Tennessee Is So Deep, It’s Scary

Of John Wooden’s 10 NCAA championships, one he wasn’t supposed to win was with his 1970-71 team, the second of the two seasons between the eras of Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton.

In an Astrodome Final Four that year, UCLA beat first Kansas, then Villanova.

Beginning the next season, with sophomore Walton in the low post, UCLA won two more national titles, Wooden’s sixth and seventh in a row.

A lot of people in the women’s game believe history will show not only that Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt had her 1971 Wooden year in 1996-97, but that, like Wooden in ‘71, the best is yet to come.

Tennessee finished the regular season with 10 losses last season, finished fifth in the Southeastern Conference . . . then ran the table in the tournament.

“A great year?” said Summitt, laughing. “With 10 losses? No, we had a great tournament.”

After that wholly unexpected second straight title last season, Summitt rustled up what’s being called the greatest recruiting class in the history of women’s basketball.

After last year’s Final Four, Summitt had every starter back for this season. Then, in the off-season, 6-4 Tiffani Johnson was dismissed--no reason given--and returning point guard Laurie Milligan was advised to quit basketball because of her arthritic knees.

But Summitt also bagged four of last season’s top 10 high school seniors:

* Tamika Catchings, 6-feet-1, Duncanville, Texas. In a recent exhibition game against a U.S. Armed Forces team, Catchings came off the bench to score 34 points in 26 minutes. She made 12 of 15 shots and had 10 rebounds.

* Kristen “Ace” Clement, 5-11, Broomall, Pa. She was the nation’s top-rated point guard, who averaged 28 points, six assists and five steals a game her senior prep season. She scored more points than Wilt Chamberlain in Philadelphia prep basketball.

* Teresa Geter, 6-3, Columbia, S.C. With the graduation of Pashen Thompson and Abby Conklin--and the dismissal of Johnson--Geter can help immediately in the low post. She averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks last season.

* Semeka Randall, 5-10, Cleveland. Summitt sees Randall as her off guard for the next four years. Voted Ohio’s player of the year two consecutive years, she averaged 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight steals.

Oh, did we forget to mention that Summitt already has on board junior Chamique Holdsclaw, the unanimous preseason pick for player of the year.

The four next best teams:

LOUISIANA TECH--Like Tennessee, Louisiana Tech was thought to be a year away from the Final Four, but Coach Leon Barmore took his 1996-97 team to a 31-4 season, bowing out of the tournament in the Sweet 16. His best player is 6-3 Alisa Burras, a 60% shooter, who should average 10 rebounds a game. Her backup is 6-3 Priya Gilmore, daughter of former NBA center Artis Gilmore. Barmore has seven returnees who averaged at least 16 minutes last season.

OLD DOMINION--The Lady Monarchs lost to Tennessee in the final last season, and have three starters and two key subs returning. Ticha Penicheiro is the best point guard in the country--she ranked fourth in the U.S. in steals and assists last season--who will be a top-five pro draft pick.

CONNECTICUT--UConn lost two premier players, Kara Wolters and Carla Berube, yet could still contend for the national championship. In 6-1 Nykesha Sales, Coach Geno Auriemma has a player rated not far behind Holdsclaw. And 5-9 sophomore Shea Ralph was the nation’s best freshman last year. The Huskies won 33 consecutive games last season before Tennessee beat them in the Elite Eight.

STANFORD--In the post-Kate Starbird era, Stanford still figures to rule the Pac-10 with its huge front line and to make the Final Four a fourth consecutive year. Top returnees are three senior front liners who figure to be pros a year from now, 6-4 Heather Owen, 6-4 Naomi Mulitauaopele and 6-2 Olympia Scott. And after volleyball season, they will be joined by 6-2 junior Kristin Folkl.