Last summer University of Tennessee women’s basketball player Amber Gray underwent shoulder surgery. The medical procedure led to the discovery of a brain aneurysm and the freshman underwent an extensive recovery period.

Tuesday, Tennessee released a statement indicating that Gray, a redshirt sophomore, did not receive medical clearance to continue playing.

The university’s statement from women’s athletic director Joan Cronan :

Amber is a courageous young woman, and we hope she will remain at UT as a student. If she decides she would like to pursue a playing opportunity at another university, we will support her decision to do so. We only want what is best for Amber.

Photo: University of Tennessee Athletics

Of the 13 teams the reigning Big 12 champion Texas A&M will face in its non-conference schedule, 11 advanced to postseason play last season.

A&M will compete in two of fall women’s basketball tournaments in the country – the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic versus 2010 Elite Eight participant Duke on December 6 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on ESPN2 and the Maggie Dixon Classic against Rutgers on December 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Defending national champion Connecticut and Ohio State also highlight the Maggie Dixon Classic tournament field.

“Our schedule, particularly over the last three years, has given us one of the top RPIs in the country and helped us earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach Gary Blair. “We are playing a number of quality opponents this season and feel we have assembled one of our best road schedules to date.”

The Aggies face 2010 Sun Belt Conference champion and NCAA second round participant Arkansas-Little Rock in their season opener on November 16 at Reed Arena. Four days later, the Aggies take a road trip to old Southwest Conference rival Rice in Houston on November 20 followed by a home  game with Big South Conference champion and NCAA participant Liberty on November 22 in College Station.

A&M will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in paradise at the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic. A rematch with Arizona of the Pac-10 Conference and 2010 Postseason WNIT semifinalist Michigan of the Big Ten Conference is scheduled on November 26 and November 27.

The Aggies return stateside to host 2010 Postseason WNIT champion California on December 3 along with a  home game versus 1999 national champion Purdue in the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge on December 9 and Mountain West Conference champion and NCAA participant TCU on December 12.

The Aggies close out the month of December at the Surf ‘N Slam College Hoop Classic in San Diego, Calif. A&M will take on Postseason WNIT participant Drexel in a first-time meeting between both schools on December 28 and either host San Diego State or UTSA in the championship or consolation game on December 30. Last year, SDSU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 knocking off rival Texas at the Austin first-and-second round regional site.

A&M starts the New Year with Louisiana-Monroe on January 4 at Reed Arena, prior to its 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule which will be released at a later date.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2011 during "WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun Game" Saturday at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. The six members of the Class of 2011 are:

• Val Ackerman (contributor, she was the first president of the WNBA)
• Ruthie Bolton (player)
• Vicky Bullett (player)
• Muffet McGraw (coach)
• Pearl Moore (player)
• Lometa Odom (player)

The Class of 2011 is 13th group of inductees. The number individuals who have been recognized as Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees increases to 121.

Individuals must meet the following conditions in order to be considered for induction:

• Player: Must be retired from the highest level of play for at least five years.
• Coach: Must have coached the women’s game at least 20 years.
• Referee: Must have officiated the women’s game at least 10 years.
• Contributor: Must have significantly impacted the game of women’s basketball.

Baylor is set to meet reigning national champion Connecticut this season on November 16. The Lady Bears will also match up against four other teams that saw 2010 NCAA Tournament action: Tennessee, Liberty, Notre Dame and Michigan State.

“We have assembled the toughest non-conference schedule in program history,” said Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey. “I feel that our program is at a point that we will benefit tremendously by playing a tough schedule. In addition to playing at Connecticut, we’ve got Tennessee and Notre Dame, among others, coming to the Ferrell Center. Baylor fans will see a lot of All-Americans playing in Waco this season.”

While Baylor met UConn in last year’s NCAA Final Four, the two teams have never met during the regular season. The Lady Bears will travel to Connecticut in a made-for-TV event. The Huskies travel to Waco for the 2011-12 season game.

The Tennessee Lady Vols make their first Ferrell Center appearance on December 14. Baylor and Tennessee split their two games last season. The Lady Vols won the season opener in Knoxville (74-65) while the Lady Bears downed Tennessee in the NCAA’s Sweet 16 in Memphis, 77-62.

Overall, Baylor’s home slate features three teams that posted over 23 wins last season and two teams with 25 or more wins appear on its road schedule.

Baylor returns four starters from last season’s team that finished the year with a 27-10 mark: guards Kelli Griffin, Melissa Jones and Shanay Washington and All-American post Brittney Griner.

Baylor’s 16-game Big 12 schedule will be announced at a later date. The Lady Bears play home and away games against Big 12 South foes Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, will host Iowa State, Kansas State and Missouri and play at Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.

2010-11 Baylor Lady Bear Non-Conference Basketball Schedule
NOVEMBER

1 Mon. – St. Edward’s University (EXH.), Waco

5 Fri. – Texas A&M International (EXH.), Waco

12-14 Fri.-Sun. – World Vision Invitational, Waco

(Baylor, Florida International, Montana State, Rice)

16 Tue. – at Connecticut, Hartford, Conn.

19 Fri. – Michigan State (Big 6 Challenge), Waco

23 Tue. – Texas Southern, Waco

26 Fri. – Liberty, Waco

28 Sun. – Southeastern Louisiana, Waco

DECEMBER

1 Wed. – Notre Dame, Waco

5 Sun. – Minnesota (Big 10-Big 12 Challenge), Waco

14 Tue. -  Tennessee, Waco

21-22 Tue.-Wed. – at Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout, Nassau, Bahamas

21 – Syracuse

22 – Clemson

30 Thur. – UT-Pan American , Waco

After a year of turmoil, including a mass exodus of players and the firing of the women’s basketball head coach, Oregon State hired Scott Rueck to replace LaVonda Wagner. Wagner, who was fired “without cause” on June 1 after reportedly cultivating a culture of fear and intimidation among players, had a $1.2 million contract with the university that the school has to honor. Seventeen players left the program during her five-year tenure.

The release from the school on Rueck’s hiring:

The Oregon State Athletics Department is proud to announce the hiring of accomplished collegiate coach Scott Rueck as the fifth head coach in the history of the women’s basketball program as announced Wednesday by Athletics Director Bob De Carolis.

Rueck comes to Oregon State after spending the past 14 seasons serving as the head women’s basketball coach at George Fox, compiling a career 288-88 (.766) record. Under his watch, the Bruins recorded winning seasons each year, winning the Division III National Championship in 2009. Rueck has led his squads to five “Sweet 16” appearances, three “Elite 8” contests, six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and seven Northwest Conference Championships.

“Coach Rueck brings an impressive set of credentials to the position, including a NCAA national championship,” De Carolis said. “As a native Oregonian and Beaver alumnus, he has an extensive network of relationships that have been built over the years. He has earned the respect of the basketball community in the Northwest through hard work and integrity and we look forward to him leading our program.”

During his time as head coach, Rueck has coached four NAIA All-Americans, four NCAA All-Americans and 33 All-Northwest Conference honorees. Individually, he has been named the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year (2009), three-time NCAA Division III West Region Coach of the Year (2008, 2009, 2010) and six-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).

George Fox finished last season with a 28-3 overall record and a perfect 16-0 Northwest Conference mark. The Bruins advanced to the NCAA Division III Sectional Final but came up short against Washington-St. Louis to end their tournament run. The undefeated conference performance is only the third time in league history that a team had accomplished that feat, the second being during George Fox’s 2008-09 season.

[More…]

Several nights a week all spring and most of summer, they are there at the gym practicing: layup and box-out drills, running plays, practicing transition and defense – all to the soundtrack of their own squeaking shoes on the hardwood.

Then there are the twice-a-month tournaments, which began in April, that bring out a huge cache of college coaches, as well as hundreds of spectators.

A common scenario for high school basketball players? Most definitely. But this is not your mother’s club ball team or club ball era, and these are not casual practices. This is the highly-competitive club ball circuit, and with college scholarships on the line, the stakes could not be higher.

Yet, one question remains: has the evolution of club ball hurt the game? Opinions vary.

The Rise of Club Ball

Long before there were viewing periods and complex rules regulating coach-athlete recruiting calls, there was the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which had basketball leagues for both boys and girls. And for a generation or so, that met the needs of young players just fine.

But in the mid-to-late 1990’s, a couple of things happened: two women’s professional basketball leagues formed, and the women’s “Dream Team” won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics. Perhaps not coincidentally, interest in girl’s basketball increased. Club ball teams began forming, and many saw explosive growth. A nation of teams was born.

Some club teams flourished after one of the major shoe companies – Nike or Adidas – began sponsoring them. Other teams are more grassroots, and have risen due to sheer interest alone.

One program that mushroomed after Nike stepped in is Cal Swish. Since beginning as one team after its 1997 founding, Swish has become a group of 10 elite teams stationed around Southern California and the Southwest.

Director and head coach Russ Davis, also the head coach at Vanguard University, was originally asked by founder Mike Cherney to come in and help coach. Cherney became involved because he had a daughter who wanted to play. It was not too long before the Swish began winning tournaments, and being invited to more. When Nike offered to sponsor the team, Davis said things really took off.

Four of the Swish teams are in Orange County, four are in San Diego and two are in Arizona. Swish won the prestigious Nike Nationals Tournament in Georgia last summer, defeating power team Boo Williams in what many regard as the club ball national championships. Davis is quick to list the numerous other tournaments Swish won.

“If you look at our track record, we’ve been successful,” Davis said.

Swish alumni include Candice Wiggins, Dymond Simon, Jeanette Pohlen, Kristen Mann, Shay Murphy, Jennifer Lacey and Lindsay Pluimer.

Another power house program, the Cy-Fair Shock of Texas, has a similar story. Founded in 1997, the Shock took off three years later with the help of a Nike sponsorship. Founder and director Al Coleman said they’ve been one of the top eight squads in the nation since the year they began. Last year they had 12 teams based out of Houston, and this year they will triple that number as they go outside of that city to other towns.

“All the coaches in our organization understand the game of basketball, and they work to develop that basketball mindset in our athletes,” Coleman said. “We do a great job of teaching that at an early age.”

Two of the Shock’s most famous former members are sisters Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike, who continue to make names for themselves.

Mark Anger’s club, the East Bay Xplosion of Northern California, has gone the opposite route: they began big but have whittled down their teams to five.

“We’re more of an elite program now,” he said.

The 12-year-old club used to have five teams but now includes two top teams and a team for younger players. They EBX is not affiliated with any particular shoe brand, but like many teams, they draw athletes from all over their area to their Orinda practices. Alumnae from that club include Jayne Appel and Courtney and Ashley Paris.

The Long Beach-based Cal Sparks were founded in 1999, but it was in 2005 that the club began to see explosive growth. Director Elbert Kinnebrew does not attribute that to anything in particular other than the continuing growth of the game.

“We’ve grown in spite of the recession and the economy,” he said.

The seven-team-strong Sparks do not have a shoe sponsor, but they go to numerous major summer tournaments every year and have helped quite a few of their players go on to play college basketball, such as Cierra Warren-Robertson.

“We get some support from FILA, but we’re not affiliated with Nike at all,” Kinnebrew said.

Nike declined to comment on its sponsorship of club basketball teams. But several club ball coaches said that in exchange for Nike sponsorship of their team, they are expected to participate in a certain number of Nike tournaments each July.

Adidas spokesman Paul Jackiewicz said Adidas began sponsoring teams in 2000.

“These programs give us the opportunity to connect with our target basketball consumer,” Jackiewicz said. “Our goal is to provide women’s basketball players with events and opportunities to develop their talent and showcase their skills for college coaches.”

Jackiewicz added that the relationships Adidas built with club teams has helped the company further develop their brand.

But regardless of when they were founded and whether or not they have a sponsor, the goal of club basketball team directors and coaches seems to be the same: get girls into college where they can play ball. And the explosive growth of the club game has changed the way NCAA coaches recruit players.

Coaches used to primarily assess athletes while they played with their high school team. Now they mostly do this during the club ball season, from April through July, and especially during the July tournaments. Why? It’s more economical and efficient.

“The clubs knew that if they got enough good kids together, that college coaches would come,” said Kathy Richey-Walton, who has coached at the club, high school and college levels for more than 20 years.

“It’s a way to save time and money, and for [coaches] to see hundreds of kids at once instead of just a few. There are so many more games and tournaments in the summer now that hardly any college coaches come to high school games anymore.”

The first viewing period of the year, where college coaches can see prospects play in club ball tournaments, is the second or third weekend in April. There are tournaments all during the month of July, save for a 4-5-day dead period in the middle of the month where no games are allowed. The club ball season culminates the last few days of July with major tournaments, such as Nike Nationals.

This time frame is also useful because the first NCAA signing period is in mid-November, before high school season even starts.

“Our goal every year is to have them ready to go by that July viewing period,” Anger said.

“We’ve watched them grow up”

Many club ball founders, such as Davis of Swish, began their programs as a way to help their own basketball-playing daughters, or the daughters of their co-founders. Such was also the case with Dallas-Forth Worth Elite.

Co-Director Irving Butler helped found the team in 2003 with the late Marques Jackson and two other men. Both Butler and Jackson had daughters playing for other club organizations, and Butler said they wanted something new for their kids.

“All four of us had kids in college, and we knew that the competition [for scholarships] was difficult,” Butler said. “We wanted to create something else for young ladies. Marques wanted the best competition there is.”

Others decided to start programs to fill a need, and Matt Henna fits that category. The former Colorado high school coach founded Mile Hi Magic 11 years ago because he said there “weren’t enough club ball options” for girls in the state. By 2003 his club had 12 teams, but he’s scaled it back to six to keep the quality of the teams high.

“We play a lot of tournaments in California and can compete with them,” Henna said.

The founders of Seattle-based Tree of Hope did something similar. Thomas James and Damian Young started the program in 2002 not only because they saw a need for more teams, but because they wanted to have lower-cost club ball team opportunities available for girls.

“The first and second years we paid for [the girls’ costs] on our own through donations from our church,” said Young, the head coach and assistant director. “We do charge now, but it’s much less than other teams charge.”

Still others, such as Boo Williams, Louisiana Select and Chicago Bulls Elite, began their girls programs in the wake of the successes of their boys programs.

Whatever the case, parents and athletes now have a wide selection of teams with different philosophies of play from which to choose.

Anger said EBX is known for their defense, and especially their presses. Coleman characterized the Shock as being fundamentals-based.

“We do a great job of teaching them the basics of the game at an early age,” he said.

Boo Williams said he and his coaches emphasize specialty work.

“I’m big on the development of skills – I’m really big on that,” he said.

DFW Elite’s Butler said that beyond their trademark “suffocation defense,” coaches teach players how to be actively involved in the game.

“We don’t just bring them in there and have them run a bunch of plays – we teach them how to make plays,” he said. “Basketball is a language, and if you don’t speak the language, you have a problem.”

Team tryouts are usually in March, after the regular high school basketball season ends. Player dues for a club team range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending upon how much sponsorship a team has. Families are usually allowed to pay in installments. Some teams conduct fundraisers.

Club ball teams originally drew from their immediate areas, but increasingly today, kids commute longer distances to their once- or twice-a-week practices. Last summer, Santa Ana, California-based Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis played for the Tennessee Flight. Perhaps not by coincidence, a few months ago the NCAA began regulating out-of-state players on club teams. Even those who stay in-state have their own tactics.

“We don’t actively have tryouts,” Butler said. “We try to select kids. And coaches do call and recommend players to us.”

Once players and their families do make a choice for a team, one thing is clear: tight relationships usually form – bonds that maintain long after a player has left a program.

Butler said DFW Elite alum-turned Los Angeles Sparks reserve guard Andrea Riley jumps into team scrimmages when she’s in town for a visit. Williams said he would never ask a player to come back and say “thank you,” but many do. Coleman said Shock teams are close-knit.

“It’s a real family flavor we have,” Coleman said. “We don’t just say that – we mean it.”

Anger started coaching Appel when she was 10 years old, and he said it has been rewarding to witness her transformation into a pro player though hard work.

“We’ve watched them grow up,” Anger said of his athletes. “Nothing really compares to that.”

The High School vs. Club Ball Debate

Though all agree that the rules of the recruiting game have changed, some don’t think those changes are for the good, while others say they’ve seen improvement. Perhaps at the heart of this debate is the relationship between high school and club ball coaches, or lack thereof. At best the two communicate. while at worst there is contention.

Cal Sparks Director Kinnebrew regularly communicates with the high school coaches of all of his players, if he doesn’t actively work with them. He calls coaches to tell them if an athlete has missed a practice, or to check on her grades. Over the years, Kinnebrew has hired a handful of high school coaches to coach with the Sparks during the summer.

Williams also hires a lot of high school coaches to work with his 85 girls teams. He said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“A club ball coach has got to work with high school coaches,” Williams said. “You’ve got to be on the same page and work together for the kids, because each one of us can do things that the other can’t do.”

But Butler and DFW don’t maintain the same close ties with the high school coaches of their players.

“We do try to work with high school coaches as much as we can,” he said. “But sometimes you’ll have the tension; they blame us for problems they have with kids, and vice versa.”

The Shock’s Coleman has a completely different view. He said he has developed a lot of relationships with college coaches in trying to get his athletes scholarships.

“The high school coach becomes irrelevant during the summertime recruiting period because they aren’t as accessible as we are,” he said. “When they’re done with their season, they go back to teaching math, or whatever. We’re working with the kids 365 days a year.”

Richey-Walton, who has coached at Southwest Dekalb High School in Georgia for eight years after being a club ball coach, said attitudes like Coleman’s are more prevalent among club ball coaches. And she doesn’t favor the change.

“The high school coach now sometimes feels left out,” she said. “I had a situation once where a college coach never made contact with me for one of my kids they were interested in.”

Richey-Walton said the situation is indicative of the culture around recruiting now, and she called it short-sighted.

“High school coaches are being overlooked, but they should get more respect,” she said. “High school coaches have to be certified, whereas anyone who wants to can start a club team.”

Middle Tennessee State Coach Rick Insell, who has also coached club ball, said he and his staff contact the high school coach of an athlete they’re interested in. However, many other schools and coaches don’t have the same philosophy.

“We’ll go through the high school coach, but keep the travel coach very much in the loop,” Insell said. “But I’ve noticed that travel team coaches usually don’t pay attention to the high school coach at all.”

Oklahoma Coach Sherri Coale shares Insell’s philosophy. She said she is a “firm believer” in speaking to a high school coach about a player. She also likes to see an athlete play at her school.

“It’s very important to me to see a girl play at her high school during the high school season,” Coale said. She coached high school for six years at the local Norman High School.

Coale also sees detriments in the rise of club ball: primarily over-work and the loss of skill development.

Athletes now go right from their high school season into club ball season with no break until August, after the July viewing period. That means that young bodies are playing for almost a year without a break.

Coale said that because the goal of club ball teams is to play as many tournaments as possible to get athletes seen by colleges, that basketball fundamentals have taken a dive in recent years.

“The greatest problem with young players today is that they don’t work on their game anymore – they don’t have time,” Coale said. “For the sake of volume playing, they’ve given up many of the skills.”

Coale said this is evident, for instance, in the number of players she sees now that can’t perform skills with their weak hands.

“There has to be a foundation to set the game on,” she said. “The best coaches demand that.”

Some coaches like Coleman, however, say they’re enhancing the game.

“We have a real sense of pride, because not only do we have a better brand of basketball, we’re sending kids to higher level colleges,” he said.

Chicago Bulls Elite Coach Erin Babarskis sees a lot of benefit in the travel her teams do during the summer.

“The players get exposed to different types of play,” she said. “For example, the east coast game is very different from the west coast game – west coast play seems to be faster-paced.”

Babarskis said last summer, a team from London came to Chicago to play her team, which proved beneficial to both squads.

Athletes say there are definite differences between high school and club ball, but that they need both.

Kacy Swain, who will be a senior next year at Chaparral High School in Southern California, has already committed to UCLA. She said Chaparral’s league is strong, but still gives the edge to her club team, West Coast Premier, for intensity.

“Club ball pace is quicker, faster and a lot more athletic than high school ball,” Swain said. “It’s because the level of competition is higher.”

She credits the exposure she got playing for WCP for getting her college offers. And now that she’s made a choice, the pressure is off.

“After years of playing hard, I’m learning to focus on just the game,” she said.

July 6-15 is the first portion of the July viewing period this year. The dead period is July 16-21, where no games are allowed. July 22-31 marks the second portion of the July viewing period.

DFW Elites begins the summer with the Big State Flava Jam, a popular tournament among college coach at Southern Methodist University, July 5-8.

• Cal Sparks
  www.calsparks.com
• California SWISH
  www.calswish.com
• Cy-Fair AAU
• http://www.cyfairaau.org/
• EBX
  http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=ebx
• DFW Elite
  http://dfwelitebasketball.com/modules/content/index.php?id=1
• Boo Williams
  http://www.boowilliamsbball.com/
• Mile Hi Magic
  http://www.milehimagic.com/page/page/5485819.htm
• Tree of Hope
  http://www.leaguelineup.com/topsites.asp?url=treeofhope&sid=230918151

Sue Favor’s Blog: They’re Playing Basketball.

Video: NC State University Communications

On Friday, June 25, North Carolina State named Debbie Yow, a native of the state, director of athletics. Yow is the sister of the late Kay Yow, who coached the university’s women’s basketball program for 34 years and former Wolfpack All-American Susan Yow.

She joins NC State after 16 years as director of athletics at the University of Maryland, where the women’s basketball team won the national championship in 2006.

WRAL.com: NC State women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper talks about new AD Debbie Yow’s credentials.

Yesterday ESPN announced nominees for its 2010 ESPY awards. Fans vote for winners until July 10. The network will broadcast half-hour a nomination show today at 8p.m. ET. Winners will be announced during The 2010 ESPYs, televised LIVE Wed, July 14, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD.

The complete list of categories with female nominees:

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE

Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball

• Helped lead UConn to back-to-back national championships.
• Averaged 28.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG in the two games at the Final Four.
• Averaged team-high 18.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG during 2009-10 regular season.

Diana Taurasi, WNBA

• Named WNBA MVP for 2009 regular season and playoffs.
• Led WNBA in scoring during regular season (20.4 PPG).
• Helped Phoenix win the WNBA championship.

Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

• Capped a historic season with her third straight overall World Cup title.
• Won gold medal at Olympics in downhill, becoming the first American woman to do so.
• Won the final super-G race of the season for her 33rd World Cup win, eclipsing Bode Miller as the most decorated American skier.

Serena Williams, Tennis

• Earned number one world ranking at the end of the 2009 season.
• Won 2010 Australian Open, becoming the first woman to successfully defend her Aussie title since Jennifer Capriati in 2002.
• Tied Billie Jean King for 6th on the all-time women’s Grand Slam titles list (12).

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE

Brittney Griner, Baylor Women’s Basketball

• Averaged 18.4 PPG and 8.5 RPG as a freshman.
• Totaled 223 blocked shots, an NCAA-record.
• Registered an NCAA Tournament record 40 blocks in five 2010 tourney games, which includes tournament single-game record 14 vs. No. 13 Georgetown.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

• Improved from 1,228 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns as a rookie to 2,006 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns in the 2009 season.
• Led the league in rushing with 2,006 yards and became the sixth player in league history with 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

• Became the first pitcher to record at least 14 strikeouts and zero walks in his MLB debut.
• Struck out the final seven batters he faced in his debut and fell one shy of the record for strikeouts in a MLB debut of 15 by Karl Spooner (1954 Dodgers) and J.R. Richard (1971 Astros).

John Wall, University of Kentucky Basketball

• As a freshman, led the Wildcats in scoring (16.6), assists (6.5) and steals (1.8) while setting the school single-season assist record with 241.
• Recorded five double-doubles on the season as Kentucky went 35-3 and made it to the Elite Eight.

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

Usain Bolt, 100 and 200-meter World Records

• Shattered 100 and 200-meter mark at World Track and Field Championships.
• Ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.
• Set a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters at the world championships.

Brett Favre, NFL record for consecutive starts

• Set an NFL record for consecutive starts at 271, passing the old mark of Vikings DL Jim Marshall at 270, which ran from 1961-1979.
• Began his consecutive starts streak 17 years ago.

Roger Federer, Most Grand Slam singles titles

• Won 15th Grand Slam singles title, eclipsing Pete Sampras by winning Wimbledon 2009.
• Won the finals in an epic battle against Andy Roddick, capturing the fifth set 16-14.
• Served 50 aces in the record-breaking victory.

Connecticut Women’s Basketball, Longest winning streak in Women’s NCAA Basketball History

• Undefeated season extended their record 78-game winning streak.
• Won second straight national championship in 2009-2010 season.
• Made women’s college basketball history with NCAA- record 71st straight win, a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

Isner vs. Mahut at Wimbledon, Longest Match in Professional Tennis History

• Tied 59-59 in the fifth set when match was suspended due to darkness.
• Played for ten hours until match was stopped, which is nearly three and a half hours longer than the previous record.

BEST UPSET

Frankie Edgar over B.J. Penn, MMA

• Dethroned the long-time lightweight champion, winning the title with a unanimous 50-45, 48-47, 49-46 decision at UFC 112.
• Became Penn’s first loss at lightweight since 2002.

Hawaii softball upsets #1 Alabama, NCAA Softball

• Defeated Alabama 5-4 on a two-run, walk-off home run by Jenna Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh in the deciding game of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
• Advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in school history.

Northern Iowa shocks No. 1 Kansas, NCAA Men’s Basketball

• Advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, making Kansas the first No. 1 seed to lose before the Sweet 16 since Kentucky and Stanford both did it in 2004.
• Northern Iowa hit nine three-pointers in the stunner.

Y. E. Yang stuns Tiger Woods, PGA Championship

• The 110th-ranked player in the world became the first player to beat Tiger Woods in a major when Woods had at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
• Shot a two-under-par 70 in the final round, while Woods was +5 (75).

BEST MOMENT

Phil Mickelson, 2009 Masters

• Finished 16 under par with a bogey-free final round for the fourth-lowest winners’ score in tournament history.
• Had back-to-back eagles in third round.
• Celebrated with his wife Amy, who was battling cancer.

Joannie Rochette, Winter Olympics

• Earned a bronze medal in Olympic skating just days after her mother died.
• Rochette’s mother passed only a few hours after arriving in Vancouver to watch her daughter compete.

New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV

• Tracy Porter’s interception helped New Orleans wrap up Super Bowl win over the Colts.
• Brees finished with a record-tying 32 completions in 39 attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans captured its first NFL championship, winning 31-17 over the Colts.

Landon Donovan World Cup vs. Algeria

• With the U. S. on the verge of elimination from group play, Landon Donovan converted a rebound from eight yards out in the 91st minute.
• Helped the U. S. beat Algeria, 1-0, to advance to the knockout stage.
• Was the first World Cup win for the U.S. in eight years, placing the Americans in first place in Group C.

BEST TEAM

Alabama Football

• Won its first national championship since 1992.
• Earned its eighth major poll championship after going 14-0, with 12 games decided by more than a touchdown.
• Won BCS championship with 37-21 win over Texas.

Chicago Blackhawks

• Won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.
• Only the New York Rangers had more time between Cups (53 seasons).
• Had 52 regular-season wins, second-most in the NHL during 2009-10 season.

Connecticut Women’s Basketball

• Completed their second straight perfect season, the second basketball team to do that in Division I history, joining the 1971-73 UCLA men.
• UConn has won 78 straight games, 10 shy of UCLA’s Division I record.
• The Huskies beat Stanford by 6, their first single-digit win of the streak, to win their seventh National Championship.

Los Angeles Lakers

• Won 16th NBA championship in franchise history.
• Won the final two games of the series to beat the Celtics in seven games for its second consecutive championship.
• 57-25 in regular season; best record in Western Conference.

New Orleans Saints

• Set a franchise single-season record for wins and consecutive victories; captured Super Bowl XLIV.
• Ended the regular season with the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense.
• Scored 31 of the game’s final 38 points to bounce back from a 10-0 deficit and win Super Bowl XLIV, the first Super Bowl championship in the franchise’s 43 seasons.
• Became the first team to win in its Super Bowl debut since the 2002 Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

New York Yankees

• Won their record 27th World Series championship by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
• Had an MLB-best 103–59 record during the regular season.
• Led MLB in runs scored with 915.

Capital One Best College Athletic Program (not included in voting module)

BEST COACH/MANAGER

Geno Auriemma, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

• Led UConn. to back-to-back national championships and perfect 39-0 records.
• Won his seventh national championship.

Joe Girardi, NY Yankees

• Led the Yankees to their 27^th World Series in his second year as manager.
• Became the first manager to win a World Series title for the same team for which he had played on a World Series champion since Billy Martin.

Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

• Won his 11th NBA title after leading the Lakers to the franchise’s 16th championship.
• Passed John Wooden for most championships by a major basketball coach.

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Men’s Basketball

• Took a team ranked eighth in the preseason ESPN/USA Today poll and led them to the national championship.
• Blue Devils finished the season with a 35-5 record.
• Joined John Wooden (10) and Adolph Rupp (four) as only men with at least four national championships.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

• Led Saints to 13-0 start en route to the Super Bowl championship.
• The Super Bowl champions set a franchise single-season record for wins and consecutive victories.

Nick Saban, Alabama football

• Led Tide to BCS championship with win over Texas.
• Became the second head coach to win two BCS national championships, joining Urban Meyer of Florida.
• Became the first head coach in major college football history to win a national championship at two different schools.

BEST COMEBACK (Not featured in voting module)

Kim Clijsters, Tennis

• Made history to become the first unseeded woman to win the Open.
• Beat both Serena and Venus Williams as well as seeded players Caroline Wozniacki and Na Li en route to the championship.
• The first unseeded player to win the US Open and is just the second unranked player to win a major since the inception of computer rankings in 1975, joining Evonne Goolagong at the 1977 Australian Open.

BEST WNBA PLAYER

Tamika Catchings, Indiana

• Named WNBA defensive player of the year.
• Led her team to the WNBA finals in the 2009 season.

Becky Hammon, San Antonio

• Finished second in regular season in scoring (19.5 PPG).
• Finished third in the regular season in assists (5.0 APG).

Lauren Jackson, Seattle

• Finished third in scoring during the regular season (19.2 PPG).
• Tied for 10th in rebounding (7.0).

Candace Parker, Los Angeles

• Averaged 13.1 PPG during the regular season.
• Led the league in rebounding with 9.8 RPG.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix

• Led WNBA in scoring during the regular season (20.4 PPG).
• Named MVP for the regular season and playoffs.
• Helped Phoenix win the WNBA championship.

BEST FEMALE GOLFER

Cristie Kerr

• Had 13 top 10 finishes in 25 events played in 2009.
• Helped USA team win Solheim Cup.

Lorena Ochoa

• Won three LPGA tournaments and finished second four times.
• Had 13 top 10 finishes in 22 events.
• Led LPGA in scoring average (70.16).

Jiyai Shin

• Was top money winner on LPGA Tour with over $1.8 million.
• Earned Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors.
• Won three LPGA tournaments in 2009.

BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER

Kim Clijsters

• Won 2009 U. S. Open.
• Became the first mother since Evonne Goolagong at 1980 Wimbledon to come back and win a Grand Slam singles title.
• Became the first unseeded woman to win the Open, beating both Serena and Venus Williams en route to the championship.

Serena Williams

• Set the record for single-season prize money in women’s tennis by topping $6.5 million in 2009.
• Won 2009 WTA season-ending championship in Doha, Qatar.
• Won 2010 Australian Open.

Venus Williams

• Finished 2009 season as the sixth-ranked woman’s player.
• Moved up to #2 in world rankings by the start of the 2010 French Open.

BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Tina Charles, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

• Averaged 18.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 61.8 field goal pct in under 28 minutes per game
• Helped lead the Huskies to a National Championship and a 39-0 record for a second consecutive year.
• Became the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Megan Hodge, Penn State Volleyball

• Led her team to its third straight NCAA championship title, winning 102 straight matches.
• Led the Big Ten with an average of 4.67 kills per set (560 kills total).

Megan Lagenfeld, UCLA Softball

• WCWS Most Outstanding Player as UCLA won its 12th national softball championship.
• Batted .527 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 61 games during season.
• Posted 14-1 record with 1.53 ERA as a pitcher.

Maya Moore, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

• Helped lead UConn to back-to-back national championships.
• Named Most Outstanding Player at 2010 Final Four.
• Averaged 28.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG in the Final Four and a team-high 18.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG during the regular season.

BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE

Torah Bright, Snowboarding

• Won gold at the Winter Olympics in the halfpipe.

Ashley Fiolek, Motocross

• Won Super X gold at the 2009 X Games and her second straight WMX season title.

Jen Hudak, Freestyle Skiing

• Won 2010 Winter X Games SuperPipe gold and the 2009-2010 AFP World Tour Championship.

Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing

• Has won the world title in all three of her seasons on the Women’s ASP World Tour.

Ashleigh McIvor, Freestyle Skiing

• Won ski cross gold at the Winter Olympics and earned Skier X silver at the 2010 Winter X Games.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Linnea Dohring

• A gymnast without the lower half of her right arm and hand, she consistently scored in the 8.1-8.5 range in both the vault and floor exercises during all regular season meets.
• Was a three-year starter and co-captain on Grandview’s varsity Soccer team.

Alana Nichols

• Won two gold medals (sitting downhill, sitting giant slalom) among four total medals at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

Amy Palmiero-Winters

• Became the first amputee to qualify for a U.S. national track and field team.
• Competed in the 24-hour world championships in May 2010 in Brive, France.
• Won the AAU Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete.

Stephani Victor

• Won gold in the sit-ski super combined to earn her third medal of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

BEST BOWLER

Kelly Kulick

• Became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title when she defeated Chris Barnes to win the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.

Bill O’Neill

• Finished second in points (208.2).
• Won Lumber Liquidators U. S. Open.

Walter Ray Williams Jr.

• Led PBA in points (229.1), earnings ($152,670), scoring average (222.9) and match play appearances (15).

BEST FEMALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE

Hannah Kearney, Skiing

• Won a gold medal in freestyle skiing moguls.
• Scored 26.63 points to win by .94 — a wide margin in a sport often decided by tenths and hundredths.

Julia Mancuso, Skiing

• Won two silver medals in alpine skiing.
• Her silver in the downhill marked the first time the U.S. has captured the top two spots in alpine skiing since 1984 (and 3rd time overall).

Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

• Won a gold medal in the women’s downhill, marking the first gold medal by an American woman in the Olympic downhill.
• Also won a bronze medal in the women’s super-G.

BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE

Usain Bolt

• Shattered the world record, running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.
• Set a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters at the world championships.

Allyson Felix

• Won the 200-meters at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.

Sanya Richards

• Won the 400-meters at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships with a time of 49 seconds.

Purdue is set to take on Austin Peay in the opening matchup of the 2010 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Boilermakers host the Lady Govs at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, November 12 in Mackey Arena.

"We’re excited to be invited to the Preseason WNIT," said Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels. "Being from Indiana I’m looking forward to facing a team from my home state. Purdue is a tremendous program that has a lot of rich tradition. We know it will be a tough game and we’ll have to be ready to play."

Purdue is 1-0 all time against Austin Peay, with the only matchup an 80-49 Boilermaker win at home in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 2002. Austin Peay has four starters from last season’s squad, which won a second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball tournament title. The Lady Govs went 15-18 overall but rallied to a third-place finish in the OVC regular-season race with an 11-7 record before posting three straight victories in the OVC tournament.

It is the third Preseason WNIT appearance for Purdue and the second for the Lady Govs. The Boilermakers won the tournament in coach Sharon Versyp’s first year as head coach, defeating No. 16 Baylor, 69-55, on Nov. 19, 2006, in Waco, Texas. In 2000, fourth-ranked Purdue finished as runners up to No. 11 Louisiana Tech, 68-63. 

The 16-team, invitation-only Preseason WNIT field features 14 teams coming off postseason play, with half of those teams winning their conference tournaments. The preseason WNIT is an exempt event that is played as a three-game guarantee format. The tournament opens with first-round games Nov. 12 and 13. Second-round games will be played Nov. 14 and 15; semifinals will be Nov. 17 and 18; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 21. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 19 and 20. All games are hosted by participating schools and the next round sites will be announced by the end of the preceding round.

In last year’s Preseason WNIT, Big Ten Conference member Ohio State defeated Oklahoma State 93-72.

First-round Preseason WNIT games
2009-2010 team records in parentheses

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

• Austin Peay (15-18) at Purdue (15-17), 5 p.m. ET
• St. Francis PA (17-15) at Toledo (25-9), 7 p.m. ET
• Hampton (20-12) at JMU (26-7), 7 p.m. ET
• Lamar (26-8) at Missouri State (22-11), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Valparaiso (9-21) at DePaul (21-12), 8 p.m. ET
• Utah Valley (10-22) at South Dakota State (22-11), 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

• Central Florida (11-16) at Florida (15-17), time TBA
• Iona (18-14) at Charlotte (18-14), 5 p.m. ET