is about the quality of backup players.
"First of all, it points to the importance of having a strong bench," Summitt said. "Tennessee, Connecticut and other teams all have quality players coming off their bench. When you have an injury to your best player, it just sends a message to the rest of the team that everyone has to step up her game."
IVEY'S STEALS: Fifth-year Notre Dame point guard Niele Ivey has surpassed current Irish assistant coach Coquese Washington's career steals record of 307. Ivey has 320 steals, although she didn't register any in Tuesday's win against Miami.
- Antonya English covers women's college basketball. She can be reached at (813) 226-3389 or at english@sptimes.com.
400 -- Career wins for Notre Dame coach Muffett McGraw, earned with a win Tuesday night over Miami.167 -- Defensive rebounds for Oklahoma sophomore Caton Hill, matching the school single-season record she set last season.
89 -- Appearances for Tennessee atop the AP poll. This week marks its first appearance at No. 1 since 1999.
21 -- Career-high points scored by Oklahoma junior forward Jamie Talbert on Wednesday, extending the Sooners' school-record winning streak to 13 games.
2 -- Triple-doubles in North Carolina State history, the second earned by Tynesha Lewis Wednesday night, when she had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
1 -- Win California has earned over Stanford since 1993. The Golden Bears' 82-73 win over Stanford on Feb. 16 also was their first conference win at Maples Pavilion.
In a season of surprises and big upsets, Big 12 teams Baylor and Colorado have put together two of the top three turnarounds in winning percentage from last season to this season. Baylor is 18-7 (.720) this year after going 7-20 (.259) last season for an increase of .461 in winning percentage. Colorado went from 10-19 (.345) last year to 19-6 (.760) this year for an increase of .415.
Here's a look at the top six biggest turnarounds (records through Feb. 22):
1. South Carolina State: 5-23 (.179)/16-7 (.696) = +.517
2. Baylor: 7-20 (.259)/18-7 (.720) = +.461
3. Colorado: 10-19 (.345)/19-6 (.760)= +.415
4. Montana State: 6-21 (.222)/16-8 (.667)= +.445
5. Washington: 8-22 (.267)/16-7 (.696) = +.429
6. Stetson: 10-18 (.357)/19-5 (.792) = +.435
Texas A&M-Kingsville guard Lorie Martinez hit six three-pointers on Feb. 15 to become the NCAA's all-time leading female three-point scorer. Martinez ran her career total to 369, breaking the previous record of 368 set by Meegan Garrity of Clark (Mass.) from 1994-97. Martinez, a 5-foot-3 senior, broke the NCAA Division II women's record earlier in the game (365 held by Amy Coon of Clarion (Pa.) from 1991-94).
Texas sophomore Tai Dillard will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during practice Feb. 16. A 5-foot-9 guard, Dillard suffered the injury when she drove to the basket for a non-contact layup and her knee buckled. Dillard, who started all 25 games for Texas this season, ends her season averaging 29.0 minutes and 10.4 points -- and second on the team in assists (3.2 average) and fourth in steals (1.3). Dillard is one of a long list of women's players who have been had their season ended with an ACL injury, including Tennessee's Tamika Catchings, Oregon's Shaquala Williams and Oklahoma center Jen Cunningham.
Purdue already has wrapped up the Big 10 regular season title, but that didn't diminish the jubilation felt in State College, Penn., on Thursday night. No. 18 Penn State knocked off No. 5 Purdue 75-65 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The victory was Penn State's biggest upset of a ranked opponent in the Jordan Center's five-year history. "It was the ugliest win over a top 5 team," coach Rene Portland said. "We're thrilled." -- Compiled by ANTONYA ENGLISH