Pat going to UT-FL game paying dividends

[Rizzo924]

From SEC women's post-game interviews:

Q. Coach, obviously coming down towards the end, you didn't call timeout, didn't hold for the last shot. Is that a situation where you have the ball in the right person's hands anyway? What's the thought process?

COACH PAT SUMMITT: You know, in most of my coaching years, I've called timeout. But I've found it very difficult at times to get the ball back inbounds, particularly against a great defensive team. I happened to be watching our men play at Florida, and Florida called timeout, never got the ball back.

You know, things like that stand out in my mind. Coach K, which I have tremendous respect for, he never calls a timeout in that situation. You just have to trust your team. I think I've changed my philosophy in probably the last three years about feeling like I've got to call timeout and manage. If you prepared your team and you got good leadership on the floor, let 'em play because a lot of things can happen trying to inbound the ball on the sidelines, which we saw at the end of the game.

So, you know, I trust this team to make those decisions.

 

[OWB]

It was a good move, especially when the ball was in Parker's hands. Of course, if Parker didn't make that shot and we lost the game, everyone would be second guessing and complaining about it.

 

[Rizzo924]

True, true. Obviously I'm glad it played out the way it did, but I have to say that Pat's response epitomizes what I've always respected about her (and tho' I'm a Fulmer fan, what has, at times, concerned me about him), and that is her willingness to change and evolve.