Alex Fuller
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee coach Pat Summitt named this Lady Vol sophomore redshirt as the fifth-ranked team’s most improved player.
She averaged 15.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds in Tennessee’s runaway exhibition victories over the Houston Jaguars 101-51 Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena and Wednesday’s 104-49 wipeout of Carson-Newman.
“In the first half (against the Jaguars), she wasn’t the same player I’d been watching in practice.” Summitt commented. “In the second half, though…”
“She’s got a lot of weapons. She can face-up. She can shoot the three and she’s got a good mid-range game.” she continued. “It’s apparent that she’s much faster in transition. She runs the floor well. She’s a better player all-around. She’s in better shape than she’s ever been in. She’s much more efficient on her offensive skills.”
For those of you who presumed that Summitt was referring to preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Wooden Award and Wade Trophy candidate Candace Parker, well guess again.
Tennessee’s leading scorer and rebounder at present is none other than Alex Fuller.
After struggling during the opening period with four points and two rebounds, Fuller erupted in the second half scoring 16 of her game high 20 points.
The 6’3” forward also won the rebounding category with 15 with thirteen of them occurring in her productive second half.
Against Carson-Newman, she scored 11 points while making eight rebounds.
Memo to Lady Vol opponents starting with Chattanooga coach Wes Moore whose Lady Mocs will face UT in the season opener in Knoxville next Sunday at 3 p.m. - get acquainted with Fuller. She is not the same player who had regular season career highs of eight points and seven rebounds in her freshman campaign. She’s better – much better and the other Lady Vol sophomore redshirt has noticed it as well.
“It was huge (Fuller’s performance)” said Parker. “Alex’s intensity to be on the inside and outside and hitting the glass opens up things.”
The most subdued Lady Vol afterwards?
Fuller.
She attributed her improvement to weight training, running several miles daily and playing in pick-up games with male collegiate players in North Carolina.
Fuller downplayed her individual performance saying regardless whether it’s an exhibition, regular season or tournament game, her preparedness remains the same.
“Every game means something.” she quietly told reporters. “I try to play hard every time I go out on the floor. I try to play my hardest for the team.”
Fuller is a Pre-Exercise major at UT.
She may be giving Lady Vol foes a workout they never expected.
Lady Vol Notes – Sidney Spencer, Parker and Dominique Redding joined Fuller as double digit scorers with 19, 18 and 10 points respectively. Like Fuller, Parker had her own double double as she had 10 rebounds.
Jaguar coach Louis Ray III, whose team remains winless after earlier losses to Texas Tech, Texas-El Paso, Texas and Rutgers, said that thanks to Parker and new point guard Shannon Bobbitt, the 2006 National Community College Player of the Year from Trinity Valley in Athens, Texas, Tennessee is the favorite to win the 2007 NCAA championship.
“Tennessee, right now, from what we’ve seen, is the best team in the country.” Ray said. “I know they’ve got a great player in Parker, but Bobbitt is definitely one of the best.”
“She’s up there with Latta (North Carolina point guard Ivory whose second ranked Tar Heels team will host the Lady Vols on Dec. 3 in Chapel Hill in a rematch of March’s NCAA Cleveland Regional Final in which UNC eliminated UT 75-63.”
“I know she could have probably done a little bit more (Bobbitt scored eight points, made five assists and four steals against the Jaguars) if she had wanted to, so y’all haven’t seen anything yet.”
Ray vividly recalls Bobbitt’s performances for Trinity Valley against the Jaguars in prior scrimmages.
“She was hitting outside shots like they were lay-ups.” he said of the 5’2” junior. “What makes her an even greater threat is the fact that she can take you off the dribble, then she’ll pass it and have the intelligence to find the open person>”
“She’s definitely an aggressive ball-hawk on defense.” Ray added. “We really didn’t give her a chance to show her defensive stress. She’s the type of player who can pressure a ball all up and down the floor.”
“She can guard Latta.”
True freshman Cait McMahan of Maryville, who had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee last month and has not participated in the exhibition games, may be ready to return to UT’s lineup in time for the Chattanooga game.