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Remember Auburn First-round teams face tough task to win SEC title
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Call it the Southeastern Conference's own version of murderer's row. Eight teams open the SEC's women's basketball tournament Thursday at The Pyramid, all with hopes of improving their chances of being invited to the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, only one team has ever played on opening day and survived four days later with the title. With five of the SEC's 12 teams ranked among the nation's top 16 teams, repeating the feat of Auburn in 1997 will be almost impossible. "I'm quite honestly thankful we're not in a situation to prove that it can be done with our team," Georgia coach Andy Landers said. His sixth-ranked Lady Bulldogs are among the four teams with first-round byes along with No. 1 Tennessee, No. 9 Florida and 15th-ranked Vanderbilt. No. 16 LSU, which ended the regular season losing three of its final four games, had the misfortune of playing Thursday. "You're going from the frying pan literally into the fire," LSU coach Sue Gunter said. "When you're coming off the type of season we all have to play, it's a tough thing to go in there and win four. It doesn't mean it can't be done." It won't be easy. Tennessee, the tournament's top seed, is coming off its fourth straight regular season title and an undefeated season in SEC play. The Lady Vols are looking for their fourth consecutive tournament championship and 11th overall since the inaugural event in 1980. Add to that the fact the SEC tournament usually offers a preview of the NCAA tournament. Eight of the past 14 champions and seven of the past 14 runner-ups have reached the Final Four. "It's as difficult a challenge to win the conference tournament championship as it is to win the NCAA championship," Landers said. Arkansas, Alabama and Auburn are among the teams who must win a couple of games to have a chance at NCAA invitations. Florida will play either Arkansas or Mississippi State on Friday in the quarterfinals, and coach Carol Ross is worried. "This tournament, the reason that it is considered the best tournament in the country is because on any given night you can get beat, and there's no better collection of teams we're going to see in Memphis," Ross said. "We better be prepared to fend off Arkansas or Mississippi State. We understand their motivation, and we've got to make sure we've got plenty of our own." The SEC has moved the tournament to Memphis from Chattanooga, where the tournament had called home for seven of the last eight years. The tournament will stop in Nashville in 2002. The tournament had set attendance records at the McKenzie Arena, and last year's championship game drew 10,687. Through Wednesday, 7,405 books of tickets for the tournament had been sold along with another 3,513 general admission tickets for one-game use, which would put the SEC on target for a new record if every ticket is used. When The Pyramid hosted a regional championship of the NCAA tournament last year, only 7,814 turned out to see Tennessee beat Texas Tech. Most of the fans wore Tennessee orange. "I hope Tennessee fans will turn out, women's basketball fans and fans of all schools," Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. "I think it's important that we embrace what is to be, I think, a great weekend of basketball."
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