Just 24 hours before No. 1 Duke (15-1) and No. 2 Tennessee (15-1) tip off in a battle of the nation's top-ranked teams, the seats and bleachers of Cameron Indoor Stadium were empty. The Lady Volunteers' head coach Pat Summitt circled the court as her players wrapped up their final practice in before tomorrow's game.
She nodded her head as she paced around the court, with a rare interjection of advice. However, when Summitt and her Vols return for a 6 p.m. tip, the building will be transformed into a raucous playground and the stage will be set for a rematch of last season's national semifinal which Tennessee won, avenging an early-season loss to the Blue Devils.
"There is nothing to fear," she said. "It is a wonderful opportunity."
Adding to the noise and excitement will be the retirement of Alana Beard's No. 20 jersey. Duke's women's career points leader will be presented a framed jersey at a ceremony approximately 20 minutes prior to the game.
Yet the news is not all good for Beard, who strained her groin earlier this week in practice and will likely not be at full strength tomorrow night. The two-time All American played limited minutes in the Blue Devils' 78-48 rout of Maryland Thursday night. She sat out practice today, receiving treatment, and remains sore. Still, Goestenkors says she will start tomorrow night.
Summitt, well aware of Beard's importance to the Blue Devils, hopes that Beard is able to play at full strength so that her team can really see how it stands against Duke.
"I hope she is 100 percent tomorrow," Summitt said. "I don't want the game to be viewed as a 'what if'."
One of the main focuses of the walkthrough for the Volunteers was adjusting to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"It is a lot different seeing Cameron Indoor Stadium in person than on TV," Shanna Zolman said. "I think it is a lot bigger on TV and you don't realize how close the stands are to the floor. You just are just trying to visualize for yourself how many people are going to be in here and how many people are going to be jumping up and down yelling."
Ashley Robinson also tried to get a sense of the arena during today's walkthrough, but the Tennessee center was not confident she got a good sense of the anticipated environment tomorrow--the game is a sellout, and the renowned Cameron Crazies will undoubtedly be in their full, vociferous force.
"I think it is going to be totally different," she said. "I expect people jumping and just a lot of excitement, but I know it is going to be totally different when I walk in here tomorrow."
The Volunteers know that adjusting to the surroundings will only be a start if they hope to come out with a win. Even though Beard will likely not be at full strength, Duke could still give Tennessee headaches.
"The most scary thing is how explosive they can be I think," Zolman said. "They are great athletes and they have great people who can break you down one-on-one and can take you off the dribble. From a player?s standpoint that is probably the most scary because you have to make sure you are on your toes 100-percent of the time."
Summitt noted other strengths of the Blue Devils as causes for concern.
"Duke brings defense and intensity," Summitt said. "They take care of the ball."
Goestenkors has her own set of worries, including the productivity of Tennessee's interior players.
"Everything works through their post," Goestenkors said. "Ashley Robinson, she's always been a finesse player, but she's much more aggressive than I have ever seen her on both ends of the floor."
For both teams, Saturday's contest should be a formidable test, especially since both squads only had one day of rest coming into the matchup. Summitt--whose team beat Vanderbilt on Thursday night--noted that the quick turnaround is similar to the NCAA Tournament and that it should provide good experience in preparation for March Madness.
"This is what everyone says is the most hostile environment," Robinson said. "So I am ready to see what it is like."
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