It’s an exciting time on the University of Tennessee’s campus. Fall is in the air, temperatures are dropping and Lady Vols Basketball is right around the corner.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the upcoming season. The Lady Vols are welcoming in four freshmen that compose the top incoming recruiting class in the nation.
The team will also be led by seniors Mercedes Russell and Jaime Nared, both coming off a stint overseas where they helped the USA National team win a Nations Tournament title.
Last season, the team made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Louisville Cardinals.
As always, expectations for the upcoming season will be high as the team will mix an experienced veteran roster with a talented core of promising players.
On Tuesday, the Lady Vols opened up practice and expressed their anticipation for this season to begin.
“Our players are excited, (our) coaches are excited,” head coach Holly Warlick said. “We’re ready to get started.”
The Future is Bright for the Lady Vols:
As previously mentioned, the Vols will be bringing in the top recruiting class in the nation with four impressive recruits playing on Rocky Top. The four new members of the Orange and White are Evina Westbrook, the second overall player in the nation; Anastasia Hayes, the sixth overall player in the nation; Rennia Davis, the ninth overall player and Kasiyahna Kushkituah, the nation’s eleventh best player.
With their high rankings, there are major expectations surrounding this fresh batch of promising players.
“They have gotten a lot of hoopla — and well deserving,” Warlick said. “Not just because of their rankings; they play hard, they’re smart basketball players and they bring a spirit we haven’t had in a long time.”
Though Tuesday is the first real day coach Warlick can fully evaluate the team’s talent, she expects the freshmen to make an early impact.
“Oh, they’re going to play, they’re going to play early,” Warlick said. “All four are solid. They all bring different things, and they’re going to play just because they’re talented.”
Don’t Forget the Veterans:
Not only is the freshman class talented, but the Lady Vols have star power all over their roster.
The two veterans that have been mainstays their whole careers are Russel and Nared.
Russel has a bevy of accolades to her name, including multiple All-American mentions. The senior center has made an impact for Tennessee ever since she was a freshman.
Nared has been very impactful since her freshman season as well. The senior guard has totaled 135 assists in her three years and has shot 39 percent from the field.
But when asked about returners that would make an impact, Warlick singled out another player.
“Meme Jackson. I think the group that came in … They work hard and I think that Meme has seen their effort, and she wants to be a leader as well,” Warlick said.
“Meme is probably the biggest change. I’ve seen her step up and take her game to the next level.”
Vols Team-first Mentality:
Thus far, the only work the team has been able to do is individual drills. Official practice marks the first day that the team can get together and work on drills as a unit.
“I’m excited that we can put some things in and kind of bring everything we’ve been working on all together,” Warlick said.
That ideology was apparent in the portion of practice open to the media. From the onset, all drills were done as a team. They opened up with practicing shots from the free throw line and the left wing.
The Lady Vols later split into two groups, with one group working on defending the passing lanes while the other worked on fighting the drive.
Hayes had a standout moment when she — a 5-foot-7 guard — made a pull-up jumper in the face off the 6-foot-6 Russell.
The last drill that was open to the media involved three-on-threes, where three Volunteers tried to prevent three teammates from driving and scoring.
The Lady Vols open their season on Nov. 7. They will be welcoming the Carson Newman Eagles to Rocky Top.
