Lady Vol Basketball vs. Kentucky (via utsportstv)

Knock….Knock - that sound was the Tennessee women’s basketball team wanting to remind the rest of college basketball that they are still well…. "Tennessee."

It was evident from observing both the coaches and the players at Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday night that something clicked, that they had a synergy; it was almost like they had a family heart to heart talk: revisiting their goals and what they expected out of their each other.

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In what was supposed to be a track meet for two of the top teams in the country turned into a one team race as the Tennessee Lady Vols annihilated the Kentucky Wildcats, 91-54.

It was obvious from the outset that Tennessee was out to prove a point and that they were going to take it out on Kentucky. Sophomore guard Meighan Simmons started the game with two three pointers and a ferocious block that seemed to ignite the Lady Vols. From that point on, Tennessee just simply played at a level and intensity that Kentucky was never able to match.

Simmons and senior wing Shekinna Stricklen led the way for Tennessee with 25 and 18 points respectively.

With the win, the Lady Vols (18-7, 9-3) maintain sole possession of second place in the Southeastern Conference standings and move within one game of the first place Wildcats (21-4, 10-2) with four games left.

As Jennifer Smith of the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote yesterday, both the #7 Kentucky Wildcats and #11 Tennessee Lady Vols will be attempting to rebound from tough losses when they meet tonight at 7 p.m. EDT in Knoxville (ESPN2/ESPN3.com).

But there should be little doubt about which team has more to lose.

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A January 2012 video of Buford Wolves star Kaela Davis (via MaxPreps)

With all of the hype surrounding the de-commitment of Kaela Davis to Tennessee, I decided to take a visit to watch her play against rival GAC.

If you have not heard of Kaela Davis, then here’s a quick synopsis of one of the most talked about girls in the class of 2013. Her father is ex-NBA player, Antonio Davis. She’s a 6’2 guard with an array of skills and versatility. And she’s considered by many recruiting pundits as one of the top 3 recruits in her class and arguably the most dominant in her class as well.

As both teams are warming up, the college coaches start to file in one by one to catch a glimpse of this one time Tennessee commitment. Michael Cooper and his assistant, Mary Wooley, from USC were in attendance along with Matt Insell of Kentucky, Janie Mitchell of Georgia Tech and Mike McGuire from Richmond.

As the game began, it’s easy to see why so many people hold Davis in such high regard as she opened the game up with two long three pointers. But the GAC Spartans put up quite a fight and gave the Buford Wolves all they could handle as they were able take the lead on a few occasions. The play of 2014 guard Brianna Williams from GAC was quite impressive as she played with a competitive fire that kept the undersized Spartans in the game. Her continuous attacking the basket and use of her athleticism in getting a game-high 9 rebounds almost helped the Spartans pull off the upset. But the combination of Davis, Andraya Carter and the solid contribution of Emily Adams helped Buford stave off GAC, 47-43.

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My third game in the Bay Area came on Wednesday night, with very much the same result. After seeing Stanford pummel the competition both on the Farm and on the road in Fresno, I took to the cozier confines of War Memorial Gym on the campus of the University of San Francisco to watch the Florida Gators.

I was not the only one of the 838 in attendance that cannot count themselves as regulars on the Dons campus: Gator player and Sacramento native Brittany Shine had her own cheering section in attendance, wearing Florida basketball shirts primarily emblazoned with "B Shine" or "Shine On" and the number 23 on the bright orange fabric. Shine's mother even festooned placards for the crowd to wave with Brittany's promo page from the Gators.

For Florida coach Amanda Butler, the pro-Florida road crowd was a welcome and expected sight.

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Pat Summitt and Mike Krzyzewski were officially presented the trophy for being named the 2011 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year on Tuesday night in New York City at the IAC Building. By all accounts the ceremony was a success, with SI writer Peter King adding on twitter, "Most impressive thing re SI Sportsman fete tonight: Real humility of Krzyzewski winning it--and how he loved sharing stage with Pat Summitt."

The pair were joined by former winners Chris Evert (1976), David Robinson (2003), Sugar Ray Leonard (1981), Wayne Gretzky (1982) and David Ortiz (2004) (pictured above).

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Two basketball coaches will be honored as the 2011 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year - Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summitt - Sports Illustrated announced today. This puts the pair in rare company with John Woooden and Dean Smith as the only other basketball coaches to be honored with this award since its inception in 1954.

The all-time winningest men's and women's basketball coaches are not necessarily earning this honor based on wins, but rather the initial guiding principles the award itself was based upon. The magazine's editors have chosen each honoree based on the principles established in 1954, when runner Roger Bannister was honored as Sports Illustrated's first Sportsman: "While the victory may have been his or hers, it is not for the victory alone that he or she is honored. Rather, it is for the quality of their effort and manner of their striving."

In fact, aside from joining elite basketball royalty by being named this year's Sportswoman of the year, Summitt joins a select group of females that have been recognized with this award. The last set of women honored as Sportswoman of the Year was the 1999 US Women's National Soccer Team, 12 years ago. Prior to that, other women who have received this honor in its 58 years are Chris Evert (1976), Mary Decker (1983), Mary Lou Retton (1984) and Bonnie Blair (1994). Rounding out the list of female recipients is Billie Jean King, the winner in 1972 along with Coach Wooden.

Summitt and Krzyzewski will receive their honor by SI in Tuesday evening event in New York City.

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Just the Facts, Ma'am: Florida withstood several La Salle runs to win 85-74 at Long Island's holiday tournament. The Gators' Jordan Jones had 28 points to lead all scorers, while Jennifer George had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Jada Payne had 17 for the Explorers, while Jordan Mosley and Alexis Scott each had 16 off the bench.

For ugly clothes, hard hands, a strange feeling of deja vu, and bored Blackbirds, join your intrepid and woefully belated blogger after the jump.

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