It’s not like there haven’t been better teams in Tennessee Lady Vols history. Pat Summitt’s eight national titles will tell you that. Also, this level of scoring was nothing new against lower-level competition during the Summitt years. What’s different about this team is how they got there.
UT scored 135 points in an 86-point exhibition win over the Carson-Newman Eagles Thursday night, as Kim Caldwell gave fans their first taste of what they’re about to experience in her chaotic, up-tempo style of play. It’s the most points scored for the Tennessee Lady Vols since 2008, also when they dropped 135 on the Eagles.
This time, though, the Tennessee Lady Vols did it with a style that Summitt, Holly Warlick nor Kellie Harper ever entertained. They ran through their guards and used a level of chaos that even the best up-tempo programs don’t run in this sport. Caldwell made clear she is trying to bring in a new generation of fans to this storied program.
Largely because Summitt could consistently get the best players, defense and rebounding have been hallmarks of this program over the past 50 years. Most notably led by Candace Parker, the Tennessee Lady Vols overwhelmed opponents inside, even when they were a high-scoring team.
Now, though, Caldwell is bringing her style with the Marshall Thundering Herd, which is a frenetic pace that brings a form of controlled chaos, to the program. Her big focus was bringing in more size than what she had at Marshall to be able to compete while maintaining her shooting. At least in the exhibition, that worked out.
Rocky Top forced 43 turnovers and had 30 steals. They also took 94 shots and scored 58 points in transition thanks to those turnovers. One of the big concerns with the way Caldwell built this roster was three-point shooting, as she went for athleticism and size in the transfer over shooting, but UT was 19-of-48 from outside.
Clemson Tigers transfer Ruby Whitehorn, who is 5’11”, was one of those athletic tall guards who had trouble shooting, as she was 27.5 percent from three last year. She shot 4-of-6 from outside Thursday with 29 points and four steals. Arkansas Razorbacks transfer guard Samara Spencer also fit that mold, but she was 2-of-4 from three with seven points and eight assists.
What will really help this team is the returning players who can shoot. Jewel Spear proved to be one of the best, going 5-of-11 from three with five assists en route to 17 points. Sara Puckett went 2-of-5 from outside with 14 points. Both had two steals. Tess Darby went 3-of-7 from three with nine points off the bench.
Other transfers also played their role. South Carolina Gamecocks transfer guard Talaysia Cooper was the defensive specialist Caldwell wanted to be, finishing with eight steals and 16 points. Miami Hurricanes transfer forward Zee Spearman had three steals, two blocks and 17 points off the bench. They were the transition players. Freshman Kaniya Boyd had 13 points and four steals.
Simply put, the Caldwell era is underway. Yes, it was an exhibition, but it showed what this team could be. Three-point shooting for all of these players will be better because they’ll get more looks in transition. That doesn’t change much based on the competition. We already know the guard play and athleticism are there.
All of this should bring a youth movement to the Tennessee Lady Vol fan base. Many of the fans are from when Summitt built the program in the 1970s and 1980s, and the energy has fallen behind that of other programs like the South Carolina Gamecocks and whoever lands the next Caitlin Clark.
Ever since Summitt’s tragic illness, UT has had to watch as other programs and players cashed in on the growth of the sport that she built. With Caldwell introducing a fun style, this program can finally match that. She is basically doing for the Tennessee Lady Vols what Bruce Pearl with the men’s program but to one that already has a deep infrastructure in place.
