This was a fear all offseason given how Kim Caldwell went about getting players in the transfer portal. It manifested itself as the Tennessee Lady Vols moved to 2-0 under her by dominating the UT-Martin Skyhawks 90-50 Thursday night: They aren’t efficient shooting the ball.
Rocky Top shot 9-of-39 from the three-point line and under 40 percent from the field while going just 65.2 percent from the free throw line. However, they still managed 90 points and scored a 40-point victory thanks to how Caldwell built the program.
Once again, the Tennessee Lady Vols just forced a lot of turnovers and created a lot of possessions with their frenetic pace. They had 18 steals on the night and forced 31 turnovers overall, so the controlled chaos played right into what Caldwell wanted to do.
Limited in who she could recruit since it was her first year, Caldwell went all in of two of the three things she needs for her program to work. Key are athleticism and shooting, which she had with the Marshall Thundering Herd, but also size to translate her style to SEC play. She sacrificed shooting for the other two.
That’s what was on display in this game. The Tennessee Lady Vols showed off every aspect of their game in this new system except the one area they struggle, shooting. It didn’t matter. Transition play and aggression all night allowed them to stay in control.
Ruby Whitehorn off the bench led the way with an epic performance, scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds while picking up three steals. All three led the team. Jewel Spear added 13 points, hitting three three-pointers, and Sara Puckett dropped 11. Samara Spencer had 10 off the bench. Alyssa Latham had three steals.
Up next for the Tennessee Lady Vols is a visit from the MTSU Blue Raiders next Tuesday. The Skyhawks, meanwhile, fall to 0-2 and will host the Louisville Cardinals that same day. It’s clear that while UT has issues, they are embracing Caldwell’s style.
