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LSU's Drive For Five

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By KATHERINE SMITH | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2008

You have to travel to Russia to find Pokey Chatman. The former LSU leader is coaching professional players, including Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.

The cloud of controversy she left behind at her alma mater has slowly lifted with LSU getting back to the business of basketball. Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor was brought in to lead a talented squad and restore a sense of normalcy.

It was nearly a year ago when Chatman abruptly resigned after assistant coach Carla Berry reported allegations of Chatman's misconduct with a player. She left the university with the second-best record through 50 games (47-3) in women's basketball history. Only Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore had a better record (48-2).

Amid the whispers and accusations surrounding the program, LSU displayed remarkable resiliency by reaching the Final Four last year. Without its inspirational leader, Chatman, LSU fought the good fight, but was eliminated by Rutgers in the semifinals.

It was the Lady Tigers' fourth straight Final Four appearance. They're looking to make it five and the way they've been playing lately, they stand a good chance of ending their season in Tampa.

Early season losses to Maryland and Rutgers and a minor hiccup against Middle Tennessee State have been followed by solid play and brilliant performances by All-American Sylvia Fowles.

The 6-foot-6 center battled knee problems early on but has bounced back to lead her team to the top of the SEC, alongside Tennessee.

LSU and Tennessee, the only teams with perfect SEC records, face off Thursday night. A prime-time matchup between Fowles and Candace Parker, if a sore knee allows it, will be something to watch.

Finally, for LSU, it's nothing but net.

Courtside: Plenty Of Final Four Activities

Don't have tickets to April's Final Four games? No problem. There will be plenty of other basketball-related activities area residents can participate in.

•On April 5, the inaugural 4Kay Run, benefiting cancer research through the Kay Yow/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Cancer Fund, will take place on the streets of Tampa.

The event, in honor of the North Carolina State women's basketball coach who is battling the disease, begins with registration at 7 a.m.

The race starts at 8 a.m. The registration fee is $20 in advance or $25 on race day. Every participant who presents their race bib will gain free admission to NCAA Hoop City.

•After the race, elementary- and middle school-age children are invited to participate in Bounce by the Bay. A "Bay Rally" at 9:30 a.m. will kick off the festivities, which will include cheerleaders, bands and more.

The Bounce will begin at 10 a.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum's West Plaza and end at the Tampa Convention Center. For registration information on the race and Bounce, log on to NCAAMarchMadness2008.com/womens.

•Hoop City, open April 5-7, offers fans the opportunity to run, jump, shoot and play until the final buzzer. The experience features competitions, basketball clinics, prizes, autograph sessions with NCAA coaches and players of the past, surprise appearances and more.

Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for kids, military, seniors and students; other discounts are available. For more Hoop City information, go to hoop-city.com.

•The Youth Education through Sports Program 10-16: Participants will receive instruction from NCAA coaches and student-athletes, gain conditioning tips to improve their athletic performance, and learn life skills and sportsmanship.

The clinics also include a session for parents and guardians to discuss issues of sportsmanship, wellness, injury prevention, NCAA academic and athletic requirements and life as a NCAA student-athlete.

Sessions take place at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome, Jefferson High School and the Long Center in Clearwater from 9 a.m. to noon on April 5. Admission is free for youth between ages 10-16, and all interested parties must register online at ncaa.com/yesclinic.

•The USF Sun Dome will host the WBCA High School All-America Game on April 5, featuring the nation's elite high school basketball players. Past participants in the game include Chamique Holdsclaw, Seimone Augustus and Alana Beard.

Tip-off is 4:30 p.m. and admission is $15. For additional game and ticket information, go to wbca.org.

Final Four Moment

Tampa plays host to the Women's Final Four on April 6 and 8. General tickets are sold out for the games at the St. Pete Times Forum, but there will be plenty of other activities surrounding the event for basketball fans to enjoy.

This week's Final Four memory: Louisiana Tech 56, Auburn 54: 1988, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Wash.

This was the first of three consecutive championship game losses by the Auburn Tigers.

Louisiana Tech staged the largest comeback in championship history. A late 16-5 run helped them overcome a 14-point deficit to win.

Coach Leon Barmore is the first man to coach a women's team to the national championship since Harley Redin's Wayland Baptist teams and John Head's Nashville Business College teams dominated in the 1950s and '60s.

Air Ball

As Baylor tries to stay ranked among the nation's elite, it will have to do so without one of its top players because of a knee injury.
Jhasmin Player tore the anterior cruciate ligament and sprained the MCL in her left knee in the Lady Bears' 63-49 victory against Kansas State on Feb. 2. She will miss the remainder of the season.

Player injured her knee on a fast-break layup in the first half.

It didn't take long for the injury to prove costly: The next game, Baylor lost to Big 12 Conference rival Oklahoma State.

Slam Dunk

Women's basketball royalty led the way as Rutgers spoiled Connecticut's perfect season.

Epiphanny Prince scored a career-high 33 points to help the Scarlet Knights overcome a 10-point second-half deficit in their 73-71 upset of previously unbeaten UConn.
Rebounding from a conference loss to No..12 West Virginia, Rutgers served notice that it is a team poised for the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They Said It

I said this game would be good for a lot of reasons. We would either find out who we are, or we would find out who we are. And we found out who we are. When people back us up in a corner, we come out fighting. There is an honor there. … We're fighters, and you should never count us out.
- Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer following her team's upset of UConn

I've been open for four years. I'm actually not surprised. [Erlana Larkins] draws so much attention. I'm kind of just like an up-and-coming player, so people are going to leave me open to shoot that outside shot. This year, I've just been making it. If they're going to keep leaving me open. I'm going to keep taking it. - North Carolina's LaToya Pringle, who led her team with 18 points and 11 rebounds in their 93-76 victory against Duke on Feb. 4

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