KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Playing for a program like Tennessee means being inundated with streaks and records, so you can’t blame Jaime Nared if some aren’t recorded in memory.
The senior guard wasn’t aware the Lady Vols are 56-0 in NCAA Tournament games in Knoxville.
“I did see something about this being our 37th NCAA Tournament this year,” Nared said. “Obviously, that is amazing just having the tradition and being 56-0 at home is amazing. We are focused one game at a time from this point on.”
The next one game comes Friday when No. 3 seed Tennessee (24-7) opens the NCAA Tournament against No. 14 seed Liberty (24-9) at Thompson-Boling Arena. No. 6 seed Oregon State (23-7) plays No. 11 seed Western Kentucky (24-8) in the other first-round game.
Liberty is making its first appearance at Thompson-Boling Arena since losing an NCAA Tournament game to Tennessee during the Lady Vols’ 1998 national title run. Liberty is 0-10 in the NCAA Tournament when playing on an opponent’s home court.
The trip is a bit of a homecoming for Liberty coach Carey Green, who grew up in the greater Knoxville area and received his master’s degree in science education from Tennessee.
Green’s 83-year-old mother will be attending the game along with several other relatives.
“My phone blew up with about 47 texts of people that I forgot were my friends,” Green said. “Suddenly they are showing back up, clearly stating, ’Hey. I am so-and-so. You got an extra ticket?’ At least they can remember me if I don’t remember them.”
Although Tennessee has a pronounced advantage at home, Western Kentucky coach Michelle Clark-Heard was thrilled her team was sent to Knoxville. She knows how much the venue means to the sport, especially when legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt was still walking the sideline.
“For me, this is a surreal moment because I played here my senior year in college and was recruited by Pat,” said Clark-Heard, who suffered a 20-point loss to Tennessee as a player in 1990. “Pat Summitt has done amazing things. When you think about what she has done, and what this program means to women’s basketball, I’m really excited that my players will be able to play on their floor and experience it.”
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Some other things to watch in Friday’s action in Knoxville:
KEEPING A TRAVEL JOURNAL: Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck last week purchased 11 small notebooks.
Rueck is having his players keep “NCAA notebooks” this season to help the younger Beavers process the experience. The coach has provided a question for his players each day that is meant as a writing prompt. Everything they write remains private.
“I am a teacher. I see my job as preparing them for life, bottom line,” Rueck said. “I know we all say that, but I’m not a babysitter. I don’t want to tell them what to think. I like for them to get to the why, what and how on their own.”
FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER: Rueck and Clark-Heard became good friends while serving as assistant coaches on the 2015 U.S. Pan-American team. Having to face each other in the first round brought mixed emotions.
“I don’t like seeing it because I love Michelle,” Rueck said “You don’t want to play your friends.”
Clark-Heard was less conflicted, calling the experience “awesome.”
BODY CLOCK ADJUSTMENT: Oregon State is the only team from the Pacific Time Zone in Knoxville, and will have to adjust to a tip time that will be 9 a.m. in Oregon.
“I think for us it helps getting here a couple of days early. It helps us get used to the time difference and change our biological clocks,” Oregon State guard Katie McWilliams said.
HEALTHY BREAK: Nared injured her hip in the SEC Tournament on March 1. The break between games has been beneficial for Tennessee’s leading scorer.
“It’s been good. Time heals a lot of things,” Nared said. “Just taking time off and letting your body heal, getting good rest has been really good.”
HAVE GAME, WILL TRAVEL: Liberty is a travel-hardened group. The Lady Flames have played 19 games in eight different states and flown through 11 different airports this season. They even bused 800 miles from Atlanta to Kansas City in December after a power outage impacted the Atlanta airport.
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